This is big, IPT hires William Morris Agency

[SlimShafty]

If this doesn't show some serious intent then nothing will, this is some really good news for the players, for once it shows somebody cares about the image of pool!!

One of the biggest talent agencies in the world, and I dare say they must feel Kevin is serious about this and also shows Kevin is not going cheap on this at all, he could have easily picked a much less known company.


For immediate release:

October 6, 2005

WILLIAM MORRIS AGENCY TO REP INTERNATIONAL POOL TOUR
Leading Talent Agency Signs with IPT for TV, Marketing Ventures

Beverly Hills, CA. (Oct 4, 2005): The International Pool Tour (IPT) has announced that it has signed a talent and marketing agreement with the legendary William Morris Agency. The Agency will represent the IPT in various segments of its broadcasting, branding and marketing initiatives, both in the United States and internationally.

The William Morris Agency, which was founded in 1898, is the leading talent and literary agency in the world, with principal offices in New York, Beverly Hills, Nashville, London, Miami Beach and Shanghai. The Agency represents clients in all segments of the entertainment industry, including Motion Pictures, Television, Music and Personal Appearances, Theater, Book Publishing, Commercial Endorsements, Corporate Consulting and Sports Marketing. The Agency will work closely with IPT Founder Kevin Trudeau and IPT Executive Director Jon Denny to develop and maximize various television and marketing ventures, including commercial sponsorships, worldwide syndication of IPT programming and international merchandising.

The IPT is the first pool league in history to be represented by a major talent agency.

“The Morris Agency represents many top sports celebrities and many powerful sporting brands on a global basis,” said Denny. “They strongly believe that the IPT will fast become a vibrant and important presence in the sports and entertainment world. “

[Celtic]

OMG not more outsiders in our little sport of despair! How are we to sit here and whine about our sorrows now if pool becomes a major sport due to his kind of intrusion??? :(

Anyone know where a good checkers forum is?

[JAM]

OMG not more outsiders in our little sport of despair! How are we to sit here and whine about our sorrows now if pool becomes a major sport due to his kind of intrusion??? :(

Anyone know where a good checkers forum is?

That is so FUNNY! :D

Pool may NEVER be the same again! Let's see, now. Pool has needed a change AGENT. William Morris AGENCY has the expertise to CHANGE the image of the sport.

You know, there is something to be said about the power of positive thinking. I'm feeling really good about the IPT! :)

JAM

[onepocketchump]

Be careful what you wish for because you might get it.

John

[gabesmom]

That is so FUNNY! :D

Pool may NEVER be the same again! Let's see, now. Pool has needed a change AGENT. William Morris AGENCY has the expertise to CHANGE the image of the sport.

You know, there is something to be said about the power of positive thinking. I'm feeling really good about the IPT! :)

JAM
I agree! We've dealt with them in prior years in the country music area - a fabulous agency. I think it'll be win-win for everyone, the agency, promoter, and of course, all the fabulous players - they all bring something to the table for all involved.
Congrats to Keith! I talked to Gabe a few times today, he's pretty pumped for it!
Good luck to all the players!! It'll be exciting!

[LWW]

I also have a great feeling about it myself.

LWW

[Rude Dog]

LOL, sure is quiet in this thread, where are all you I.P.T. haters? Whatsa matta, foot in your mouth? I know, I know, this means nothing, just another set-up for the hard fall, right? Ha, I tried to stay quiet but I just ain't got no quit in me! "Da daduh, da daduh, next on SportsCenter, we have the new I.P.T. champion, and 2 million dollars richer........(--->Your name here<---). Jeez, I need some sleep, but first, let me turn that fan off before the you know what hits it.............. :D :D :D

[Colin Colenso]

LOL, sure is quiet in this thread, where are all you I.P.T. haters? Whatsa matta, foot in your mouth? I know, I know, this means nothing, just another set-up for the hard fall, right? Ha, I tried to stay quiet but I just ain't got no quit in me! "Da daduh, da daduh, next on SportsCenter, we have the new I.P.T. champion, and 2 million dollars richer........(--->Your name here<---). Jeez, I need some sleep, but first, let me turn that fan off before the you know what hits it.............. :D :D :D

This is a much different thing than th Camel Tour, which as I understand was basically a sponsorship property being activated internally by Camel's own marketing people with the assistance (or lack thereof) from the tour organizers.

