First thing I want to say great job John I think you ran the 626. That said I have seen a lot of high runs myself as I was part of the DCC 14.1 event for a number of years. I saw nothing but improvement from year to year (Big Foot year being the exception) due to the focus on the event and it was looked forward to as a destination event. Players wanted to run balls under the gun and get into the tourney. The event had money available to pay for their excellence and it made the game more relevant and yes the runs were qualifiers but they were performed in front of people/players and there was pressure. It was good for the game and more 14.1 was played from coast to coast and around the world because of the format and the visibility of the game on Youtube, lot of high runs free and easily viewable by any who wanted to see. excellence performed on great equipment at a great event. The people running the DCC 14.1 had some good sponsors (Greg/Diamond/Simonis/Araimith./Bob Jewett many others and many hard working volunteers along led by Bill and Dennis) so there was ready money available if you had the game and could put up high runs you could get paid and the runs got higher and higher. We initially thought there would never be a 200 on a tight Diamond and there were and then they came in multiples per year. Great runs great players great event and great game. The money got the players playing hard and our sponsor got a lot of bang for their bucks.
That said there was no money put up really to sponsor Johns effort. He did it in the hopes of running balls so as to break the 526 run of Mosconi. I have not seen the video, I think he ran the balls but I do not think he had a plan to monetize the accomplishment. Now whether it was a video'd practice run or an exhibition or in competition that is all semantics, John made a concerted effort to run 526+ and capture it on video whatever it was he did it, he got some support from a couple of rooms and when it was happening there was a lot more straight pool talked in their rooms and on FB/AZ and I think it was good for the game and I think John hopes it pays off for John. He definitely does not have the sort of deal that Mosconi had, those days are gone.
It is pretty obvious that the details are lost of exactly what happened to end Mosconi's run (He himself stated he missed at one point and later he said he got tired and stopped.) The affidavit was an afterthought without the details on the ending of the run. Great job Willie 526 run was recognized by the BCA and was the high run for a long time, a very long time.
When the video is shown publicly I hope it is accepted, I am sure it will be inspected as closely as the Zapruder video maybe closer. I do not think John will play the cheat game. If there were edgy slates then more scratches would also occur so that would not be a winning strategy. I think John ran his run and he ran it on a 9' table and told people what he was trying to do, it was what it was a public, long term, concerted effort to run a big number. Good job John, 626 is a big number.
I look forward to seeing the 626 video when it is available. Danny put up your own big number run, capture it on video and release it immediately have a marketing plan get it out on ESPN. Make 14.1 Great Again.