Dragon Women's Event Draws Ire

[sfleinen]

It is a shame because Charlie/Dragon is one of very few putting together any new events in pro pool. WPA had to lay down the law here, though, given the level of deception in how this event was marketed.

Everyone loses in this case. Especially sad for the ladies, who need events in which to compete.

I agree, Stu. I think the WPA is handling this the correct way. I mean, "technically" they could go after Charlie for mismarketing his events, but do you *really* want to shoot in the head the *one guy* that is generating momentum and doing something for pool?

What the WPA is doing, is presenting the players a choice: "if you care about your points, ranking, and ability to compete in world events, then you won't want to bother with a small-potatoes regional event mislabeled as a 'world' event."

It's up to the players to decide. No snibbling, no court battles, no gray area.

-Sean

 

[Island Drive]

I agree, Stu. I think the WPA is handling this the correct way. I mean, "technically" they could go after Charlie for mismarketing his events, but do you *really* want to shoot in the head the *one guy* that is generating momentum and doing something for pool?

What the WPA is doing, is presenting the players a choice: "if you care about your points, ranking, and ability to compete in world events, then you won't want to bother with a small-potatoes regional event mislabeled as a 'world' event."

It's up to the players to decide. No snibbling, no court battles, no gray area.

-Sean

It also protects the game and its integrity. In the long run this is the way it must go to succeed. CW will have to rethink his business strategy.

 

[hang-the-9]

It also protects the game and its integrity. In the long run this is the way it must go to succeed. CW will have to rethink his business strategy.

He just needs to stop being so overblown in his promtions. Just because he setup a 14.1 tournament does not mean that it's a continuation of the same one they were holding for the last 80 years or whatever he puts in his posters. Just call it a 14.1 tournament.

He does pretty much what a guy in a bus does when he sees an empty seat, jumps on it and calls it his own. It may not be "his", and was not his before and won't be his after but by golly, he'll call it "his" seat.

 

[cueman]

I see both sides. Charlie has already been running the womens world 10 ball championship for years as an annual event and now says he is bringing it to the USA. His crime in their eyes is that he reduced the money added and upped the entry fee. They say it is not the same tournament. But it looks to me like it is the same event, but the bankroll is just not there anymore to give out free entry fees and pay double the money.

The WPA may well cause this event to fail, but they also may cause an event that could have grown into a big TV event to also fail. They are free to boycott it, but by making it mandatory, their members could also play and sue them, and probably win, for any financial losses they incure by the sanctions placed on them afterwards. How much negativity will that get pool??????

My thought is it is already hard enough to make a living playing pool and people should be allowed to do what they think is best for their own financial situation at the moment. I think they might should have taken a less drastic approach and just encouraged their members to boycott it instead of threatening them. Kind of like workers on a voluntary strike until the benefits are better. But to make them boycott it is extreme.

 

[Johnnyt]

Is there a woman on the WPA or BCA board? Johnnyt

 

[spartan]

My thought is it is already hard enough to make a living playing pool and people should be allowed to do what they think is best for their own financial situation at the moment. I think they might should have taken a less drastic approach and just encouraged their members to boycott it instead of threatening them. Kind of like workers on a voluntary strike until the benefits are better. But to make them boycott it is extreme.

That is one of purpose of governing bodies like WPA to put their foot down and enforce the rules and ensure compliance. For all their flaws, WPA made the right decision to knock DP. If they let DP then WPA should close shop and Ian Anderson should go back to Jethro Tull reunion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10bmxi_gIM0

 

[Island Drive]

Do U Really Want to Know?

Is there a woman on the WPA or BCA board? Johnnyt

:thumbup::shrug::thumbup:

 

[oldzilla]

Dragon always speak with forked tongue, Kemosabe.

 

[BEAR]

Idiots

There is no excuse for this mess. If the WPA is so upset with Dragon Promotions calling a tournament a World tournament, why the hell did they not run one themselves this year!!!! Like Charlie, don't like Charlie, at least he is trying to run an event for the women here in the USA. If there was not enough sponsorship money being added how about both the WPA and the BCA help out and get more companies involved. Support pool in the states instead of trying to tear down what little we have going on here. It is no wonder why we have no professional pool when we allow idiots like Ian Anderson keep events from growing.

 

[FranCrimi]

There is no excuse for this mess. If the WPA is so upset with Dragon Promotions calling a tournament a World tournament, why the hell did they not run one themselves this year!!!! Like Charlie, don't like Charlie, at least he is trying to run an event for the women here in the USA. If there was not enough sponsorship money being added how about both the WPA and the BCA help out and get more companies involved. Support pool in the states instead of trying to tear down what little we have going on here. It is no wonder why we have no professional pool when we allow idiots like Ian Anderson keep events from growing.

