Why STILL All The Venom For Bill Stroud?

You hit the nail on the head, my friend. It's the same point I've made over as over and over again. These threads serve little purpose other than just b!tching. It's NOT going to get a cue made and delivered. If that were the case, the cue would be in mhaimi's hands now. But it's not. Why? Because Bill doesn't care. Period.

As for alerting the rest of AZ about Bill Stroud, what good does that do? He retired. He's spending his days playing pool without a care about this contest. So he's not gonna screw future customers over because there ARE no future customers. And all the JWs that are out there already will still hold their value because collectors don't care about a contest. They don't care about the man behind it. They care about the cue, the work in the cue, and the value.

These threads serve as nothing more than a place for a bunch of guys to vent AND as entertainment for those of us who love to laugh at the few who think these threads are a good idea or will ultimately serve a purpose.



Do you realize that each response you leave in this thread bumps it to the top of the forum?
 
Do you realize that each response you leave in this thread bumps it to the top of the forum?

That part always makes me chuckle....

"Stop making these threads, it'll do no good, and its cluttering up the front page. Watch me now as I bump it to the head of the line again....."

:grin: :p :rotflmao1:
 
I don't understand, I have heard nothing but great things about Mr. Stroud
until I came online to these forums. Do you all realize how many things Bill
has pioneered in the art of cue making? And now all of a sudden there's an
army of people who think it is justifiable to tarnish his reputation because of
some FREE contest cue that hasn't yet been delivered. Did he specify an
exact date when the cue would be done? I doubt it! It doesn't matter what
your line of work is, it is extremely difficult to get motivated to produce
something you are not getting paid for. I also highly doubt a group of Internet
bashers is going to have any impact on a 70+ year old legend that's chosen
to have fun with the rest of his life instead of working. Please stop the
childish attacks, you have nothing to gain from any of this!

Josh,

If for no other reason than to make you unhappy ;).

Seriously, he got to be a "legend" in cue making by pioneering many designs and manufacturing techniques. No one has called into question his talents. Concurrently, Mr. Stroud promised to build a cue for the winner of a contest HE created and promoted. Two years ago!!! Not last month or even last year. If he wanted to retire, why hold the contest at all. Perhaps it was his way of giving all of the pool world "the bird". From what I've seen and heard, he's lacked "character" for a lot of years. Not just the last year or two. Perhaps you (and a couple of others) wish to bury your head in the sand and defend him to the death, I don't and won't. This is not about cue making. It's about personal integrety. Nothing more. If you wish to lie, cheat and steal from members of the AZ forums, be prepared for the backlash. Even if we are paper tigers.

Lyn
 
Did he specify an
exact date when the cue would be done? I doubt it! It doesn't matter.

Yes it does matter. Bill was bragging that a cue could be built from start to finish in 2 months, which was one of the things that prompted the contest in the first place.

2 months is a far cry from 2 years.
 
Guys, I asked Bill again just now......unfortunately he didn't have any comment. :)
 

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That part always makes me chuckle....

"Stop making these threads, it'll do no good, and its cluttering up the front page. Watch me now as I bump it to the head of the line again....."

:grin: :p :rotflmao1:



Yeah it cracks me up. I understand not liking the subject matter on the forums. I wouldn't expect everybody to see eye to eye on anything. I mean that is what keeps the forums going.

The problem is that if you respond you send the topic to the front for everybody to read. So if anybody really doesn't like the subject they are better off not posting in it at all. As they say you can't have the cake and eat it.
 
What got you here won't get you there...

I don't understand, I have heard nothing but great things about Mr. Stroud
until I came online to these forums. Do you all realize how many things Bill
has pioneered in the art of cue making? And now all of a sudden there's an
army of people who think it is justifiable to tarnish his reputation because of
some FREE contest cue that hasn't yet been delivered. Did he specify an
exact date when the cue would be done? I doubt it! It doesn't matter what
your line of work is, it is extremely difficult to get motivated to produce
something you are not getting paid for. I also highly doubt a group of Internet
bashers is going to have any impact on a 70+ year old legend that's chosen
to have fun with the rest of his life instead of working. Please stop the
childish attacks, you have nothing to gain from any of this!

