If all 17 candidates started trying to get 1237 delegates that they were lead to believe needed and only Trump and Cruz got that far. It is BS to say that ain’t so now.
The 8 state / 1237 number was pushed by Mitt Romney and applied to the 2012 convention. Rules will be developed for the 2016 convention and the front runner will have a say-so as will the RNC. That is how it has worked.