Mitch Hawker Poll vs. Golden Ticket Awards

[zips_6]

I know this is a weird topic, but as the Golden Ticket Awards are tonight, I was just curious to see what everyone thought was more accurate.

Personally, I think the GTAs are more on key. I think their 10 ten coaster lists are very accurate, while Mitch Hawker's is kind out of place (especially with New Texas Giant second, just my opinion). Anyways, what do you guys think?

 

[tomahawk]

What are you talking about? Golden Ticket is widely known as the "which chain paid for higher ratings this year" poll.

Yeah, Hawker you have Alvey and his goons **** it up, but it's nowhere near as bad as Golden Ticket.

 

[zips_6]

What are you talking about? Golden Ticket is widely known as the "which chain paid for higher ratings this year" poll.

Yeah, Hawker you have Alvey and his goons **** it up, but it's nowhere near as bad as Golden Ticket.

Really? I honestly had no idea. I am new in the coaster world and cf, and I am only 12. I guess I should've known that. And I had no idea TPR had that much "power." Wow.

 

[BBH]

What are you talking about? Golden Ticket is widely known as the "which chain paid for higher ratings this year" poll.

Yeah, Hawker you have Alvey and his goons **** it up, but it's nowhere near as bad as Golden Ticket.

Really? I honestly had no idea. I am new in the coaster world and cf, and I am only 12. I guess I should've known that. And I had no idea TPR had that much "power." Wow.

TPR is the only reason that the Asian Mega-Lites are even counted in the poll. Without TPR, no one would have ridden them.

They're also the only reason I305 is anywhere NEAR the top three in that poll. The reviews from anyone else are way too spotty and far from universal acclaim.

 

[CookieCoasters]

They're also the only reason I305 is anywhere NEAR the top three in that poll. The reviews from anyone else are way too spotty and far from universal acclaim.

I've just found a new love for TPR

So I'm not just spamming, I would say definitely the Mitch Hawker. It is the most accurate coaster poll we've got and I always goon over it for some time after it's released. I don't even bother looking at the GTA anymore.

 

[ThomVD]

Golden ticket awards have a huge bias for american coasters. Only 1 non-american coaster in the top 10 I think.

 

[Hobbes]

^Yeah, EGF is the only non-American coaster that ever hits the top 10. Obviously no poll is absolutely perfect, but Mitch Hawker has a better ranking system and the results are much closer to the general consensus of the community.

 

[Intricks]

I feel the community follows both of them in a "We go with what fits my opinion better", which somewhat splits it towards a 50/50 between the two.

As for accuracy? Depends on if you enjoy a inclusive poll, or the exclusive poll - as both have good and bad point to each.

I just enjoy seeing where my Top 10-20 rank between the both.

 

[Hyde]

The pros of the Mitch Hawker Poll is that it includes a wider sample of participants, and anyone can take part. The downfall of Hawker is the design of the polling gives greater weight to folks who have ridden more roller coasters. This means that folks with large ride counts, such as some TPRers, have the power to raise or lower a ride's rankings, even with such a low ridership for the ride. (e.g. Kawasemi coming in 7th with 19 riders)

The pros of the Golden Ticket Awards is that they are maintained by the Amusement Today publication, allowing greater sustainability than the Hawker one-man shop approach (There wasn't a 2011 steel coaster poll for MH afterall). The Golden Ticket Awards are also the award used for park marketing purposes, which also adds legitimacy. The Golden Ticket Awards however have historically drastically over-favored American roller coasters, which also showing great distortions in ranking due to how votes are tallied. Let's be honest, do B&M hyper coasters really make up half of the world's top 10 steel coasters?

No polling is perfect, but Mitch Hawker is often more agreed upon than the Golden Ticket Awards.

 

[Gavin]

The downfall of Hawker is the design of the polling gives greater weight to folks who have ridden more roller coasters. This means that folks with large ride counts, such as some TPRers, have the power to raise or lower a ride's rankings, even with such a low ridership for the ride. (e.g. Kawasemi coming in 7th with 19 riders)

This is exactly why it works better. Basing rankings on higher numbers of riders is bull **** as the non-American coasters would never get a look in.

Some of the world's best coasters, including Kawasemi (anyone who's ridden another mega-lite will be able to see why), are in Asia. The Mitch Hawker system allows them to get some recognition.

People with lower ride counts and a lack of travel when it comes to coasters always get pissed off with the Hawker polls simply because they haven't ridden a lot of the top coasters and/or don't understand how the system works.

Everyone wants their favourite coasters to win, even if those favourites honestly don't measure up when compared to some lesser-known rides.

It just gets on my tits to be honest: "How can Eagle Fortress be better than Millennium Force??!!" How about because every single person who has actually ridden both says so?

No, it's not perfect as it's clear that some groups deliberately vote certain rides up or down depending on park relationshipa etc. However that's not a "large ride count" issue; it's because some people are douche bags.

The Golden Tickets are a **** ing joke as they allow for nothing other than coasters with a high, American, ridership.

 

[SaiyanHajime]

Problem is Gavin that people don't think as individuals. The results would be very diff if everyone who went on Asian coaster trips went individually and not with TPR.

Still better than golden ticket....