Build It and They Will Come.

KY BOY,

Sorry if it came across like that. It wasn't meant to correct JAM, it was meant more to clarify the role of hard work in Ray Kroc's fortunes. A lot of people hold him up on a pedestal when there are those who have worked much harder than Ray ever did.

Charlie Loudermilk, the CEO of Aaron's Rents Inc., for example. The guy started out like 50 years ago by buying a bunch of folding chairs and renting them for weddings and stuff. The man did all his own work. It took him a long time to get where he has gotten, and he did it all on his own business sense.

Don't get me wrong, here.. There is definitely a place for people to help franchisers get off the ground.. I just think that Ray Kroc hit on a once in ten lifetimes opportunity.

Everyone holds him in such high regard, just because he's rich. It's sorta like holding Paris Hilton in high regard, becauses she's rich. Well, I take that back. Paris did quite a lot of work for her popularity.

Unfortunately, most of it was on her back..

Russ
 
Russ Chewning said:
Actually, Ray Kroc was involved in setting up franchises for businesses, but was always looking for a "get rich quick" scheme himself. The McDonald brothers are the ones who worked to make the first McDonald's successful.

And just to clarify, nobody ever told the McDonald's brothers they "were nuts" for their idea. Fast food used to be a MUCH better investment for the individual investor than it is now. Why? Because there wasn't one on every corner, so if you started a fast food stand it was grade-A guaranteed money.

Ray Kroc was trying to sell the McDonald's brothers milkshake machines for their business. He saw customers lined up for hundreds of yards at the business. He sold the brothers on the idea of franchising.

The McDonald's brothers were hucksters, and the only goal they had for their business was to make a million dollars. Ray Kroc got them started on the franchise path, then got a loan to buy them out for a cool million. He did this after he saw that it was a guaranteed moneymaker.

All I am saying is don't make Ray Kroc out to be some hard working visionary. He was just a guy who was in the right place at the right time, and took advantage of two back-woods brothers who didn't know they were sitting on a gold mine.
That being said, I think the future of American pool for the foreseeable future has to rely on roomowners and benefactors who can afford to sweeten the pot with no need for a return on the money. Heck, if I won a big lottery, I'd probably support 5 or 6 pro tourneys a year.

Pool is what it is right now, I guess. It would be great if the top 50 American players could all make enough on the game to have a nice income, but it's just not that way.

That being said, Keith should remember that he can easily make 70K-80K a year booking exhibitions and giving lessons, without a doubt. Keith could easily book 300-400 dollars worth of lessons, and a $300-$500 exhibition every single place he travelled to. So Keith is one of the few people that has nooooooo business whatsoever bemoaning the fate of professional pool. He is one of the few people that can make a GOOD living at the game. Something(one?) seems to be holding him back from that, though.

Russ
Click to expand...
Do you just lay around and look for spots to piss people off ? Honestly, you constantly stick your nose in and make some assinine snide comment, then when you are called on it, all of a sudden it is "why does everyone always pick on me?" You really enjoy this don't you? Do you exhibit this same style of interaction in real life?

JAM made an analogy. One that most of us understood. Thanks for correcting her and enlightening the masses. While I do not always agree with everything JAM says, one thing I am sure of is her sincerety and her deep seated love of the game. She is one of the most respected posters here for a reason. Why don't you keep your history lessons to your self.


So, we might as well get on with it. Lets, hear how much of a mean, bad, know nothing about pool, person I am for picking on little ol' just trying to help everyone Russ.

Your cute little last line there lost you what tiny bit of respect I had left for you.
 
great......

JCIN said:
Do you just lay around and look for spots to piss people off ? Honestly, you constantly stick your nose in and make some assinine snide comment, then when you are called on it, all of a sudden it is "why does everyone always pick on me?" You really enjoy this don't you? Do you exhibit this same style of interaction in real life?

