Not sure I’m liking the wild card rule. What’s the difference then between an at large bid and a wild card now?
Thank you!!! I’ve been discussing this on Facebook with my cheer friends since it came out.
Basically this is what I said;
What is the point of semi-Finals if the top 5 WC teams will advance straight to finals in 2019 with no progression to semi-finals for any WC teams? There used to be an advantage winning a two day event and getting an AL Bid. Now, I don’t think there is much of an advantage at all. So next year your will be basically spending all this money to attend a two day bid event just to try to get paid because an AL Bid is essentially the same as a Wildcard now.
Financially, it makes more sense to stay local, go to more one day comps & try to get a wildcard. You’ll save a ton of money right there. Even if you don’t get paid at a two day competition you’ll have the cash at the end of the year to go to the Summit on a wildcard because you didn’t spend a ton on travel costs during the season.
Honestly, where is the progression from Wildcard Friday to Semi-Final Saturday to Finals Sunday? Could you imagine a Worlds where the top 5 teams in the 1st round of Senior Medium All-Girl on day one advance past all the paid bid winners in semi-finals? To me, it should be harder to get to finals for one day competition winners as opposed to those that have to compete two days. But that’s just my opinion.
In addition, in Wildcard & Paid you compete against your age group to win the bid. ONLY in At Large do you compete against your level. Only in AL can you say you were the best of Level 1 that comp or the best of Level 3. (Don’t get me started on 4.2 lumped with L5) Anyways, I think that’s pretty cool to say your the best of your level and then be reward for it. What is wrong with the AL Bids having a slight advantage over Wildcards by not having to worry about progressing to finals like the Wildcard teams do? After all they won their bid being the top of their level at a two day competition.
As a Wildcard you roll the dice, play the game and hope to get those top spots that advance to finals. However, if you don’t get those top spots you move to semi-finals and try your luck again. I get that some divisions are insane with the amount of bids but that’s how the Summit is. It’s a competition and you should know that some divisions are going to be bigger than others. Not everyone is going to get a trophy and in the end there will be only one team in the division sizing their fingers for rings.
IDK, maybe I am wrong. But I think it’s a mistake not having some progression to semifinals for Wildcards. I like how the system is this year. Opening up more teams being eligible to advance is a huge plus and there is still progression. That I can get behind.