Where is the venue for the WPBL matches?
Bonus Ball Teams and Rosters?
- Thread starter MSchaffer
- Start date
Year one...all matches will be played in Las Vegas in the newly constructed (and still being constructed) WPBL - Bonus Ball venue. Half the venue is an elaborate arena...the other half is a bar pool hall for patrons to play pool.
You can go to www.playbonusball.com to see a picture and some time today, I'll post you up some pictures. You can also find some videos of some exhibitions of what you can expect to see.
I thank you for your comments about my ability to post good answers. It truly is easy to answer questions that are reasonable. Larry and I are not going to be able to avoid stepping on some toes but we will try and do our best not to. Our goal is not to take over the world...LOL just want a piece of a market that I think our game addresses. When I first met Larry and his game, I was already looking for something more challenging, I tried Snooker and really liked that it was harder the eight ball. When I played Bonus Ball and all the different games in one, I liked it so much, I bought into the game! We have heard that slogan before! The game is great, I will never back down from that statement.
You can go to www.playbonusball.com to see a picture and some time today, I'll post you up some pictures. You can also find some videos of some exhibitions of what you can expect to see.
I thank you for your comments about my ability to post good answers. It truly is easy to answer questions that are reasonable. Larry and I are not going to be able to avoid stepping on some toes but we will try and do our best not to. Our goal is not to take over the world...LOL just want a piece of a market that I think our game addresses. When I first met Larry and his game, I was already looking for something more challenging, I tried Snooker and really liked that it was harder the eight ball. When I played Bonus Ball and all the different games in one, I liked it so much, I bought into the game! We have heard that slogan before! The game is great, I will never back down from that statement.
Last edited:
Go boston
The last time I was fired up about Boston was caused by Bobby Orr. How can I not be fired up with this great team?
BOSTON YOUNG GUNS: Mike Dechaine - Thorsten Hohmann - Jesse Engel
I'm rooting for these guys as the 1st year winners.
The last time I was fired up about Boston was caused by Bobby Orr. How can I not be fired up with this great team?
BOSTON YOUNG GUNS: Mike Dechaine - Thorsten Hohmann - Jesse Engel
I'm rooting for these guys as the 1st year winners.
Last edited:
The rosters were just finalized from Johnny Archer this morning, here they are:
Launch Date: November 29th. FREE Video on Demand for the opening weekend. Free previews are available right now at www.playbonusball.com
World Professional Billiard League rosters for the 2012-13 inaugural season.
SOUTH DIVISION
ATLANTA SCORPIONS Johnny Archer - Dennis Hatch - Shannon Daulton
MIAMI CRUISE Corey Deuel - Hunter Lombardo - Jose Parica
LAS VEGAS DICE Oscar Dominguez - Ernesto Dominguez - Louis Ulrich
LOS ANGELES WAVE John Schmidt - Charlie Williams - Mike Davis
PHOENIX FLAMES Scott Frost - Tommy Kennedy - Manny Chau
HOUSTON HUSTLERS Jeremy Jones - Chip Compton – Justin Hall
NORTH DIVISION
NEW YORK PRIDE Earl Strickland - Larry Nevel - Warren Kiamco
TORONTO BLUE SHARKS Jason Klatt - John Morra - Erik Hjorleifson
PHILADEPHIA ACES Darren Appleton - Stevie Moore - Brandon Shuff
BOSTON YOUNG GUNS Mike Dechaine - Thorsten Hohmann - Jesse Engel
CHICAGO ROCKETS Rodney Morris - Raj Hundal - Mika Immonen
PITTSBURGH PROWLERS Shawn Putnam - Adam Smith - Sylver Ochoa
Each team will play 22 regular season games from November 29th to May12th. Play-offs end June 9th.
PPV will be $9.95 for VIDEO ON DEMAND FOR THE WEEKS AFTER WEEK ONE.
Did Archer organize the teams rosters or is he the point person for the new league?
Did Archer organize the teams rosters or is he the point person for the new league?
Archer simply recognized that our game was really good. He was the first to join us to help develop the game because although it played well for amateur players, it had some short comings when professional players got to the table. He was asked to be the player director, so to speak, for developing the WPBL. He is the main contact for us.
He has devoted a lot of his time to seeing this happen. He is truly an ambassador of this sport! When we launched our first ever amateur league and pre-introduction tournament in Winnipeg, Johnny donated his time to fly out and make a special appearance at the tournament. I can never thank him enough for all of his support. It was an amazing tournament and league. I ran it for one season as a test but I have no time to do it again this season. Software is being developed at this very moment that will knock your socks off! I believe with the launch of the WPBL, getting leagues up and running will be very easy. Watch the game, learn the rules and go play. It's not hard to learn.
