There's 2 ways I look at the APA as a whole...
1) Business point of view- Pat the APA on the back for the huge success they have had getting to where they are now. The marketing, sponsorships, player reps, national events, etc... well done!
2) Players point of view- What a crock of ****! I've never seen a more greedy organization in my entire pool career!
a. As someone else mentioned earlier, a large majority of the money collected is not given back to the players.
b. The handicap system is not fair at all. Come on, Justin Bergman plays as a 7 in 8 ball, he's still considered an Amateur (just an example with Justin)?? You're always going to have slight variations in hcps when on a national level, it's going to happen, but when does a player become too good for the APA??
c. Sandbagging in highly encouraged, why, because everyone wants to go to Vegas; why, because that's the only place to win money in the league. You play all season sandbagging so that your team has a better chance at the LTC, then you get to Vegas and they change your hcp(s) and you are now over the 23 and have to forfeit... WASTED trip and you don't win any money!
d. A sl3 should never run a rack, I don't care where you're from!! All players have a "good night", but a sl4 or 5 should never have such a good night that they beat a sl7 when the sl7 doesn't win a game! (just examples of sandbagging)
e. Players will never get any better with the rules and format put in place and have no desire to really improve their game. Slop balls in, "good shooting"; play the same player all match, no variation; "poke n hope" is a regular technique/plan of attack.
** Why would we play in any other league when we can just whack the cue ball around the table and pocket a ball, keep shooting the same player all night... lose my match and get my hcp dropped, win the LTC because our sl3 beat a sl6 in 4-5 innings, I won the Top Gun award.... WOO HOO!!! OUR TEAM'S THE BEST AND WE'RE GOING TO VEGAS!!!
Changes for the APA...
1) Players have to be moved up and ineligible to participate in the APA once they have reached certain milestones (winning at Nationals for the past xx # of years- Jeff Sargeant, spelling incorrect and just one player example).
2) The "Amateur" level is not truely an amateur level IMO and many others.
3) There needs to be more money at the local level events, not just trips to Vegas!
4) Teams should have to finish well in regular season for a chance to go to Vegas, not sandbag only to win the LTC!
5- 100) to many to list...
These are just a few reasons why Danny Deiters (forum member) and I started our own league, Zim's Rack 8 Ball League! We utilize a hcp system, ball scoring system, maintain all stats on our league website! Players don't have to drop off or pick up paperwork or packets ever! They just have to print out updated stats/standings each week and insert them into their team binder. We don't have playoffs- thus reducing the need to sandbag; FIGHT TO THE FINISH! We award MVP's, Top Female, and the top teams each session at a league banquet. We are in the process of expanding our league around Illinois and are projected to have a $10,000 Annual League Championship with $5,000 for first (based on 100 teams and 2- 15 week sessions and 32 teams qualifying for the ALC)
Again, these are shared point of views by many (I'm sure) and are coming from a players perspective. As I mentioned before, Pat the APA on the back from a business point of view, but **** them from a players point of view.
For those that support the APA and other leagues like them... my hats off to you for continued support!
We all should support our sport, but there's more ways than 1 to skin a cat!
Zim
(just my .02)
1) Business point of view- Pat the APA on the back for the huge success they have had getting to where they are now. The marketing, sponsorships, player reps, national events, etc... well done!
2) Players point of view- What a crock of ****! I've never seen a more greedy organization in my entire pool career!
a. As someone else mentioned earlier, a large majority of the money collected is not given back to the players.
b. The handicap system is not fair at all. Come on, Justin Bergman plays as a 7 in 8 ball, he's still considered an Amateur (just an example with Justin)?? You're always going to have slight variations in hcps when on a national level, it's going to happen, but when does a player become too good for the APA??
c. Sandbagging in highly encouraged, why, because everyone wants to go to Vegas; why, because that's the only place to win money in the league. You play all season sandbagging so that your team has a better chance at the LTC, then you get to Vegas and they change your hcp(s) and you are now over the 23 and have to forfeit... WASTED trip and you don't win any money!
d. A sl3 should never run a rack, I don't care where you're from!! All players have a "good night", but a sl4 or 5 should never have such a good night that they beat a sl7 when the sl7 doesn't win a game! (just examples of sandbagging)
e. Players will never get any better with the rules and format put in place and have no desire to really improve their game. Slop balls in, "good shooting"; play the same player all match, no variation; "poke n hope" is a regular technique/plan of attack.
** Why would we play in any other league when we can just whack the cue ball around the table and pocket a ball, keep shooting the same player all night... lose my match and get my hcp dropped, win the LTC because our sl3 beat a sl6 in 4-5 innings, I won the Top Gun award.... WOO HOO!!! OUR TEAM'S THE BEST AND WE'RE GOING TO VEGAS!!!
Changes for the APA...
1) Players have to be moved up and ineligible to participate in the APA once they have reached certain milestones (winning at Nationals for the past xx # of years- Jeff Sargeant, spelling incorrect and just one player example).
2) The "Amateur" level is not truely an amateur level IMO and many others.
3) There needs to be more money at the local level events, not just trips to Vegas!
4) Teams should have to finish well in regular season for a chance to go to Vegas, not sandbag only to win the LTC!
5- 100) to many to list...
These are just a few reasons why Danny Deiters (forum member) and I started our own league, Zim's Rack 8 Ball League! We utilize a hcp system, ball scoring system, maintain all stats on our league website! Players don't have to drop off or pick up paperwork or packets ever! They just have to print out updated stats/standings each week and insert them into their team binder. We don't have playoffs- thus reducing the need to sandbag; FIGHT TO THE FINISH! We award MVP's, Top Female, and the top teams each session at a league banquet. We are in the process of expanding our league around Illinois and are projected to have a $10,000 Annual League Championship with $5,000 for first (based on 100 teams and 2- 15 week sessions and 32 teams qualifying for the ALC)
Again, these are shared point of views by many (I'm sure) and are coming from a players perspective. As I mentioned before, Pat the APA on the back from a business point of view, but **** them from a players point of view.
For those that support the APA and other leagues like them... my hats off to you for continued support!
We all should support our sport, but there's more ways than 1 to skin a cat!
Zim
(just my .02)
