Earl Strickland/John Schmidt altercation at BCA

[JoeyA]

Thanks Pal Joey. Did you notice THIS in the article:
"The AVP tour, which offers $4-million in prize money, includes more than 150 players. Its season runs from April to September and is as likely to set up in a parking lot as at a seashore in the 18 cities 13 states on its tour"

Man, that's pretty good money, considering it's ONLY volleyball.... sheesh !
Doug

It's obvious that what is lacking in pool to make it more popular like volleyball is to show some skin. Start showing a little skin, Doug.

I will provide the unique tatoos but you will have to apply them in the appropriate spots. The waterless tatoos require not moisture to apply. JAM gets royalties on any advertising monies that you acquire.

Personally, I think the poker companies should buy their tatoos from me and give them to the players to wear. Pay each top dog maybe, like $300 for the entire pool tournament.

That would cover some of their hotel expenses and I know darn well that there are PLENTY of gamblers that still think you cannot gamble at poker online. It is almost like an underground monopoly. The government has failed to shut it down and I'm glad you and others who enjoy playing poker for money can do so online. They just need to advertise it a bit more.

Maybe I can persuade the Seminole Tribe to spring for some tatoos for the next big tournament. They have a cool looking colored logo .


JoeyA

 

[Neil]

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

 

[CreeDo]

Smorg made my day saying "Roshambo"...lol... somehow I suspect he wasn't kidding, I know some places have weekly roshambo tournaments. It's just so damn funny, especially because in other areas it means a game where you trade kicks in the balls and the last man standing wins. I think it's an MMA thing that somehow made it to south park.

I also laughed when I realized I knew who karch kiraly was, and probably a lot of people do, maybe more americans know his name than do efren reyes, and that's a shame.

About jam's point about the TV thing... even though my likes are in the minority (no argument there)... I'd hate to see great players and great games change to accomodate TV audiences. I know pool could benefit from increased TV coverage, and that in turn means more competition at my local pool hall... but still.

It's easy to say we need more cool characters like mosconi/fats/etc. but I think that's comparing apples and oranges. We're in a different era now. Guys like that might go far during the 40's but the ribbing and jokes they specialized in would probably seem unfunny and tame to the audiences of today. People who watch TV are so used to the ruder climate these days, they probably will be bored with anything less than cuss-word-laced trash talk and smashing people on the skull with the cues.

I feel like any changes we make to make the game more TV friendly will be screwing up the spirit of pool. I don't want to see a generation of players come up who think pool is about running only 7 balls under a short time clock without calling shots. I definitely don't want to see a generation of TV-pool fans who doesn't know how to close their mouth when I'm playing for real money. I can see why someone might prefer to watch a mouthy player like earl, but who would you honestly rather play against with big money on the line? A guy who's constantly sharking you and arguing and who will belittle you if he loses? Or the polite roboeuro?

 

[JAM]

This has got to be the most disturbing,disgusting, stupid, ignorant thing I have heard about pool EVER. Part of me wants to know who said it, the other part doesn't.

Yeah, let's get rid of Buddy, Nick, Earl, Efren, Parica, and a host of others. Then MAYBE some of the others will have a chance at winning something.

Players that make comments like that just need someone to sew their lips shut. They don't need them to shoot pool, and apparently nothing worthwile comes out of them anyway.

What is even more disturbing is that these comments came from not just one current tour member, but several, one of them residing on the administrative side of the governing body of professional pool.

Buddy is a crowd-pleaser at any event he steps foot into, as is Nick Varner and Earl Strickland. They are legends in American pool.

The Filipino players seem to be exempt from this discriminatory strategy practice.

Keith McCready, who most definitely has a whole lot of game and enjoys competing in professional pool events, ALWAYS attracts onlookers to his designated table whenever and wherever he plays pool.

However, when you are running into stop signs and hurdles on the American tournament trail, you reach a point where you become an independent and go your own way, competing in whatever events are true "open" events.

For some American pool players to not be "invited" to tournaments like the BCA Open, as an example, when some of the American players "selected" to compete in the BCA Open couldn't make it to the top 10 on today's regional tours, something is rotten in Denmark, as they say, and it stinks to high heaven. Welcome to American pool in the year 2007, where there does not exist a level playing field and all players are not treated equal.

