2013 Morgan Cup Selection Thread - The Ultimate Amateur Golf Event

mikedean441 said:

I can understand that, but even if you dont make it, you can still do all of the above, and even more with 4+ sponsors

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I plan on it, I already have a bag full of Cobra, and recently a SeeMore..

Some great vids. Chunky you are my hero

mikedean441 said:

I can understand that, but even if you dont make it, you can still do all of the above, and even more with 4+ sponsors

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Exactly right, I hope all who enter still rep the sponsors the best they can no matter what.

IceyShanks said:

Exactly right, I hope all who enter still rep the sponsors the best they can no matter what.

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Yep its a must if we want to help keep this great even alive beyond next year

I just got in from working all day in the yard. Not much THP time for me these days but it does not mean I am not excited for all of you starting tomorrow. I seriously doubt if my video was anywhere near consideration, so my excitement for me is pretty near null. With that said my excitement for all you guys who have busted your butts, is very high and I have my fingers crossed for those that did their very best in their videos will be selected. For those like me who gave a less than best attempt, well you get what you put in it. Don't be jealous of those that worked hard but be excited and happy for them. I get all giddy just watching the young players in here oozing with enthusiasm and excitement. I have hopes for a couple of the older geezers who deserve a shot. Some have worked extremely hard on THP every day to make it the great site it is. I personally don't totally agree with the video system. My thoughts are that the four sponsors should be able to give a sponsor exemption, to four people, who have worked hard in the OEM's threads each day. THP'ers who are here working hard every day to rep those great sponsors should be rewarded for their work. Just my opinion but I see so many people in here posting all the time and not just during Morgan Cup time and they should reap a reward for their dedication. Just saying it's no sweat off me by not getting picked because my stuff does not warrant the reward. Seriously,,, good luck and I promise to be pulling hard, for those whom I have seen busting their arse for both THP and the Morgan Cup OEM's.

Ole Gray I too am not real good with the ideas and video shooting aspect but if that's the way this baby fly's so be it.
I believe that everyone that has applied has done their very best and congrats to all that have taken the time to apply for this much sought after Trophy and the camaraderie that goes along with this event.
In one short day the announcements will begin bringing much joy to some and continued anguish to others that remain till the " final call".
Good Luck to all that have entered the Morgan Cup 2013 . butterfly's ??

Bogey317 said:

I can't say I won't be dissapointed if I don't get selected. I want this in a bad way. I want to Rock THP and my Sponsor. Truthfully, I need this...I need something I can focus on. But good luck to everyone!

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I hope you keep this enthusiasm whether you are picked or not. The Morgan Cup is about so much more than those that are selected, and it takes the entire community to Rock THP and the Sponsors for another one to occur the following year.

War Eagle said:

I hope you keep this enthusiasm whether you are picked or not. The Morgan Cup is about so much more than those that are selected, and it takes the entire community to Rock THP and the Sponsors for another one to occur the following year.

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I plan on it War.

Ole Gray said:

I just got in from working all day in the yard. Not much THP time for me these days but it does not mean I am not excited for all of you starting tomorrow. I seriously doubt if my video was anywhere near consideration, so my excitement for me is pretty near null. With that said my excitement for all you guys who have busted your butts, is very high and I have my fingers crossed for those that did their very best in their videos will be selected. For those like me who gave a less than best attempt, well you get what you put in it. Don't be jealous of those that worked hard but be excited and happy for them. I get all giddy just watching the young players in here oozing with enthusiasm and excitement. I have hopes for a couple of the older geezers who deserve a shot. Some have worked extremely hard on THP every day to make it the great site it is. I personally don't totally agree with the video system. My thoughts are that the four sponsors should be able to give a sponsor exemption, to four people, who have worked hard in the OEM's threads each day. THP'ers who are here working hard every day to rep those great sponsors should be rewarded for their work. Just my opinion but I see so many people in here posting all the time and not just during Morgan Cup time and they should reap a reward for their dedication. Just saying it's no sweat off me by not getting picked because my stuff does not warrant the reward. Seriously,,, good luck and I promise to be pulling hard, for those whom I have seen busting their arse for both THP and the Morgan Cup OEM's.

