CSI 16 player invitational

Its time to change things. Big kudos to Mark for doing this. You come and play and act like class and you'll get invited. If you don't you won't; find something else ! Its that simple. The snooker world has showed us that people will tune in by the droves when they have people that play by class. The bad boys in snooker get eaten up no matter how good they are. The pros are exactly that: pros. They should play like a pro; carry themselves like a pro and act like a pro....period.
 
This is how I feel about Earl. LIke Mark I am in AWE of his skill and accomplishments. I played against him in March in New York and honestly it felt like being in the presence of Michael Jordan. It was truly painful for me to listen to him rag on himself and the game when he missed a shot.

I am sad that this man has had a cruel life of highest highs and low lows in pool. It's a brutal occupation to try and make a decent living at and more so if you have personal demons to fight as well as your opponents.

I am positive that Mark, pool lover that he is, is very sad inside that Earl is too volatile to be invited. I know Mark well, well enough to know that this man LOVES pool with every fiber. Well enough to know that he respects high level skill immensely. I am SURE it hurts him deeply to see Earl in emotional pain and not stable enough to be counted on. I am sure Mark does not want Earl to be a spectacle for his antics but instead spectacular for his brilliance on the table.

I think we should let CSI do what they are going to do without criticism. Under Mark's ownership the BCA pool league has flourished and under the CSI banner dozens of pro tournaments were held on time with every penny paid on time. For that he should simply get a free pass from being knocked in my opinion.

I will take my check now Mark. :-) Kidding but that booth space I want would be nice.

But seriously, if you ever get a chance to sit down with Mark you will know what I know about him.
 
Earl clearly is the man and no one can take anything away from his superior accomplishments. There is not a soul who doesn't want Earl's resume.
Unfortunately, I can't learn anything watching Earl because I am unable to shift through his distracting behavior and truthfully, he is the only professional that I can't watch. The last straw for me was the 2013 Mosconi Cup. It's never fun to lose, but to carry on as he did during the event was just embarrassing. I was wondering the whole time what all those hall of fame'ers sitting in the audience were thinking. I have since steered clear. As it turns out, i am not the only one.
Having said all of that, I know that Earl will continue to contribute positively to the game as he has for so many decades. However, if the sport is to make it back on top, whatever that really means, then it will be largely due to the unwavering examples being set by organizations like CSI and not emotional melt downs by individuals on the largest stage. CSI continues to lay a solid foundation upon which the sport can flourish and be enjoyed.

Thanks again to the guys and gals at CSI.
 
JB Cases said:
This is how I feel about Earl. LIke Mark I am in AWE of his skill and accomplishments. I played against him in March in New York and honestly it felt like being in the presence of Michael Jordan. It was truly painful for me to listen to him rag on himself and the game when he missed a shot.

I am sad that this man has had a cruel life of highest highs and low lows in pool. It's a brutal occupation to try and make a decent living at and more so if you have personal demons to fight as well as your opponents.

I am positive that Mark, pool lover that he is, is very sad inside that Earl is too volatile to be invited. I know Mark well, well enough to know that this man LOVES pool with every fiber. Well enough to know that he respects high level skill immensely. I am SURE it hurts him deeply to see Earl in emotional pain and not stable enough to be counted on. I am sure Mark does not want Earl to be a spectacle for his antics but instead spectacular for his brilliance on the table.

I think we should let CSI do what they are going to do without criticism. Under Mark's ownership the BCA pool league has flourished and under the CSI banner dozens of pro tournaments were held on time with every penny paid on time. For that he should simply get a free pass from being knocked in my opinion.

I will take my check now Mark. :-) Kidding but that booth space I want would be nice.

But seriously, if you ever get a chance to sit down with Mark you will know what I know about him.
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Outstanding statement & I agree.:thumbup:
 
Houstoer said:
Its time to change things. Big kudos to Mark for doing this. You come and play and act like class and you'll get invited. If you don't you won't; find something else ! Its that simple. The snooker world has showed us that people will tune in by the droves when they have people that play by class. The bad boys in snooker get eaten up no matter how good they are. The pros are exactly that: pros. They should play like a pro; carry themselves like a pro and act like a pro....period.
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Well said.

I was a huge fan of Earl and I initially excused his behavior saying that his pedigree warranted a little slack. Then I went to see him live at the DCC and did a 180. In a match that he was losing to Bustamante it was clear he was simply trying to shark him. After losing the match he was abrupt and boorish with a female fan that respectfully asked for an autograph on her event poster. His poor sportsmanship by far outweighed his skill level and I realized that I had been wrong to turn a blind eye to his behavior.