JAM

 

[JAM]

It's obvious that what is lacking in pool to make it more popular like volleyball is to show some skin. Start showing a little skin, Doug.

I will provide the unique tatoos but you will have to apply them in the appropriate spots. The waterless tatoos require not moisture to apply. JAM gets royalties on any advertising monies that you acquire.

Personally, I think the poker companies should buy their tatoos from me and give them to the players to wear. Pay each top dog maybe, like $300 for the entire pool tournament.

That would cover some of their hotel expenses and I know darn well that there are PLENTY of gamblers that still think you cannot gamble at poker online. It is almost like an underground monopoly. The government has failed to shut it down and I'm glad you and others who enjoy playing poker for money can do so online. They just need to advertise it a bit more.

Maybe I can persuade the Seminole Tribe to spring for some tatoos for the next big tournament. They have a cool looking colored logo .

Actually, this is a good idea, in reality. I have seen boxers on TV with names of websites painted on their backs as they are competing. It is a form of advertising.

JAM

 

[!Smorgass Bored]

Too Much Skin Showing

Actually, this is a good idea, in reality. I have seen boxers on TV with names of websites painted on their backs as they are competing. It is a form of advertising.

JAM

THE TATOO CONTROVERSY HAS ALREADY BEEN SETTLED IN COURT:

The tattoo controversy began in September of 2001, when Golden Palace tattooed their website address GoldenPalace.com on the back of Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins during his title match against Felix Trinidad. The result was the most innovative marketing campaign in years. Golden Palace has since tattooed over 50 fighters, and in doing so has made a lasting impression on the boxing and entertainment industries.

Doug
( I'm going on a walkabout for links )
http://www.doghouseboxing.com/Chee/Chee0804b05.htm

TATTOOS AS TRENDY AD GIMMICK
I normally don't pay attention to animated banner ads on the internet sites I visit but this one caught my eye. It showed a flexed arm, with a tattoo machine moving in space without anyone holding it, tattooing the bicep. The message it was tattooing was about housing mortgage rates.

If you ever wondered if there was a clear sign that tattooing was firmly established as part of the mainstream, there you go, that's it! Tattooing is so well-known and so popular to the main demographic that mortgage companies are courting to get as customers, they are using tattoos to sell house loans, two things that would otherwise be utterly unconnected. Since owning a house has always been considered pretty cool, you can now presume that they aren't the offensive sign of the criminal element that they once were.
Read the whole BellaOnline article here

 

[Neil]

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[poolmouse]

actually what happened is i was having a hard time racking them tight and i was looking at the first three balls real close . i knew earl would look at the rack and i wanted to make sure the first three were tight.problem was i did not look at the back three very close and in earls defense they were loose.now earl hates me i know ,but all he had to do was ask and i would have racked them again and probably apalogized.instead he calls the ref over and wont let me rerack them and starts telling everyone im a cheater and a total piece of shit.anyway i have little respect for earl for many reasons but in fairness i did give him a bad rack accidentally and he blew it out of proportion and handled it badly as usual.anyway talk to you guys later john schmidt

anyone who knows both of you know that you're a gentleman. earl doesn't hate you. earl can't handle the stress of stiff competition. what he hates is losing. unfortunately, his antics wins him games, sets and tournaments. tournament directors need to penalize him games for his behavior...and ban him when his behavior steps over the line.

poolmouse

 

[Fleece3]

There are two things I think w/ this thread:

1) JS is a total champion on and off the table. Would never let himself get caught up in a mess like that. He even admitted it was loose in the back after all - even though he prob didn't have to (given earl's history). John would hate me to even mention this (because I know it makes him sick)... but when he missed that 9-ball in the Texas Hold'm 9-Ball event in the last rack, he DID in my opinion, conduct himself like a winner and a CHAMPION. If it were me, I may have had a MAJOR television meltdown and they would have had to switch to the colored bars and tone. Hey, I saw Jack Nicklaus flub a ball about 10 ft w/ a 3-wood at Congressional in front of a thousand spectators. It happens to everyone. He giggled, shook his head, walked up to the ball, and then hit a 1-iron stiff.

2) In regards to Earl, everyone is really really quick to torch-in Earl for his actions - because many of which are really rude and bizarre. I don't know Earl personally, nor do I know this for a fact, but I'm guessing he's manic depressive/bipolar. This has been discussed often with a number of people and I'm sure I'm not breaking news here.

