GV-
I think very simply & leap before I look. A thread for Metal Slug appears & I say "Ooooh, shiny! I want to play that too!" I love the Metal Slug series & will gladly pick it should I win this series in the future. I just love playing games and, if there were 2 competitions going, I'd want to be a part of both of them. But I agree that 1 competition is plenty--I don't think that the distinction of "pros" & "amateurs" is feasible on BYOAC.
If the concern is that only a few people are picking the games and not the general forum public, then start chiming in, folks. I always considered the honor of picking & sharing a funky or obscure or beloved game to be the reward of winning this competition, since there's no real monetary or material reward (except when isucamper offers up Ridley Scott movies!). In my trips through the MAME alphabet, I've jotted down a short list of games that I'm eager to share, and it's so much more fun to share in the form of a competition, where people really play & explore & fight for points, rather than just posting a thread to "Main" & saying "Play these games--I like them."
Meandering ramble over.
Thanks,
-Jason