Billy Thorpe gone wild!

[Chili Palmer]

If you’re referring to the 14.1 tournament, I disagree that the wrong numbered ball Earl called near the end of the match was obvious - it was nearly a 90° cut shot on one of the numerous balls that was in the rack area. Yeah, Shaw could have let it go, but I can’t say I blame him considering it was Earl.

I was never able to clarify what ball he called but he clearly pointe to the corner pocket for the 10B, given it's two vs ten, Shaw should've just sat down and shut up but instead, he purposely agitated Earl, which many have been known to do. Just like I'm sure Billy's antics were only done because he was down, seems I heard he ended the night even or maybe even up so apparently his antics worked.

 

[Ken_4fun]

Career? Social status?

What career or social status? There is neither when it comes to pool and this kind of behavior (and its general acceptance by many) is one of the reasons pool is a big fat zero on the scale of marketable sports.

Lou Figueroa

Lou is spot on as usual.

$1400? that is nothing.....like crying over a bar bill.

Geez.

Ken

 

[Straightpool_99]

That was utterly pathetic. It's time to be really honest about this game's future. It doesn't have one. Whenever you think pool has hit rock bottom, it keeps finding ways to dig itself even deeper into the ground.

Good luck finding sponsors after this. "Don't be a f****t, buy Gilette! The best a man can get." "Do you rack like a f*****t? Get the new, improved Sardo tight rack!" "Are you tired of being a b***h? Join World Gym today!" "Do you act like an idiot in public, do you drink, fight and curse? Better call Saul!" I can just see the millions flooding in.

 

[Ken_4fun]

Good old Nodaway County. Its been years since I was through there.

I lived in Paducah and the locals who I thought were tough pool players warned me to never go to Cairo, IL. And if I was stupid enough to go there, dont gamble on ANYTHING.

They were so crime ridden there they stole the copper coils off the air conditioner at a church....talk about a sure way to go to hell.

Ken

 

[jokrswylde]

Billy posted a picture later of him and Robb and that they had made up and it was just a heat of the moment thing. But here is yet another example of why pool is not ready for "primetime" like the other sports. If he were a baseball player and was caught on video saying that, his career would be done. Tom Brennaman, TV broadcaster for the Cincinnati Reds, was caught off air saying F** once and was taken off the broadcast and forced to resign. When your sport or yourself get to be mainstream, this behavior can't occur. That is part of being a professional. It isn't just having pro level game. It is having pro level demeanor and image as well.

Not necessarily. See my above point about Justin Thomas, PGA, player.

Justin Thomas apologizes for using anti-gay slur after missing putt at Tournament of Champions

The world's No. 3 golfer got himself in some trouble with his reaction to a missed putt on Saturday in Round 3

www.cbssports.com

He lost a sponsor, but as of now he will still play a full slate of tourneys and will still earn millions.

Manny Pacquiao once infamously compared gay people to animals. Nike dropped him, but he has since made tens of millions of dollars.

Even Kobe was once fined six figures for calling a ref a f***t.

Pro athletes are still fallible people. They still make mistakes. I don't want to imagine a world where it is one strike and you are out.

 

[The_JV]

None of this excuses BT's actions. But this cancel culture crap has to stop. He apologized WITH THE OTHER PARTY INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT, and we have people analyzing facial expressions and opining on his sincerity. For others, the apology is not contrite enough for their tastes, or it wasn't worded as if written by a PR firm.

I posted the pic of the "hey look we're buddies". There was no analyzing involved. Robb face just looked like he wanted to get out of there, and I thought it was funny.

"Cancel culture" is the new catch phrase for all those thinking someone else is over reacting. I have nothing invested in either the game or Billy's success. I would like the game I thoroughly enjoy playing be thought of as a something more than a past time for delinquents though.

 

[JessEm]

Like I stated Billy had apologized. There are few of us who have not said derogatory remarks at one time or another when they have been upset. If you are one that has not then you are a great person.

No one will feel this sting as much as Billy. The chance for him to learn from this and move on, is on him. I personally believe he is a good man and I am willing to forgive.

This.

Reasonable people are understanding and forgiving to a larger extent. He who has never sinned cast a stone.

But to Marxist corporate operators in boardrooms and HRs, a comment like that is repackaged with his intentions extrapolated to whatever the absolute worst possible meaning might be, with some emotions sprinkled on top.

 

[briankenobi]

Not necessarily. See my above point about Justin Thomas, PGA, player.

Justin Thomas apologizes for using anti-gay slur after missing putt at Tournament of Champions

The world's No. 3 golfer got himself in some trouble with his reaction to a missed putt on Saturday in Round 3

www.cbssports.com

He lost a sponsor, but as of now he will still play a full slate of tourneys and will still earn millions.

Manny Pacquiao once infamously compared gay people to animals. Nike dropped him, but he has since made tens of millions of dollars.

Even Kobe was once fined six figures for calling a ref a f***t.

Pro athletes are still fallible people. They still make mistakes. I don't want to imagine a world where it is one strike and you are out.

I don't want it to be one strike and your out either but that is what we have now. The examples you stated show that there were ramifications for their actions but were still allowed to compete. I hope the same for Billy.

 

[The_JV]

Pro athletes are still fallible people. They still make mistakes. I don't want to imagine a world where it is one strike and you are out.

Definitely... so how to purpose the lack of organized sanctioning body penalize Billy for his actions...?

 

[jokrswylde]

Definitely... so how to purpose the lack of organized sanctioning body penalize Billy for his actions...?

I think TIn Man nailed it. Leave it up to the individual TD. If BT's sponsors choose to drop him, then his mistake becomes even more painful. I just don't think this one incident should make him toxic to the powers that be.