Seems KT will outsource or employ whatever professionals necessary to create a well marketed sports entity.

He may not get it right, but at least this is the type of path that has a chance of success among the big sports.

What he is doing reminds me of what Kerry Packer did when he basically bought and revolutionized international cricket. He took it out of the hands of the the insiders / bureaucrats who had been holding the sport back for years.

[Celtic]

What he is doing reminds me of what Kerry Packer did when he basically bought and revolutionized international cricket. He took it out of the hands of the the insiders / bureaucrats who had been holding the sport back for years.

The negativity towards the IPT by the WPT, BJ, and others reads like little more then those insiders/bureaucrats who have been holding this sport back for years fighting to keep their hold on it so they can keep their little bit of control instead of being shown up and shipped out as the sport takes off without them when competent people finally have the reigns.

[trophycue]

Will William Morris try to make a wholesome image for pool??..........If so , how long till drug testing??

[pooladdict]

Will William Morris try to make a wholesome image for pool??..........If so , how long till drug testing??

Why shouldn't they start with drugtesting pretty soon? We have had it for several years, both in national championships and occasionally on the Eurotour.
BTW, alcohol is on the list, so the Bud-lovers out there would have to try the light version :eek:

[Colin Colenso]

Will William Morris try to make a wholesome image for pool??..........If so , how long till drug testing??

Please I hope they keep out of that crap that can only bring suspicion I believe.

I saw the Australian Eight Ball Association bring in testing. This was all part of the bid to get into the Olympic games. Something which I believe would probably ruin the sport forever if it happened as I've written elsewhere.

The testing achieved the following:
1. Players who loved the game giving it up.
2. Suspicion and inuendo about cheats.
3. Ill feeling through targeting suspects, dobbing in.
4. Reduced social interaction as players were to scared to share a room with smokers.
5. Damaged reputations.
6. Court cases that the association usually lost due to improper testing methodologies. (Proper testing is very expensive).
7. A lot of money wasted which could have gone into prize funds.

Testing is guaranteed to bring some bad PR.

I hope they don't go down that silly road.

[cmssuits]

OMG not more outsiders in our little sport of despair! How are we to sit here and whine about our sorrows now if pool becomes a major sport due to his kind of intrusion??? :(



"Word."


http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Word

[Travis Bickle]

Why shouldn't they start with drugtesting pretty soon? We have had it for several years, both in national championships and occasionally on the Eurotour.
BTW, alcohol is on the list, so the Bud-lovers out there would have to try the light version :eek:

No booze? Are your tourneys held in the back of moving pickup trucks?

[pooladdict]

Colin
I have been reading many of your posts, and normally you have some valid points. But in this issue I disagree with you strongly - in my opinion all your arguments can be used in favour of testing. My comments in bold below.

Please I hope they keep out of that crap that can only bring suspicion I believe.

I saw the Australian Eight Ball Association bring in testing. This was all part of the bid to get into the Olympic games. Something which I believe would probably ruin the sport forever if it happened as I've written elsewhere.

The testing achieved the following:
1. Players who loved the game giving it up.
If players give up the game because they are afraid of being tested, very good. We don't need cheaters - even if they love the game.

2. Suspicion and inuendo about cheats.
How can no tests cause less suspicion than doing the actual tests and reveal the cheaters?

3. Ill feeling through targeting suspects, dobbing in.
When this is done professionally, the testers do not target anyone. They can e.g .decide that we test the finalist, plus a number of five players - drawn randomly from the entrance list.