Josh, you should read the book "what got you here won't get you there"...
Nobody disputed what got him here...but that's not where the story ended.
I have no dog in this fight, but I'm a big fan of accountability.
It takes a long time to build a reputation...on the outside, that reputation will carry for some time...but here on AZ you are wired into the core of pool enthusiasts ...so while the general population doesn't know anyone's wrong doings, doesn't downplay the action. Making the argument that since most people don't know about it, that it doesnt matter...doesn't really hold water.

You need to understand that someone got hurt. If you got screwed by a cue maker, would you care what he pioneered??????

I know...the person that got hurt didn't actually pay anything.....
So...if you got a great deal on a cue build...then got screwed...and the cue wasn't delivered, and people said that you were just a whiner,...get over it, what did you expect, after all, you didn't pay much, ...how would you feel?

Again, I have no dog in this fight,i hope bill steps up, defends his reputation and builds the cue-but until then, I don't see anything wrong with some accountability. Let them post it if it's true.
Remember, nobody tarnished his reputation...he did that himself. Making the news and reporting it are two very different things.

And AZ is not a group of Internet bashers...there's a lot of really great people on here who are very trustworthy. Accountability is what makes this site so good. That's all. Accountability.

Good luck to all involved.
 
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And again, mia, what purpose do you think your numerous responses in which you keep saying the same thing are going to accomplish?

For the first time I just opened your az profile and took a quick look at the last two pages of your posts. You seem to be like a moth to a flame for anything to do with the Bill Stroud matter as this accounts for maybe 70% of what you comment on. And in your stroud-related posts, all you seem to do is complain about how misguided mine, and others efforts are.

In the other approx 30% of your posts you are split between pot stirring/ complaining in about half of those and the other half you are pretty much saying 'nice cue'.

So, I think there may be some kind of a pattern to your postings. Do you just mostly b**ch and complain on here?

What a solid az contributor you are.

Can't wait to read the next gems that emerge from your keyboard. :rolleyes:

best,
brian kc

Touché. You've got me pegged. I'll be sure to change my posting style to incessant whining over a contest I never even won AND the occassional thread about midget jokes. :confused:

Really man. Grow up.
 
I think most of you are just blowing smoke without having any idea what you are commenting about.

I talked with Bill Stroud today...yes I talked with him in person...something none of you have done...not that you would if you could. He feels bad about what has happen...but has no plan to comment...so I'll comment for him. He fully intended to fullfill his promised "free" cue build...remember no one paid anything...no one put any money down...and it didn't cost anyone anything to enter the contest. Since then Bill decided to retire do to very personal circumstances...that are none of your business. In addition his eyes had become and still are a problem in doing the kind of eye intensive work he had done for 40+ years...building quality cues. So he has stopped building cues...period!

So most of you need to get a life. Maybe...if you feel so strongly about this...you can build or buy a cue for the guy who won the contest...sort of putting "your" skill or money where your mouth is...thou I'm sure you have neither skill nor money...only opinions. Let Bill get on with his retirement...he has earned it over the many years of building top notch cues for the rest of us to play with.
 
so I'll comment for him. He fully intended to fullfill his promised "free" cue build...remember no one paid anything...no one put any money down...and it didn't cost anyone anything to enter the contest.

Nice post, however several would disagree with this...I do agree it's not going to happen so let it go.
 
Have you read the many many posts where many have suggested that a mere apology would go a long way? Or better yet, send him any decent cue?

If Bill wants to stop feeling bad he needs to stop being stubborn.

At least all these threads will act as a deterrent to other would be douches on here.

"Hmmm...I'd love to screw someone but I don't want to pull a 'Stroud' and become the next Stroud."

-would be douche
 
I think most of you are just blowing smoke without having any idea what you are commenting about.

I talked with Bill Stroud today...yes I talked with him in person...something none of you have done...not that you would if you could. He feels bad about what has happen...but has no plan to comment...so I'll comment for him. He fully intended to fullfill his promised "free" cue build...remember no one paid anything...no one put any money down...and it didn't cost anyone anything to enter the contest. Since then Bill decided to retire do to very personal circumstances...that are none of your business. In addition his eyes had become and still are a problem in doing the kind of eye intensive work he had done for 40+ years...building quality cues. So he has stopped building cues...period!