JAM made an analogy. One that most of us understood. Thanks for correcting her and enlightening the masses. While I do not always agree with everything JAM says, one thing I am sure of is her sincerety and her deep seated love of the game. She is one of the most respected posters here for a reason. Why don't you keep your history lessons to your self.


So, we might as well get on with it. Lets, hear how much of a mean, bad, know nothing about pool, person I am for picking on little ol' just trying to help everyone Russ.

Your cute little last line there lost you what tiny bit of respect I had left for you.
Click to expand...
now you did it! i cant control him anymore! your on your own russ, i will say
a prayer for you! once the animal is off his leash he is hard to control!!!!
 
Russ,

You've been so helpful and informative Russ, I think you deserve a nice little stroll outside the 'green zone'....reward yourself.....:)
 
cheesemouse said:
Russ,

You've been so helpful and informative Russ, I think you deserve a nice little stroll outside the 'green zone'....reward yourself.....:)
Click to expand...

Trust me, I really do wish I was in the Green Zone.

Russ
 
JCIN said:
Do you just lay around and look for spots to piss people off ?
Click to expand...

No.


Why don't you keep your history lessons to your self.
Click to expand...

No.


So, we might as well get on with it. Lets, hear how much of a mean, bad, know nothing about pool, person I am for picking on little ol' just trying to help everyone Russ.
Click to expand...

No. I like what you are doing with the action report website. So, you're not "bad" in my book. And one would obviously have to know something about pool to do action reporting about it. :D

Your cute little last line there lost you what tiny bit of respect I had left for you.
Click to expand...

See, now THERE's something we can talk about. My last line was nothing more than an offhanded reference to a small problem I see on the board.

Some people come on here and say "It's BS that pros cannot make a decent living at a game they've worked their whole lives to perfect." Also, they say that older pros should have an opportunity to be invited to such and such a tournament, etc..


That sort of talking does irk me a little bit. Many pro players that currently probably shoot a little better than Keith would LOVE to have his notoriety, and could darn well use that notoriety to turn a buck. Another forum poster offered to set up a series of exhibitions for Keith. No response.

Hey, all I'm saying is, if Keith doesn't want to do 6 months on the road a year to bank 70-80K, then, that's fine. Boy, I'm telling you I SURE would like to have 3-6 months off a year, travelling or not, but I digress.. But if he doesn't want the easy money being offered, it's either because he doesn't want to do it, or someone won't let him do it.

Either way, there's no room for anyone in that household to complain that "pool doesn't pay". That of course, is utter nonsense. Pool most certainly DOES pay. If Keith got out there and marketed himself, I'm pretty sure he could get himself a cue line, as he is one of the most popular poolplayers EVER.

If Strickland can go nuts at tournaments and still pull down $75.00/hour, then Keith can get paaaaaaaiiiiiiddd too!

(An aside to JAM: I'm sorry for the last line.. We've had this discussion before, and it seems like you have set aside some of the bitterness I had gotten from some of our previous threads.

I certainly hope that Keith finds a way to get involved with pool again. I honestly think he needs to look to other avenues than playing, but Keith has the gift of gab, so pulls people to him, and he should use that gift to his advantage..)

Russ
 
Russ Chewning said:
No.




No.




No. I like what you are doing with the action report website. So, you're not "bad" in my book. And one would obviously have to know something about pool to do action reporting about it. :D



See, now THERE's something we can talk about. My last line was nothing more than an offhanded reference to a small problem I see on the board.

Some people come on here and say "It's BS that pros cannot make a decent living at a game they've worked their whole lives to perfect." Also, they say that older pros should have an opportunity to be invited to such and such a tournament, etc..


That sort of talking does irk me a little bit. Many pro players that currently probably shoot a little better than Keith would LOVE to have his notoriety, and could darn well use that notoriety to turn a buck. Another forum poster offered to set up a series of exhibitions for Keith. No response.

