WPBA seeks partners/investors

Wags

Wags

2 pocket-one pocket table
Silver Member
This is an unbelievable press release by the WPBA. So what do you think about it?


WPBA
WPBA seeks partners/investors

The Women’s Professional Billiard Association is seeking Letters of Interest from prospective investors and/or partners who are interested in playing a key role in the future of the WPBA.


The WPBA was the first association organized by women and for women pool players, providing a venue for women to compete professionally. The WPBA has evolved over time. The level of play has reached new heights, and in the past 10 years players from around the world have sought and earned coveted spots on the WPBA tour.


Perhaps most important in the evolution of the WPBA is the TV coverage on ESPN of women’s 9-Ball. While the viewership is modest, the WPBA has retained a loyal audience over the years, despite the competing coverage of major golf, football and other sporting events.


For the past few years, the WPBA has been run by a volunteer board of directors, with minimal paid staff assistance and resources. To maintain the integrity of the tour, the WPBA feels that it would be in the best interest of the organization to find partners and/or investors who have an interest in promoting women’s billiards, and the resources to provide a high level of professional competition in a professional environment.


We seek Letters of Interest from qualified persons or entities only. At a minimum, respondents should provide the information requested on the attached form, along with a cover letter. Respondents may include any other information that would help the Board understand the respondent’s experience and resources. Only those respondents with substantial qualifications will be provided a proposal package and invited to meet with the WPBA Board of Directors.


Due date. Please e-mail responses in PDF format to: info1@wpba.com. Letters are due no later than 5:00 p.m. EST, Friday, Jan. 14, 2011.




WPBA Letter of Interest


(It is not necessary to use this form, as long as all relevant information is included with your response.)




Name of entity/person Name of person authorized to submit response



Address Contact information for authorized person




Phone E-mail




Please provide detailed information regarding you/your entity’s experience in the billiard industry, other sports or related industries.













Please provide names and backgrounds of the key people in your organization, who would be attending the informational meeting with the WPBA Board of Directors,














Authorized signature Date
By Press Release - 2010-12-21
 
Probably a good move. They need a "sugar daddy" to buy them out and take over, like Paul Allen did with the Pro Bowlers Tour.
 
This could be a godsend . If an experienced sports/marketing giant got involved , it could change everything.

right now , they are golf before Tiger Woods .
poised for greatness . . .
if only . . .

Coca~Cola , a discount on fountain products to BCA member rooms isn't enough . . . !
jump in with both feet , dang it !!

International Speedway Corporation , this could be the biggest thing since NASCAR ! It just needs promotion & airtime ( and you own cable channels) ! Scoop it up !

Rupert Murdock , look at what International Speedway Corporation is CHARGING you for NASCAR ! Here's a sport with way less overhead , PLUS beautiful , personable participants ! Dump them racin' cars , & get with the ladies !

ridinda9 >>>>>>>not afraid to start infightin' between potential bidders !:cool:
 
jay helfert said:
They need a "sugar daddy" to buy them out and take over, like Paul Allen did with the Pro Bowlers Tour.
Click to expand...
Just point out to Larry Ellison that salvaging a failing sport is an area where Paul Allen has achieved more than he has. Clearly, no honorable samurai (much less Genghis Khan) could allow that to stand unanswered. It might also be worthwhile to point out that the WPBA is considering moving its database and applications systems to SQL Server on Win 7 boxes.
 
First of all, let me say that I have been a strong supporter of the WPBA for more than 20 years. Throughout that time they have had their highs and lows. IMO, lately they screwed themselves. They had a 'deep pockets', very experienced businessman, with tons of marketing experience, ready to help them move onward and upward. They chose to 'kick him to the curb'. I see that they expect someone to drop out of the sky within the next 3 weeks! Good luck finding someone.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
 
Coca~Cola, International Speedway Corporation (I laugh)

ridinda9 said:
This could be a godsend . If an experienced sports/marketing giant got involved , it could change everything.

right now , they are golf before Tiger Woods .
poised for greatness . . .
if only . . .

Coca~Cola , a discount on fountain products to BCA member rooms isn't enough . . . !
jump in with both feet , dang it !!

International Speedway Corporation , this could be the biggest thing since NASCAR ! It just needs promotion & airtime ( and you own cable channels) ! Scoop it up !

Rupert Murdock , look at what International Speedway Corporation is CHARGING you for NASCAR ! Here's a sport with way less overhead , PLUS beautiful , personable participants ! Dump them racin' cars , & get with the ladies !

ridinda9 >>>>>>>not afraid to start infightin' between potential bidders !:cool:
Click to expand...

I was kind of hoping that someone would get around to mentioning potential sponsors/partners.

IMHO I think this press release MUST be for potential companies/people that are already involved with pool. This is why I feel that way.

