OK. Either way --- any ideas?
Unfortunately practically anyone can start a tourney and call it just about anything they want. Its the beauty and curse of the free enterprise system. And also unfortunately, scruples, tact, integrity and ethics are not legislated by law.
What can be done? The WPA could and should have Charlie Williams and his event investigated for fraud and/or raqueteering. They could also apply pressure to the sponsors, patrons, players and venue by informing them of everything that is wrong with the legitimacy of the event and the resulting lack of meaning behind the title.
The players and fans are somewhat loyal to a fault, and it's hard to blame them for not rocking the boat with so few events to chose from, however, I'm sure they would/could all change their minds if someone else simply produced a better event. But as it stands right now, they won't look a gifthorse in the mouth, and with good reason. They are the last of the Mohicans, the keepers of the holy grail, so who really wants to take away the one thing they have left.
I really don't want to. I have lots of friends in the pool world, many of which, including myself, who are fans of the game, so it pains me to even say these things knowing that they will look at me as a traitor or backstabbing muckraker. But as much as I love them and this game, I can't just look away once again and shrug, because it makes me sick.
Maybe my expectations are too high. Maybe I'm just a goody-two-shoes who doesn't want to face the reality of modern society. Maybe I just have it all wrong and Charlie is a saint who is simply misunderstood. I'm certainly not the President, the Pope, or God, so I have no right to judge or convict anyone, but I am a lover of the game and the spirit of competition with integrity = meaning: may the best man win, but, when there's a lingering dark cloud of doubt cast over the event such as it is now, nobody should be proud of complacency. It goes against everything I, and you, stand for.
Stop the train, I want off.