Help Support Our Pros!

Jerry Forsyth

Jerry Forsyth

Well-known member
The first Pro Player Travel Fund auction is underway at: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=290273099004

We hope that those of you who wish to help AZB promote the American game will go to the Ebay page above and place a bid on the Predator Air Jump cue if you are in the market for such an item. We are getting closer to Christmas so please consider our auction items for gifts. You will be killing two birds with one stone. You can also learn more about the auctions and the Pro Player Travel fund program by following the links on the left side of the AZB home page. Thank you all for your love of the game and the pros who amaze us.
 
Jerry Forsyth said:
Bump for the Pro Travel Fund.
Click to expand...
Jerry, shouldn't the pool pros be self sustaining? With as few tournaments as there are, you would think some could work part time. If being a professional pool player means you can't even earn enough money to compete in any tournament you want, is it really a profession? I love pool and wish there was a viable tour and it was on ESPN every week. Unfortunately that isn't the case. Maybe someday???
 
Pro pool today

The problem is that the game of pool is on the downswing in America. Just twenty years ago, in 1988, the professional side of the game offered more tournaments in October and the first half of November than we now have in the entire year. Without a vibrant pro side to the game then pool has nothing for young players to aspire to join.

On the plus side, the game has never been so popular overseas as it is today. The problem is that the payouts, even in large tournaments, still lags way behind the payouts in other sports. So for an American pro to be able to come out ahead in a foreign tournament, he has to come in somewhere within the sweet sixteen (often the top eight) or he will lose money on the trip since he has to pay for airfare, hotels, food, taxis, etc.

We are hopeful that the foreign promoters will be successful and that American promoters can follow their lead and hold tournaments here, like the US Open, that pay well. But it is important in the current time to get our players overseas so that American visibility in the game does not totally wane.

The players who are winning today (Souquet, Feijen, Wu, Appleton, etc.) are on the tables improving their game for hours each day. We need our players in America doing the same thing. It used to be the case only two - three years ago that our pros had pool rooms that would hire them as house pros and sponsors that would provide them with the incomes they needed to make a living and cover their travel expenses to tournaments. That is not the case in today's economy. If the pro side of the game in America is to survive these tough times then those of us who proclaim our love of the game must do more than just talk.

The Pro Player Travel Fund offers fans the opportunity to bid on great products that have been donated to the cause by the industry. At the same time they get the satisfaction of knowing that they helped to promote the sport they love. Make no mistake, the American pro game is at a tipping point. If you care which way it goes from here it is time to make an effort.
 
Opening bid has been lowered on both of these items. This is a great chance to pick up an early X-mas gift at a price that can not be beat.

Mike
 
Anybody know somebody that needs some help with Christmas? I will join other AZ'ers in chipping in on one of these auction items to make somebodys Christmas brighter.
 
Jim Kuykendall said:
Jerry, shouldn't the pool pros be self sustaining? With as few tournaments as there are, you would think some could work part time. If being a professional pool player means you can't even earn enough money to compete in any tournament you want, is it really a profession? I love pool and wish there was a viable tour and it was on ESPN every week. Unfortunately that isn't the case. Maybe someday???
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wouldnt that be nice, sadly that all came to a end long ago. And I dont see it comming back anytime soon. In a alturstic world things just work fine-i spelled that wrong for sure but here on earth where there is crime, corruption, govts, inflation, oil barons, labor unions and stock markets things just dont work out so well and your correct in the purest sence of the word "Pro" there really are only a few "Pro" pool players because the rest cant sustain any level of subsistance just by playing pool and endorsments alone, wait, what endorsments??? they dropped 90% of those a couple years ago. Its a shame but thats the way it is. the root of the problem is particiaption in pool, the league player have no concept of pro pool nor care, so pro pool has a very very small following, and that following is in a low income range to boot-no bllod from those rocks. I wish it was otherwise.

with respect

eric P
 
Fatboy said:
wouldnt that be nice, sadly that all came to a end long ago. And I dont see it comming back anytime soon. In a alturstic world things just work fine-i spelled that wrong for sure but here on earth where there is crime, corruption, govts, inflation, oil barons, labor unions and stock markets things just dont work out so well and your correct in the purest sence of the word "Pro" there really are only a few "Pro" pool players because the rest cant sustain any level of subsistance just by playing pool and endorsments alone, wait, what endorsments??? they dropped 90% of those a couple years ago. Its a shame but thats the way it is. the root of the problem is particiaption in pool, the league player have no concept of pro pool nor care, so pro pool has a very very small following, and that following is in a low income range to boot-no bllod from those rocks. I wish it was otherwise.

with respect

eric P
Click to expand...

