|
Post by Debbie Banaian on Feb 8, 2015 11:19:24 GMT -5
Josh,
Thank you for taking the time and explaining the dynamics of the ranking. Although I see many faults with the system I understand any system would have as many and I'm satisfied with knowing there is a systematic method for the rankings. It is just bizzarre that when you look at each of the circumstances individually but then it wouldn't be systematic and it would be subjective. I get it.
Thank you for all of your work in supplying the rankings and maybe you could just put a little asterick note next to that one ranking eh? I am obviously only jesting.
Debbie
|
|
|
Post by Debbie Banaian on Feb 7, 2015 11:04:09 GMT -5
Just curious how the women's rankings came about. I am pretty sure Christina Casto and Cathy Merrill pulled at two tournaments, both times Cathy Merrill beat her but Christina is ranked three places above Cathy. Likewise, Ashely beat me once in the 10 times we have pulled and it was definitely NOT a win and since she has not competed and if she was smart would continue to not because she can just stay in the ranhings. I qualified for WAL New Orleans, and in the past nationals have beaten Valerie (although I am NOT suggesting I should be ranked above Valerie) i'm only saying there is NO WAY Ashley has earned that spot considering the percentage of times I've beaten her trumps her one home-cooked victory.
Maybe nationals don't count for anything and the one meet someone competes in at a festival tops all but AT LEAST I'm glad to see you have put Jessalyn into the rankings because I have never seen her lose AND she has beaten people on this list as well, granted she doesn't compete a LOT, she competes more than Ashley and Jessalyn NEVER loses. That's just about the opposite of Ashley M. Ashely may be a good armwrestler in the future but she just isn't there yet.
Debbie Banaian
|
|
|
Post by Debbie Banaian on Feb 5, 2015 13:15:18 GMT -5
Nate you are seriously a leader in promoting female armwrestling. I'm going to love competing at your events for a long time coming. In all my arm wrestling experience you are the first to take a progressive thinking approach and try something NEW to promote womens armwrestling.
Women's 0 - 144 and 145+
AND NOVICE 0 - 144 and NOVICE 145+
I feel like instead of "letting me compete" at your events, you actually want me to compete at your events!
KUDOS
Debbie
|
|
|
Post by Debbie Banaian on Jan 27, 2015 20:28:00 GMT -5
Can that be an open gender 0 - 150 class? Is it offered in left too? Out of curiosity have you contacted any women's gyms in the local area? If not, canng s/will you? I am contacting gyms in my local area, have emailed Maine's and NH's climbing gyms, and posted on several powerlifting sites on FB...
Debbie
|
|
|
Post by Debbie Banaian on Jan 27, 2015 20:19:23 GMT -5
Hey Nate;
Is there a printable brochure I can download and post in some of the local gyms?
Debbie
|
|
|
surgery
Jan 5, 2015 7:36:39 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Debbie Banaian on Jan 5, 2015 7:36:39 GMT -5
Tim you're crass and mean. I can't believe the way tough guys flowerbed foot around you and constantly permit you to berate everyone. I am embarrassed to be a conservative because of you. Conservative is not synonymous with all knowing. By the way I certainly hope you are the undefeated world champion arm wrestler because from your posts it would be difficult to find any other endearing qualities. Don't be so sure that anyone cares what you think. my My guess is most are barely being tolerant or at best politically correct by not speaking up. I may not be smart by speaking up but at least I am not sitting by watching. Try to be kind.
|
|
|
Post by Debbie Banaian on Nov 9, 2014 20:21:42 GMT -5
Good Luck Matthew. I hope the girls turn up BIG. I have a prior commitment in Maine on the same day but thank you for supporting Women!
Debbie
|
|
|
Post by Debbie Banaian on Nov 9, 2014 20:16:29 GMT -5
Matthew, I have a Maine tournament that day that I am committed to attend but I wanted to wish you luck and thank you for supporting women. Hopefully the girls from TX, on the board will put this up in their local gyms and use media to spread the word.