I have trouble thinking that some executive from Coca-Cola somewhere is interested in this type of press release. My experience with well-heeled corporations is that something like this release is good for a laugh and certainly NOT SERIOUS. If they were serious about my interest they would be calling me to set up a presentation and show me what can be done to be mutually benificial. I certainly am not going to fill out a form and be scrutinized by them. They need me, I don't need them.

If the WBPA is looking for a Forbes 500 "sugar daddy" this is a very unprofessional approach and may be a clue as to why they are having the problems they are having.

If they are going after the "pool crowd" it makes a little more sense but, where are their already "high powered" pool sponsors? Why aren't they jumping at the chance to partner with the WPBA? When you have the "in crowd" industry giants such as Aramith, Simonis, Diamond, APA and Cuetec as sponsors and not partnering, one has to wonder about the viability of the product.

As I already stated, I believe the press release is unprofessional and until the WPBA gets a strong operational business director, they may be in for a rough time. It kind of shows the desperation they must be feeling.

I make these comments because I want them to come off as a very professional pool organization, not a fly by night outfit. That is what this press release reminds me of. I speak, because this sort of thing helps to make all of pool look the same way, "fly by night". It may be, but we don't necessarily need to announce it to all potential interesed non-pool sponsors/potential partners.

That said, I don't profess to know the inner workings of what's going on with the WBPA. Maybe the release was a weak moment, maybe they have other things in the works. This is absolutely an outsiders thoughts following the news and events of the WPBA. Take it for what it's worth.

I wish the WBPA well and hope they can reorganize and make a go of it. If not, they had a good run and brought us some memorable events and players.
 
Scott Lee said:
First of all, let me say that I have been a strong supporter of the WPBA for more than 20 years. Throughout that time they have had their highs and lows. IMO, lately they screwed themselves. They had a 'deep pockets', very experienced businessman, with tons of marketing experience, ready to help them move onward and upward. They chose to 'kick him to the curb'. I see that they expect someone to drop out of the sky within the next 3 weeks! Good luck finding someone.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...

Oh for cryin out loud - let it go. No one will ever know for sure if Mr. Deep Pockets would have actually produced anything but more misery and heartache for the organization. In his 3 months, he pissed off or alienated 90% of everyone he came in contact with so that, in the end, even his supporters on the Board finally had enough and accepted when he threatened to resign for the third time if he didn't get his way. And btw, where does one get "tons of marketing experience" in the credit and collections business?

He is gone from the WPBA and that may or may not be a mistake. But you repeatedly talking about how the WPBA threw away a "golden opportunity" isn't doing anyone any good. As a matter of fact, the only purpose it could possibly serve is for you to "remind" to the masses that you are wiser and know better. Which is ridiculous. You aren't part of the WPBA and you do not have firsthand knowledge of anything that goes on with the WPBA. You can not know for sure that JR would have done anything.

So quit :deadhorse:. It's getting old.
 
Whodat...Excuse me, but who died and made you God? As far as what went on with JR, I have spoken with him, and with several other high profile industry people, so I am not "clueless" about the situation. As far as me "repeatedly talking about how the WPBA threw away a golden opportunity", it would appear that you don't know what you're talking about. I've posted in two threads...one here and another thread several months ago. How that qualifies as "repeatedly" escapes me. Third, I stated that this was my opinion...and in this country a person is still entitled to their own opinion, as long as it doesn't harm anyone else. At least I don't hide behind an anonymous screen name.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

Whodat? said:
Oh for cryin out loud - let it go. No one will ever know for sure if Mr. Deep Pockets would have actually produced anything but more misery and heartache for the organization. In his 3 months, he pissed off or alienated 90% of everyone he came in contact with so that, in the end, even his supporters on the Board finally had enough and accepted when he threatened to resign for the third time if he didn't get his way. And btw, where does one get "tons of marketing experience" in the credit and collections business?

He is gone from the WPBA and that may or may not be a mistake. But you repeatedly talking about how the WPBA threw away a "golden opportunity" isn't doing anyone any good. As a matter of fact, the only purpose it could possibly serve is for you to "remind" to the masses that you are wiser and know better. Which is ridiculous. You aren't part of the WPBA and you do not have firsthand knowledge of anything that goes on with the WPBA. You can not know for sure that JR would have done anything.

So quit :deadhorse:. It's getting old.
Click to expand...
 
They should go after the ladies tv channels like oxygen or lifetime. It would probably help viewership if some of the players uncover repressed memories of abuse or molestation...

It's a mandatory feature for any program on those networks...

