ToC players: how much warning did you get?

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sarah0114
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ToC players: how much warning did you get?

Post by sarah0114 »

I would like to make some travel plans for work this fall, but the Tournament of Champions is looming over my head. Can anyone share when they found out about their ToC tape date? Was it about a month before, like with the regular show, or did you get more warning? When I auditioned, I had to write down the times that I knew I wasn't available, but it seems like it would be more complicated to plan the tournament and they wouldn't be able to work around our schedules as much. When I asked Maggie in January, she said that they hadn't scheduled the ToC yet.
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MarkBarrett
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Re: ToC players: how much warning did you get?

Post by MarkBarrett »

The 2011 TOC was taped 9/26 & 9/27 I think. It aired 11/2 - 11/15.

The 2014 TOC could be a similar pattern. The 2004 TOC aired at the end of September. We have at least three boardies from that field who can share the taping days.

Without a doubt at least a month's notice is given. J! usually finishes taping the season in April and the new season tapes in July. Expect the invite in the summer. My guess is the taping would be Aug. or Sept. Others here who are TOCers will have better insight.
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Rex Kramer
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Re: ToC players: how much warning did you get?

Post by Rex Kramer »

MarkBarrett wrote:My guess is the taping would be Aug. or Sept.
That seems like a good guess. I got a little more than a month's notice.

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Re: ToC players: how much warning did you get?

Post by BobF »

I would not dare to travel - or even engage in any risky activity such as driving an automobile - until the ToC is over. Wrap yourself in bubble wrap and lock yourself in a tornado-proof room.
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Re: ToC players: how much warning did you get?

Post by teapot37 »

MarkBarrett wrote:The 2011 TOC was taped 9/26 & 9/27 I think. It aired 11/2 - 11/15.

The 2014 TOC could be a similar pattern. The 2004 TOC aired at the end of September. We have at least three boardies from that field who can share the taping days.

Without a doubt at least a month's notice is given. J! usually finishes taping the season in April and the new season tapes in July. Expect the invite in the summer. My guess is the taping would be Aug. or Sept. Others here who are TOCers will have better insight.
The 2004 ToC taped at the end of April 2004, after the end of the taping for the regular season.
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Re: ToC players: how much warning did you get?

Post by ihavejeoprosy »

Why dont you contact someone at the show and ask them?
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Re: ToC players: how much warning did you get?

Post by MarkBarrett »

ihavejeoprosy wrote:Why dont you contact someone at the show and ask them?
An email to Maggie & team is not unreasonable contact. Too bad Sarah did not ask yesterday. I could have said at the Battles taping that Alex talked about too many champs qualifying for the next TOC and that for the first time some 5-time champs would not be invited. April 2nd jokes just don't play the same.
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Re: ToC players: how much warning did you get?

Post by dhkendall »

sarah0114 wrote:I would like to make some travel plans for work this fall, but the Tournament of Champions is looming over my head. Can anyone share when they found out about their ToC tape date? Was it about a month before, like with the regular show, or did you get more warning? When I auditioned, I had to write down the times that I knew I wasn't available, but it seems like it would be more complicated to plan the tournament and they wouldn't be able to work around our schedules as much. When I asked Maggie in January, she said that they hadn't scheduled the ToC yet.
You're *anxious* to get Chu'd up and spat out???
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Rex Kramer
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Re: ToC players: how much warning did you get?

Post by Rex Kramer »

dhkendall wrote:
sarah0114 wrote:I would like to make some travel plans for work this fall, but the Tournament of Champions is looming over my head. Can anyone share when they found out about their ToC tape date? Was it about a month before, like with the regular show, or did you get more warning? When I auditioned, I had to write down the times that I knew I wasn't available, but it seems like it would be more complicated to plan the tournament and they wouldn't be able to work around our schedules as much. When I asked Maggie in January, she said that they hadn't scheduled the ToC yet.
You're *anxious* to get Chu'd up and spat out???
The ToC is not the regular season. No one should go into it presuming they are going to lose, Sarah and Arthur both included.

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georgespelvin
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Re: ToC players: how much warning did you get?

Post by georgespelvin »

You speak like a man that proved that a 19 win strategic grandmaster can be beaten in the ToC. ;)
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Re: ToC players: how much warning did you get?

Post by Rex Kramer »

georgespelvin wrote:You speak like a man that proved that a 19 game strategic grandmaster can be beaten in the ToC. ;)
I wouldn't dare make too much of that. If a 19-game winner can have a bad day, a 4-game winner certainly can.