I'll look forward to the results.
Debbie
|
|
|
Post by Debbie Banaian on Nov 3, 2014 23:32:14 GMT -5
Fair enough Nate. thank you.
|
|
|
Post by Debbie Banaian on Nov 3, 2014 4:12:20 GMT -5
Hi Kyle,
Thanks for taking the time to respond considering you "don't have a dog in the fight." You have an excellent argument but if I were a good business person I wouldn't look at history but at modern trends. Back in the golden days as you describe of 20 women, let's paint a picture as I understand it by the women in the sport or that were in the sport. Women often still had one at best two weight classes and usually one winner to the males three winners. As I understand they had to fight just to be there. Going back to your analogy that is an insane business proposition because now you are not only in a senior development trying to operate a Rue but you are open from 7 AM until 8 AM in the morning to discourage your target audience and STILL you have sales albeit not great sales. Who would do this? Why is it being done? What needs to happen is I need to win the lottery and have a league, an environment marketed to women and men. Not an environment in which competitors are barely tolerated and are "allowed" but one intended to succeed and promote success The second area I see where I'm not certain we are comparing apples to apples is the event itself. We are talking NOW about making money and not a local feel good event where competitors are looking to fund raise or break even, or at least one which the goal is as much about making money as it is to arm wrestle. For the record, I am NOT suggesting it is a bad thing to make a living doing something enjoyable, and in fact I support it when done whole-heartedly. I just don't know the business model is the same as it was during those "more" Golden years.
The women I speak to from those golden days and after always speak of this constant battle to belong to an amazing sport. Most opted for an early retirement when the battle just wore them out. A few are still around, none that I know of that still compete but participate and contribute in an equally important manner. I would say that most of the women I speak to who left the sport, left because they never felt supported. Those are the people who I would speak to if I were that business man. In my few years in the sport I know how much I've had to beg, borrow, and steal to have competitors and promoters willing to give women the time to arm wrestle. I know tournaments that didn't promote a women s class at all and their response when asked was "well if they show up we will have one." this does not scream WELCOME and still we persist. I don't have any idea what it is like at Worlds but I know several women who have competed there and never have I heard that same bitter story. This does not mean it wasn't the same at those events but it has me wondering if it is our culture, oddly enough considering we are the model of democracy and forward thinkers running to the rescue of foreign inequality. Can this be a reason we have not hosted Worlds (or have we?) The following argument is from my husband (brand new to the competitive side of the sport with only a single but very successful tournament under his belt)
Dean Banaian: Whether money is the issue for you or just being treated like a legitimate part of the competition, the WAL’s handling of this looks to undermine either agenda. You need high quality competition to make participation and winning meaningful. If you want to have a chance at big payouts you need cultivate a competitive environment that will entice other badass women to compete in the sport. Winning on the table has to garner some status. Right now that status appears to be that of an afterthought based on the way the entire women’s division advancement to the finals was handled. Take a look at the UFC, Dana White wanted nothing to do with the women’s division either until he woke up, reversed course and an Olympic Judo Bronze medalist came over to MMA rather than returning to the Olympics for a chance at Gold. Now that woman is a HUGE star and a cash-cow for the UFC. Really short-sighted of the WAL not to see the upside of investing a little more effort and resources in the women’s division. Nobody is going to turn out in huge numbers to compete, let alone change sports to get ignored by this sport.
With the hope of not sounding patronizing I seriously appreciate your willingness to converse intelligently regarding women in arm wrestling.
|
|
|
Post by Debbie Banaian on Nov 2, 2014 21:47:16 GMT -5
Peter,
First of all, we were not invited to the first of the series, second some of the women have dead beat dads and are single mothers AND the payout for first place didn't even pay for the trip. THIRD you should get your facts straight about how many women were there ...