Later that tournament I seen him play some lower level players that had no chance against him. He did not shark, seemed gracious and friendly to his opponent and left the crowd out of it. He put on an amazing exhibition. Unfortunately, that only added to my disappointment as it showed that he could behave well but chooses not to when in a tough match that he feels he must cheat (shark) to win.

I am still a fan and hope that he can get it together but it just may be that he is past his best before date.

Mark and CSI are to be applauded for their stance. Baby steps, for sure, but in the right direction.

The recent World Snooker Championships had close to 6 million viewers; a total of over 26 million for the event. That is why the purses allow the players to make the living they deserve. All players are nothing if not professional and show a respect for opponent, fans and the referee. Compare this to the antics of Earl and Rodney at our world class showcase, the Mosconi Cup and the direction that we need to go is clear.

The interaction that the invited pro’s have committed to with the fans that are planned for this event is a step that is overdue; once more, I applaud the efforts of Mark and CSI in taking a stance.
 
thewhiffer said:
Well said.

I was a huge fan of Earl and I initially excused his behavior saying that his pedigree warranted a little slack. Then I went to see him live at the DCC and did a 180. In a match that he was losing to Bustamante it was clear he was simply trying to shark him. After losing the match he was abrupt and boorish with a female fan that respectfully asked for an autograph on her event poster. His poor sportsmanship by far outweighed his skill level and I realized that I had been wrong to turn a blind eye to his behavior.

Later that tournament I seen him play some lower level players that had no chance against him. He did not shark, seemed gracious and friendly to his opponent and left the crowd out of it. He put on an amazing exhibition. Unfortunately, that only added to my disappointment as it showed that he could behave well but chooses not to when in a tough match that he feels he must cheat (shark) to win.

I am still a fan and hope that he can get it together but it just may be that he is past his best before date.

Mark and CSI are to be applauded for their stance. Baby steps, for sure, but in the right direction.

The recent World Snooker Championships had close to 6 million viewers; a total of over 26 million for the event. That is why the purses allow the players to make the living they deserve. All players are nothing if not professional and show a respect for opponent, fans and the referee. Compare this to the antics of Earl and Rodney at our world class showcase, the Mosconi Cup and the direction that we need to go is clear.

The interaction that the invited pro’s have committed to with the fans that are planned for this event is a step that is overdue; once more, I applaud the efforts of Mark and CSI in taking a stance.
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If pool ever gets anywhere close to a 1/4 of the viewers snooker gets it would be nothing short of a miracle ,, its a better product and its the game that sells and I can assure you very few of its viewers come from the US market where the first night of the NFL draft drew much more than the total of the snooker event

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Kudos to Mark Griffin!

One of the big issues with forums is the anonymity. It allows people to say anything they choose without ever having to take personal responsibility for their comments and opinions that they express in these forums... therefore... My name is Ken Clifford and I live on the coast in Washington state.

Since I live here and am so isolated from the general pool community almost all of my pool exposure I get is either through small local pool leagues and through the internet. I simply do not have access to large events to either participate in or to be a spectator of. I'm passionate about pool and if I ever can figure out how to make my living through pool I would jump at the chance... talk about living the dream. I am thankful for streaming and these forums. It allows me to be connected to the industry I love. It saddened me to learn of the end of TAR. I loved the product and truly appreciated all the hard work that Justin and Mark put in in creating and developing it. I, personally, thought it was the best product and format out there.

Mark, Ozzy and Justin. Keep up the FANTASTIC work you're doing! Please, please please do not EVER allow the internet trolls to dissuade you from doing what you believe is right for pool or for your business model. I'm sure you understand that the trolls might be very vocal, but they are a minority. You guys have earned my respect and I will most certainly always remain a fan of what you do. Please keep promoting, building and putting your passions into the industry and I will keep supplying all the support I can! Keep up the good work!

Ken Clifford
 
strumnken said:
One of the big issues with forums is the anonymity. It allows people to say anything they choose without ever having to take personal responsibility for their comments and opinions that they express in these forums... therefore... My name is Ken Clifford and I live on the coast in Washington state.

Since I live here and am so isolated from the general pool community almost all of my pool exposure I get is either through small local pool leagues and through the internet. I simply do not have access to large events to either participate in or to be a spectator of. I'm passionate about pool and if I ever can figure out how to make my living through pool I would jump at the chance... talk about living the dream. I am thankful for streaming and these forums. It allows me to be connected to the industry I love. It saddened me to learn of the end of TAR. I loved the product and truly appreciated all the hard work that Justin and Mark put in in creating and developing it. I, personally, thought it was the best product and format out there.