I have a few friends with this mental illness (as well as my mother) and let me tell you this... some of the things they do they really have no control during a "moment" and things just happen and are said/done. It's like they're an actor in a movie and the show goes on. Usually, later on, they think about their actions and wish they hadn't happened, even while they're on medication. Earl doesn't want the world to loathe him, believe me.

I'd bet everything I have that he can't control it... just like you can't control a someone w/ Turrette's Syndrome--- they just blurt stuff out and are embarrassed later. The best way to describe it is "Fire...Aim...Ready" instead of "Ready...Aim...Fire." I've been around people with that my whole life and totally get-it. It took me 30 years to get it, but I do now. People say he was rotten since 19, and I'm guessing he was ill for that long. I'm not blindly supporting him or condoning his actions... because I've seen them too. I just "understand" a little more than the next person, maybe. With that said... I respect Earl. We'll probably never see anyone else with 5 US Opens in our lifetime. Everyone is quick to say the Filipinos are the best of all time... they don't have 5 between all of them.

Just my humble opinion...

TAP TAP TAP. I have been saying that for a while now. People WANT to say "he is just an a**hole" because it is easier to bash his actions rather than seek to understand them.

 

[Fleece3]

Actually, not boring at all. Some of us actually watch pool to see POOL, not to see characters. I want to see their shotmaking, decision making, and what they can do with the cueball. I love watching thorsten run balls perfectly in straight pool and set up for a perfect break shot and then execute it flawlessly.

Do you think America will watch that on ESPN? NOT. We are emotional creatures, and we enjoy watching emotional situations. Especially in sports. Think of the old Wide World of Sports intro ("the THRILL of victory, the AGONY of defeat") No where in the intro did they say "The machine like pinpoint accuracy required to make a shot"

In fact, the ONLY way a spectator can CONNECT to a sport or player is thru emotion. Cheering, booing, screaming (at an ump or player) or giving a 10 minute standing ovation are ALL displays of EMOTION.

 

[Fleece3]

I'll give you an example that I am familiar with. At the 2003 U.S. Open, Jeremy Jones was undefeated all the way to the end, and he was a very deserving champion. However, if you had been there sitting in the audience watching this match between him and Jose Parica, you, like most others who were in attendance, may not have enjoyed watching this long and drawn-out match. I remember Corey Deuel sitting in the audience looking over at Keith, shaking his head.

I have that match on DVD. It is my least watched pool DVD

 

[Fleece3]

I don't think anyone turns off the tube when Earl's on...maybe the greatest 9-ball player ever and definitely no robot. Love him or hate him, he's good for pool. BTW, Keith's personality is obviously contagious...whenever he's on TV, he brings out the personality of the other players and gets the audience engaged...he's good for pool too.

I agree and offer the following for proof....I posted a small clip of my lesson with Earl on youtube. I ONLY posted in this forum that it was up there. In there weeks it has been viewed over a 1000 times

 

[CreeDo]

roffles

In fact, the ONLY way a spectator can CONNECT to a sport or player is thru emotion.

lol, you're right. That is absolutely the only possible way anyone can possibly connect to any sport. There are no other ways. It isn't possible anyone could have multiple ways to connect to a sport. Everything can be boiled down to a simple black and white statement like this. Obviously, if thorsten's my favorite player to watch, it's because I connect with his emotional displays, since you just told me there is no other possibility.

And even if I did connect to the sport and enjoy it for reasons other than emotion, I am a single weird exception to the rule, the only american out of 300 million who feels this way. All normal people watch golf because of the way they scream and pump their fist after every shot, and weep openly when they miss. People watch poker because of the intense range of expression they show, and the comical way they jump up and abuse the dealer.

 

[Fleece3]

lol, you're right. That is absolutely the only possible way anyone can possibly connect to any sport. There are no other ways. It isn't possible anyone could have multiple ways to connect to a sport. Everything can be boiled down to a simple black and white statement like this. Obviously, if thorsten's my favorite player to watch, it's because I connect with his emotional displays, since you just told me there is no other possibility.