So most of you need to get a life. Maybe...if you feel so strongly about this...you can build or buy a cue for the guy who won the contest...sort of putting "your" skill or money where your mouth is...thou I'm sure you have neither skill nor money...only opinions. Let Bill get on with his retirement...he has earned it over the many years of building top notch cues for the rest of us to play with.

A simple generic explanation from the man himself would have gone a long way; not doing so speaks volume as to his character. You are defending a man of a low character which speaks to your character as well to some degree.
 
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I think most of you are just blowing smoke without having any idea what you are commenting about.

I talked with Bill Stroud today...yes I talked with him in person...something none of you have done...not that you would if you could. He feels bad about what has happen...but has no plan to comment...so I'll comment for him. He fully intended to fullfill his promised "free" cue build...remember no one paid anything...no one put any money down...and it didn't cost anyone anything to enter the contest. Since then Bill decided to retire do to very personal circumstances...that are none of your business. In addition his eyes had become and still are a problem in doing the kind of eye intensive work he had done for 40+ years...building quality cues. So he has stopped building cues...period!

So most of you need to get a life. Maybe...if you feel so strongly about this...you can build or buy a cue for the guy who won the contest...sort of putting "your" skill or money where your mouth is...thou I'm sure you have neither skill nor money...only opinions. Let Bill get on with his retirement...he has earned it over the many years of building top notch cues for the rest of us to play with.

Thanks for posting this. IMO it is simply nobody's business except the cue winner and Bill Stroud's concerning this matter. Bill has had a long and successful career building quality cues. I hope he enjoys his retirement.
 
I think most of you are just blowing smoke without having any idea what you are commenting about.

I talked with Bill Stroud today...yes I talked with him in person...something none of you have done...not that you would if you could. He feels bad about what has happen...but has no plan to comment...so I'll comment for him. He fully intended to fullfill his promised "free" cue build...remember no one paid anything...no one put any money down...and it didn't cost anyone anything to enter the contest. Since then Bill decided to retire do to very personal circumstances...that are none of your business. In addition his eyes had become and still are a problem in doing the kind of eye intensive work he had done for 40+ years...building quality cues. So he has stopped building cues...period!

So most of you need to get a life. Maybe...if you feel so strongly about this...you can build or buy a cue for the guy who won the contest...sort of putting "your" skill or money where your mouth is...thou I'm sure you have neither skill nor money...only opinions. Let Bill get on with his retirement...he has earned it over the many years of building top notch cues for the rest of us to play with.

Talk about blowing smoke and commenting without knowledge. hello kiwis. :rolleyes:

Did Bill's eye problems begin the day after he declared his contest winner? Or should he not have run the contest in the first place because he wasn't seeing well enough to make a cue?

Think hard before answering these - I saw Bill on a bigtruck stream about a year later in Oklahoma City, beating Joey Gray, making some real nice cut shots. I think his eyes were working well then.

The man made a promise and thus far, he's broken it. All without letting either the contest winner or all of those who jumped through hoops as contestants, know what's up.

Well, he did give the one update in January 2012 where he said he was gonna be working on his pool game and doing a little here and there on the cue when he could work it in. And to tell you the truth, that was a real bullshit move, to make such a declaration after the winner was patiently waiting for a year. The winner of DYD should have been treated as good, if not better, than any paying customer Bill ever had.

You said "no one paid a thing" and frankly, I've heard this from a few others, as well. Just to set the record straight on this, I am aware of a number of contestants, including myself, who did put up some money. Some were buying graphics apps, art supplies, etc. As an example, I paid an art teacher to help me lay out my complicated design and I made approx 5 trips to office max for large copies to be made. People were taking this contest very seriously. So you are wrong in your statement that "no one paid a thing".

And as far as no one talking to Bill, I know of two az'ers who did. Bill told JoeyA via phone call that the cue was going to be built. And then more recently, Bill blew off Jay Helfert when Jay asked about the DYD cue when they saw each other at a tournament. Your comment that "I talked with Bill Stroud today...something none of you have done" is therefore also inaccurate - You should do some fact-checking before making such bold statements.

Then you went on to say we should put our money or skill where our mouths are and have a cue built for the winner and you added that you're "sure" we "have neither skill nor money". This is both condescending and inaccurate.

Az'ers made a very generous offer to contest-winner, mhaimi, to get the money necessary together to have a replacement cue made for him by a top cuemaker so as to make up for Bill's failure to deliver. mhaimi, very politely and graciously declined that nice offer.