What if Dragon promised to come through with the required added money but changed their mind too late in the game for the WPA to seek out another event organizer for this year? Couldn't that be a possibility?

It takes time to organize a $100,000 or $150,000 event. Funds must be requisitioned from the country's government. There are budgets. Next year may be a different ballgame because there will be time for possible organizers to plan and get funding approved.

 

[BEAR]

Fran,
I am not saying there are no issues. But I am saying both the BCA and WPA are not helping! Where are their events? Why have there been so few pro events from them in the USA the last few years? If they refuse to help pool here, they could at least stay out of the way. We need more events, not less!!

 

[Banks]

It takes time to organize a $100,000 or $150,000 event. Funds must be requisitioned from the country's government. There are budgets. Next year may be a different ballgame because there will be time for possible organizers to plan and get funding approved.

They could always post-date checks.

CW is just trying to ride coattails of other titles.. until he can steal the whole coat.

 

[Nostroke]

there is no excuse for this mess. If the wpa is so upset with dragon promotions calling a tournament a world tournament, why the hell did they not run one themselves this year!!!! Like charlie, don't like charlie, at least he is trying to run an event for the women here in the usa. If there was not enough sponsorship money being added how about both the wpa and the bca help out and get more companies involved. Support pool in the states instead of trying to tear down what little we have going on here. It is no wonder why we have no professional pool when we allow idiots like ian anderson keep events from growing.

..............smh

 

[Straightpool_99]

...............

 

[JCIN]

There is no excuse for this mess. If the WPA is so upset with Dragon Promotions calling a tournament a World tournament, why the hell did they not run one themselves this year!!!! Like Charlie, don't like Charlie, at least he is trying to run an event for the women here in the USA. If there was not enough sponsorship money being added how about both the WPA and the BCA help out and get more companies involved. Support pool in the states instead of trying to tear down what little we have going on here. It is no wonder why we have no professional pool when we allow idiots like Ian Anderson keep events from growing.

Go try to sell someone something for $150K after they see someone pricing it at $10K-$20K. That is the point. The WPA's only real power is that of sanctioning and player invites. They are finally using that power to protect the only valuable product they have. Which is the World Championship label.

I think that horse is long out of the barn though. They either just havent paid attention or it never hit them in the pocket book before. Reading between the lines it sounds like maybe they had a fish throw the hook after seeing Charlie's budget kind of sort of but not really World Championship.

 

[BEAR]

JCIN,
Agreed, the money is light. Believe the main sponsor dropped out this year. So at the demand of the WPA the name was changed. In exchange for allowing their players to play. Fine, whatever, move forward.
Then they want no reference to the fact that Dragon successfully ran this tournament the last five years. Really make this big a mess over that. How about the WPA and BCA help secure some sponsorships for this and other events.
JCIN, you have done a great amount of events for pool. So you, much more than me, know how difficult it is to get done. At the end of the day the promoter also needs to make money. Should Charlie handled things better? Probably. But again at least he is trying to hold an event here in the USA. Without over promising what the payouts will be.

 

[Johnnyt]

Are the payouts just if 64 players enter? If not, it could be a hell of a lot less. Not too many women will pop for $520 be dead money. Johnnyt

 

[Nostroke]

Are the payouts just if 64 players enter? If not, it could be a hell of a lot less. Not too many women will pop for $520 be dead money. Johnnyt

I dont know but i will bet that there will be less than 16 Players if the circumstances remain unchanged. Given that, CW will have to cancel imo. He is NOT going to give away cash.

It's too bad-It likely would never have been a great event but perhaps better than what we currently have which is nothing (though i do note a WPBA event in Feb 2015)

 

[Johnnyt]

Listen to ABR special report on the ABR thead on this forum. Ian Anderson is on answering questions from Mike H of AZB fame, about the Womens tourny we are talking about. Johnnyt

 

[FranCrimi]

Fran,
I am not saying there are no issues. But I am saying both the BCA and WPA are not helping! Where are their events? Why have there been so few pro events from them in the USA the last few years? If they refuse to help pool here, they could at least stay out of the way. We need more events, not less!!

The WPA doesn't produce events. They are composed of representatives the world's continental federations who work together to set the standards for global events.

The BCA no longer has the income that it once had from leagues and from their trade show which has been greatly reduced in size.

Sometimes the best thing an organization can do for it's sport is to say no, even if they're not in the position to replace the event immediately. It's better than lowering the bar, resulting in lower standards worldwide, which would really hurt the players in the long-run.