REBECCA ROOD SPEAKS OUT...................................................................

Not so long ago I noticed an article on this blog where Bigot-Johnson for once made a valid point. This concerned the ludicrous way the EBU has set up a masterpoint ranking system. The absurdity of only moving players up an endless multi-rung ladder, basing their progress on how many green pointed events they attended, rather than on their final positions, beggars belief. Moreover, none of the ranks below grand master give, in my view, any true and accurate indication about the current ability levels of the players involved.

Well, the less said on that topic the better. However, this does lead me onto another major bone of contention I have with the EBU. Why, oh why, in God's name haven't the EBU shown any foresight, courage and wisdom to rank players instead in accordance with their psychopathic tendencies. Why this idea has never crossed their minds is completely beyond me, when they seem hell-bent to clean up the tarnished image of the game. Most ordinary players of a quiet, gentle, sensitive, warm and welcoming disposition have no interest whatsoever in knowing where their opponents are up the EBU ranking ladder.......but what they would like to know is whether or not they are in the presence of bridge psychopaths.....big and small.

So this is what I suggest. The EBU must devise a system of collating all club incidents of reported bad behaviour, along with their own reports from events run by themselves . This will enable a profiling data base to be set up where serial offenders begin to clock up a large number of penalty points. Points can be awarded for all manner of histrionics at the table......not to mention tantrums, verbal and physical abuse, rudeness, unpleasant behaviour, and other minutiae of weirdness, regularly exhibited by such anti-social and dangerous people.

Therefore, within months, the EBU can then impose on certain offenders the requirement to wear a BPR ( Bridge Psychopathic Rating ) badge, which initially will identify and certify all those with unpleasant psychopathic tendencies. But the best bit is that all badges will carry a number from 1-100 which represents in essence the severity of their condition. In fact the number might well correlate to the level of loathing and disgust that a badge-carrier could easily generate in others. Players would be obliged to wear their current ( up-dated) badges as a pre-condition of playing in any competitive event. Failure to wear a badge would, of course, invalidate their scores, and possibly their EBU membership. So whenever a BPR badge-holder comes to a table, the opponents will have a pre-warning of the potential risks of doing or saying anything untoward. This advance knowledge may help them to get through the set of boards unscathed.

Hopefully, these badges of shame will quickly bring about a complete culture change within this offending community. Moreover, the badge system could be extended to players of a delicate, fragile, and sensitive nature, who would wear their own TR ( Tolerance Rating ) badges. On these they could put their own number from 1-100 which reflects their tolerance level. As a result, high score BPR badge-holders will have to be on their best behaviour if they come across low score TR badge-holders. If any incident were to happen, tournament directors would quickly realise the seriousness of the situation: being the extent of one player's psychological vulnerability, as opposed to the extent of the psychological threat posed by the other. Indeed, the discrepancy between the two values will flag up and possibly expose the SC ( Shocking Conduct ) risk, which exists at that table. Quiet words by an observant TD passing by, before play begins, could nip any potential incidents in the bud.

Is anyone out there from the EBU listening......?