Mark, Ozzy and Justin. Keep up the FANTASTIC work you're doing! Please, please please do not EVER allow the internet trolls to dissuade you from doing what you believe is right for pool or for your business model. I'm sure you understand that the trolls might be very vocal, but they are a minority. You guys have earned my respect and I will most certainly always remain a fan of what you do. Please keep promoting, building and putting your passions into the industry and I will keep supplying all the support I can! Keep up the good work!

Ken Clifford
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Although everyone who follows the tournament trail knows who I am, I do not post with my name. I respect all those who choose not to share their name and believe their posts carry equal weight on this forum with the posts of people who choose to share their names.

The principles of posting are the same for every poster. Share your opinions, whether they are positive or negative, about the subjects found on the forum, but always post with respect for other posters. Those who are vocal in opposing the actions or proposed actions of the game's promoters and powerbrokers are rarely trolls, just people who care about pool and want to be heard.

Actually, a major reason that CSI is so in tune with what the AZB membership at large wants in a professional pool product is that it affords every poster to help shape the discussion agenda for its internet podcasts. CSI has demonstrated year after year that it is interested in hearing what everybody on this forum that posts respectfully --- and those who post using their own names don't outshine those who don't in this respect --- has to say.

Some of the very best posters on this forum post without indicating their own names and it has always been that way.

Ken, I appreciate the stance you are trying to take here, but you shouldn't be too concerned. CSI listens to everybody, but they make their own very well informed decisions. A few dissenters won't cause them to steer their ship in a different direction.
 
The difference Stu, is that you are not anonymous. Having a username that isn't your real name doesn't make you anonymous.

You are a person who will state your name if needed and stand behind your statements in person.

That is a lot different than using anonymity as a weapon. I certainly respect the right of people to publish their opinions anonymously, especially if they fear reprisal. But when they use it to denigrate and defame then they should be held accountable for that. That's the way it ought to be because otherwise it's an endless pit of conversation destroying trolling.

People will often then come with the excuse that words have no power. Nonsense, words have plenty of power, often more destructive. We like praise, it makes us feel good but we don't like criticism precisely because it cuts to the core. If it's warranted then it hurts and if it's not warranted and is simply malicious then it hurts more.

Imagine a world where walking down the street you could be punched for no reason by every fifth person you don't know and will never know. Like the knockout game. That's what a forum is where people are allowed to anonymously troll. And even where "known" people are allowed to troll. No one really has to pay for the constant verbal abuse they put out there.

I think we need a world online, like the real world where people know they are held accountable for their words and then perhaps they will chose those words more carefully.
 
JB Cases said:
That's what a forum is where people are allowed to anonymously troll. And even where "known" people are allowed to troll. No one really has to pay for the constant verbal abuse they put out there.
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The word troll is used far too often on here IMO. People use the word troll when what they really mean is "he disagreed strongly with me", which is all that actually occurred 95% of the time. "Trolls" has incorrectly become the popular word to use to refer to anyone that disagrees with you. In actuality what a troll really is is someone who says something with the sole purpose of eliciting an angry response from someone, and almost always by saying something that they know is ludicrous and untrue. Trolling isn't really all that common on here IMO, but as can be expected on a worldwide public forum, having people that disagree with you on some things certainly is--doesn't make them trolls though.

The word "you" in this post was intended to mean people in general and not just specifically directed at you.
 
I absolutely agree that there is nothing wrong with a dissenting informed opinion. But, as this thread is an example, many people choose to voice an opinion that isn't informed. Nowhere did Mark say that Earl S. was banned. Yet, that seems to be the common dissenting opinion that Earl shouldn't be banned and that CSI is doing so. Mark stated that they only had sixteen slots and decided on sixteen players who they felt were best for the tourney at this time. He also stated that Earl may be considered in the future. Yet the accusations kept coming.
 
JB Cases said:
The difference Stu, is that you are not anonymous. Having a username that isn't your real name doesn't make you anonymous.

You are a person who will state your name if needed and stand behind your statements in person.

That is a lot different than using anonymity as a weapon. I certainly respect the right of people to publish their opinions anonymously, especially if they fear reprisal. But when they use it to denigrate and defame then they should be held accountable for that. That's the way it ought to be because otherwise it's an endless pit of conversation destroying trolling.

People will often then come with the excuse that words have no power. Nonsense, words have plenty of power, often more destructive. We like praise, it makes us feel good but we don't like criticism precisely because it cuts to the core. If it's warranted then it hurts and if it's not warranted and is simply malicious then it hurts more.

Imagine a world where walking down the street you could be punched for no reason by every fifth person you don't know and will never know. Like the knockout game. That's what a forum is where people are allowed to anonymously troll. And even where "known" people are allowed to troll. No one really has to pay for the constant verbal abuse they put out there.

