Super Series Finals - a worthwhile exercise?

Discussion in 'General Forum' started by Cheung, Dec 12, 2012.

  1. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2002
    Messages:
    23,817
    Likes Received:
    4,791
    Occupation:
    wannabe badminton phototaker
    Location:
    Outside the box
    As per the title

    To be honest, I have never been particularly enthralled by the Superseries finals.

    This year, we are seeing a lot of dropouts, perhaps after the Olympics, a number of players are mentally tired. Getting on with their lives and doing things they delayed because of the Olympics.

    The predecessor to the Superseries finals were the World Grand Prix finals. That, I remember was pretty well attended. Not sure why...was the money on offer much greater than the grand prix tournaments? Unfortunately, sponsorship was hard to come by and we see the same problem with the Superseries finals as well.

    How about scrapping the Superseries finals as an event? Does this help the players? Does it adversely affect the marketing of the game? It's a tough and painful question to ask.

    Would it be better served by making the World Championships at the end of the year instead of the Superseries finals? This would maintain the incentives for the players to attend. But now we've moved back to the 2 yearly cycle of WC.
     
  2. Borbor

    Borbor Regular Member

    Joined:
    Aug 2, 2012
    Messages:
    354
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Canada
    I think the problem is they simply have too many events that the players "must" play in. On top of the circuit, they also have the cup events that most countries attend. Pile the AG, and WC on and you're looking at a major competition every year for players in Asia. (since AGs run on even number year and seems like the WC runs on odd numbered year) I think the WC is fine as it is for a 2 year cycle; shrink it to an annual event and IMO it diminishes the prestige of winning one.

    A penalty isn't an incentive for a player to attend; it's just enough to make them show up, play a round and then WD. Money talks, ******** walks. Want more incentive? Either up the purse, or up the world ranking points. Having a 75% attendance rate as a minimum is also bs IMO (what is it, 9 out of 12 events they HAVE to play in??).

    A season finale is always going to get the shaft in a OG year, but having a bounty on players' heads becuase they don't show up make it even more ridiculous.
     
  3. winstonchan

    winstonchan Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jul 26, 2004
    Messages:
    348
    Likes Received:
    1
    Occupation:
    CBO (Chief Babysitting Officer)
    Location:
    Bed
    My non-scientific answer:
    I get quite fed-up and bored watching those same faces playing against each other in the SS Final, as I'd already seen them playing against each other in one of the SS semis or finals during the year and in the past few years.

    Question:
    Many players would have been injured and mentally tired by the end of the year. Why should they be fined for not playing?

    To be honest, I don't buy tickets to watch finals, because most of the finals are China vs China.

    I think they should scrap the SS Final.
     
  4. Fidget

    Fidget Regular Member

    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2008
    Messages:
    3,664
    Likes Received:
    330
    Location:
    Canada
    The super series final is akin to an Allstar game in ice hockey or baseball. Some people love the 'invitation only' type of event which is slightly removed from the hurly-burly of the regular season. Personally I don't watch those Allstar games because they lack intensity. The super series seems kind if the same. Not that there are not great matches, but it seems that the stakes are about money only and not prestige/ pride. Great fun for the fans who can attend, but this international watcher will not likely tune in.
     
  5. Borbor

    Borbor Regular Member

    Joined:
    Aug 2, 2012
    Messages:
    354
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Canada
    Interesting point of view. Tennis fans don't really get tired of watching the top 4 go at it at SF / F of the slams and other ATP1000 events; golf fans don't get tired of watching the same handful of guys duke it out int he final 2 pairings on Sunday, so I don't see why people would get bored of watching the same players play in different events. The cream rises to the top; it's not the bwf's fault there's only a handful of players that reach the final stages of every tournament.
     
  6. demolidor

    demolidor Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2003
    Messages:
    5,507
    Likes Received:
    127
    Location:
    @Hollanti
    ATP/WTA have similar attendance requirements you know ;). Where else do they get their ideas from :p ...

    @ Cheung: WC is held at the right time. BWF calendar just needs to start after the traditional summer break in most countries, where a lot of leagues also start their "season". Japan Open as the season opener has a nice ring to it ... [​IMG]. BWF shouldn't be hosting the SS Finals at all, a private invitational initiative with no points at stake but contractual agreements with individual players for instance (like Copenhagen Masters). Aren't exhibition type of events more interesting at year's end anyway? ...
     
    #6 demolidor, Dec 12, 2012
    Last edited: Dec 12, 2012
  7. gundamzaku

    gundamzaku Regular Member

    Joined:
    Sep 18, 2008
    Messages:
    2,554
    Likes Received:
    2
    Occupation:
    working professional
    Location:
    Santa Clara County, California, USA
    for some reason when i watch a tournament even one as big as the all england open, whenever there's only one country represented at a final, it seems the intensity drops dramatically, so i've gotten used to not watch a particular finals game if only one country is represented. for the SS Finals i think men's singles final was china v china so i just skipped to the next game. don't get me wrong, they are all great players to watch, but as a spectator i just prefer the excitement of rivalry.

    on a side note i don't think i would get bored of watching christinna pedersen play ALL THE TIME :)
     
  8. fauci

    fauci Regular Member

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2010
    Messages:
    456
    Likes Received:
    2
    Location:
    Slum
    I'm getting less interested in watching badminton matches, regardless the nationalities of players.

    First problem is the terrible camera angle that has never improved. If simply fails to capture the trajectory of the shuttle and the movement of players. Watching badminton live in person is a completely different experience.

    Second problem is the lack of players with elegant movement and creative skills. Bao Chunlai is my favourite in this respect, but he has long gone. LHI has retired. TH is leaving soon. LD is having fun elsewhere. LCW is less of a joy to watch ever since he developed his physical game. The rest are either too physical or simply not good enough.
     
  9. event

    event Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2005
    Messages:
    2,901
    Likes Received:
    278
    Location:
    Korea
    This goes back to the notion that tennis, as a professional sport with a whole lot of media attention, can still generate rivalry even with two players of the same national origin. Tennis players are not, on the whole, subject to the will of a national team and neither fans nor players give the impression that Verdasco vs. Nadal is Spain vs. Spain. Badminton is obviously very different. Chinese fans and coaches are often content that China has locked up a title and whether Li or a Wang wins is inconsequential. Unfortunately, it all too often appears that the players might see it the same way. I mean, Wang Shixian may try hard to beat Li or Jiang but you never get the sense that she will be totally gutted if she doesn't win the title or the US$40,000 instead of her team-mate.

    As for how this relates to the SSF, I'm not sure it is more of a factor than any other tournament. In fact, apart from the Asian Games, it is the only major tournament that hasn't had a Chinese sweep since 2010...yet. Of course, one reason is that partnership changes and Lin Dan always playing very few SS events means that the strongest Chinese are sometimes not there. Still, you effectively have a maximum of 2 Chinese at the QF and even SF stage and that is rare in some disciplines in normal SS events.
     

Share This Page