Don't put words in my mouth. I said the only way a SPECTATOR could connect!! I am speaking about the crowd!! The only way a crowd (the spectators) can connect to the players is through some emotional action. Albeit, wild cheering to show approval or wild booing and hecklin to show displeasure. If you doubt this, come to NYC and I will take you to a Yankees game. Where you will defintely see it. If you want to know how strong this really is, I can provided you with medical studies that PROVES, when a mans (yes I am talking only men here) favorite team loses, and the man was either in attendance or watch the event, his testosterone level actually drops for 2 to 3 hours

 

[TheOne]

Smorg made my day saying "Roshambo"...lol... somehow I suspect he wasn't kidding, I know some places have weekly roshambo tournaments. It's just so damn funny, especially because in other areas it means a game where you trade kicks in the balls and the last man standing wins. I think it's an MMA thing that somehow made it to south park.

I also laughed when I realized I knew who karch kiraly was, and probably a lot of people do, maybe more americans know his name than do efren reyes, and that's a shame.

About jam's point about the TV thing... even though my likes are in the minority (no argument there)... I'd hate to see great players and great games change to accomodate TV audiences. I know pool could benefit from increased TV coverage, and that in turn means more competition at my local pool hall... but still.

It's easy to say we need more cool characters like mosconi/fats/etc. but I think that's comparing apples and oranges. We're in a different era now. Guys like that might go far during the 40's but the ribbing and jokes they specialized in would probably seem unfunny and tame to the audiences of today. People who watch TV are so used to the ruder climate these days, they probably will be bored with anything less than cuss-word-laced trash talk and smashing people on the skull with the cues.

I feel like any changes we make to make the game more TV friendly will be screwing up the spirit of pool. I don't want to see a generation of players come up who think pool is about running only 7 balls under a short time clock without calling shots. I definitely don't want to see a generation of TV-pool fans who doesn't know how to close their mouth when I'm playing for real money. I can see why someone might prefer to watch a mouthy player like earl, but who would you honestly rather play against with big money on the line? A guy who's constantly sharking you and arguing and who will belittle you if he loses? Or the polite roboeuro?

Hey Creedo,

You're certainly NOT in the minority! Some on this board want to turn pool into a WWF circus because they think the reason pool isn't popular in the US is because of the game. They fail to see it's because of many other reasons, a) the lack of business skills at the top level of pool, b) lack of professionalism and pro structure in the mens game etc.

The good news is pool IS popular in its current format, Fact! millions of people watch pool and billiards in Asian and Europe without a smackdown in sight! However some people want pool changed into a circus to suit their own personal agenda and not for the good of the sport.

If pool continues to grow fast in Europe and Asia and a world Pro Tour is created do you think the American players will care? of course not, well only the ones who can't compete on a level playing field and want to introduce woofing, cheating, barking, boozing etc.

The womens US Pr TOur has outperformed the US Men for many years now and they have much less emotive then their male collegues with many of the top players coming from a snooker background, case closed!

PS
Snooker just added a new world ranking event in Shanghai, an 8,000 seater venue was chosing and I don't doubt it will be sold out well in advance! Imagine that for such a dull boring game as snooker Snooker has realised the future lies in emerging markets without the need for turning the game into a freak show, the quicker pool realises this the better!

 

[jay helfert]

I agree with what you are saying and at times I also find pool boring to watch.

I think that part of the problem for an average sports watcher is that it is difficult to compare the skills of the players and the player with the best skills is not always the winner.

Every game of pool is different (debatable) and skill involved to win any given game will be different from the next. And I believe that the average viewer does not realize the difference and what the real level of skill is involved to become a champion.

I truly believe, when viewed on TV, that a big part of the problem is the game itself.

I suggest a total offensive game where each player shoots an identical series of racks (15 balls) and the winner would be the one who makes the the most balls.

If the layout a certain rack were to be extremely difficult and for example some players could not get past the 6 ball and those who did got stuck at the 11 ball and only a couple of players able to complete the runout.

With good commentary this would allow an average viewer the anticipation of how the most difficult portions of the rack will be negotiated.

I suspect the players would resist such a format but if the average viewer was to become interested it would mean more TV airtime and hopefully more $$$ to the players. And that I would believe would change their opinion.

I started a thread on this topic some time ago.
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=53578

JMO FWIW

Steve

Steve,

I have an even better idea for Pool on television. The players must stand at least five feet from the table and use their cues as spears to throw at the ball they want to make. No more cue ball, all direct spearing of object balls. The player who makes the most balls each rack wins.

