Doesn't matter,
It's perception, and left on its own just looks bad in a host of ways. You can debate the semantics of who did what when, but when viewed alone, as many of these situations are, the result is what we have here.
Nobody is gonna look at the entire situation, it's just a snapshot in time, one stage is enough to start the ball rolling in the wrong direction.
This is what the defenders don't get. They feel, they were there, they know "How", maybe even "Why" it happened. But viewed through the microscope of social media the results are evident.
I just ordered about 10 Million more Pixel today, gonna be a long winter.
I think we've reached a point in the thread where effective discussion isn't possible.
My point is that in this specific instance that was used as an example, we have all of the parties that were actually involved coming to the board and saying "Look it wasn't that big of a deal." The Match director isn't peeved. The shooters aren't really peeved.
Guys that shot in a different match on the other side of the country are mad. Guys that don't shoot matches are mad. And when the guys that were there are like "We weren't mad about it. We will leave it the same or handle it at the next match. There's a simple solution."
Even like the thing with the Uno bag. I heard about it at MPA...and that guy using it at the match got kudos just based on how ridiculous it is.
Match Directors and ROs run matches. Having 2nd parties come to the thread and shitting on their matches isn't going to make things better. Calling a shooter a fag for shooting the match within the rules isn't exactly constructive criticism. (Not accusing you but others that use you as lighting rod for their position are. And
@Shankster_lives is doing the same with my posts.)
I've shot 3 of the 2 day matches this year. I don't like every stage, but I'm fine with that because I realize that match directors are trying to come up with something that is unique even if it defaults to "The wall is now concrete. Now it's a girder. Now it's a bus."
There are more matches this year than any other year before. I can shoot 15 club level matches, and 6 2 day matches if I am willing to drive anywhere between an hour and a half to 4 hours.
The guys getting the venues, making the courses of fire, putting out the targets, doing the RO-ing are putting in the hard work. You can't grow the sport if there's nowhere to shoot. And the guys doing the work are guys that are already shooters that love the sport. And I want them to continue what they do because I like to shoot.
And a lot of guys that post here just see the negative stuff. The complaints about gaming. The complaints about bags. The complaints about the prize table. The complaints about people wearing jerseys. And it makes it look like it's a lot more widespread than it is, and makes it seem like matches are filled with just assholes looking out for themselves.
The "Sport" is going to progress but change doesn't happen overnight. We haven't quite gotten it right. A lot of your criticism is valid. But right now it has progressed a lot further from where it was a year ago. I am really glad that there are matches on a consistent basis and guys willing to put up with shooters for a weekend.