it's the qataris from my understanding. but they're greasing their hands in the chinese heyball. wonder what would happen if JOY said "no more".
Filler withdrawn from Reyes cup
- Thread starter Monti
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it's the qataris from my understanding. but they're greasing their hands in the chinese heyball. wonder what would happen if JOY said "no more".
shouldn't matter. it's not like it would be the first cup team with internal problems or lack of team chemistry. the bottom line is he qualified.
This is by player choice. Not sanction.
Stephen Henry received a Tour Card for basically being a legend.
If memory serves well, he turned up to one possibly two tournaments for the season.
This year. He opted (officially) to not take his tour card.
Choice is what we all want in life!
Stephen Henry received a Tour Card for basically being a legend.
If memory serves well, he turned up to one possibly two tournaments for the season.
This year. He opted (officially) to not take his tour card.
Choice is what we all want in life!
sudocrushms
Well-known member
This is a great example of why many major professional (and college) teams make their athletes take PR and social media classes from experts. The public scope of these athletes is immense, even in the relatively small world of pool. Thinking about what you post/say, how you word it, and considering repercussions is important. Especially when you may not have all information or know how other parties will react.
This should be a lesson for the WPA/WNT/MR/sponsors to talk to the athletes so their stance is clear and known. Clear up the unknown and give the players a route to discuss future issues without a PR mess.
Even my employer has us take an online course to understand Company stance, representation, and how to handle someone asking us questions about the Company.
This should be a lesson for the WPA/WNT/MR/sponsors to talk to the athletes so their stance is clear and known. Clear up the unknown and give the players a route to discuss future issues without a PR mess.
Even my employer has us take an online course to understand Company stance, representation, and how to handle someone asking us questions about the Company.
Um, can you make room for Matchroom to take the PR course also? You don't put shit out and then change it the next minute.
I like that pool players can speak their minds. From Filler, to Darren, to us fans (that are also players), etc. One "fear" I've had over the years if pool become a much bigger sport is the players would be all muted and controlled.
MR is probably loving the attention, even if star player Filler is out.
MR is probably loving the attention, even if star player Filler is out.
I don't agree that team chemistry is irrelevant. It's often vital in building any championship team.
Is chemistry overstated? Sometimes. We all know of cases of championship teams with internal tensions.
Should it matter in this case? Should a potential lack of chemistry have gotten Filler removed? Should it have negated the fact that he qualified based on MR's own rules?
It's a subjective call unless Filler violated a provision in WNT contract.
I am not sure I agree, without knowing more, about MR's decision.
sudocrushms
Well-known member
No sport is EVER grown for the sake of the sport. Every sport that grows into the giants they are are driven by profit. PERIOD.
WNT is the only thing to come to pool in the last 40 years, Camel Pro Tour notwithstanding, since they failed through no fault of their own, that has the potential to grow pool into the sport it deserves to be.
Jaden
Back when Daly was the biggest draw in pro golf he was constantly getting fined/sanctioned/suspended for his public antics. He knew the rules going and took it all in stride. His gambling/drinking is what cost him his sweet Callaway endorsement $$ which at the time was in the $2million/yr area.
I don't know that I entirely agree with you on it not being an invitational. Surely it's not a pure invitational since there are qualification standards put in place; however, they have always ultimately chosen who is on the cup and it has always been their prerogative as was evident with Earl and the quarantine.
Jaden
I think the approach for Matchroom (snooker follows an almost identical approach) is that players can choose to play in whatever events they like, they could take a whole season off and just turn up for the World Championships (as Ronnie O'Sullivan did).
However, what they can't do is play in another event that clashes with a World Snooker Tour event (as some of the players found out last Christmas, when they tried to do just that).
With the World Nineball Tour I believe the rules (just going from interviews with Emily Frazer) are as follows:
Players can choose to play in whatever events they wish (assuming they meet the qualification criteria, i.e. they must be a WNT member or reserve and qualify etc).
Players can not play in another event that clashes with a Matchroom Major (they also released a list of what they deem to be a Major.
In all fairness...
MR could put an end to all of this tomorrow by investing the $$$ into the game they claim they're behind.
- 50M guaranteed over 10 years
- evenly disposal of prize money, turning dead money into journey men.
- create a new governing body separate to the tour
- guarantee 5% of investment to go back into roots development
- last but not least. Employ me as their treasurer
Joke aside. The above can be achieved by MR.
MR could put an end to all of this tomorrow by investing the $$$ into the game they claim they're behind.
