with a more recent perspective predator paid travel and entrance fees for a well known euro pro and mosconi player 8-9 years ago. more decorated than billy, but matt's point about billy being the most/one of the most visible meucci player is also true
Thorpe blasts ‘one of the dumbest rules’ after becoming ineligible for USA Mosconi Cup team
- Thread starter RickLafayette
- Start date
with a more recent perspective predator paid travel and entrance fees for a well known euro pro and mosconi player 8-9 years ago. more decorated than billy, but matt's point about billy being the most/one of the most visible meucci player is also true
They have Tyler too. But still….
InsertCleverNameHere
Well-known member
Billy has every right to be upset with THE TIMING of the conversation. Right before a match is pretty unnecessary and downright cruel imo. But as others have said "rules is rules" and Matchroom makes them. This is what you signed up for even if you didn't read the fine print, it was there.
Yes.
I don't think sensationalism on stuff like this helps anyone.
Lou Figueroa
except MR ;-)
They're Filipino clickbait peddlers. This type of shit is what they always publish. They were having a field day last year during the whole Kaci wax-gate thing.
Tyler is iffy at best.
Billy took it pretty well in the main body of text. A lot of people have done a lot worse. The scare heads made it seem like his comments had been far more. Perhaps some weren't quoted.
I missed an end of the year invitational because I fell one event shy. The rules were published, no whine coming. I had to laugh, at least to myself. The man running things was verbally tiptoeing when telling me I wouldn't be able to shoot the championship. I told him I hadn't expected to. Then he asked if I would come out and help run things! I did, no hard feelings for the rules being enforced.
I see many pool players ignoring pre-event meetings and rules printed on flyers. Same ol' story but I feel these people that don't bother to learn the rules shouldn't bother to complain.
Hu
I missed an end of the year invitational because I fell one event shy. The rules were published, no whine coming. I had to laugh, at least to myself. The man running things was verbally tiptoeing when telling me I wouldn't be able to shoot the championship. I told him I hadn't expected to. Then he asked if I would come out and help run things! I did, no hard feelings for the rules being enforced.
I see many pool players ignoring pre-event meetings and rules printed on flyers. Same ol' story but I feel these people that don't bother to learn the rules shouldn't bother to complain.
Hu
he did blame his troubles on himself. so dont be hard on him. he acknowledged he wasn't paying attention to the details and rules, so it got him.
what he did not understand was the total package. sure he couldn't justify going to a few tournaments as those were not financially right for him.
and normally shouldn't
but now by missing out on the mosconi, he misses out on that money and future benefits that would come from playing in it , and certainly if we happened to win.
what he did not understand was the total package. sure he couldn't justify going to a few tournaments as those were not financially right for him.
and normally shouldn't
but now by missing out on the mosconi, he misses out on that money and future benefits that would come from playing in it , and certainly if we happened to win.
So one got to ask if traveling to Arizona is more expensive than the 20K guaranteed at the Mosconi? even if he would have not finished in the money. With Lucas out of the picture, he was probably a sure thing to qualify just by showing up. Does a trip like that cost more than $2000?
Strongly disagree here. Sponsors give a name player a fixed sum and usually a certain amount of product which they can sell. They do not give them tournament participation costs.
Other than the matter of future contract negotiations with their sponsor, a player's participation decision, tournament by tournament, is an independent financial decision. That said, if a clause in his Meucci contract requires a pre-specified level of WNT participation, which is unlikely, then there is a possible breach of contract.
So no, it is not a sponsor's obligation to either pay a player's tournament participation costs or to monitor things like eligibility for invitational events. It is their option to do so if they are so inclined, but Meucii doesn't look bad here on any level.
Not a Billy Thorpe fan....but the silver lining for Billy is the realization he can't make a living long term playing pool.
Props to him with his new excavation business. American professional pool is a fucking mess. Other than Shane and Fedor, and a few of the good entrepreneurs (example-Oscar ) There just isn't enough pie to cut up. The foreign talent dwarfs the Americans, other than the two above mentioned. So the bigger purses are pretty much unreachable. Its great seeing the young talent emerge in the states....but their parents should start steering these kids to the "Landon Shuffett route "
Props to him with his new excavation business. American professional pool is a fucking mess. Other than Shane and Fedor, and a few of the good entrepreneurs (example-Oscar ) There just isn't enough pie to cut up. The foreign talent dwarfs the Americans, other than the two above mentioned. So the bigger purses are pretty much unreachable. Its great seeing the young talent emerge in the states....but their parents should start steering these kids to the "Landon Shuffett route "
there are a small handful that make a decent living. really a poor one for being at the top of a sport.
and all the rest if lucky and good, make about what a cop in a city makes or a bus driver with overtime.
and those lower just support those on top and the venues. till they realize what their future is.
and all the rest if lucky and good, make about what a cop in a city makes or a bus driver with overtime.
and those lower just support those on top and the venues. till they realize what their future is.
My 2 cents!
At the end of a 'Year/Season' the Very Top Pool player's ernings are most likely higher than The Very Top 3C players!
But, Year to year the 3C players have a More stable arrangement!
AI Overview
Top three-cushion billiards players generally have more stable, organized corporate sponsorships and higher baseline earnings from federations and Asian markets than most pocket pool players. [1, 2]
Three-Cushion Sponsorships
Pool Player Sponsorships
At the end of a 'Year/Season' the Very Top Pool player's ernings are most likely higher than The Very Top 3C players!
But, Year to year the 3C players have a More stable arrangement!
AI Overview
Top three-cushion billiards players generally have more stable, organized corporate sponsorships and higher baseline earnings from federations and Asian markets than most pocket pool players. [1, 2]
Three-Cushion Sponsorships
- Stronger Corporate and Regional Backing: Three-cushion is massively popular in South Korea, Turkey, and parts of Western Europe. In South Korea especially, professional billiards is heavily supported by corporate conglomerates, dedicated TV/streaming networks (like SOOP/AfrecaTV), and prominent brands (such as Molinari, Longoni, and various Korean cue and table makers) that offer elite players predictable salaries and contracts. [1, 2, 3]
- Centralized Organization: The Union Mondiale de Billard (UMB) and professional circuits provide a more structured tier of international events, making it easier for top-ranked carom players to secure long-term brand alignment. [1]
Pool Player Sponsorships
- Fewer Guaranteed Salaries: Outside of a tiny handful of elite international stars (like Shane Van Boening or historical top earners), most professional pool players struggle to find full-time salaried sponsors. [1, 2]
- Equipment-Heavy Deals: The majority of pool sponsorships consist of free or discounted gear (cues, cases, and chalk) rather than substantial cash stipends or salary support, forcing players to rely heavily on tournament winnings, coaching, or action gambling.
From my optics you’re sponsoring a player that says they can’t afford to get to events. And you’d want them to be seen out there using your equipment. And Billy’s brand merits are very tied to Mosconi Cup. Heck even if he went to Yuma, could he also afford to go to the Philippines Open? As a two way street it he’s staying home, what value is he to them and them to him? Doesn’t increase my outlook on them as a brand.
Again, the best way for them to handle it is to specify participation requirements in his sponsorship contract, not to micromanage his event schedule.