Ok so here's my question, mainly because I want to see if my thinking is off on this or not, should a team who runs a series (meaning takes money, gives out chips, weighs fish, ect) fish that event? Let me add that they are last out first in, and I honestly have never run across them on the water before duing then event,for each event too. I really had never thought about it until I started fishing the R & W Series (I WILL put my name at the bottom and I am NOT bashing these guys on their PERSONAL ethics, just the concept that could be ANY event in the world I just happen to fish/know this one first hand) and the fellows running it have limited out each time and won 3 of 4 events. Now today on Barren, which you can read about all over the place was a nightmare, the team running it pulls out 15 plus lbs, plus wins the only BF prize, (normally not odd on Barren, but these are not normal times on Barren) with all 15 plus inchers and no slot fish and the next best team has something like 5.66 lbs. I know there were a couple tourney's running at the same time and the people I spoke with ALL said the conditions were pretty rigid, to say the least. They were also terrible conditions yesturday for the WKU Black Bag Classic and not many fish were brought to the scales at all out of that field of around 50 boats (but the event was AWSOME and VERY WELL run by the school). So I start thinking about the last few events and I realize these guys have won 75% (now that's FIRST PLACE, NOT ITM finishes) of the events so far. Now this is a $100 buy-in event and pays out 1 in 7 so the money is pretty good for winning, but I start to think about this and I just don't think it is good business to run an event you are fishing in.
Let me be clear here please, I am NOT making any allegations of any kind about anybody. I just question the idea of the "rules enforcers" playing the game (kind of like "call your own fouls" basketball on the playground), does that seem illogical or is it reasonable? Heck, they COULD do whatever they wanted (again, NOT saying the did/would/have, just saying) as nobody would know it cause they are all out trying to fish themsleves. I was wondering why there have only been 13 teams for the first 3 events and then only 9 today (or somewhere VERY close to those numbers). I thought it was maybe the economy or that they only fish Green River and Barren in this series. But after thinking about it, I REALLY don't think I will fish it next year unless they change the rules on this, this feature of the event has something to do with it too (?).
I think the way FOM runs it, and I believe USA Bassin as well, is the way it should be done. Jeremy Atwood runs all the KY Divisions except one, I believe, and he can ONLY fish the one he is not the head of (R & W Marine Series has two divisions by the way so this IS possible).
NOW, I know what I am going to hear from some about "if you don't like the rules, don't fish it", and that is a VERY fair statement to make (and I won't next year if it remains like this, or any other run like it with similar results from the team running it). I honestly just never even thought about the "conflict of interest" portion of something like this and thus did not pay attention to it (again my own fault).
After all the stuff I have said my question still is: Should the two guys running an event (especially a higher $$ one) be allowed to fish it, or would it seem more ethical to make them fish the series they are NOT running and not allow them to compete in the one the are (ie. USA Bassin/FOM)? Please do not take this as a "sore loser" thing because despite my question, my partner and I have already won enough in this to pay for all 6 events out of our winnings (2nd pays well too ). I am just curious what others think about this type of a set-up for running a tournament are. I also would LOVE to raise awareness about the R&W Event since it is a "Real Rewards" paying tourney that has not come close to HALF the number of boats needed to qualify it for the payout and I just got my new Skeeter too :P. Anyway, thanks for your thoughts and AGAIN one last time, I am not accusing anybody of anything it is more the "Concept of the Operation" I am asking for input on so I can decide if this is something I need to research before fishing "Series" in the future. Or if I am just missing the boat on my thinking here. Thanks all and good luck!!

Rob Appleby
502-689-5528