Date: Tue, 29 Mar 2005 11:18:15 -0500 (EST)
From: dicconf <dicconf at radix.net>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: sports seeding
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

On Tue, 29 Mar 2005 ronkean at juno.com wrote:

> I had wondered about that myself, so I asked around until I got an
> answer.  'Seed' is the correct term, not a misuse.  'Seeding' is a
> feature of tournament procedure in which individual players are initially
> pitted against other individual players deemed to be of a similar ability
> level, to give all players a more nearly fair chance in the early rounds
> of play.  Without seeding, it is not unlikely that some new and promising
> players, ones who might happen to be matched with very good established
> players in early play, could be knocked out of the tournament early.
> When that happens, it is discouraging to the new players, it does not
> make for interesting play, and it cuts short the opportunity for new
> players to become successful in that tournament.  So, for the overall
> good of the sport, and to promote more interesting play, tournaments use
> 'seeding'.

A more cynical explanation: it maintains the suspense of waiting for the
top players to meet, and avoids "spoiling" the market by the accident of a
top-rated player getting knocked out by a dark horse.  Fewer people pay
scalper prices for tickets when things lilke that happen.

-- Dick Eney