I also hear Kevin Trudeau is looking for a new gig


:cool:
 
I vote for Jeanette Lee given complete control of the "Jeanette Lee WPBA". Johnnyt
 
Scott Lee said:
Whodat...Excuse me, but who died and made you God? As far as what went on with JR, I have spoken with him, and with several other high profile industry people, so I am not "clueless" about the situation. As far as me "repeatedly talking about how the WPBA threw away a golden opportunity", it would appear that you don't know what you're talking about. I've posted in two threads...one here and another thread several months ago. How that qualifies as "repeatedly" escapes me. Third, I stated that this was my opinion...and in this country a person is still entitled to their own opinion, as long as it doesn't harm anyone else. At least I don't hide behind an anonymous screen name.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...

You've "spoken with him". Exactly what I said, you have no firsthand knowledge. You have his version of things and nothing else. The things you repeat are things you've heard. It's gossip. It's hearsay. It's BS.

I'm not God and I never claimed to be. Just someone who is sick and tired of people like you spouting off that you know what's best or what's wrong with the WPBA or what mistakes they made in the past. It's so pointless and unproductive. If you are such a supporter and want to help them, then get run for the Board or volunteer for a committee and actually try to improve things instead of just running your mouth on a forum.

And yeah, I'm anonymous. Like that's a huge crime. Whoa look out, someone is posting under an assumed name on a message board. Big news!
 
Whodat? said:
You've "spoken with him". Exactly what I said, you have no firsthand knowledge. You have his version of things and nothing else. The things you repeat are things you've heard. It's gossip. It's hearsay. It's BS.

I'm not God and I never claimed to be. Just someone who is sick and tired of people like you spouting off that you know what's best or what's wrong with the WPBA or what mistakes they made in the past. It's so pointless and unproductive. If you are such a supporter and want to help them, then get run for the Board or volunteer for a committee and actually try to improve things instead of just running your mouth on a forum.

And yeah, I'm anonymous. Like that's a huge crime. Whoa look out, someone is posting under an assumed name on a message board. Big news!
Click to expand...

Wow, Whodat sounds like he 'knows' what is going on. I know JR and I KNOW he had some great ideas for the WPBA. Whodat's style only further fractures the thin layer of glue that keeps the WPBA and pool events alive in this country. There is no need to 'attack' like that!

On another note, I also tried to offer my services to the WPBA and was very rudely and unceremoniously dismissed (as discussed on several AZ threads last year). They have some internal 'situations' that probably need to be resolved that will allow them to move forward.

Mark Griffin, CEO
CSI - BCAPL - USAPL
 
Hey Mark, with the WPBA calling for partners & investors, maybe now the BCAPL could replace the APA as a title sponsor of the Tour. If you made such a proposal, I think no matter what the end result is positive. Either you get the gig & can then get on the board without the APA's opposition or Terry & Larry finally get a fire lit under their ass to start contributing REAL money to the pro game (as opposed to the "kids allowance" they give now).
 
My thoughts are with the players, most times people just want to do their thing and leave the management/organizational planning/marketing to other people. I hope the players identify this event as an opportunity to make right what they think other people should've done.

The survival of most organizations depends on investors and partners, I just wonder if any of the players while they were touring were developing contacts because these are the times that it helps to have some.

Cross-promotional events are the simplest solution but are the players and the events do not seem ready for being sold to other people. The recent changes about tournament formats would not indicate that the players and the organization are operating at a comfortable level, if I were an investor it doesn't seem like a good time to invest.

I understand that something like the IPT which promotes and shows off puts on a good show for investors, but that is only needed if there is no product. The WPBA has a product but it could use some polishing.

It looks like the next few years could be the make or break years.
 
Mark Griffin said:
Wow, Whodat sounds like he 'knows' what is going on. I know JR and I KNOW he had some great ideas for the WPBA. Whodat's style only further fractures the thin layer of glue that keeps the WPBA and pool events alive in this country. There is no need to 'attack' like that!

On another note, I also tried to offer my services to the WPBA and was very rudely and unceremoniously dismissed (as discussed on several AZ threads last year). They have some internal 'situations' that probably need to be resolved that will allow them to move forward.

Mark Griffin, CEO
CSI - BCAPL - USAPL
Click to expand...

You sir, have a legitimate gripe with the WPBA. You have firsthand dealings with them, and it is a widely known fact that you weren't given a fair shake in your bid to become a Board member.

My "attack", however, does nothing to harm the WPBA as I am not involved with them. But I don't go around representing myself as having intimate knowledge of their dealings. I was simply calling Mr. Lee out on his post that the WPBA "screwed themselves" by kicking JR to the curb.

First, JR was not kicked to the curb, he resigned. And the Board accepted.

Second, while JR may have had great ideas for the WPBA, there is no guarantee that any of them would have come to fruition. There have been many with great resumes and great ideas. And the WPBA is still stuck where they have been for the past 20 years. So to imply that the WPBA is in its current position because of the loss of one human being is ridiculous and pompous and incorrect.

Flame away.
 
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