Kiwis, I think you had a chance to go sniff Bill's behind and got all excited to come on here with your earthshattering update. Sorry to say that even aside from all of the inaccuracy you provided, it still wasn't very earthshattering.

If Bill truly does have any kind of a health problem that has prevented him from completing the cue, I would *sincerely* be sorry to know this. However, even that would not excuse his decision to ignore everyone who put faith in him. A simple 'Sorry guys, I can't build the cue and here's why' would have gone a very long way.

best,
brian kc
 
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Az'ers made a very generous offer to contest-winner, mhaimi, to get the money necessary together to have a replacement cue made for him by a top cuemaker so as to make up for Bill's failure to deliver. mhaimi, very politely and graciously declined that nice offer.

And that should have been the end of this sad tale, but some people just can't let it go.
 
And that should have been the end of this sad tale, but some people just can't let it go.

The end of this sad tale will be when Bill Stroud comes on here and makes his explanation, or PM's the winner with such.

His eyes are obviously not so bad that he cannot use AZB, as he posts here occasionally.
 
Originally Posted by Kickin' Chicken
Az'ers made a very generous offer to contest-winner, mhaimi, to get the money necessary together to have a replacement cue made for him by a top cuemaker so as to make up for Bill's failure to deliver. mhaimi, very politely and graciously declined that nice offer

And that should have been the end of this sad tale, but some people just can't let it go.

guess I should have completed the paragraph by clarifying that mhaimi declined az'ers generous offer because he still wants and expects the dyd cue from Bill.

sorry for the ommission.

best,
brian kc
 
I think most of you are just blowing smoke without having any idea what you are commenting about.

I talked with Bill Stroud today...yes I talked with him in person...something none of you have done...not that you would if you could. He feels bad about what has happen...but has no plan to comment...so I'll comment for him. He fully intended to fullfill his promised "free" cue build...remember no one paid anything...no one put any money down...and it didn't cost anyone anything to enter the contest. Since then Bill decided to retire do to very personal circumstances...that are none of your business. In addition his eyes had become and still are a problem in doing the kind of eye intensive work he had done for 40+ years...building quality cues. So he has stopped building cues...period!

So most of you need to get a life. Maybe...if you feel so strongly about this...you can build or buy a cue for the guy who won the contest...sort of putting "your" skill or money where your mouth is...thou I'm sure you have neither skill nor money...only opinions. Let Bill get on with his retirement...he has earned it over the many years of building top notch cues for the rest of us to play with.

It's no secret that I disagree with these ridiculous threads as they serve no purpose other than whining about something that is never going to happen. And, as is always true in these situations, there comes a point where the whining is more obnoxious than the original offense that triggered it all. We've looooooooong passed that point here.

That beig said, I highly doubt you talked to Bill Stroud in person yesterday. And even if you did, I have a hard time believing that:

A) his eyes are so bad that he can't build a cue;
B) he feels badly about this.

A person with declining eyesight doesn't retire from one industry to play competitive pool again. Secondly, Bill is an arrogant a$$ and always has been. Again, this DYD fiasco was borne out of Bill's own display of bravado in proclaiming that most cuemakers today need to stretch beyond the boundaries of points and boxes... that anything is possible. And he himself would prove it. So don't try selling the "he feels really bad you guys" crap. If he did have failing eyesight and a heavy heart, perhaps he'd address the situation and put it to bed once and for all. But I'd venture to guess that he doesn't care at all, that his eyes are just fine, and that you probably didn't even speak to him. If you did, I'm stunned that you would think his choice to just not respond at all was the right thing to do.

Now of I'm wrong and his eyesight is failing, well... that's unfortunate. I feel for him. But unless his voice and his fingers are gone too, the decision to just ignore situation completely seems just plain stupid. And for that, Bill is completely and totally accountable.

I'm sure you thought you were doing Bill a favor by clearing the air. But frankly, you just made him look like even more of a (insert derogatory word of choice here).
 
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What a can of Worms. Tis Tis. As a Troll...it seems I'm Bill's biggest defender? How I wish he would come out of retirement and make me a SP.

Then I could come here and tell everyone how well it plays...

Rub your collective noses in it.
 
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