Johnny was the natural choice to be the captain of the Atlanta Scorpions and he set his roster but had no influence on any of the other rosters other than recommending who we might chose for the other eleven captains. Of course we leaned heavily on his advice.
Archer simply recognized that our game was really good. He was the first to join us to help develop the game because although it played well for amateur players, it had some short comings when professional players got to the table. He was asked to be the player director, so to speak, for developing the WPBL. He is the main contact for us.
He has devoted a lot of his time to seeing this happen. He is truly an ambassador of this sport! When we launched our first ever amateur league and pre-introduction tournament in Winnipeg, Johnny donated his time to fly out and make a special appearance at the tournament. I can never thank him enough for all of his support. It was an amazing tournament and league. I ran it for one season as a test but I have no time to do it again this season. Software is being developed at this very moment that will knock your socks off! I believe with the launch of the WPBL, getting leagues up and running will be very easy. Watch the game, learn the rules and go play. It's not hard to learn.
Johnny was the natural choice to be the captain of the Atlanta Scorpions and he set his roster but had no influence on any of the other rosters other than recommending who we might chose for the other eleven captains. Of course we leaned heavily on his advice.
Last edited:
Agreed. Why would I, a New Yorker, root for a New York team consisting of Earl Strickland, Larry Nevel and Warren Kiamco, even though I wish them all the best of luck in upcoming competition and hope that bonus balls is highly successful.
These are not the names that come to mind when I think of the New York pool scene of recent years. Contrastingly, a team of Mika Immonen, Tony Robles and Jennifer Barretta, or any other mainstays of the New York pro pool scene for many years, would certainly capture my attention and garner my support.
Yes, the players on the New York Knicks are not from New York, but at least they play half of their games in New York, making them local, well known, fixtures of the local basketball scene. The comparison to pro sports just doesn't work.
Like its promoters, I hope bonus ball will succeed wildly. Still, having teams put together as haphazardly as this hardly seems the path to garnering local/regional enthusiasm. Hope I'm wrong.
Last edited:
Most of the teams have at least one player (usually the captain) who has a significant connection to the home city. Even New York has Earl, who I'm not sure everyone realizes, but that's where he lives now.
If anything, Chicago is probably the least logical city given the players associated, but that team is pretty bad ass. lol
If anything, Chicago is probably the least logical city given the players associated, but that team is pretty bad ass. lol
Gotcha, so it's the long term goal to fill team rosters with players associated with those cities, but it's not an immediate goal. For now, it's just about getting the league off and running.
Filling each team with players from it's own city is nothing that is done in any other professional league. As the league gets stronger and we can expand venues to each city for local fans to support, then I would assume we will have different team owners who will draft and "bid" for the services of the best players they can get. This is the best we could do with what we have now. If I was a Chicago pool player, I'd be dam happy to cheer on that team! Hell ya! :smile:
Thanks for this. Please clarify what is meant by a team owner in this context. Also, are you saying that there will be a draft annually?
I imagine nothing is set in stone. Other professional sports leagues have money pool doesn't. I can't see new dedicated bonus ball venues being built in each city. Who would fund that ? What could happen is existing pool halls become the city venue. The venue would want a say in picking the team. They want strong players, but also players that are local to bring in business from supporters.
Just my opinions. Hope this becomes a big success.
Last edited:
Our league concept is totally new to billiards? No it is not! It is what has made amateur leagues successful. Teams and structured schedules. Play-offs and champions.
In a perfect world, we would have the same structure as professional leagues in North America. WPBL venues in each city, for each franchise. Twelve franchise owners and drafts and bidding wars.
However, like Nascar, which grew from down south on the eastern coast, we decided that Las Vegas was where we would launch the league. Simply because this is a place where pool fans can fly into for a holiday, come see the professional players and do other things as well. Small steps for a first year deal. Still a very expensive undertaking. Next season I would like to see a second venue for the Northern Division, expansion to sixteen teams and a real draft and a league below the WPBL to act as a farm system. If that is too aggressive then we believe that this first model can survive the way it is for a couple of years.
This can only work if fans of billiards are entertained, enjoy watching the PPV's and if we can muster up enough television revenues. Even filling up our venue will help this venture. If it does not pan out, then I guess someone else will need to step up and show the way. Bonus Ball will continue to gain new fans and life will go on. It is what it is!