If I had a tournament with 5 women classes right and left, and one mens class I GUARANTEE the doors wouldn't be overflowing with men. It isn't the 1930's and women can EVEN vote. If anyone ever wants to legitimize this sport and make it an Olympic sport then these are the conversations we need to have. So women's #'s aren't great? Then support us and see what happens. Tell us what you need from us and help us instead of making it impossible. Not every female is willing to take her punches from the baboons nor should any of us have to.
As a power lifter (with three world records in the Raw Federation) I have never once felt as if I wasn't supported or wanted or less than ANY other competitor. I love this sport and I appreciate all of the people who work so hard to give all of us the opportunities that we have. BUT I am here to say I deserve no less of a chance than any of you men. Feel free to share your opinion but my suggestion is to first become familiar with the situation for example the promotional material that indicated that the top 8 (PERIOD) would be qualified for New Orleans, without any details about gender. We went to the qualifiers and competed right and some of us left believing we were then qualified to compete in New Orleans.
Having said as much, it is their prerogative to do what they need to do or that which they believe is best for them however understand from where our disappointment comes. We are not seeking something we didn't earn. Regardless of who else showed up to the party, WE DID. I've always been taught you enjoy the company you have and don't fret about the ones you don't.
FYI Peter, I am somehow allowing your bs to offend me. We are talking about women that DID qualify as for yourself or your friends who took 9th?? Se la Vi. Perhaps you ought train harder, you had 8 qualifying positions and couldn't get one?? Tough Luck huh? We thought we had 8 but apparently only had 3 and btw I did qualify.
|
|
|
Post by Debbie Banaian on Nov 2, 2014 13:23:32 GMT -5
We would be in quite a fix if that is how our father's before us thought eh? Women still wouldn't have a vote and white men would be slave owners. Some people are okay with the status quo providing it is good for HIM. Others dare say it sucks, takes their bruises, and try to find ways to make it fair. I am curious which are you?
|
|
|
Post by Debbie Banaian on Nov 1, 2014 11:48:34 GMT -5
I heard there was a supermatch proposition from Robin to Kathy Merrill.... That may bring in more women, AND the # of NH and Maine female armwrestlers is on the RISE! In the last 6 months I haven't attended ONE tournament where I had to beg people to compete in order to have someone to pull with, AND at every tournament I've had a handful of women approach me after and indicate their interest. We had FOUR women at a NH practice a couple of weeks ago. GO Women!
|
|
|
Post by Debbie Banaian on Nov 1, 2014 11:45:17 GMT -5
Hey Nate,
Would you consider offering a left hand for woman? Even if it was open class? Or with a stipulation that you must have atleast X# of women to run the class? OR if someone was willing to pay for the trophies??
|
|
|
Post by Debbie Banaian on Nov 1, 2014 11:36:41 GMT -5
A partial list of Right Hand Women
Nadiya Wilczyski Sue Fischer Debbie Banaian Deborah Selearis Margie Ciaccio SOphie Oppenheimer Lisa Wolfley Taylor Johnson Kendall Stroud Mary Moder Jodi Pastor Kelly Jean Scanlon
Christina Casto Joyce Boone Anastasia Theodoroupoulus Carolyn Fisher Stephanie Burns Elaine Blik Haya Salameh Beth Dukes Beth Saltzmann Cristina Enevoldson Frances Deshotel Courtney Erdmann Gerrie McGraw Launna Topie Jodi Larratt Kristie Gillean Julie Nutsch Michele Sandifer Dusty Hyde Kimberly Berbrier Kelli Nelson Ashley Brock Sarah Backman Rotunda Beth Salzman Deena Haynes
Left Handed Women
Nadiya Wilcznski Jodi Larratt Debbie Banaian Kelly Jean Scanlon Jodi Pastor Taylor Johnson Mary Moder
Christina Casto Anastasia Theodoroupoulus Sophie Oppenheimer Jodi Larratt Dusty Hyde Sarah Backman Rotunda Deena Haynes Beth Salzman
|
|