Oh, and there is one other thing. If your spear bounces off the table and lands on the floor it is a foul. Now the other player can take his spear and throw it directly at you. He must hit you somewhere below the neck or it is loss of game. If he hits you, and you are unable to continue the game, you lose.

Do you think this might be more popular on television and less boring for the average viewer? I call it Spear Pool. Wanna play?

 

[Yokel]

Steve,

I have an even better idea for Pool on television. The players must stand at least five feet from the table and use their cues as spears to throw at the ball they want to make. No more cue ball, all direct spearing of object balls. The player who makes the most balls each rack wins.

Oh, and there is one other thing. If your spear bounces off the table and lands on the floor it is a foul. Now the other player can take his spear and throw it directly at you. He must hit you somewhere below the neck or it is loss of game. If he hits you, and you are unable to continue the game, you lose.

Do you think this might be more popular on television and less boring for the average viewer? I call it Spear Pool. Wanna play?

As long as I get the first toss

 

[TheOne]

Steve,

I have an even better idea for Pool on television. The players must stand at least five feet from the table and use their cues as spears to throw at the ball they want to make. No more cue ball, all direct spearing of object balls. The player who makes the most balls each rack wins.

Oh, and there is one other thing. If your spear bounces off the table and lands on the floor it is a foul. Now the other player can take his spear and throw it directly at you. He must hit you somewhere below the neck or it is loss of game. If he hits you, and you are unable to continue the game, you lose.

Do you think this might be more popular on television and less boring for the average viewer? I call it Spear Pool. Wanna play?

LMAO, I'm guessing a former champion might be able to give everyone else the 8 at this

But hey who cares if it gets on TV right?

Just about to fly to Guatemala, might practice throwing my cues in the jungle just in case!

 

[jay helfert]

Pool On TV

I just want to point out one thing to all reading this thread.

POOL IS VERY POPULAR ON TELEVISION RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!! Just not in the USA.

Yes, Pool works quite well in it's present form on television all over Asia and many parts of Europe. The WPC garnered a huge television audience (tens of millions) for many hours (7-8 hours daily) each day, and it was shown LIVE! Not tape delayed by weeks or months. It was the most watched sports show ever in the Philipines (a country of 86 million), where an estimated 14 million watched daily. Now that's HUGE!

You see the main problem here is that Pool is treated like a second rate (or third rate) sport in the good ole USA by ESPN. No one ever knows when shows will air, unless you read about it in a billiard publication. And, even if you know when it will air, you also know who won the match, which was played weeks before. So it's like, who cares.

And the coverage by the ESPN crews is mediocre at best. Poor commentary, poor direction, poor editing and little in the way of anything to create interest in the match. The recent UPA Tour Championships on ESPN was a step in the right direction, thanks to the efforts of Dave Thomson in getting pre match interviews and other additions to the shows.

I'm so sorry that the powers that be at ESPN refuse to air the WPC (they will not make the "buy") in the USA. If they did, you would see what it looks like to have Pool treated like a major league sport on television. Trust me when I tell you, the entire show looks different from beginning to end. You see ESPN is getting "garbage" pool shows at bargain basement prices (read that free).

God bless the WPBA that has most of the air time locked up, but not many viewers know that the men are far more skilled players. You and I do, but the average viewer does not know that Pool can be played at a much higher level than what they are accustomed to seeing. This is not a knock on the women. It is just reality.

The WPBA is still giving their shows away last I heard. In fact, the WPBA must pay for production costs. Such a deal! It's no wonder ESPN does not want to buy any Pool shows. They don't need to. They get all the Pool they want for FREE!

Pool on television in Asia is treated much like Snooker in Western Europe. You see full length matches, whether it be a Race To Nine, or Eleven, or longer. There is no editing of the match, and it is all shown live, just like a golf or tennis tournament in the USA.

I am have been working for months now, attempting to bring a new and unique Pool show to US television. Let me tell you, IT AIN'T EASY to break this cycle of mediocrity. I have met mostly resistance from all corners of the television industry, and have knocked on many doors so far. But I am not done trying. I personally believe in televised Pool, and feel it could be well received and quite popular if ever done right over here.

 

[JAM]

I just want to point out one thing to all reading this thread.

POOL IS VERY POPULAR ON TELEVISION RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!! Just not in the USA.