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OG,
Let me first say I do not disagree with you necessarily. Let me tell you a story. One day I came up with this idea and went a different way with entries. It did not go so well in my opinion. With the event being so video intensive (meaning golf filmed and interviews throughout), Morgan and I felt as though we should make sure someone could stand in front of a camera before they arrived in the event. Now couple that with the idea that it is clear that so many want to be in this and frankly if we based it on "good" forum members, we would need hundreds of spots. We have thought about letting others choose, but that leaves so much open to popularity and bias. We have thought about basing it on activity, but that limits the growth. So last year we came up with an idea of eliminating ALL bias by having two ladies that have never been on THP and did not even know what a forum was, judge it. Took it a step further and broadcasted the judging LIVE right on the site.

Guess what? We got accused of bias again. So we brought the judges to the outing and they got to answer some questions and confirmed how it was done. Still got accused of some rotten things. So we took a step back and reevaluated the process and truly believe that all we can do is take bias out and let the chips fall where they may.

Are there better ways to pick people? Maybe. Should certain people be rewarded for their efforts on this forum? Perhaps. But where does a line get drawn? How do you choose who gets rewarded and who gets left out, when everybody tries their best? So in return we do forum testing for those that support THP with activity and even worked hard to bring events to them, so it was not always a take from the give and take.

OG, I think if you look through the videos last year and again when the participants are announced this year, you will see that what got people into this event was a message. Not fancy editing or anything else. Some were unique, some were not, but the message was there. It can be as little as someone looking into a camera and talking. I hope that when announcements are made this year, people see that it is not easy, because you feel as though you are letting countless people down, when we should be celebrating those that are about to go on this journey.

The irony here is that with the Invitationals coming and the outing in May, there is not a lot that is being missed, but I know people by nature and the disappointment when you put your heart into something and are not chosen is tough. I hope that everybody that does not get in, finds a way to celebrate those that are chosen, the event as a whole and considers the other THP events that are fantastic in their own right.

Great post JB. I think you are in a situation where you are "damned if you do, damned if you don't." I think with anything like this, you will have people, who feel maybe "entitled" (for lack of a better term), especially if you have been around the site and been active for awhile, a seniority, so to speak. But I think people get so caught up in the event that maybe they lose sight of all the other opportunities that are provided. Between tour events, the outing in May and the numerous testing/giveaways. Not to mention the crazy amount of stuff given away during Christmas that I've heard about from tnolan.

At the end of the day, people will be people, and I think you guys have been able to make it as fair and on an even playing field as possible, which is all that matters. Hopefully you don't take it personally, even though I know it's hard not to do. For being a member for only about 6 months, I feel like I am just scratching the surface of what THP has to offer. Looking forward to seeing all the participants excitement this week!

Sorry if there is horrible grammar. That was a lot of finger typing on my phone!


Tapping from my Steve Jobs talking device

I know it's extremely hard to make everyone happy. You guys are doing the very best you can, to make the playing field fair. That's all you can do. Congrats to those who know how to express the right message in video form. For those who don't yet have the message or even know what it is, maybe you can develop it through study and perseverance.

Very well said Josh. Sometimes I wonder if there are better/more effective ways to pick the contestants for this once in a lifetime chance, but someone is going to find a way to disagree with whatever is used. I have faith in this site, and its creator's, and I think you guys consistently find ways to innovate and keep this site growing. In the end, the people selected are going to do a standup job, and whether or not that is me, I know I am going to do my best to rep this event and everyone that has made it possible.

Bogey317 said:

I can't say I won't be dissapointed if I don't get selected. I want this in a bad way. I want to Rock THP and my Sponsor. Truthfully, I need this...I need something I can focus on. But good luck to everyone!

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I like the honesty Bogey. I know that I was really disappointed when the 1st Morgan Cup rolled around and I could not try for it. I had committed to the Outing and I can't do 2 golf trips in 1 year. I was so bummed! I also know that when I am not in the Morgan Cup in the future, I will be slightly bummed as well. It's natural to feel that way.