4. Reduced social interaction as players were to scared to share a room with smokers.
I do not believe that cigarette smoke make you fail a drug test. Eating a cookie with some exotic ingredients may, though. A norwegian soccer player did this recently, and failed a drug test.. We should ask the dutch guys on the forum about this, they have some interesting menues in the coffe shops in Netherlands.. :cool:

5. Damaged reputations.
If the players are caught cheating, so what. Its their own choice.

6. Court cases that the association usually lost due to improper testing methodologies. (Proper testing is very expensive).
In my country it is the national / olympic association who performs the tests. The testing methologies are of the highest standard. The spesific sports association (e.g. pool) can not be held responsible or brought to court

7. A lot of money wasted which could have gone into prize funds.
The funding of drug tests do not come from the organizer of the events, but from the national sports association - or WADA - the international agency against doping and drugs in sports. So no money is taken away from the price funds.

Testing is guaranteed to bring some bad PR.

I hope they don't go down that silly road.

Colin, maybe we up north in Europe are naive about this. We hate cheaters, and want them exposed. Regardless whether it is in athletics, tennis or pool.

[Colin Colenso]

Colin
I have been reading many of your posts, and normally you have some valid points. But in this issue I disagree with you strongly - in my opinion all your arguments can be used in favour of testing. My comments in bold below.



Colin, maybe we up north in Europe are naive about this. We hate cheaters, and want them exposed. Regardless whether it is in athletics, tennis or pool.
Hi Pooladdict,
If I thought it was cheating then I would agree with you.

But all this testing was for marijuana. I don't smoke the stuff, I prefer a few drinks, but I accept that many of my fellow pool players like to smoke and often have done so when we are playing pool in the privacy of friend's homes.

It's more likely the beta-blockers are of more value than smoking or drinking in matches, but I still think the best players won't find any advantage from these.

Basically I don't trust most of the politically correct nonsense fed to us by Olympic related federations. For 20 years they tried to convince athletes that steroids didn't increase strength. That was a lie. Then they tried to say how dangerous it was...again, many lies or extreme overexaggerations.

Fact is, they've never stopped it among elite athletes. Instead, they've driven more athletes to using more dangerous compounds such as insulin and HCG and animal products including gene manipulators.

The few elites in the know can manipulate their testosterone for testine using injections of testosterone and epi-testosterone and also they are using expensive growth hormone and newly synthesized steroids. It's only those out of the know or those framed that get caught.

The anti-drug movement set forth by the Olympic movement has never stopped or likly even decreased drug use. But it has made steroids a politically incorrect research subject which I suspect has led to the unnecessary early deaths of millions of people in the last 10 years.

Fact is steroids can have major health benefits, especially in aiding recovery after trauma such as operations and accidents. But they are rarely used and research funding has largely dried up thanks to the do gooders and liars at the IOC.

[macguy]

LOL, sure is quiet in this thread, where are all you I.P.T. haters? Whatsa matta, foot in your mouth? I know, I know, this means nothing, just another set-up for the hard fall, right? Ha, I tried to stay quiet but I just ain't got no quit in me! "Da daduh, da daduh, next on SportsCenter, we have the new I.P.T. champion, and 2 million dollars richer........(--->Your name here<---). Jeez, I need some sleep, but first, let me turn that fan off before the you know what hits it.............. :D :D :D

Just to play devils advocate, he has expressed an interest in sponsoring other sports, I would say that could be why the WMA was brought in. They may in fact put the kibosh on the pool project as a bad investment and steer him into something more lucrative.

[JAM]

Geezy peezy, first, the naysayers bash the IPT for having an ulterior motive and not having the means to advance the sport.

Now that the William Morris Agency is on board, it puts an end to some of the naysayers' concerns, but the winds soon shift to a new topic.

What else can one conjure up to continue the gloom-and-doom outlook pertaining to the IPT?

In the words of Sir Winston Churchill: A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

I remain optimistic! :)

JAM

[SlimShafty]

Just to play devils advocate, he has expressed an interest in sponsoring other sports, I would say that is why the WMA was brought in. They may in fact put the kibosh on the pool project all together as a bad investment and steer him into something more lucrative.

The Agency was hired for the IPT, thats what they are working with, they are not a company to say hey try another sport when they are strictly hired to be an agent for the IPT. Kevins Natural Cures may look to sponsor another sport, not start another sport. They are not there to recommend investments, thats a whole different ball of wax and I'm sure Kevin has had a firm do research on the potential return and risk for his IPT.

