@rcannon100 170297 wrote:
Every year there have been FREDS. FREDS have wanted to participate in Freezing Saddles without competing. FREDS wanted to play in the pointless games.
I will note – as the creator of both FS and FREDS – that FREDS never asked to be on the leaderboard. That was a historical accident. Not sure how it happened. But it was never asked for by the FREDS. Why would they?? They did not want to compete.
FREDS formed a team – the Slacker team – because they wanted to. And well the Friends can do that to if they want to and no one can tell them that they cant.
And every year you Steve opposed the existence of the FREDS – with a lot of energy – even though it had nothing to do with you and did not impact your experience with FS at all.
I believe you and I, Bob, are almost exactly on the same page. Both of us are strongly committed to expanding the joy of cycling and this community. Shoot, that’s why you started BAFS in the first place, why you made up this nutty game, why I started Bicycle Tag and Midnight Saddles and etc. etc. etc. Calvinball and Bicycle Tag are essentially identical in the sense that they are games for cyclists to play to enhance their fun and hopefully create and strengthen friendships. Freezing Saddles is just a platform/marketing tool. In both cases we would welcome anybody who wants to play, because the point isn’t to be exclusive, but exactly the opposite. If someone moves to DC in February and wants to play Calvinball, I presume you would welcome them in even though they aren’t playing FS. I think the poster boy for this is Birru, who discovered FS late in the game last year, started “infiltrating” and has become a friend and fellow rider with many of us now. That’s what we celebrate about FS.
To set the record straight, I do not oppose FREDS (nee slackers): people who want to be “Friends of Freezing Saddles.” When the idea of slackers was first proposed, in fact, I suggested that those people who didn’t want to compete on a team contribute to FS in a different way. I suggested they be captains, lending their experience to newbies. Or offer prizes, help with HH or otherwise be engaged with the game. Since the point of FS is two-fold–encourage people to ride in the winter and facilitate social activity and community building–I thought it would be good for the FREDS to contribute to the second part.
As it turned out, the people who did not want to be on a team or compete pretty much immediately created a team and competed (Exhibit A). And, with few exceptions,* did not do much else.
A downside that occurred was when Subby and Americancyclo switched to being slackers: they quit offering their completely awesome Pictures of Freezing Saddles Pointless Prize, which was a crowd favorite. So in one sense, creating slackers may have diminished the game, although I don’t know what they would have done or not done otherwise.
Thanks for setting me straight on the leaderboard thing being a historical accident. I didn’t know that. So the elimination as a “team” this year puts you and me exactly together on this issue. People who want to participate in the reindeer games but not compete on a team may do so as a “Friend” or FRED or whatever, which I have never opposed. Presumably they can still go to coffee shops and go on rides, etc. without even doing that (although I would guess they need to be in the FS2018 Strava group to hashtag rides for certain reindeer games like coffeerides, dirtybiker, etc.).
*hozn being a notable exception. That said, I don’t believe being a slacker is a prerequisite nor a motivator for Hans’s contributions. He likely would contribute the same regardless of the existence or non-existence of FREDS.
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found the Ball but not the magnet…so I’m guessing We were too late…couldn’t take the ball with me! Bummed…