Chunkylover77 said:

I like the honesty Bogey. I know that I was really disappointed when the 1st Morgan Cup rolled around and I could not try for it. I had committed to the Outing and I can't do 2 golf trips in 1 year. I was so bummed! I also know that when I am not in the Morgan Cup in the future, I will be slightly bummed as well. It's natural to feel that way.

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It's all I can talk about at work, Just the idea to be able to Rep a Sponsor for the next several months, and even longer is just an amazing opportunity. I still try to rep the sponsors of THP everyday anyway. It's just an opportunity that I know I would excel at, Once my heart is set on somthing, I give it my all.

Bogey317 said:

It's all I can talk about at work, Just the idea to be able to Rep a Sponsor for the next several months, and even longer is just an amazing opportunity. I still try to rep the sponsors of THP everyday anyway. It's just an opportunity that I know I would excel at, Once my heart is set on somthing, I give it my all.

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Well as JB said, let me tell you a story. As I said, I was not in the original Morgan Cup. But I was friends with just about everyone who was in it. So while I was pretty bummed I quickly got over it. I started getting excited for what those dudes were going through. How the threads would explode when they got some news, it was just awesome. I decided to stick my head in and participate with all the MC'ers. I trash talked with them as well. I would say I was one of the more active non Morgan Cup participants in all the MC threads.

IMO(and this is off memory so I know it is probably wrong lol) there were 3 non MC dudes that truly went all in on the 1st Morgan Cup and had high activity in the threads leading up to the event. I remember Hawk being outstanding. I remember Cookie being outstanding as well. I also remember Yorkem getting in there. Now I know for a fact that the judges picked all the MC 2.0 peeps but maybe those 3 dudes learned something while being in the threads and participating because they were all in the MC 2.0.

I think the best way of "getting" what the Morgan Cup is about is to immerse yourself in it. If you don't get in, dive into the threads and have fun with it. The more participation from everyone, the better chance that this ship continues to sail. Eventually your time will come. It's such a special event that I really do hope everyone gets to experience it at least once. You can't believe how much more focused I am this year. I am leaving nothing on the table. I am going to lay it all out there and just have some fun. I hope you can be there with me, but if you are not I hope you can stick around and join in some of the fun. Then maybe next year I can root you on while I volunteer

I am so glad that I am neither responsible for coming up with the entry details of this event nor responsible for picking amongst the entrants. The videos are such a better entry method than the race the clock we played for the first event. I would only hope that given all the efforts toward transparency and efforts against any sniff of bias that everyone whether they are selected or not accept the decision of the selection committee and support the 32 contestants and 4 sponsors. I know I will.

Man I couldn't imagine the aspect of deciding who gets in and who is left out but I do I do know that it is not an easy choice and You will never make everyone happy. I think the decision and process of how the judging works this year is about as good as one can imagine. The problem with choosing those who have been around THP longer is that process does not promote growth because new people to the site feel they didn't join in soon enough.

Man less than 27 hours till 3 lives are changed, and a once in a lifetime journey starts for them and the entire THP community gets to be a part of it.

On some level I agree with what OG is saying and to be considered for the MC, the way a person has interacted on THP for a six month or previous years period of time is not a bad thing to consider versus just 1:30 of video footage. I also agree with JB that whomever does get to go to the MC has to be comfortable in front of the camera and present themselves to the audience. It makes for a difficult task to select which we all know it is. I think we have to realize and accept that JB and GG do listen to opinions, both good and bad and do make conscious efforts to fix whatever problems arise from year to year and continue to strive to make this as good of an event as it can be.

The selection process is tough. I agree with JB that if you were to give spots based on forum activity there would be a need for 100's of spots and also everyone's view on what's good is very different. I could think I'm all world and some may not agree. Not saying anything other than it would be different in everyone's view.

Personally ill be very excited for those that get in. Ill be there to volunteer when the event takes place and hopefully be able to film it. It's a lot of fun and I don't even think I need to say its a lot of work haha.

Good luck everyone!