Hey, all I'm saying is, if Keith doesn't want to do 6 months on the road a year to bank 70-80K, then, that's fine. Boy, I'm telling you I SURE would like to have 3-6 months off a year, travelling or not, but I digress.. Either way, there's no room for anyone in that household to complain that "pool doesn't pay". That of course, is utter nonsense. Pool most certainly DOES pay. If Keith got out there and marketed himself, I'm pretty sure he could get himself a cue line, as he is one of the most popular poolplayers EVER.

If Strickland can go nuts at tournaments and still pull down $75.00/hour, then Keith can get paaaaaaaiiiiiiddd too!


I certainly hope that Keith finds a way to get involved with pool again. I honestly think he needs to look to other avenues than playing, but Keith has the gift of gab, so pulls people to him, and he should use that gift to his advantage..)

Russ
Click to expand...

RUSS,
Are you on medication? Antidepressants, amphetamines, other?
Are you depressed?
Are you stressed out?

You seem like a pretty smart guy and can even take a joke. I'm not joking.
I like a lot of your posts and some of your style.

If you tell you me you are just so stressed out you don't know whether you are coming or going, I will understand but you have to tell me you are taking medication for a condition or you need medication for a condition.

JCIN calls you down for jumping on JAM "again" and you post "But if he doesn't want the easy money being offered, it's either because he doesn't want to do it, or someone won't let him do it."

And in the same darn post you say "(An aside to JAM: I'm sorry for the last line.. We've had this discussion before, and it seems like you have set aside some of the bitterness I had gotten from some of our previous threads."(referring to a previous post of similar rhetoric)

That is about as back-handed an apology as I have ever seen. YOu don't apologize for your past behavior and continue with the same rhetoric ALL IN THE SAME POST.

Come on man, give it up. What's up with this BS? "I'm calling shenanigans!" :confused: :confused: :confused:

JoeyA
 
JoeyA said:
RUSS,
Come on man, give it up. What's up with this BS? "I'm calling shenanigans!" :confused: :confused: :confused:

JoeyA
Click to expand...

It's so much funnier when you do it like this:

"I'm calling shenanigans on this."
......
......
......

"SHENANIGANS, I say!"

:D :D :D :D

Gosh, sometimes I crack me up....

Don't make me start with a Paint picture collage of this thread....

Russ
 
JAM said:
Believe me, Keith is chomping at the bit to get over there to Olathe, and we've been in contact with several folks about it. His Madden cue is a weapon of mass destruction, and on a bar table, NOBODY has to like it if Keith's hitting 'em! That's a fact! ;)

Things on the homefront at this time are not conducive to just taking off for Olathe, but we're still working on whether it is a doable option at this time. I will NEVER not attend a tournament that Keith is competing in ever again. Been there, done that, and I will never allow it to happen! :mad:

Olathe sure does sound SWEET, though!

JAM
Click to expand...

JAM, sure would be nice if this event would be professionally taped. Maybe we all could see the action on TV or DVD. Would be wonderful to capture the action for future generations...:) .j
 
Jack Flanagan said:
JAM, sure would be nice if this event would be professionally taped. Maybe we all could see the action on TV or DVD. Would be wonderful to capture the action for future generations...:) .j
Click to expand...
We are trying to work out a way to do a webcam from Olathe. Unfortunately, Nasty and I being neanderthals, we do not have the first clue about how to set this up. I am going to post a thread in the main forum to see if we can get some technical guidance.
 
ouch....

JCIN said:
We are trying to work out a way to do a webcam from Olathe. Unfortunately, Nasty and I being neanderthals, we do not have the first clue about how to set this up. I am going to post a thread in the main forum to see if we can get some technical guidance.
Click to expand...
if your a neanderthal im in real trouble...............................:eek:
 
JCIN,

I know yer probably p***ed at me right now, but oh well.. I'll still try to help.. I think most of us here on the forum would rather be able to watch good quality (but low resolution) prerecorded videos rather than live streaming, because live streaming takes so much bandwidth as to be unusable by all but the biggest websites.

