Matchroom Sport and WPA
- Thread starter JAM
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I think I agree with this. I'm really not sure what purpose they serve other than to make rules no one actually follows. They don't really hold enough gravitas for anyone to respect and use their rules.Is there any established relationship there? Will Barry Hearn be paying WPA sanctioning fees?
I hope not.
I'd like to see the WPA end.
I'd like to see the BCA end too.
Long live Matchroom Sport. We have a new sheriff in town!
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I believe somebody needs to strive to establish themselves as the international standard and organizational body for pocket billiards if we wish to have Olympic recognition. I think WPA is closest to that. I like APA and BCA for what they provide from an organized amateur perspective with leagues.
I do like the APA and BCA pool leagues.
For new entrants into the pool political machine, the BCA (Billiard Congress of America), the so-called governing body of North American pool, sold the BCA pool league sometime ago to Mark Griffin. The BCA league is not the same as the BCA governing body. I just want to get that out there for those who may be reading this thread and may not understand that there is a difference. They share the same acronym (BCA), but they are two different entitles altogether.
Long live the BCA league.
The BCA organization, the so-called "governing body of professional pool," does not seem to care about professional pool anymore. They take care of their industry members and look out for industry members' interests. The BCA organization used to have an invitational pool tournament in Vegas once a year. Half the competitors were American and the other half were from around the world. It was called the "BCA Open," even though it was not an open tournament. It was an invitational tournament, and in my experience and memory, those who were invited were the darlings of the industry members, those professional pool players who danced like monkeys for them.
It has been brought to my attention since this thread by someone more knowledgeable than me that the WPA does serve a purpose in that foreign countries give them credence and believe they hold some weight on an international scale as far as pocket billiards. If a tournament is not sanctioned by the WPA, as an example, Asian countries' pool super stars may not compete in that event. Of course, the WPA's members get to travel around the world to Qatar and other exotic places with this sanctioning money paid to them and enjoy banquets and a globe-trotting lifestyle that some of us can only dream about.
Yes, I have a strong dislike for the WPA and the BCA governing body of professoinal pool, not to be confused with the BCA league. I like the BCA league a lot.
It will be interesting to see if Barry Hearn greases the palm of the WPA next year at the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship in 2019.
When Kevin Trudeau tried to launch the International Pool Tour (IPT), he refused to pay the WPA sanctioning fee.
Barry Hearn is an accountant by training, comes from a humble background, and though he understands the value of a dollar, his passion for sports is what drives him to success. The profit margin, believe it or not, comes to him because of his passion. He understands business, and in some sports circles, he's created his own organization for governance. I will be anxious to learn how Matchroom Sport interacts with the WPA.
I will be staying tuned with bated breath on this one. I support Matchroom Sport on this new endeavor. Yes, I like this Barry Hearn dude a lot.
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Is there any established relationship there? Will Barry Hearn be paying WPA sanctioning fees?
I hope not.
I'd like to see the WPA end.
I'd like to see the BCA end too.
Long live Matchroom Sport. We have a new sheriff in town!
Based on what he did with snooker, if they’re not fit for purpose he will offer players alternative. If they demonstrate some added value, he’ll no doubt just seek a seat on the board. He won’t be pushed around...
Jackpot
Hearn just may hit the jackpot soon! Hearn and pool could see a major boom if Supreme Court opens the door to a blanket ok for USA gambling on amateur and pro sports. We should soon hear about the future of PASPA. I suppose Congress could pass new legislation to try to stop it. I'm not sure if there is a sport in the USA that is more closely tied to gambling than pool. Well I guess card games, casino games, or slots are more closely tied. But pool's gambling stigma just may pay off if the court's decision allows it.
I wonder if he took a gamble and added a little more to his offer to ensure to get it before the decision is announced. Just in case their decision could add a much higher payout for the US Open price tag. At any rate, April 2 and 30th will be key dates to watch.
But, then again, gambling may not mean anything for pool. I would suppose that it would depend on whether you could wage online or not. And whether individual states could get their "fair share" of each winning pot, of course.
Hearn just may hit the jackpot soon! Hearn and pool could see a major boom if Supreme Court opens the door to a blanket ok for USA gambling on amateur and pro sports. We should soon hear about the future of PASPA. I suppose Congress could pass new legislation to try to stop it. I'm not sure if there is a sport in the USA that is more closely tied to gambling than pool. Well I guess card games, casino games, or slots are more closely tied. But pool's gambling stigma just may pay off if the court's decision allows it.
I wonder if he took a gamble and added a little more to his offer to ensure to get it before the decision is announced. Just in case their decision could add a much higher payout for the US Open price tag. At any rate, April 2 and 30th will be key dates to watch.
But, then again, gambling may not mean anything for pool. I would suppose that it would depend on whether you could wage online or not. And whether individual states could get their "fair share" of each winning pot, of course.
That was the first thing I posted when I saw it , shame a American didn't do it , yes snooker has grown since Barry became involved , but there is also betting on the Euro tour and its not anywhere near as popular ,, snooker is a much better game to watch
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Is there any established relationship there? Will Barry Hearn be paying WPA sanctioning fees?
I hope not.
I'd like to see the WPA end.
I'd like to see the BCA end too.
Long live Matchroom Sport. We have a new sheriff in town!
I will repeat myself here - as long as Ian Anderson is in charge of WPA Barry Hearn wont touch anything WPA-connected with 10 meters long pole,Ian Anderson got too greedy when he allowed Yen Makabenta to run inaugural World 10b championships 3 weeks prior to planned World 9ball championships which pissed the sponsors of W9bch being so close after W10bch. Barry of course got pissed in turn and called it a day with World pool championships. And thats about it.
Is there any established relationship there? Will Barry Hearn be paying WPA sanctioning fees?
I hope not.
I'd like to see the WPA end.
I'd like to see the BCA end too.
Long live Matchroom Sport. We have a new sheriff in town!
I don't know the first thing about Matchroom but I do know this isn't their first rodeo and they have established themselves in Pool.
I think in order to grow something has to happen to get people involved in Pool again no matter what that is.
In my opinion our BCA really missed the boat on that when they sold the leagues but selling the leagues might have been the right thing to do at the time. This is another time. We know what was done didn't work. Since we here in the states have resisted change perhaps its come a time that others see promise in what we have. Sort of an untapped market so to speak. At least I hope so. I've had my own ideas on how to create a membership organization to help things along but an established entity with an overall business plan will surely go a long way.