2012 WBC Sportsmanship Nominees
Dec. 1, 2012

Nominees | Past Winners

The third leg in the BPA Triple Crown is its Sportsmanship Award. Coupled with the Caesar Award for prowess on the gameboard and our GM of the Year Award which honors those who sacrifice their time to make WBC the memorable event that it is, the Sportsmanship winner completes our virtual Hall of Fame by reminding us that there is no fun to be had with these games without an affable and enjoyable opponent with which to cross vicarious swords.

Doubtless there are many more good sports at WBC than those we acknowledge here. But since we do not want to duplicate the cavalry charge of a California Gubernatorial recall election with a thousand candidates, we limit the nominees to those endorsed by WBC GMs for outstanding sportsmanship and further reduce their number by selecting only the most fervent endorsements. These are supplemented occasionally by the Board of Directors and/or Convention Director for meritorious service when any member brings a worthwhile act of sportsmanship to his attention.

While lots of people get caught up in the quest for “wood,” the folks listed below subscribe to a higher standard. These are the sportsmen and women of the WBC…the shining example of sportsmanship that we should all aspire to. These folks are the ones that make it all bearable for our GMs and contribute most to the friendly atmosphere of the convention. Their shining example contributes to the remarkable esprit de corps and camaraderie for which the WBC has always been noted by those in the know.

Nominations are not accepted for individuals who conceded a victory to allow a beaten opponent to continue in an event in their place. While a player who allows another to play on in "his" place may well have good intentions, doing so is contrary to the purpose of a tournament. A player who concedes a won game is circumventing the rules of the event by dispensing byes in a non-random, unearned manner and is actually committing an unsportsmanlike act in the eyes of some. Such a kindness bestowed upon one player is actually grossly unfair to the other participants who had to win their right to advance and tarnishes the event as a true test of skill.

So without any further ado, let's present the class of 2012—and as always, it is a deserving group. The following individuals were just some of many nominated for the reasons indicated below and owe their appearance here to both their own actions and the fervency of their sponsors in relating it to BPA.

As is our practice, all BPA members are urged to vote for one of the following when submitting their 2013 membership form and voting for Continuing Trial games before January 1, 2013. Those who have already joined for the 2013 season are encouraged to submit their votes separately. Reward a good sport with our biggest prize ... free lodging at the next WBC.


2012 Nominees

AIR BARON: Jonathan Barry used all of his initial cash on cities that were never drawn. Despite his dismal prospects he remained cheerful and helpful for the duration of the game.

AUTOMOBILE: It is not unheard of for players to complain about having to play a GM since some subscribe to the belief that GMs should only serve, not play in thier own event. Thus, John Morris's gracious behavior in the two heats when he was paired wih the GM stood out in contrast.

AXIS & ALLIES: Kevin Keller was helpful to all and explained rules impartially.

B17: Roger Covington completed all three missions with enthusiasm and remained around to help his squadron after his plane was destroyed by a bomb detonation outbound from England in Zone 3 on Mission 2. His good cheer was notable because he finished 57th out of 58—besting only his son who fared even worse.

B&O: Fred Minard was disappointed not to make it into the semifinals when all qualifiers appeared but was gracious and even leant his poker chips to those who had made the cut.

BATTLE CRY: Peter Eldridge had "won" his quarterfinal match when he discovered that he had misplayed a rule resulting in an errant flag loss for his opponent. He located his opponent and continued the game from that point, eventually losing the match.

BRITANNIA: Young Thomas Morris stood his ground against opposition many times his tender age, giving as good as he got, while withstanding the flood of adult banter that passes for diplomacy and deal making in such games without complaint.

CONFLICT OF HEROES: Stan Myszak had to endure a match with an irate opponent. He kept his cool as the GM adjudicated the game.

GETTYSBURG: John Sharp graciously made time to play any opponent assigned to him - including the last one - who knocked him out of the playoffs. That's how its supposed to work in the Free Form grognard events but reality is not always this pleasant which is a drawback of Free Form events.

IVANHOE: Steve Caler was the voice of reason and diplomacy in resolving a dispute over an illegal play.

LABYRINTH: Roger Taylor took his role in helping new players to an extreme and allowed a less experienced player to take back a poor move and suggested the winning move that would eventually beat him.

LEAPING LEMMINGS: Bill Powers returned to the Lampeter sauna to teach newbies how to play in the 4th heat, having already clinched his own spot in the semifinals.

MANIFEST DESTINY: Kevin Sudy had declined his spot in the Final to play in another Final, but an early end to the latter found him reapplying - a moment after the alternate had been selected. He accepted the "moment too late" decision without complaint.

MARCH MADNESS: Pete Stein had lost his Final when both players realized that they had forgotten to modify a score by a played card that would have resulted in the game ending in a tie - leaving Pete with a big advantage in overtime. Rather than recreate the situation, Pete volunteered to take an easier fix that greatly lessened his chance of winning.

MERCHANT OF VENUS: Rod Davidson volunteered to sit out to facilitate an even number of players yet stuck around to help set up the game.

STOCKCAR CHAMPIONSHIP RACING: Dave Zimmerman was out of the running but declined to interfere with others whose chances were still alive - refusing to play the kingmaker role.

STONE AGE: Barry Shutt dropped out of the event to help a swamped GM - running all three demos and help covering the various heats for this popular event.

TWILIGHT STRUGGLE: Bill Peeck declined an automatic victory and continued to help a new player make better decisions - pointing out possible moves and drawbacks.

VICTORY IN THE PACIFIC: Ted Drozd allowed his opponent several "timeouts" with his chessclock stopped to tend to his GM chores elsewhere.

WELLINGTON: Rejean Tremblay volunteered to teach new players and help them through a game.

WILDERNESS WAR: Grant LaDue had already assurred his advancement, but agreed to play the eliminator role against the defending champ in a game that went till 3 AM.

WOODEN SHIPS & IRON MEN: Evan Hitchings allowed his semifinal opponent to reload without the required written orders and subsequently lost a close decision.

HONORABLE MENTION: Others recommended without sufficient information to earn an actual nomination include: Fred Bauer, Alex Bell, Brandon Bernard, Sam Edelston, John Emery, Rob Kircher, Greg Schmiitgens, Bill Scott, John Welage and Bruce Wigdor.


Past Sportsmanship Winners

Chuck Stapp
1992 - NJ

Tiger Von Pagel
1993 - FL

Rob Kilroy
1994 - PA

Ian Lange
1995 - AE

Jim Matt
1996 - MI

Ed Connery
1997 - NJ

Frank Sinigaglio
1999- NJ

Robert Sacks
2000- NY

Bret Hildebran
2001 - OH

Kaarin Engelmann
2002, 2008 - VA

James Jordan
2003 - MD

Steve Okonski
2004 - MD

Bruno Sinigaglio
2005 - AK

Phil Barcafer
2006 - PA

Rebecca Hebner
2007- CO

   

Mark Yoshikawa
2009 - CA

John Emery
2010 - SC

Larry Lingle
2011 - PA
   
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