Best solution would probably be to upload the videos from your hotel internet connection to YouTube, and link to the videos on your website. YouTube is already setup to quickly serve videos to multiple users, and as I say, no sense reinventing the wheel.

In fact, I wish Dr. Cue's in Seattle (Bothell) would change their setup to this. Only being able to see one jpeg every 5 seconds blows MAJOR chunks.

Perhaps Jorge from propoolvideo.com can help you out with the software that will allow you to host and stream the videos from your own servers? Then again, I don't know his setup, but I would assume he either has worked a deal for a certain amount of bandwidth per month, or he pays a LOT out of pocket for the extra bandwidth used.

So all in all, I'd say uploading the videos to a third party website capable of streaming on demand is the best option. I'm sure everyone on the forum would be just fine waiting a day or two to be able to see the full video. Streaming live full video would just be WAY too cost prohibitive.

Hope this helps.

Russ
 
Russ Chewning said:
JCIN,

I know yer probably p***ed at me right now, but oh well.. I'll still try to help.. I think most of us here on the forum would rather be able to watch good quality (but low resolution) prerecorded videos rather than live streaming, because live streaming takes so much bandwidth as to be unusable by all but the biggest websites.

Best solution would probably be to upload the videos from your hotel internet connection to YouTube, and link to the videos on your website. YouTube is already setup to quickly serve videos to multiple users, and as I say, no sense reinventing the wheel.

In fact, I wish Dr. Cue's in Seattle (Bothell) would change their setup to this. Only being able to see one jpeg every 5 seconds blows MAJOR chunks.

Perhaps Jorge from propoolvideo.com can help you out with the software that will allow you to host and stream the videos from your own servers? Then again, I don't know his setup, but I would assume he either has worked a deal for a certain amount of bandwidth per month, or he pays a LOT out of pocket for the extra bandwidth used.

So all in all, I'd say uploading the videos to a third party website capable of streaming on demand is the best option. I'm sure everyone on the forum would be just fine waiting a day or two to be able to see the full video. Streaming live full video would just be WAY too cost prohibitive.

Hope this helps.

Russ
Click to expand...
Russ,

I am not pissed at you. I just question some of the choices you make in regards to how you state your opinions. You obviously are an intelligent person who knows how to frame an opinion and explain your point of view. The manner in which you do this and the substance of some of the posts leave me scratching my head at times.

I agree with some of the things you posted in various threads, not many but some, enough to keep from just hitting the ignore button. I think the shot at JAM and Keith was uncalled for and and I called you on it. I do not think any member of this board or any other has the right to judge someone on how they do or do not make a living as long as they do it without taking advantage of others. Just my opinion.

I thank you for your suggestions and I agree that low quality video is just as bad or worse than no video. I believe Jorge uses flash to encode his video, I guess I could contact him to see if he would help. The bandwith issue is something I worry about, making the YouTube option seem the best way to go. If we do that I would like to tape and upload the ring game an hour at a time, I don't know if youTube allows videos that long.

Thank you again for your suggestions they make alot of sense.
 
Russ Chewning said:
JCIN,

I know yer probably p***ed at me right now, but oh well.. I'll still try to help.. I think most of us here on the forum would rather be able to watch good quality (but low resolution) prerecorded videos rather than live streaming, because live streaming takes so much bandwidth as to be unusable by all but the biggest websites.

Best solution would probably be to upload the videos from your hotel internet connection to YouTube, and link to the videos on your website. YouTube is already setup to quickly serve videos to multiple users, and as I say, no sense reinventing the wheel.

In fact, I wish Dr. Cue's in Seattle (Bothell) would change their setup to this. Only being able to see one jpeg every 5 seconds blows MAJOR chunks.