- 50M guaranteed over 10 years
- evenly disposal of prize money, turning dead money into journey men.
- create a new governing body separate to the tour
- guarantee 5% of investment to go back into roots development
- last but not least. Employ me as their treasurer
Joke aside. The above can be achieved by MR.
If Filler would have just STFU and not played in NewZealand like his WNT co-horts we wouldn't be having this discussion. Simple as that.In all fairness...
MR could put an end to all of this tomorrow by investing the $$$ into the game they claim they're behind.
- 50M guaranteed over 10 years
- evenly disposal of prize money, turning dead money into journey men.
- create a new governing body separate to the tour
- guarantee 5% of investment to go back into roots development
- last but not least. Employ me as their treasurer
Joke aside. The above can be achieved by MR.
Let's look at this from another perspective. Filler has already said he would do something and then not done it, TWICE. Why would MR take the time and expense of promoting a team with Filler on it on the chance that he would be "contractually obligated" to pull out....AGAIN...
No, aside from the showing that those shenanigans won't be tolerated, it's just good business to not have him on the team to prevent further bad stuff from happening.
Jaden
No, aside from the showing that those shenanigans won't be tolerated, it's just good business to not have him on the team to prevent further bad stuff from happening.
Jaden
I looked at MR's finances recently. Pool is a small part of the company's revenue. These kind of numbers can't be justified without a steady stream of guaranteed receipts.In all fairness...
MR could put an end to all of this tomorrow by investing the $$$ into the game they claim they're behind.
- 50M guaranteed over 10 years
- evenly disposal of prize money, turning dead money into journey men.
- create a new governing body separate to the tour
- guarantee 5% of investment to go back into roots development
- last but not least. Employ me as their treasurer
Joke aside. The above can be achieved by MR.
Early days still. To use American soccer as an analogy, MR could go all NASL, spend a ton of money ... go broke and fold. Or build more slowly like MLS.
MR is going faster than MLS, but being mindful of not overextending itself a la the NASL.
Filler did not violate his MR contract when he agreed, with other players at the Euro Open, to voluntarily boycott future WPA events. That is between him and the other players.
But as you've noted, he said he would show up at Hanoi and come what may when he explained in an FB post why he was playing in New Zealand. He then boycotted, for all intents, the Hanoi Open for the second year in a row.
I refrained from criticizing Filler for participating in an event held by his sponsor. I am less forgiving of his decision ty bypass Hanoi again.
As such I can see how MR's decision on Filler's removal from the Reyes cup is justified.
That said, I would be disappointed if MR prevents Filler from playing in future MR events.
I think they should have the right to favor players for the Mosconi and Reyes who are active WNT participants. Beyond that all the world's best players should be allowed to play.
Sure.... and with 128 pool players, that I would bet most didn't even read it, not a single one would leak it?
Nice post. You make a fair point, and I get where you are coming from ...
... but the use of wildcards to enable an event producer to put a couple of players in to suit their own promotional and marketing objectives goes back at least to the 1980s, and it is a long-accepted practice in invitationals, major championships, regional events and independent events. Sorry, but the presence of wildcard invitees in an event does not make it an invitational, and it never has.
Of course, most of us understand that events like the Mosconi Cup and Reyes Cup for what they really are, which is made-for-TV exhibitions, so as you suggest, the Reyes Cup, like the Mosconi Cup, is a bit of a hybrid event in the traditional context of what we call a tournament.
Pure fantasy:
MR could have avoided everything the past 2-3 years this has been going on by simply agreeing to sanction all of their events with the WPA (as they had for many years before). WPA made it quite simple to do so, they even waived the monetary fee per event. The early disclosed sticking point was MR having control of the ranking points.
MR says a firm NO, and the rest is history.
The fantasy part:
MR knew all the rest that would follow the firm NO (as we all did) and decided to go forward, specifically for all the media the controversy would result in.
Thoughts? Could this fantasy have been a reality? Did Emily and crew behind closed doors say "we want all the publicity, good or bad"?
MR could have avoided everything the past 2-3 years this has been going on by simply agreeing to sanction all of their events with the WPA (as they had for many years before). WPA made it quite simple to do so, they even waived the monetary fee per event. The early disclosed sticking point was MR having control of the ranking points.
MR says a firm NO, and the rest is history.
The fantasy part:
MR knew all the rest that would follow the firm NO (as we all did) and decided to go forward, specifically for all the media the controversy would result in.
Thoughts? Could this fantasy have been a reality? Did Emily and crew behind closed doors say "we want all the publicity, good or bad"?