In a perfect world, we would have the same structure as professional leagues in North America. WPBL venues in each city, for each franchise. Twelve franchise owners and drafts and bidding wars.
However, like Nascar, which grew from down south on the eastern coast, we decided that Las Vegas was where we would launch the league. Simply because this is a place where pool fans can fly into for a holiday, come see the professional players and do other things as well. Small steps for a first year deal. Still a very expensive undertaking. Next season I would like to see a second venue for the Northern Division, expansion to sixteen teams and a real draft and a league below the WPBL to act as a farm system. If that is too aggressive then we believe that this first model can survive the way it is for a couple of years.
This can only work if fans of billiards are entertained, enjoy watching the PPV's and if we can muster up enough television revenues. Even filling up our venue will help this venture. If it does not pan out, then I guess someone else will need to step up and show the way. Bonus Ball will continue to gain new fans and life will go on. It is what it is!
Talking crazy here, but maybe with lower divisions you could adopt a more European model with promotion for well-placing lower division teams & relegation for low-placing higher division teams.
I don't know if that is really that crazy. The way our model is right now, that could actually create a lot of interest. There is actually amateur players in Winnipeg that think they could go head to head with the Toronto franchise. Im sure there are hundreds of great players that could team up and play well in this league. One beautiful thing about Bonus Ball, the best players that can play many dimensions of billiards will rise to the top. A great break won't decide games and there are no flukes to win and only balls pocketed legally count as points. The best shooter of the day will win.
I have lost many eight ball games because of the break or because this ball got tied up or because I sat there and watched players simply run out. In Bonus Ball, I only lose to a player that out-shoots me. Plain and simple. In that Team Canada vs USA video, Canada won the first two matches because they deserved to. Team USA stormed back by simply shooting better than the Canadian team. That's what you see when you play a structured game.
Of course my next logical problem of having the tiered system is who writes the check for the lower division. That is another whole can of worms. In Nascar, they have so much going for them in their "farm" division. They get television, they have crowds and fans and they can pony up a prize fund. Why, they have a truly entertaining product. It's not for all of America but it is huge enough.
Let's say if we have a huge tournament of non-WPBL players. Let's take four of these winning teams and use them as expansion for 2013-2014 season. That seems logical and would certainly create some interest for sure. They could then be assigned to different expansion cities. Winnipeg is were Larry and I reside and for emotional purposes we thought of having them in the league but the reality is, Boston was by far more the logical choice. Boston is a much broader appeal to Americans and the population is massive compared to adding another Canadian franchise. Im sure a Boston team vs a New York team would create a lot more interest than Winnipeg vs New York. That is the reality of business.
Getting back to the idea of dropping the bottom four teams...and letting four new ones up, I see some good to that. Motivation makes players play hard and fight harder. That is better for fans! However, how do you tell Las Vegas fans, hey this year, your venue won't have your team in the big show anymore? That may work in Europe but I'm wondering, would that go over here in America.
Thanks for the suggestion. It is something more to ponder! I appreciate that!
I have lost many eight ball games because of the break or because this ball got tied up or because I sat there and watched players simply run out. In Bonus Ball, I only lose to a player that out-shoots me. Plain and simple. In that Team Canada vs USA video, Canada won the first two matches because they deserved to. Team USA stormed back by simply shooting better than the Canadian team. That's what you see when you play a structured game.
Of course my next logical problem of having the tiered system is who writes the check for the lower division. That is another whole can of worms. In Nascar, they have so much going for them in their "farm" division. They get television, they have crowds and fans and they can pony up a prize fund. Why, they have a truly entertaining product. It's not for all of America but it is huge enough.
Let's say if we have a huge tournament of non-WPBL players. Let's take four of these winning teams and use them as expansion for 2013-2014 season. That seems logical and would certainly create some interest for sure. They could then be assigned to different expansion cities. Winnipeg is were Larry and I reside and for emotional purposes we thought of having them in the league but the reality is, Boston was by far more the logical choice. Boston is a much broader appeal to Americans and the population is massive compared to adding another Canadian franchise. Im sure a Boston team vs a New York team would create a lot more interest than Winnipeg vs New York. That is the reality of business.
Getting back to the idea of dropping the bottom four teams...and letting four new ones up, I see some good to that. Motivation makes players play hard and fight harder. That is better for fans! However, how do you tell Las Vegas fans, hey this year, your venue won't have your team in the big show anymore? That may work in Europe but I'm wondering, would that go over here in America.
Thanks for the suggestion. It is something more to ponder! I appreciate that!