>when they resort to personal attacks against the organisers and the actual competitors that have either gone or intend to go. <
I'm not aware of many, if any, personal attacks on the entrants. As for the organizers, there have been some, but you have to concede that it's very difficult to separate the event from the pair behind it...and this is their own doing. They have actively promoted themselves from day one, with photos, flashy biographies, and blogs whenever they promote the actual tournament. They ARE the tournament, and very much want us to see it that way.
As an example of "normal" tournament promotion, here is one site:
http://www.chesstour.com/nao14.htm
Please try and find a photo of the organizers, or blurbs about their personal accomplishments, or promises that you can be photographed with them, etc. Millionaire Chess has been as presented as much as a personality cult as it has a chess tournament...which is a one reason several of us have issues with it.
And to the question "what does that matter," well, consider that as it is set up now, both on its website and in the playing hall itself, the tournament functions first as the Ashley-Lee Show, and then only afterwards as an actual chess event. Without these two, it doesn't exist...and personality-driven tournaments are never good for any competitive sport. In this case, once one or both of the organizers tires of the event, or has a conflict, or they tussle between themselves...it's done.
There are some legitimate arguments to the pros and cons of running this type of chess tournament, from what I have read, some don't like the so called elitism that this event could attract and poor old Joe Bloggs cant afford to spend $1000 on an entry fee let alone the expenses of getting to and staying in Las Vegas. I think the same argument was put forward when Airlines started to offer Business Class and the poor traveller was afraid that Airlines would see that they make much more money from the Business Class passengers that eventually the poor people would have to resort to Bus, Trains, Ships to get where they want to. Well that has not happened and both types of passengers can happily go about there personal choices for travel.
The same goes for this MC event.
You know when detractors of this MC event have lost all ability to debate the cons of the MC event is when they resort to personal attacks against the organisers and the actual competitors that have either gone or intend to go.
Will wait for the negative comments about my post and possible attacks against my character in due course, even spelling mistakes are welcome as we all know that intelligent debate has to have intelligent grammar.
No one is complaining about paying the entry fee. We are saying that this tournament does nothing for the sport and that the organizers did not know what they were doing. Nobody is afraid of all tournaments having a high entry fee since this tournament failed from a financial perspective. I understand you dont have the time to read the entire thread but at least read enough to make legitimate claims.