They will try to hook up the IPT with prospective advertisers, if say Nike has interest, they would deal with the agency and their lawyers, not Kevin. for instance Kevin Garnett of basketball hired WMA and got a deal to promote Best Buy for a nice 7 figure sum, all the work of WMA. It's not like a star would call Best Buy and say hey want me to promote you, they would say ummmm what? You need a talent agent they have the contacts and the know how to get things done, for stars, events, sports franchises, tv shows etc... This is good, this is real good.

The Agents a WMA are a lot like salesman for people, and or projects...they are now in some sort of leadership role in the selling, branding and pushing the IPT to the public, also the IPT has a PR firm to deal with the public as well, Kevin is taking a major hands off approach and letting people with the experience handle the proper segments of the IPT. bravo!

This is really smart way to start, and if this fails, it's just not in the cards for pool to thrive, I have the feeling this will work and Kevin will end up with a sports franchise worth 30 million or more to a prospective buyer, and you know what even if it does fail, the groundwork will be there and another rich guy will float in a pick up the pieces like they did with the PBA!

[sjm]

This is all very good news. Of course, there was never any question in my mind that Trudeau would throw enough capital at this project to give it every chance to succeeed.

Ultimately, it will come down to whether pro pool is a sellable product, but for now, we may delight in the fact that the IPT is prepared to invest the kind of capital that into this venture that has never really been available to our sport.

It's a good day for pro pool, so let's enjoy it!

[Jimmy M.]

LOL, sure is quiet in this thread, where are all you I.P.T. haters? Whatsa matta, foot in your mouth? I know, I know, this means nothing, just another set-up for the hard fall, right? Ha, I tried to stay quiet but I just ain't got no quit in me! "Da daduh, da daduh, next on SportsCenter, we have the new I.P.T. champion, and 2 million dollars richer........(--->Your name here<---). Jeez, I need some sleep, but first, let me turn that fan off before the you know what hits it.............. :D :D :D

The only thing I have against the IPT is that I have to pay $1000 to get in their events. :(

I hope the tour does GREAT in 2006 and I hope I'm playing in 2007. :p

[Snapshot9]

The only thing I have against the IPT is that I have to pay $1000 to get in their events. :(

I hope the tour does GREAT in 2006 and I hope I'm playing in 2007. :p

That if you play that good, you can find a backer and a $1000 set ... lol

It appears that Mr. Trudeau is somewhat sincere in his efforts for Pool.
Sure, he has an idea of how to try to make some money along the way,
wouldn't you too. What he is doing for Pool now is unprecidented though,
and he is obviously 'thinking outside the box'. WMA is a very good agency,
with many creative people within its ranks. I think things are getting better
people, and a little hope for a better tomorrow for Pool is justified.

I would be interested in Blackjack's thoughts today, as opposed to
yesterday's.

[cmssuits]

I would be interested in Blackjack's thoughts today, as opposed to
yesterday's.


Not me.

Nobody cared back in '95 and no one's (KT and crew) listening today. The IPT is happening right now, and any opportunity is better than no opportunity. BJ will see "unity" when all those great players show up tournament week with one common goal...to win the cheese!

If the IPT craps out, that's America, everyone has the opportunity to go broke.

I need KT's Mega Memory kit to keep track of all the b.s. BJ writes, and some NaturalCures to hold back my tears after reading all of his posts. Eeyore has a more positive attitude.

"Sic'em Keith and down the stretch - go to the whip!"


Donny

[Sweet Marissa]

I think this move shows promise on Kevin Trudeau's part, proving that this is a long-term investment to him.

Also, I, for one, wouldn't mind seeing drug testing in pool. It's an unfair advantage to those who don't snort anything to stay awake during the long hours of a tournament. And it certainly doesn't do anything to promote the sport.

[wayne]

The only thing I have against the IPT is that I have to pay $1000 to get in their events. :(

I hope the tour does GREAT in 2006 and I hope I'm playing in 2007. :p

My guess is with the amount of IPT prize money there will be a lot of qualifiers where you can win your $1000 entry fee.