 

[sjm]

One other thing. I'm tired of hearing about the all the TD's that let Earl get away with murder. That's bullshit! I can tell you that he never got away with anything when I was directing tournaments he played in. I penalized him games and even forfeited him once for bad behavior, and Earl got the message after awhile and was always on his best behavior around me after that.

Surely, nobody was singling you out, Jay, but we've all seen what we've seen. I've been present for many of Earl's outbursts. In-tournament discipline is only part of the picture. Reprimands, in game-penalties, and forfeits do happen, although I've never been present when a ref forfeited Earl.

That said, discipline also extends to post-tournament situations. As you know at least as well as I do, tours like the PBT/Camel and the WPBA both had explicit codes of conduct included in player contracts that had to be signed back in the day by full time members. When players violated the terms of the code of conduct, they were often fined and sometimes even suspended. I once sat on an ad hoc advisory committee that reviewed a code of conduct violation in order to make a recommendation for discipline of a player believed to have committed a code of conduct violation. The committee I sat on ultimately recommended a one tournament suspension for this player, and the recommendation was adopted, costing the player both an earnings opportunity and some ranking points.

To my knowledge, Earl has consistently managed to avoid this kind of discipline, of which he has often been deserving. Some of his fellow pros resented it, while others used it to rationalize their own indiscretions in conduct, but I feel that pool's powers have been overly lenient with Earl over the years and that some damage has resulted. Of course, maybe I'm wrong. After all, you've seen a lot of things that I haven't in pro pool.

 

[The_JV]

If someone makes an inappropriate remark or if someone gets into a heated argument, I think a warning is appropriate. On the other hand if someone assaults someone physically then we can't just say "We all make mistakes".

Somewhere in between there is a line that shouldn't be crossed. There should be different consequences for different infractions. Billy didn't assault Rob so I don't think he should be barred from pro events or anything. But based on the threats of violence and the level and duration of his tirade I don't think we can minimize this as just a ill timed remark that anyone could have made.

Although it transitioned to nearly off screen. Billy did rush Robb, and it appeared as though a 3rd party broke it up. I'm not a lawyer but I think the second he laid hands on Robb, it was assault. Billy definitely appeared to be the aggressor.

In all the other examples of pros being reprimanded for going offside. There was a league/organization that levied fines and/or suspensions, and those players must have wanted to be apart of those organizations or they wouldn't have bothered submitting to the penality. Pool doesn't have such a organized enity. Billy's sponsors may have words with him, but beyond that what can anyone do..? Matchroom could only "ban" him their events. Which I think is tad much. Suspenion sure...

 

[The_JV]

I think TIn Man nailed it. Leave it up to the individual TD. If BT's sponsors choose to drop him, then his mistake becomes even more painful. I just don't think this one incident should make him toxic to the powers that be.

So leave it up to the TD of the non event he was in...? Or do you mean future TDs in events yet to happen...?

IMHO Billy has made himself slightly toxic on some level here. Someone that holds sway over the professional masses should make an example of it. Not saying ban the guy for life or anything, but do something to send a message. For example, Team Mosconi should be a representation of the best the USA has to offer. That should be more than just good results in tournanment play leading up to the event.

 

[justnum]

This is securing Billy's reputation as the new bad boy right now. Good or bad, he is pilot and the player in the spotlight. As for pool governance, they just need sanctioning fees.

 

[JessEm]

"Cancel culture" is the new catch phrase for all those thinking someone else is over reacting.

Cancel culture is the ultimate over reacting.

Everyday the twitter mob is calling for canceling someone/something new.

From boycotting Chic Filet because the owner is Christian, and dressing up like chickens and laying on the sidewalk, to
stores like Wayfair and Kohls pulling MY Pillow because crybabies don't like the owner's politics. It's never ending.

The Big Tech monopoly's coordinated effort to silence government descent is hitting dangerous levels.

I could list examples for days.

 

[Chili Palmer]

So leave it up to the TD of the non event he was in...? Or do you mean future TDs in events yet to happen...?

IMHO Billy has made himself slightly toxic on some level here. Someone that holds sway over the professional masses should make an example of it. Not saying ban the guy for life or anything, but do something to send a message. For example, Team Mosconi should be a representation of the best the USA has to offer. That should be more than just good results in tournanment play leading up to the event.

I think preventing him from playing in the next MC would go a long ways. Not a permanent ban but a one year ban. As a "professional" he needs to hold himself to a higher power or someone else should.

 

[jokrswylde]

So leave it up to the TD of the non event he was in...? Or do you mean future TDs in events yet to happen...?

Future TD's

IMHO Billy has made himself slightly toxic on some level here. Someone that holds sway over the professional masses should make an example of it.

Why? It is not enough to make a mistake, apologize, and move on? Why does he have to get made an example for one mistake.

Not saying ban the guy for life or anything, but do something to send a message. For example, Team Mosconi should be a representation of the best the USA has to offer.

Maybe this is where we disagree. I don't think a drunken mistake necessarily means he is not one of the best the USA has to offer. It is a slippery slope. IS SVB the best we have to offer? There are some in the know who may disagree. There is video out there of our MC coach screaming at and threatening a fellow competitor. Didn't we have a convicted felon on our MC team recently?

Point is, imperfect people have all types of skeletons in the closet, and one mistake doesn't define a person's character.

That should be more than just good results in tournanment play leading up to the event.

 

[highkarate]

god what a little bitch

 

[Hungarian]

By the time the mosconi cup comes around this will long be forgotten about.

I doubt that very seriously. Match Room won't forget it. But they will sensationalize it. Billy will become the new Earl. People love controversy. Match Room loves to exploit it. Billy's shock value just went up 10 fold.

 

[8intheside]

Any money match IMO should be rack your own.