Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Sat Nov 27, 2021 3:44 pm
In
series 79, there were no top-tier Apterites. This could just be random chance - if you average a couple per series, sometimes you'll get more, sometimes less. However, there was definitely something about Elliott Mellor being put off to a later series, although the only discussion I could find from a quick search was
this.
Madness...
When I set up this thread, what I would have named :::The Great S79 Conspiracy::: was one of the ones I was most looking forward to posting... but I decided to save it for later... foolishly so, as you've now beaten me to it!
But yes, this is a fascinating one!
HYPOTHESIS: In S79, there were no top tier Apterites (as Gevin pointed out), furthermore: this was no accident.
EVIDENCE:
1. The #1 seed was someone who had been active on Apterous in 2009 and 2010, but had never cracked the Pro-ranks top 10.
2. Whilst finalists Alan Duval and Mike Daysley did use Apterous a little bit, they did not trouble the 1400s in the rolling ratings or the top 60 of Pro-ranks.
3. The highest score of the series was 117, the lowest ever for a new 15-round series.
4. Elliott Mellor is rumoured to have applied for this series, but was declined.
But why?
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THEORY 1:
The producer(s) decided it would be interesting to go old school, and block out a full series without Apto domination.
THEORY 2:
Damian had read along with the 1000 club thread, saw
the bet, and REALLY wanted Conor to win that tenner.
THEORY 3:
Martin May is the son of a very good family friend of the Eadies, and Damian wanted to do his level best to ensure a series win for him. (Plan backfired ofc... go on Daysley, the people's champion!)
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Of these, you hardly even need a tin foil hat on to believe the first theory... in fact it makes a mockery of this entire thread, perhaps I should just delete it? The 2nd is quite juicy, and my ego likes to believe it... but no. Theory 3 has got to be the one. I think I read somewhere that DE and MM were originally from the same town / village...