of intent were due in the spring of 1991. There were 9 or so proposals for major detectors, with room at RHIC for only 2. A decision would be made in August 1991 announcing which detectors would be encouraged to move forward to the proposal stage. What happened instead is that STAR was accepted there and then, and the remaining parties, among them TALES, SPARC, OASIS and DIMUON were forced to merge.