White Rhino said:

On some level I agree with what OG is saying and to be considered for the MC, the way a person has interacted on THP for a six month or previous years period of time is not a bad thing to consider versus just 1:30 of video footage. I also agree with JB that whomever does get to go to the MC has to be comfortable in front of the camera and present themselves to the audience. It makes for a difficult task to select which we all know it is. I think we have to realize and accept that JB and GG do listen to opinions, both good and bad and do make conscious efforts to fix whatever problems arise from year to year and continue to strive to make this as good of an event as it can be.

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I think the qualifying criteria really makes looking at what a person's activity level in the past is, almost unnecessary. The rules and checks that have been put in this year, I think, will really keep people in line and will really put out a lot more fires before things get out of hand. If you don't fulfill your contract, you get warned, if you still continue to neglect your duties, you have to give up your spot. Even if I guy or girl only comes around to enter for MC time, and they get in, and they rep the sponsors great and really promote the event the way it was meant to, then isn't the event better off because of it? I would say the answer is yes.

Let's throw out another scenario, guy or girl gets into the cup who's never been active in the past and the whole cup changes their view about the site, they become super active, maybe even to the point that they become a contributor down the road, like a tester or forum leader, wouldn't THP be better off for it as well? I would say yes too.
Nag
I think Josh and Morgan have taken all of these things into account and that's what makes this so great. If the event was only open to senior members and people who post a lot, like JB said, you limit the chance for growth and in turn jeopardize the long term viability of not just the Morgan Cup, but the viability of the entire site.

Not trying to rub anyone the wrong way, just giving a perspective.




Tapping from my Steve Jobs talking device

Tmex said:

The selection process is tough. I agree with JB that if you were to give spots based on forum activity there would be a need for 100's of spots and also everyone's view on what's good is very different. I could think I'm all world and some may not agree. Not saying anything other than it would be different in everyone's view.

Personally ill be very excited for those that get in. Ill be there to volunteer when the event takes place and hopefully be able to film it. It's a lot of fun and I don't even think I need to say its a lot of work haha.

Good luck everyone!

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Tmex, YOU ARE all world

Tmex said:

The selection process is tough. I agree with JB that if you were to give spots based on forum activity there would be a need for 100's of spots and also everyone's view on what's good is very different. I could think I'm all world and some may not agree. Not saying anything other than it would be different in everyone's view.

Personally ill be very excited for those that get in. Ill be there to volunteer when the event takes place and hopefully be able to film it. It's a lot of fun and I don't even think I need to say its a lot of work haha.

Good luck everyone!

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I think the selection process this time is the best it has ever been. I also think some problems and issues will come up that will be addressed to make the 2014 requirements even better. It's all a learning process by all involved, and will continually be better.

FrankA said:

Tmex, YOU ARE all world

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Haha thanks buddy! I think these next selection days will be nerve wracking and exciting for a lot of people.

White Rhino said:

On some level I agree with what OG is saying and to be considered for the MC, the way a person has interacted on THP for a six month or previous years period of time is not a bad thing to consider versus just 1:30 of video footage. I also agree with JB that whomever does get to go to the MC has to be comfortable in front of the camera and present themselves to the audience. It makes for a difficult task to select which we all know it is. I think we have to realize and accept that JB and GG do listen to opinions, both good and bad and do make conscious efforts to fix whatever problems arise from year to year and continue to strive to make this as good of an event as it can be.

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If the video thing is the only way to go, so be it. I know if I had used several takes on mine, then I might could have produced a better product however a perfect product is not what they are looking for. Even I could make a video look pretty good, doing retakes until it's "just" right . I've seen professional actors make boo boos on camera and retakes have to be done, sometimes several times before the film is approved. Can those who make perfect audition videos with the perfect message, get in front of a live camera and produce the exact same affect? If they are comfortable in front of a camera then it won't be a problem.

I think what Chunkie said about being totally involved in the process now, during the MC and afterwards, is a solid way to get noticed and have a higher potential for selection. With this being said, it's not always the case. I have seen fairly new THP'ers chosen that were not around long enough to be supportive.

Tmex said:

Haha thanks buddy! I think these next selection days will be nerve wracking and exciting for a lot of people.

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No doubt. Definitely preparing for the worst, still holding onto some hope, though.