When Will Tournament Directors Enter This Decade

watchez

watchez

What time is it?
Silver Member
I just saw that someone posted the picture of the handwritten brackets for the SBE Open.

Why is it that this tournament - and many many others for that matter - don't have their brackets online? It is 2014. If they don't have the savy to create an online bracket themself and post to their website (if they had a website), there are plenty of free to use brackets online.

http://challonge.com/ is just one example.

It just astonishes me. There are tournaments all over - not just some small $5 entry fee bar tournamnent - but tournaments that are apart of a tour that still sit there and write out the entire bracket by hand. They draw the players to their matches the old school way by drawing out playing cards to match the player. This kills about 45 minutes when the tournament could be running.

Then you have 20 people crowded around a tournament bracket wanting to see who plays who. All they would need to do is complete it online and everyone use their smart phone.

I have a bracket that was created by a friend of mine using Excel - just enter the player names on a list, click a button and in 2 seconds the bracket is populated. Click the winner of each match and it moves the winner and loser to the appropriate next position on the bracket. It also calculates payouts, etc.
This is a backup for when the internet fails.

It is not that hard.

Watchez is the teacher
 
Yeah I was astonished by that myself. There are a lot of things in pool that seem to be this way. For example it seems like just within the last year pros and industry people are starting to use more social media like Facebook and Twitter. Waaay behind the curve on that. If you're a pro and you don't have a fan page and a twitter that you update regularly you're missing out branding potential and $ potential.
 
Brackelope is another great example of a more modern approach I wish more tournament directors would use. It shows the brackets, what matches are in play, how long the match took, all live. I know the Action Pool Tour used this once, and several other smaller weekly tournaments are using it (like the ones that Craig is running at Champions in Frederick, Maryland).

http://brackelope.com
 
StraightPoolIU said:
Yeah I was astonished by that myself. There are a lot of things in pool that seem to be this way. For example it seems like just within the last year pros and industry people are starting to use more social media like Facebook and Twitter. Waaay behind the curve on that. If you're a pro and you don't have a fan page and a twitter that you update regularly you're missing out branding potential and $ potential.
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Amen.

As most folks know, I'm anal about getting our sport out there via live streams primarily because mass media doesn't do squat. When those involved don't do squat (stream-wise) for an event such as this it perplexes me beyond belief. :eek:

I need a beer.
 
beetle said:
Brackelope is another great example of a more modern approach I wish more tournament directors would use. It shows the brackets, what matches are in play, how long the match took, all live. I know the Action Pool Tour used this once, and several other smaller weekly tournaments are using it (like the ones that Craig is running at Champions in Frederick, Maryland).

http://brackelope.com
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But, but, but that makes waaaaay too much sense. :banghead::thud:
 
The truth is that in a period in which event producers are dropping out right and left, Allen Hopkins productions marches on and continues to bring us pro pool, including both a men's and women's event. If they have to do so with a limited budget or staff, that's OK with me.

Just because the players so often behave with contempt for the few who continue to produce pro pool events in America doesn't mean that the fans should.

Just like the original poster, I'd rather have online brackets, but I'll take a different view and thank Allen Hopkins productions for continuing to support pro pool.
 
sjm said:
The truth is that in a period in which event producers are dropping out right and left, Allen Hopkins productions marches on and continues to bring us pro pool, including both a men's and women's event. If they have to do so with a limited budget or staff, that's OK with me.

Just because the players so often behave with contempt for the few who continue to produce pro pool events in America doesn't mean that the fans should.

Just like the original poster, I'd rather have online brackets, but I'll take a different view and thank Allen Hopkins productions for continuing to support pro pool.
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It wasn't meant as contempt but maybe they just don't know about it or just think that if they have to learn something new, it is more difficult when in fact it is easier.

I'll call Jay Helfert a friend (although I barely know him) - but I'll also say I think it is ridiculious that an event like the Big Foot challenge - the bracket looks like Jay draw it up while having lunch in the Chinese restaurant at the casino.

You want pool to grow - use the tools that are out there to make it grow. You want pool to be professional. Make it professional to the max in every aspect, not just hold the players accountable.

I commend someone like Brent Thomas -- his event in Texas is almost completely sold out. Why? Cause he used the multi media marketing tools available to him to get it done. Hopefully he is smart enough to have it all online as well.

I run tournaments (outside of pool). I have online brackets and after the tournament, the matches that were streamed are linked to the bracket so you can go in, see the score of the match and click to view the corresponding match if you like.

Watchez is the teacher
 
watchez said:
I run tournaments (outside of pool). I have online brackets and after the tournament, the matches that were streamed are linked to the bracket so you can go in, see the score of the match and click to view the corresponding match if you like.

Watchez is the teacher
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Witchcraft!
 
sjm said:
The truth is that in a period in which event producers are dropping out right and left, Allen Hopkins productions marches on and continues to bring us pro pool, including both a men's and women's event. If they have to do so with a limited budget or staff, that's OK with me.

Just because the players so often behave with contempt for the few who continue to produce pro pool events in America doesn't mean that the fans should.

Just like the original poster, I'd rather have online brackets, but I'll take a different view and thank Allen Hopkins productions for continuing to support pro pool.
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I don't have any contempt for this event or any other pro event, but I will say that without the pro event being streamed I can't say it's really bringing me personally any pro pool at all. I know a lot of people will be there and it will bring them enjoyment, but for someone who isn't able to go to NJ it's kind of like the proverbial tree falling in the forest.
 
