DeeDeeCues
Well-known member
Everybody.
Darren Appleton Video: "Banned! My Story"
- Thread starter JAM
- Start date
Everybody.
DeeDeeCues
Well-known member
One thing is for sure. None of these younger cultures that pool desperately needs to reach gives two craps about drug testing in pool. They’re buy recreational weed and enjoying the occasional bump and microdosing shrooms for a Sunday bbq.
What a waste of time and resources drug testing.
Maybe you could argue the benefits of Ritalin but these guys aren’t racing down a football field.
Can’t wait for those cornhole drug tests to come back. Fat Mike smoked a joint before tossing that beanbag in a hole. Clear performance advantage
Do you really think the younger generations are using more recreational drugs than previous generations? I don't.
I don’t either. But they’re more open about usage and it doesn’t carry the same stigma it once did.
Back in the day a housewife smoking a bowl was looked upon negativity. Now she’s just a mom who needed a mid day puff to relax. Like a glass of wine at lunch.
The one aspect of Darren's actions people seem to be glossing over is his self described throwing of his equipment (case) into the building's wall when he went outside with WADA official in tow. I can't and will not speak for anyone else. However when I see someone jeopardize presumably thousands of dollars worth of equipment in such a manner. I'm going to assume he's more than just a bit aggravated. If I understand it correctly. The WADA official is married to that player until they either refuse the test or complete it. This one action could have easily raised the WADA's official's concern for the personal safety.
I don't think it a stretch to consider this action one of the major reasons why MR came down with their own punishment.
Regardless, this was about way more than just cussing.
I don't think it a stretch to consider this action one of the major reasons why MR came down with their own punishment.
Regardless, this was about way more than just cussing.
Fuck Emily & Matchroom Sports. Never liked either and this yet another reason to add to the list.
Then you’re not gonna like what Texas is doing:
“Two Republican judges just handed down a decision that effectively allows Texas to seize control of social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.”
/cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com/reuters/VI76VZIZGFKSXD4KNCEGX3XPLM.jpg)
Court revives Texas social media law against banning users for views
A federal appeals court on Wednesday allowed a Texas law prohibiting large social media platforms from banning users based on their political views to go into effect while the state appeals a lower court order that had blocked it.
Two GOP judges just gave Texas control over Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube
The First Amendment doesn’t apply to Republicans anymore?
www.vox.com
thanks for posting, JAM
bummed for darren..punishment does seem a bit much
and jayson is also being punished..as an aside, I like kelly for his pard
didn't have to know his personal biz, but wish him well on that front
we all make mistakes, but it's how we deal with them that defines us
and on the table, rooting for dynamite, apt his nickname might be ^_^
bummed for darren..punishment does seem a bit much
and jayson is also being punished..as an aside, I like kelly for his pard
didn't have to know his personal biz, but wish him well on that front
we all make mistakes, but it's how we deal with them that defines us
and on the table, rooting for dynamite, apt his nickname might be ^_^
you and middleofnowhere seem to just focus on the negative.
darren was out of line and he admitted it
the question is does the punishment fit the crime ?
no one was injured
he had a "tantrum" using your terms
to me the punishment by matchroom ON TOP OF WHAT THE WPA punished for a "tantrum"
to me was putting salt on a wound and unneccessry
jmho
i know you and middleofnowhere probably dont agree
Scrunge19
Registered
Earl literally tried to fight hunter Lombardo and got booted from a tournament yet that didn’t stop matchroom from falling all over themselves from trying to get him into the mosconi cup a few weeks? months? later. Seems like they’re just making it up on the fly based on who you are/how important you are to their event rather than what you actually did.
I am very impressed with this video. What we have here is a professional who committed, by his own account, several acts of extreme unprofessionalism, but has the pedigree as both a professional and as a man to make all of these statements, which I've paraphrased: 1) I admit to the allegations made against me, I own it, and I'll take it on the chin, 2) I need to learn from these mistakes, so I don't repeat them, and 3) I apologize to my sponsors, and I will understand if they drop me, but I don't think they will. These are the words of a classy guy, one I'm proud to count as a close friend.
Darren's only beef here is that he feels he has been over-penalized. I'm not going to suggest that I know how penalties have been handled in the past by either WPA or Matchroom, so I'm in no position to agree or disagree with Darren, and it's not my place to do so anyway.
The only point on which I disagree with Darren is that I don't feel that whether or not he was aggressive in his manner is a potentially mitigating circumstance. He was, by his own account, unprofessional, combative, profane and disrespectful. That makes this a serious matter, even if he didn't threaten or strike anybody.
Darren's a good guy and a great player, and this temporary derailment of his heartwarming comeback to super-elite status won't slow him down. Darren's got a lot of great pool left in him.
I haven't read the posts in this thread yet, but it's AZB, so the apologists will surely come out in droves. if they haven't already. They will feel that these acts of unprofessionalism are no big deal and don't warrant more than a slap on the wrist, and they'll be mistaken, for code of conduct violations are a very serious matter.
Props to Darren for his video which evidenced regret and genuine contrition.
PS I was glad that Darren explained a) that he favors drug testing in pool, and b) how random drug testing in pro pool works. Only those finishing in the top 16 in an event are subject to possible testing and I must admit that I never knew that. That easily explains how he came to be tested in both March and April, since he had several high finishes.
Darren's only beef here is that he feels he has been over-penalized. I'm not going to suggest that I know how penalties have been handled in the past by either WPA or Matchroom, so I'm in no position to agree or disagree with Darren, and it's not my place to do so anyway.