I think we need a world online, like the real world where people know they are held accountable for their words and then perhaps they will chose those words more carefully.
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I think online banter gets taken way to seriously ,,
I come from a very vocal Irish family where the dinner table was a playground for a many of heated debate , my stepfather would often just get up and leave shaking his head and say you all are nuts
We would hardly go outside and throw punches to settle our differences
Even as much as you and I disagree at the end of the day I don't take any of it to heart and would have no problem sucking down a cold one with you or anyone else I have disagreements with
Unfortunately I know everyone else is not like me and at times I do lose site of that , but I always felt saying what's on your mind is far better than this politically correct world we have turned into

1
 
one stroke said:
I think online banter gets taken way to seriously ,,
I come from a very vocal Irish family where the dinner table was a playground for a many of heated debate , my stepfather would often just get up and leave shaking his head and say you all are nuts
We would hardly go outside and throw punches to settle our differences
Even as much as you and I disagree at the end of the day I don't take any of it to heart and would have no problem sucking down a cold one with you or anyone else I have disagreements with
Unfortunately I know everyone else is not like me and at times I do lose site of that , but I always felt saying what's on your mind is far better than this politically correct world we have turned into

1
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Thing is that the written word lasts far longer than the spoken word. When you go out of your way to insult and denigrate and even to defame in writing in front of tens of thousands then that is far more damaging than what you do with your family and with your friends at the bar.

I can call my friend a child molester in front of our friends and we all know it's just ribbing. But if I do that on here it's a whole different thing.
 
Way to go Mark

I don't care if Earl plays great. He acts like an asshole. I absolutely loved it last year where I had VIP seats, just as I will this year, and watched Ko destroy him after Earl got off to a good start. Hearing him whine continuously while Ko stepped on his neck made the event for me. Actually, I really do wish that somebody would make Earl take his meds. I don't believe that pool's slide into oblivion and the antics of one of its greatest champions are unrelated events. If Earl acted like Efron the game would be in much better shape.
 
JB Cases said:
Thing is that the written word lasts far longer than the spoken word. When you go out of your way to insult and denigrate and even to defame in writing in front of tens of thousands then that is far more damaging than what you do with your family and with your friends at the bar.

I can call my friend a child molester in front of our friends and we all know it's just ribbing. But if I do that on here it's a whole different thing.
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I can see that ,, although I still thinks its foolish for anyone to put much stock in it


1
 
JB Cases said:
The difference Stu, is that you are not anonymous. Having a username that isn't your real name doesn't make you anonymous.

You are a person who will state your name if needed and stand behind your statements in person.

That is a lot different than using anonymity as a weapon. I certainly respect the right of people to publish their opinions anonymously, especially if they fear reprisal. But when they use it to denigrate and defame then they should be held accountable for that. That's the way it ought to be because otherwise it's an endless pit of conversation destroying trolling.

People will often then come with the excuse that words have no power. Nonsense, words have plenty of power, often more destructive. We like praise, it makes us feel good but we don't like criticism precisely because it cuts to the core. If it's warranted then it hurts and if it's not warranted and is simply malicious then it hurts more.

Imagine a world where walking down the street you could be punched for no reason by every fifth person you don't know and will never know. Like the knockout game. That's what a forum is where people are allowed to anonymously troll. And even where "known" people are allowed to troll. No one really has to pay for the constant verbal abuse they put out there.

I think we need a world online, like the real world where people know they are held accountable for their words and then perhaps they will chose those words more carefully.
Click to expand...

We'll have to agree to disagree on this occasion.

To me, there are the posters who post with a proper amount of respect for other posters. Such posters can be as vocal as they like. Then, there are those who post with insufficient respect for other posters. Whether they give their names or not, they tend not to held accountable for it when they cross the live of incivility, but I retain the right to put them on ignore and remove them form my midst.

Whether somebody uses their name or not to post, I only care whether they post in a civil manner. Anonymous input to this forum, no matter how bizarre, poorly reasoned, or counterculture the input is, adds a lot of value to this forum, and it always has.

Poolplaya9 said:
The word troll is used far too often on here IMO. People use the word troll when what they really mean is "he disagreed strongly with me", which is all that actually occurred 95% of the time. "Trolls" has incorrectly become the popular word to use to refer to anyone that disagrees with you. In actuality what a troll really is is someone who says something with the sole purpose of eliciting an angry response from someone, and almost always by saying something that they know is ludicrous and untrue. Trolling isn't really all that common on here IMO, but as can be expected on a worldwide public forum, having people that disagree with you on some things certainly is--doesn't make them trolls though.
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Well said!
 
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