It is likely and possible that Earl thought he was being treated unfairly and wanted an explanation for the change. Upon hearing the explanation, Earl determined it was a poor excuse for the change and concluded the TD is working against him. Earl is a straightforward guy you tell him like it is and he makes sense of it.
It is like being told there is no prize money and you shouldn't get upset because the tournament wasn't profitable. Would that make you angry? Would you want to shake things up? The point is some people shake things up and others just look the other way. Will Earl get his side of the story out? Hopefully it is obvious some people think putting up and shutting up is better than shaking things up. It is similar to the USPPA fiasco in which prizes weren't paid and some people prefer to just sit back and do nothing because everything relies on the money man.
I do understand what you mean, but this ain't Earl's first rodeo when it comes to adhering to the rules.
The pay issue is something quite different, I think, but it is, as you say, very important and should not be shoved under the rug when the payouts are not forthcoming.
It is customary for pool players to be paid immediately upon completion of events, and when it doesn't happen as planned, it is disappointing for sure. There is a difference, though, in flat out not paying the competitors at all compared to a staggered payment system.
In my industry, some subs and vendors prefer to be paid via PayPal. Personally, I don't like PayPal, but it could be a vehicle used to pay folks in pool tournaments. As was evidenced, though, with the advent of the IPT, not all pool players are computer savvy.
I have come to conclude that the only way to fix this pool tournament conundrum is to limit the player field and require all entry fees to paid by a date certain. I am only referring to professional-type tournaments. If the fields are limited and the entry fees are paid up front, the tournament organizer knows how much money he will have in the pot and can plan accordingly.
The pro players should be held accountable to schedule their events and pay the tournament organizers timely, again, by a date certain and *not* upon arrival at the venue site. In return, the tournament organizer will be afforded the opportunity to plan accordingly with a known set amount of cash ahead of time.
In an ideal world, the tournament entry fees and added money will be available at the conclusion of the event, if handled this way. Gate and vendor fees should be considered profit or used to pay tournament expenses for the tournament organizer and *not* be depended on for the payouts, IMO. In other words, if there is $10,000 added, as an example, then have the $10,000 available before the tournament commences. Money "on the come" should not be depended on for tournament payouts.
Allen Hopkins and Mike Zuglan's events fill up well ahead of time. They have a limited field size, and the players *do* pay their entry fees in advance. Why? Because they don't want to miss out on competing. Paying entry fees in advance should be the norm and not the exception. This would eliminate a lot of problems as it pertains to tournament payouts on a timely basis.