The only point on which I disagree with Darren is that I don't feel that whether or not he was aggressive in his manner is a potentially mitigating circumstance. He was, by his own account, unprofessional, combative, profane and disrespectful. That makes this a serious matter, even if he didn't threaten or strike anybody.
Darren's a good guy and a great player, and this temporary derailment of his heartwarming comeback to super-elite status won't slow him down. Darren's got a lot of great pool left in him.
I haven't read the posts in this thread yet, but it's AZB, so the apologists will surely come out in droves. if they haven't already. They will feel that these acts of unprofessionalism are no big deal and don't warrant more than a slap on the wrist, and they'll be mistaken, for code of conduct violations are a very serious matter.
Props to Darren for his video which evidenced regret and genuine contrition.
PS I was glad that Darren explained a) that he favors drug testing in pool, and b) how random drug testing in pro pool works. Only those finishing in the top 16 in an event are subject to possible testing and I must admit that I never knew that. That easily explains how he came to be tested in both March and April, since he had several high finishes.
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DeeDeeCues
Well-known member
He was representing MR. The only fault I find here is that they should have had the penalty spelled out before the event, if they didn't.
Maybe some people saw the tantrum and decided they don't want to witness that. I, personally don't want to see that. I am more apt to support future events knowing they don't tolerate that.
Maybe his tantrum caused other competitors stress. If so, they were injured by reducing their performance.
The cheats in gambling are brutal. If you get cornered like that, you gotta vent or you get the diseases.
telinoz
Registered
Having watched the video now, a couple of points can be made on it.
1. The previous tournament, where there is a small gap between matches and the organisors KNOW 4 players will be tested is a complete a total failure to be reasonable to the players.
They need to have a minimum 1 hour gap, being ready to tap a player on the shoulder who just progressed to last 16 before they trot off to take a toilet break.
25 mins, give me a break...
2. Matchroom deferred disciplinary action to the WPA, nothing wrong with that.
However, that should be the end of it.
You will be hard pressed to find other sports who then have a promoter slap on additional punishment.
What a joke.
Take Snooker for example, if a player gets disciplined the WPBSA has a very clear and defined set of rules. You don't then get World Snooker Pty Ltd slapping on extra penalties.... what's next , a TV network slaps on more penalities.
3. The WPA needs to standardise its penalty system in a clear way, this 25% nonsense for what could be minor offences is just ridiculous.
Have set penalties for offences, graded. Its not hard.
4. To document the apologies given by Darren and accepted by the WADA guy, the Matchroom staff - that needs to be done, to also ensure that is taken into account.
Additionally, he had an outburst but at no time was it perceived as a direct threat to anybody - it looks like to me, Emily decided it was when she had her chat with Darren (she was not a direct witness) - and then escalated it to the WPA as such.
You take the statements from the witnesses, someones 3rd party opinion on it means diddly squat.
We'll see if any lessons are learned from this, by WPA and Matchroom to be more professional themselves.
Darren knows his actions were not professional, he owned it.
1. The previous tournament, where there is a small gap between matches and the organisors KNOW 4 players will be tested is a complete a total failure to be reasonable to the players.
They need to have a minimum 1 hour gap, being ready to tap a player on the shoulder who just progressed to last 16 before they trot off to take a toilet break.
25 mins, give me a break...
2. Matchroom deferred disciplinary action to the WPA, nothing wrong with that.
However, that should be the end of it.
You will be hard pressed to find other sports who then have a promoter slap on additional punishment.
What a joke.
Take Snooker for example, if a player gets disciplined the WPBSA has a very clear and defined set of rules. You don't then get World Snooker Pty Ltd slapping on extra penalties.... what's next , a TV network slaps on more penalities.
3. The WPA needs to standardise its penalty system in a clear way, this 25% nonsense for what could be minor offences is just ridiculous.
Have set penalties for offences, graded. Its not hard.
4. To document the apologies given by Darren and accepted by the WADA guy, the Matchroom staff - that needs to be done, to also ensure that is taken into account.
Additionally, he had an outburst but at no time was it perceived as a direct threat to anybody - it looks like to me, Emily decided it was when she had her chat with Darren (she was not a direct witness) - and then escalated it to the WPA as such.
You take the statements from the witnesses, someones 3rd party opinion on it means diddly squat.
We'll see if any lessons are learned from this, by WPA and Matchroom to be more professional themselves.
Darren knows his actions were not professional, he owned it.
Is there a list of banned substances? If pot is legal in the tournament locale, is it banned?
You can look at the WADA website for the list of banned substances. It doesn't vary by location so weed is prohibited even in venues where it is legal.
I totally agree- it is misguided. Few drugs would even be performance enhancing in pool- if any. Maybe stimulants could help you focus, but they could also make you overly jittery. Perhaps a bit of alcohol could calm you down, but too much would negatively impact your accuracy.One thing is for sure. None of these younger cultures that pool desperately needs to reach gives two craps about drug testing in pool. They’re buying recreational weed and enjoying the occasional bump while microdosing shrooms for Sunday’s bbq.
What a waste of time and resources drug testing.
Maybe you could argue the benefits of Ritalin but these guys aren’t racing down a football field.
Can’t wait for those cornhole drug tests to come back. Fat Mike smoked a joint before tossing that beanbag in a hole. Clear performance advantage
Is there a TLDR for the whole thing please?
Appleton lost hilll hill to Filler, had to take a drug test, threw a fit and cursed at everyone but passed the drug test, got a $1500 fine and 10 week ban.
DeeDeeCues
Well-known member
ADHD drugs are known to increase focus. I know people who use them for weekly tourneys and their performance is enhanced.