StraightPoolIU said:
I don't have any contempt for this event or any other pro event, but I will say that without the pro event being streamed I can't say it's really bringing me personally any pro pool at all. I know a lot of people will be there and it will bring them enjoyment, but for someone who isn't able to go to NJ it's kind of like the proverbial tree falling in the forest.
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Streams are the first time a lot of people see something like this and get pumped up to go next year. There is a large value in that.
 
If anyone knows of a free online bracket, I'd be more than happy to provide it for the Andy Mercer next weekend. I'm playing in it but I have no problem providing updates.
 
sjm said:
The truth is that in a period in which event producers are dropping out right and left, Allen Hopkins productions marches on and continues to bring us pro pool, including both a men's and women's event. If they have to do so with a limited budget or staff, that's OK with me.

Just because the players so often behave with contempt for the few who continue to produce pro pool events in America doesn't mean that the fans should.

Just like the original poster, I'd rather have online brackets, but I'll take a different view and thank Allen Hopkins productions for continuing to support pro pool.
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THIS ATTITUDE IS EXACTLY WHY OUR COUNTRY IS WHERE IS AT TODAY. The "I'm thankful..." Same as "at least we got each other" average thinking average moves average average average is an epidemic in this country!

Watchez is right to mention how terrible things are ran that's why pool is where it's at. Lack of True Leadership no "Can Do" and "always looking for improvement" attitude. "let's be thankful we have one" is for the weak and the weak does not last but whisks away with ashes and are not remembered nor leave a legacy and encourage the young to perpetuate.

Thank you for the voice Watchez! Fight for pool and continue to fight for this beautiful country!
 
banditgrrr said:
If anyone knows of a free online bracket, I'd be more than happy to provide it for the Andy Mercer next weekend. I'm playing in it but I have no problem providing updates.
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Seriously dude --- three or four of them were listed in this thread.
Did you read ANY of it?
 
watchez said:
Seriously dude --- three or four of them were listed in this thread.
Did you read ANY of it?
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If I had an idea of what they were, I wouldn't have asked the question brainiac! Obviously I'm not a streamer or tournament director. I'm a player that said I would provide an update for a pro tournament next weekend. Your post would have been much more effective had you just said "here's the best FREE online bracket to use" and been done with it. Some people must just like to see their name in print.

Now you can just go on guessing on the brackets. Makes my life much easier.
 
CanonShooter said:
THIS ATTITUDE IS EXACTLY WHY OUR COUNTRY IS WHERE IS AT TODAY. The "I'm thankful..." Same as "at least we got each other" average thinking average moves average average average is an epidemic in this country!

Watchez is right to mention how terrible things are ran that's why pool is where it's at. Lack of True Leadership no "Can Do" and "always looking for improvement" attitude. "let's be thankful we have one" is for the weak and the weak does not last but whisks away with ashes and are not remembered nor leave a legacy and encourage the young to perpetuate.

Thank you for the voice Watchez! Fight for pool and continue to fight for this beautiful country!
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Allen Jr went ahead and made all of these banner ads for the vendors so he is not a computer idiot. Or at least he knows someone that isn't that made them for him. But that further proves my point - Hopkins only sees the value in producing banner ads for the vendors because it is a direct money in the register proposition. They don't see the long term (or even the short term) benefit of putting any type of current technology into the pro pool product that they produce. An event like the SBE being one of the bigger events to fail at it but there are plenty of smaller regional events that fail as well.
 
watchez said:
If they don't have the savy to create an online bracket themself and post to their website (if they had a website), there are plenty of free to use brackets online.

http://challonge.com/ is just one example.
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banditgrrr said:
If I had an idea of what they were, I wouldn't have asked the question brainiac! Obviously I'm not a streamer or tournament director. I'm a player that said I would provide an update for a pro tournament next weekend. Your post would have been much more effective had you just said "here's the best FREE online bracket to use" and been done with it. Some people must just like to see their name in print.
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The links were posted here in this thread -- take the time to read and comprehend and you will clearly see them. Then your post would have been much more effective. The first one was posted in my original post of this thread and I have highlighted it again for you above. Somehow in your massive ability to comprehend, you missed it -- along with the other links subsequent posters added.

Who is the brainiac?
 
This topic came up here a few months ago at Big Dogs. We had an open tournament that had about 100 people. A ton of time was wasted on the hand written bracket. I am curious on the time it would save to use a simple software vs trying to hand write and read one, not to mention it just looking a lot cleaner.

About a month ago during a regular tournament a lady spilled her drink on a small part of the draw, panicked and tried to wipe it quickly smearing the black marker so over half the board was unreadable. The TD had to ask the players where they were at on the bracket and who they beat or lost to...fortunately it was just a cheap tournament, but a nightmare example of something that could happen on a higher buy in one.
 
watchez said:
The links were posted here in this thread -- take the time to read and comprehend and you will clearly see them. Then your post would have been much more effective. The first one was posted in my original post of this thread and I have highlighted it again for you above. Somehow in your massive ability to comprehend, you missed it -- along with the other links subsequent posters added.

Who is the brainiac?
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I'll leave it at this....there are those that "do" and there are those that "do nothing and bitc* about the people that do." Since I have never seen your stream, or tournaments you've directed, or action matches you've put together, or updates you've provided for ANY tournaments......I'm going to assume you fall into the second category.
 
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