Yes, Pool works quite well in it's present form on television all over Asia and many parts of Europe. The WPC garnered a huge television audience (tens of millions) for many hours (7-8 hours daily) each day, and it was shown LIVE! Not tape delayed by weeks or months. It was the most watched sports show ever in the Philipines (a country of 86 million), where an estimated 14 million watched daily. Now that's HUGE!

You see the main problem here is that Pool is treated like a second rate (or third rate) sport in the good ole USA by ESPN. No one ever knows when shows will air, unless you read about it in a billiard publication. And, even if you know when it will air, you also know who won the match, which was played weeks before. So it's like, who cares.

And the coverage by the ESPN crews is mediocre at best. Poor commentary, poor direction, poor editing and little in the way of anything to create interest in the match. The recent UPA Tour Championships on ESPN was a step in the right direction, thanks to the efforts of Dave Thomson in getting pre match interviews and other additions to the shows.

I'm so sorry that the powers that be at ESPN refuse to air the WPC (they will not make the "buy") in the USA. If they did, you would see what it looks like to have Pool treated like a major league sport on television. Trust me when I tell you, the entire show looks different from beginning to end. You see ESPN is getting "garbage" pool shows at bargain basement prices (read that free).

God bless the WPBA that has most of the air time locked up, but not many viewers know that the men are far more skilled players. You and I do, but the average viewer does not know that Pool can be played at a much higher level than what they are accustomed to seeing. This is not a knock on the women. It is just reality.

The WPBA is still giving their shows away last I heard. In fact, the WPBA must pay for production costs. Such a deal! It's no wonder ESPN does not want to buy any Pool shows. They don't need to. They get all the Pool they want for FREE!

Pool on television in Asia is treated much like Snooker in Western Europe. You see full length matches, whether it be a Race To Nine, or Eleven, or longer. There is no editing of the match, and it is all shown live, just like a golf or tennis tournament in the USA.

I am have been working for months now, attempting to bring a new and unique Pool show to US television. Let me tell you, IT AIN'T EASY to break this cycle of mediocrity. I have met mostly resistance from all corners of the television industry, and have knocked on many doors so far. But I am not done trying. I personally believe in televised Pool, and feel it could be well received and quite popular if ever done right over here.

Thank you for speaking the TRUTH, Jay! As usual, you hit the nail right on the head.

I mean, for a Brit to state that an American has a personal agenda and wants to turn pool into a circus is nothing more than fluff in this forum and a lame attempt at flaming. Comparing American pool to snooker is a joke here in the States. In essence, snooker is not as popular here as it is in other countries, but most people know this. I guess when you try to judge American pool from a foreigner's point of view, the opinions may be slanted and not realistic.

Of course, pool is popular in Asia and elsewhere, everywhere except the United States. It is popular in these countries and shown live on TV because pool is an accepted sport in these countries. In America, pool is thought of as more a recreational game played by leagues, kind of like a bowling night every Wednesday. The mainstream Americans don't know there's a whole set of pro players out there who are competing in real tournaments. The money payouts in pool pale in comparison to other sports, and this is a big problem. However, if pool catches on with a new innovative idea AND/OR a celebrity figure puts pool on the map, then I believe pool could have a chance to rise in status a bit, but it will NEVER, NEVER, NEVER be as popular here as it is in Philippines or other Asian-Pacific Islander countries.

The facts are what they are. Pool on American TV is not well represented because pool in America is on the bottom rung of the ladder.

As in the past with the history of American pool, it seems to do better on TV when there are celebrity players that the viewers can identify with. This is what happened with Fats, Mizerak with the beer commecials, and Willie.

I thought Allen Hopkins' innovative Skins and Texas Hold'em formats were GREAT, as they did allow the player to speak. They even put microphones on the players, hoping to get a little dialogue and colloquy going. The promoters actually encouraged it in the players' meeting. Why? Because they wanted to hear the players, put a little personality in pool, hoping to allow the viewers to get to know the players a bit.

As I write this, there is a pool event being planned in Olathe. I do not know all of the particulars yet, but it's going to be a $5,000 entry fee with 32 players in attendance, all monies going to the players. James Walden is helping as well to get this baby off and running. It is currently scheduled to occur in July, but I don't know any more of the details. It sounds very EXCITING, though.

Whatever you are working on, Jay, I wish you the best of luck. If there is anybody who can do it, it would be you.

Sincerely, JAM