What I really meant was that ToC contestants can be a lot better prepared, and are generally a lot more deservedly confident. It changes the dynamics of gameplay.

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Re: ToC players: how much warning did you get?

Post by seaborgium »

I also got advance notice of about a month.
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Re: ToC players: how much warning did you get?

Post by okstater04 »

dhkendall wrote:
sarah0114 wrote:I would like to make some travel plans for work this fall, but the Tournament of Champions is looming over my head. Can anyone share when they found out about their ToC tape date? Was it about a month before, like with the regular show, or did you get more warning? When I auditioned, I had to write down the times that I knew I wasn't available, but it seems like it would be more complicated to plan the tournament and they wouldn't be able to work around our schedules as much. When I asked Maggie in January, she said that they hadn't scheduled the ToC yet.
You're *anxious* to get Chu'd up and spat out???
I assume you were joking, but this is actually quite rude. If you have personal opinions as to how you think a player will fare, keep them to yourself (don't post in that player's thread telling them you think they'll lose).
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Re: ToC players: how much warning did you get?

Post by RunDMH »

MarkBarrett wrote:
ihavejeoprosy wrote:Why dont you contact someone at the show and ask them?
An email to Maggie & team is not unreasonable contact. Too bad Sarah did not ask yesterday. I could have said at the Battles taping that Alex talked about too many champs qualifying for the next TOC and that for the first time some 5-time champs would not be invited. April 2nd jokes just don't play the same.
I checked in with Maggie a few weeks ago. I had the same concerns as Sarah regarding travel--I'm getting married in June and August is the only time we had available for a honeymoon.

Her response was...vague. I didn't care to know when exactly the ToC was, just that if there was a chance it would be in August to please suggest not to buy plane tickets to Europe. She responded first that it would likely be before my wedding in June, but quickly corrected herself that she meant "June 2015". I assumed she was just throwing out an absurdly distant date to cover her bases, so I dropped the issue. No comment on a late-summer/early-fall taping, but I have to imagine that's the safest bet.

I'm still freaking out about the possibility of being stuck with an expensive vacation I won't be taking--so I bought travel insurance on everything I could and am praying they don't film until September.
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Re: ToC players: how much warning did you get?

Post by alietr »

Would travel insurance really cover that? I've heard they're pretty tough to collect on.
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Re: ToC players: how much warning did you get?

Post by econgator »

alietr wrote:Would travel insurance really cover that? I've heard they're pretty tough to collect on.
Highly unlikely. They basically only cover sickness/hospitalization/death/natural disaster of biblical proportions.
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georgespelvin
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Re: ToC players: how much warning did you get?

Post by georgespelvin »

Of course if you WIN the ToC, you can cover your losses.
I used to be AWSOP but wanted to be more theatrical.
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Re: ToC players: how much warning did you get?

Post by RandyG »

econgator wrote:
alietr wrote:Would travel insurance really cover that? I've heard they're pretty tough to collect on.
Highly unlikely. They basically only cover sickness/hospitalization/death/natural disaster of biblical proportions.
When it comes to travel insurance I think "biblical proportions" applies not just to natural disasters, but to sickness, hospitalization and death too.

Knew of a case recently where a friend was denied on a travel insurance claim because of a reason in the small print, but called the airline directly and was given a full refund, without even a "restocking fee" or as a future credit. I think the agent was somewhat unclear on the concept of airline cancellation policies.
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Re: ToC players: how much warning did you get?

Post by Budphrey »

I don't know if this is unique to my status "on the bubble," but IIRC the contestant coordinators gave me first warning about two months in advance of taping. During February 2006 I was advised I was in 3rd-to-last place among qualifiers who had already taped; several weeks' worth of qualifying games had yet to be played, but they wanted me to hold the April dates open in case I was to be invited. During March I was informed of the final decision that I was to be invited only as an alternate (and of course I accepted). The games aired in May.

Thus have I the privilege of having met and shared green room goodies (and in at least one case played Uno) with three of those competing in this week's round of the Battle of the Decades.
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Re: ToC players: how much warning did you get?

Post by GoodStrategy »

@RunDMH - Since it looks like the field will already be crowded (and maybe even putting to test the question of whether or not 5-timers will automatically get an invite since the beginning of sky's-the-limit), if you can't tape because of your honeymoon, maybe they'll give you the Vinita Kailasanath/Joey Beachum treatment and let you compete in the following ToC (although that of course means waiting another year to 18 months or so).
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