During the ninety days of summer it's on the back burner that's for sure. Loving Spoonlful....enjoy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5bUmx-hk-c
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BCA Membership
- Thread starter Mark Griffin
- Start date
During the ninety days of summer it's on the back burner that's for sure. Loving Spoonlful....enjoy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5bUmx-hk-c
The thing is, Major pool tournaments have become impossible for anyone other than elite to win by making the game harder. The pros were tired of getting beat by weaker players so they wanted 10 ball... And calling shots... And longer races. Well, what they're doing is digging their own grave.
It's just not the perfect world. "Pro pool" just isn't working in America no matter how much the try to force it. Make the tournaments so more than 10 can win them and you'll be on the fast track to a winner.
I agree. A top notch rating system similar to Elo/Glicko used in chess combined with a very effective anti-sandbagging system where such a system qualified players into well funded tournaments might work. However, I don't think added money or sponsors will come until after such a system is already working. Maybe the elusive sponsor money is not needed.
Don
And for reasons unknown, the pool players used bulldozers and backhoes instead of little shovels
they got a lot of work trying to refill the hole they made!
I really am not privy to any of the workings of the BCA but a reasonable person can conclude that there are obsticles that have not been brought up in this thread. Good luck getting to the bottom of that.
My guess is that 1 MG will not be enough. I think it might require a plethora of board members from the pool playing side of the industry in order to muster some political clout.
My guess is that 1 MG will not be enough. I think it might require a plethora of board members from the pool playing side of the industry in order to muster some political clout.
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Thanks Mark,
I hope they will take into consideration what you've done and at least offer you a position on the board as they should have done before.
No one asked them to sell the Pool Leagues but if Pool Leagues are a large part of the heart of the industry why would they want only one side of it represented?
I think the conflict of interest isn't nullified by picking the League System they favor the most.
I hope your health improves and your are able to see your visions become a reality in the pool world, what ever that vision is?
The BCA/WPA need to alot of work. My suggestions for improvement are to fix the problems i see.
1. Lack of control is a big problem, They both need to get both players globally and promoters globally under contract. Currently, no contracts and no enforcement. Promotors Barry Behrman & Charlie Williams can have their issues and WPA/BCA are helpless and that needs to change! With players and promoters under contract then the organizations are given some teeth to "Discipline." A lack of punishment for poor behaving promoters and players "MUST" change.
2. Funding is the second big issue. BCA sold its funding mechanism and messed up the proceeds from the sale. IMO. They are not self sufficient fiscally. Giving them more tasks and no funding will not work! IMO. You do not want to reinvent the wheel and work with existing entities, but how can you, if they are not financially able??? I suggest scraping the BCA all together based on funding and leadership issues. The board of directors model has failed and needs to be scrapped.
3. Monetize the sport. Minimum sponsoring levels and standards. Help the players secure sponsors and help sponsors get security via the discipline mechanisms for failure to adhere to sponsorship contractual terms.
These 3 things are what I envision correcting the mistakes of the past and placing the sport on the proper path to future success. I also believe the industry can not be governed by someone outside the industry. The need for players in leadership is too great. I would like to see Jeanette Lee as the WPA/BCA president. She has such a high profile image and can open many doors that would otherwise be closed. IMO.
KD
Well....'initially' I was pleased that CSI is supporting BCA and WPA....
....also AZB.
Hopefully, the WPBA and even the WPBSA will cooperate.
...but then I thought...I gotta get an Acronym Dictionary.....
I always enjoy the humor (and humour) of St. Paul.
I don't claim to know very much about the inner workings of the BCA, Dragon Productions, WPA and etc. But I do know that we are losing out on good tournaments all the time. The U.S Open may be gone and that will be tragic. Mark Griffin has pulled back on his CSI events in part for lack of participation and his health. The APA doesn't sponsor pro events and lastly DCC has lost attendance as well. So where does that leave us? What seems to be evolving is that the lower level players (no disrespect) will continue to participate in BCA and/or APA and advanced players will be playing smaller regional events and higher entry fee tournaments like the recent one pocket event and that pool is becoming more of an international sport. I also think trying to salvage the "pro game" in the U.S may be a losing effort. The junior program via the BCA is our only hope to keep the game afloat. I have two kids playing in my room that are going to be very competitive players. Hopefully they will stay interested. Its contingent on the room owners to help promote the game at the local level to keep the game alive. Then let the Mark Griffins of the world take over and maintain our game on the national level. One thing I would add is that the APA and BCA need to let the kids play in their leagues and to allow them to enter the team events in Vegas. Watching kids play well is inspiring.
Spot On
Baby Huey,
I agree with you totally. It seems as if there is a changing of the guard in pool room / Sports bar ownership that may have to take place. A lot of room owner focus entirely on the bar business and less on the pool, when as I see things Pool is great bait for developing a bar business.
I am working on something I hope will or could help in that effort but its going to take owners who can think a little out of the box but it will provide a way that is pretty cheap for a room owner to advertise his business to the demographic that he wants to attract. The cost for the program? Less than what one dedicated practicing pool player will bring you in a year. The payout is the possibility of a room to locate and attract a new player base that wants to practice. The job of the room owner then will be to offer the new players a value for the entertainment dollar and keep them interested. Give me a yell sometime I will tell you about it.
In an earlier post Mark Griffin did say that if an effort is dependent on players and room owners that it probably isn't going to do well and I agree with that statement but I am betting that somewhere out there , there is a room owner who would like some more business if it were easy to attract it.
Baby Huey,
I agree with you totally. It seems as if there is a changing of the guard in pool room / Sports bar ownership that may have to take place. A lot of room owner focus entirely on the bar business and less on the pool, when as I see things Pool is great bait for developing a bar business.
I am working on something I hope will or could help in that effort but its going to take owners who can think a little out of the box but it will provide a way that is pretty cheap for a room owner to advertise his business to the demographic that he wants to attract. The cost for the program? Less than what one dedicated practicing pool player will bring you in a year. The payout is the possibility of a room to locate and attract a new player base that wants to practice. The job of the room owner then will be to offer the new players a value for the entertainment dollar and keep them interested. Give me a yell sometime I will tell you about it.
In an earlier post Mark Griffin did say that if an effort is dependent on players and room owners that it probably isn't going to do well and I agree with that statement but I am betting that somewhere out there , there is a room owner who would like some more business if it were easy to attract it.
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Marc, I almost did not read further when I read “invitational events are ultra right fascism” thankfully I did as you make some good points, ask some good questions and show a perspective from a pro players point of view.
I would respectfully ask a couple of questions that I would like to hear from a pro players perspective.
What can the professional players do to help to build a larger fan base? The current base seems to be heavily skewed toward the rail birds looking to ‘sweat’ the action and/or a small but vociferous hard core base. More fans are needed to reach sponsors that are not directly related to pool.
How do you ensure the integrity of each match? Past history has shown that player involvement in fixing the outcome of matches has all but eliminated any participation in pool events by sports books. Major sponsors will not line up with any sport that may negatively affect their brand.
How can the game be sped up? What format would appeal to the widest audience? How do you eliminate the boredom of the pattern rack break and run?
The IPT model was, in reality, a house of cards that could be likened to a pyramid scheme with no real underpinning. That said, there is a lot of merit to a strong qualifier system along the lines of what you described. It would, however, take a lot of seed money to get off the ground and involve a lot of buy in at all levels to have a chance for success. Any business model that would be put together to attract the seed money would have to include answers to the above questions among others.
I would like to hear your answers to the questions above should you wish to respond and I thank you in advance for your input.
Oh, and that ultra right fascism thing......your wrong.
Regards,
Jerry