Perhaps Jorge from propoolvideo.com can help you out with the software that will allow you to host and stream the videos from your own servers? Then again, I don't know his setup, but I would assume he either has worked a deal for a certain amount of bandwidth per month, or he pays a LOT out of pocket for the extra bandwidth used.

So all in all, I'd say uploading the videos to a third party website capable of streaming on demand is the best option. I'm sure everyone on the forum would be just fine waiting a day or two to be able to see the full video. Streaming live full video would just be WAY too cost prohibitive.

Hope this helps.

Russ
Click to expand...


Russ,

THIS is usable info. I'm sure everyone appreciates your knowledge. Just try not to come down so hard on people. They do the things they do for THEIR personal reasons. Again, thanks for the good info. I think this could help JCIN and Nasty find a way for us to view a good feed.

Gary
 
It would be great to see something like this take off and grow into something big...something huge. $3000 is alot of money to pony up but if you can get a considerable group of people to participate you could have a massive prize fund in no time at all.

I'll be keeping a close eye on how this turns out, as will alot of other players. I'm hoping for success!
 
JAM said:
By the way, I guess I will give a shameful plug for my inaugural iPodcast experience. Keith's interview is up now on http://www.TheActionReport.com, and at the end of the interview, I got a chance to speak to Big Chad Pollman for a few minutes! Man, I never realized how much of a Southern accent I have! :p

I thought the interview was a success. The audio quality is EXCELLENT. It is entitled "Big Chad Pollman interviews pool legend Keith McCready. Listen to one of the Legends of the game in his own voice tell stories of his biggest scores and best moves in a 50 minute interview."

JAM
Click to expand...

Jennie
Had a chance to listen to both you and Keith. Enjoyed it - had a few laughs too - thank you for the heads up.
 
I should really work on just letting things go sometimes... I do admit I sometimes have an overpowering urge to make my opinion known. I think a lot of times other people hold extreme opinions as well, but just keep the opinions inside so as not to offend others. In the past, I have seen this as disingenuous, but I am starting to reconsider.

Sometimes my penchant for blunt honesty has its disadvantages, even in my work life.

Example: There was a technical problem in the audio-video setup we have, possibly related to grounding. This was causing humming in our setup. After doing research, I found that the most likely cause of this was power. I put in a work order for the Embassy power people to come check things out. This problem kept on through all steps we took to troubleshoot it.

By simple sheer dumb luck, we found that it was a short, one foot cable hooked up to an intercom system, that had a lifted ground. Since this could have happened on any one of hundreds of devices that connect electrically to our system, it was something you pretty much had to get lucky to find.

The next morning the electrical lady came back to finish grounding an UPS, as another step in nearly 3 days of troubleshooting. I told her that it was not necessary, that I had found the problem last night, and I thanked her for all her help. She still seemed unhappy, and I could not tell why.

Later, my boss, who is eminently more skilled as a "people person" than I am, after hearing what I told her, said "Awww man, why did you tell her that? Why didn't you say that whatever she did the last time she was in fixed everything, and then thank her after telling her that?"

I said, "But that's not the truth.." He said, "Yeah, but sometimes you just gotta go with the flow, man.."

I never in a million years would have thought of telling a little white lie in this situation. Not to say that it was a bad thing, but my psyche is just built to pretty much tell the truth.

This encounter with my boss and the electrician showed me that things aren't necessarily black and white. Sometimes being silent or even telling a little white lie is the right thing to do.

Maybe it was watching my mother manipulate other people that turned me off from telling even the littlest lie. I know I probably take it to extremes, so far as to give an opinion where noone really cares. I really would like to change that about myself.

There was a time when JAM and I would have just gotten into it nonstop and not given up until the thread just died.

So, I'll just leave the little spat that started in this thread at this:

I really would like to see Keither with the Ether be successful as something involving pool, whether it be a book about his road life, lessons, exhibitions, or a cue deal.

Russ
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top