Wayne

[wayne]

Not me.

Nobody cared back in '95 and no one's (KT and crew) listening today. The IPT is happening right now, and any opportunity is better than no opportunity. BJ will see "unity" when all those great players show up tournament week with one common goal...to win the cheese!

If the IPT craps out, that's America, everyone has the opportunity to go broke.

I need KT's Mega Memory kit to keep track of all the b.s. BJ writes, and some NaturalCures to hold back my tears after reading all of his posts. Eeyore has a more positive attitude.

"Sic'em Keith and down the stretch - go to the whip!"


Donny

I am with you. The DOOM and GLOOM people need to try some natural cures like trying to find the GOOD in things instead of pointing out everything negative they can find (or at least try to weigh the good and bad).

At least KT is a man of action instead of a man of just words. In order for the DOOM and GLOOMERS to be right the IPT would have to fail miserably, if it succeeds they are wrong.

This is the most exciting thing to come on the pool scene since I have been playing and I am cheering for a huge success.

Wayne

[DaveK]

So does anyone want to speculate as to when we might hear about the IPT on the general media (as opposed to billiards specific media like here at AZ) ? While all this potential money may be a great opportunity for the pro players, I'm wondering when the fans will actually see something (other than those fortunate enough to travel to a live event). Was the initial challenge match shown on TV or Pay-per-view ?

I will reserve my judgement of the IPT for a year or two. Initial optimism is great but reality often takes time to develop. Having said that, my concerns remain the same :

- is this an entertainment venture or a sports venture (I know what I would prefer) ?
- is the plan for IPT to continue on the patronage of KT, or is the plan to make the IPT self-sustainable ? Comments about 'merchandising' and 'sponsorship' in the WMA release indicate that they want some revenue generation, which is why I am wondering again, even though the initial stance was that KT would provide the funding. Note that ultimately if the plan is to become self-sustaining, then the prize funds will have to be moderated by the overall value of the product. It may turn out that the IPT can be self-sustanining, but not with the huge payouts currently funded by KT. The NHL recently went through a significant financial adjustment period, the league was not sustainable with the old financial arrangements.

Dave

[trophycue]

Geezy peezy, first, the naysayers bash the IPT for having an ulterior motive and not having the means to advance the sport.

Now that the William Morris Agency is on board, it puts an end to some of the naysayers' concerns, but the winds soon shift to a new topic.

What else can one conjure up to continue the gloom-and-doom outlook pertaining to the IPT?

In the words of Sir Winston Churchill: A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

I remain optimistic! :)

JAM
Hey Jen~! Did not bring up drugs as a negative thing towards the IPT...........I think the whole thing is awsome~!.........and i do not think Kevin Trudea is prone to failure. That being said , my point was to maybe give some people a heads up~!. Whem money gets big , in comes the testing..........when the money went crazy in snooker in the 70's, drug testing was right behind,,,,,,,,,,,, this appears to be the same situation. I dont know if KT has looked at the history of snooker , or the way Barry Hearn promoted it, but he is doing some things the same way..............good luck to KT and the IPT.........and heavy kudos for having the balls to put up this kind of money~~!!

[Jimmy M.]

That if you play that good, you can find a backer and a $1000 set ...

I'm sure I could, but I'd rather put up my own $1000 and keep everything I win if I do well. While I'm not overly excited to pay $1000 entry fee, my post was somewhat sarcastic. :)

[BRKNRUN]

Geezy peezy, first, the naysayers bash the IPT for having an ulterior motive and not having the means to advance the sport.

Now that the William Morris Agency is on board, it puts an end to some of the naysayers' concerns, but the winds soon shift to a new topic.

What else can one conjure up to continue the gloom-and-doom outlook pertaining to the IPT?

In the words of Sir Winston Churchill: A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

I remain optimistic! :)

JAM

I am pessimistically optomistic........

That being said.....Here is my one question to all the nay sayers

What is the worst that can happen???

Even if the tour only lasts one or two years and quits...Then What???

The game won't be any worse off than it already is......Yeah, we will get all the "I told you so" comments, but so what...At least for the next year or two we might get to see some great events.