fairness of Quiddich (WAS: Is the anything that bothers you about HP ...)

[ingachristsuperstar]

No: HPFGUIDX 56569

OK, so people have responded to my concerns about the 
fairness of Quiddich mainly by pointing out the flaws in my 
analogies.  OK, I readily admitted I wasn't very familiar with 
Equestrian sports (although I did know horse racing wasn't an 
Olypmic sport :) ).

We've heard that the horse is important to the outcome in the 
Olympic Equestrian sports.  We've heard that the jockey is 
important in horse racing.  Good enough.  This just means that 
both of these sports are closer to the problem with Quiddich that 
I thought - that people are partially getting credit for winning 
when their win was based on their equipment/horse/wealth 
rather than skill.  Maybe this indicates that these sports aren't 
entirely fair either. *ducks*

Now before I get hit with the "life's not fair line," I of course 
recognized in my original post that the skill of the Quiddich player 
is important.  There is no doubt about this.  It is _very important_!  
Yes, the Weasley twins on their old slow brooms still managed 
to beat the Slytherins on the Nimbus 2001's.  So yes, a skilled 
flyer can compensate for having a sub-par broom.  Absolutely.

However ...

They are starting from a weaker position.  For instance (as in my 
previous example with Harry and Cho), if Cho and Harry saw the 
snitch at the same time, all Harry would have to do is go after it.  
As long as he did that, and it came down to a race for the snitch, 
he would win, no matter how good a flyer Cho is.  Now Cho 
could use a lot of tactics to keep Harry from getting the snitch.  
She could block him - as described in the book.  But the thing is, 
Harry would never have to worry about this kind of manoeuvre.  
He would never have to block Cho since she is not a threat in a 
race.  He doesn't have to work as hard.  Cho would have to race 
for the snitch AND block Harry.  Cho has an extra burden.  She 
has to use more complex tactics.

My point is not that Quiddich is _inherently_ unfair.  Its just that it 
may be _more_ fair if they played on standard issue brooms 
rather than allowing some to be inherently faster than others.


-Ing