This might be crazy but maybe it is actually Darren, haha.
Lenny, the only thing I was pointing out was that his first two posts were written perfect, with proper punctuation, capitalizations, paragraphing, spelling, and grammar.
The posts Darren wrote thereafter had an opposite style of writing; for example, all lowercase letters, no capitalization.
I read transcripts every single day produced by others, 24/7/365. I immediately recognize traits in one's style of writing. It is frowned upon for someone to accept a job and then farm it out to somebody else. That is why I am always on high alert for writing styles. It is, I guess, an occupational hazard of mine. My daughter won't even write me notes anymore because I return them to her edited.
I received a PM from a member who told me that iPhones fix one's punctuation when using them. I did not know that, so maybe Darren used an iPhone for the first two posts and used a different device for the rest of his posts.
This, by the way, is not a criticism. I'm just pointing it out. The first few posts by Darren seem to have been written by somebody else than Darren if his later posts were written by him.
And, Lenny, I admire you, always have. I like your style much better than the other BB staff. I believe you when you state your opinions. I know you stand by them, and you're your own man. The comparision of Ford and Domino pizza companies to this fractured pool industry is off the mark, and I think you must know this, deep down inside.
Jay is right on with what he writes. In reality, the players, the promoters, pool purists, and even those blue-blooded BCA industry members is what we have in this pool world. It is a close-knit family. In the history of pool in my lifetime, promoters work together to schedule around each other, with the exception of Charlie Williams. But we all know that Charlie Williams is the exception rather than the norm when it comes to working together with others.
Now, as far as the players go, I get it. They're all nestled in Vegas and don't want to leave. Of course, losing points on the BB league also is an incentive to stay. Promoters come and go in the pool world, as to players, but Greg is a long-standing valued promoter. My friend Brandon Shuff, along with Darren and others, I guess, asked to have their money back or canceled their appearance to come to Southern Classic after agreeing to come. The players have a right to do what they want, but the consequences will be that the promoters who supported them in the past, those promoters will not feel loyalty to those players anymore. If an independent contractor canceled a job on me in my business at the last minute after accepting it, I would never use them again. As all of you so rightly point out, there's other fish in the sea.
Professional pool is circling the drain. When Bonus Ball folds after their imaginary prospective investors fail to fund the operation, much like Trudeau and Ho with the IPT, the players will be left out to dry, with possibley bounced checks or no checks or maybe a payment plan over the course of a year or two. I know the feeling well.
Regional tours have prohbited pro players from competing in their events or have placed higher entry fees and brutal handicaps. Maybe Southern Classic, Deby City, Mark Griffin's enterprise will do the same. When BB folds, these pro players won't have too many competitions in America to go to, unless it's overseas. And who can afford that? Only players with fat stakehorses, sponsors, and I can count on one hand who that is.
There is an integrity in the pool industry among those who work together. They just may be competitors in many respects, but they all know that if they don't work together, the pool world will be much worse off, kind of like what BB is doing right now. I feel it's tragic.
Best of luck to you, Lenny. I hope you don't quit your day job for BB. With a family to take care of, it sure is a risky venture to put all yoru eggs in one BB basket, but that's your business and not mine. Wishing you all the very best, as always!
