BARI 2007

Yes I really understand the money argument (I was just not expecting it to be rise by USA...) as Sheffield was excessively expensive (So expensive that Columbia was unable to join the final party (Were they already saving money for Bari?)).

I understand that only few teams can afford to travel every year for competition. More efforts on the sponsorship front (Cmas or no Cmas it change nothing) and IOC front (as it seems that nothing has been done yet on this side in USA nor in AUS) have surely to be done.

I understand that chosing to not attend BARI has nothing to do with sportive reasons (and that USA can deal with loosing against Columbia, Slovenia and perhaps Turkey) and that the refusal to come is only politically motivated.

Let's see were UWH (or the aqua thing ) will go after all this nonsense :?

"I understand that chosing to not attend BARI has nothing to do with sportive reasons (and that USA can deal with loosing against Columbia, Slovenia and perhaps Turkey) and that the refusal to come is only politically motivated."



...doesnt seem to me like you understand at all. sorry which one of those countries you have listed are you from?

Romain is from Belgium and is close to Pierre Dernier who is the CNAS Secretary General also from Belgium. Romain is a good guy but not armed with all the facts. I have just got home from the CMAS meeting and I have been traveling for the last 44 hours, so I will not say too much here as I so need some sleep.

Maybe a podcast is called for to put everyone in the picture, I will say that the meeting was not fruitful and they would still not meet with us to discuss the problems which was a pity as Ulysse Munoz, Neil Dixon, Carol Rose and myself where all in attendance.

We have reached an absolute crossroad where i now need to discuss some major issues with my fellow commission members to arrive at where we should be to move forward to do what is beast foe hockey.

Anyway delirium is rife sleep is demanded so stay tumed for possibly the most informed decisions for our future.

This is not a battle of personalities it is a battle for our future direction its about the player not the politics.

Night all oops maybe morning all.

Cheers

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Ok now we're getting there

WTD - thats a date. As soon as you have regained yourself we're ready to Podcast. Probably do it over the phone (or Skype) or we can come to you ?
Let me know when you're ready

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Beast Foe Hockey.

That's the best name I've heard yet...

:wink:

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For Buwh

As someone who has spoken with many of the National Players in the US let me help you with your misunderstanding of Life in Underwater Hockey from the American viewpoint.

First and foremost, I am not sure if you meant to say we are okay with losing to those teams you listed or that you were implying we are afraid to lose to them (if the latter, then ditto Tuck's reply). Either way, it was completely irrelevant to the decision to not attend BARI.

Second, our reasons (in order of importance) as I heard them based on many conversations with those that had a stake in the decision -- the players, not the politicians:

1. Exclusion of Masters and Juniors
2. Money (yes, even the great US of A has a majority of people that don't have endless wallets)
3. Time (many of us also only get two weeks off per year so with training dates and Worlds, it wasn't enough time to bank those hours)
4. Quality of Tournament (lack of info regarding format, rumors of maybe only playing 3-4 games and getting sent home)
5. Level of Play (rumors and confirmations of most of the top 8 not playing)
6 - 20 Various other reasons such as Planned pregnancies, marriages, Graduations, etc. (you know, life)
21. CMAS sucks (yeah, it was a reason, certainly not the only one and definitely not a deal breaker as we have always questioned the value of CMAS)
22. The frogs were croaking (just had to have one to put below CMAS sucks and I got to say CMAS sucks again)

Duck

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Oh yeah, and now they're broke.

Benson, he was just typing with a kiwi accent so you could understand!

Duck, I don't know how you can live in a country with only 2 weeks annual leave! What do you do for the worlds - have a 1 week sickie?

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hopefully we work someplace we can carry over time, so we have 3 weeks saved up, and only used one week during the year between worlds. Or with many jobs if you've been there long enough you have more than two weeks, after 20 years at a job you might have 5 weeks a year (that's a really good company) many top out at 3 weeks, really only some of the masters are in that boat.

Quite a few of our guys in Sheffield quit ther jobs prior to travel. I only had one week of paid vacation available, so I took three weeks of unpaid leave, this was almost not approved and I was prepared to quit my job if that happened. Basically it means there is a lot of planning and saving for that year between events. It also means there are a few very talented players who are unwilling to do this to their life, and therefore will never play at worlds.

stink. well, thats what you get for living in a 3rd world country i guess.

theres many things crap about nz, but at least we get 4 weeks a year standard. im pretty sure other countries get more, too.

you have my sympathy american folks...

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Just to set the record straight Colombia is definitly not attending Bari. only six mens and four womens teams have paid their money to attend.

All up 900 people from all the different disciplines have registered for Bari, this is only 150 more than we had at the final party in Sheffield for hockey alone. The CMAS president told the organising committee to expect 2000, so he is now distancing himself from the organising committe, hey everyone needs a fall guy.

Cheers

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