The problem to me seems so msimple and obvious. There just isn't much audience for pro pool and this makes it so tough to sell to outside the industry sponsors and it is so very obvious to those from within the industry.

That as I see it is the big problem, the solution, I'm not so sure about.

Is TV the answer? Maybe, but who can sell that at this point and time. They aren't exactly motivated about the game either. They haven't been since the days of FATS and MOSCONI>

One other thng that bugs me, is how to make the game more competitive and spread the money around more. That is one that has been argued for many years though.
 
Hey Jerry,

Will these Ebay auctions be held on a regular basis for the Pro Player Travel fund? How else can people contribute to the cause?

Jerry Forsyth said:
The first Pro Player Travel Fund auction is underway at: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=290273099004

We hope that those of you who wish to help AZB promote the American game will go to the Ebay page above and place a bid on the Predator Air Jump cue if you are in the market for such an item. We are getting closer to Christmas so please consider our auction items for gifts. You will be killing two birds with one stone. You can also learn more about the auctions and the Pro Player Travel fund program by following the links on the left side of the AZB home page. Thank you all for your love of the game and the pros who amaze us.
Click to expand...
 
I think the players should all band together and go to Washington and ask Congress for a Billiards Bailout. I mean, if the idiot lenders, banks, auto makers, etc... can ask the government for help then why not pool players?
 
I think the money could spread around more if the all major tournaments were ALL AROUND. Today most of the top players in the states specialize in one game, and that game is 9-ball/10-ball (I know their not the same game...but they are close). I think the live gate at these tournaments would improve with all arounds also. Most fans want to watch their favorite game played. If all were played they would come to see all or the ones that like 1-hole, banks, 14.1 might only come on 14.1 day but their would be more in the seats for the whole tournament and new fans that would become interested in games other than 9-ball and 8-ball.

I've heard that it takes too long to finish an all around tournament. My thoughts on that are let the players start earlier. A lot of the players say that they can't get up early...BS. Don't stay out drinking and gambling all night and you can get up. I use to work 16 hour shifts back to back as a nurse on an Ortho/Neuro floor. Most all the patients had to be lifted in and out of bed. You had to be awake and alert to pass meds and start IV's, and watch the patients for any changes in condition. If $hit happened and my family needed money I worked more overtime or did other work to get by. Almost every person no matter what he or she does has to work more hours than they'd like. If pro pool players want to make it they need to stop this wait for someone to give them a free meal and go out and work for it and help promote pool. Johnnyt
 
I'm considering donating some pool-theme shirts to the auction fund, but I'd like to know how the funds will be distributed. However, I'd REALLY like to have enough sales revenue to co-sponsor some pros. :)
 
Auction frequency, etc.

blueridge said:
Hey Jerry,

Will these Ebay auctions be held on a regular basis for the Pro Player Travel fund? How else can people contribute to the cause?
Click to expand...

Yes, the auctions will run one after the other. You can always get to the latest ones by clicking on the link on the left side of the AZB main page. You can contribute directly to the fund by writing a check made out to: "BCA" with the words "Pro Player Travel Fund" written on the notation line of the check. Send the check to us at:
AZ Billiards
210 Tate Road
Cedartown, GA 30125

We forward the checks once per month to the BCA. They hold the money and then disburse it for us when required. This two-party system provides the checks and balances needed to make everyone comfortable that their funds will not just be scooped.
 
corvette1340 said:
I think the players should all band together and go to Washington and ask Congress for a Billiards Bailout. I mean, if the idiot lenders, banks, auto makers, etc... can ask the government for help then why not pool players?
Click to expand...


i agree, good plan Vette, good to see you back i missed you, i awalys love your humor!:)
 
Jerry Forsyth said:
You can contribute directly to the fund by writing a check made out to: "BCA" with the words "Pro Player Travel Fund" written on the notation line of the check. Send the check to us at:
AZ Billiards
210 Tate Road
Cedartown, GA 30125
Click to expand...

Would this be a tax deductable donation?
 
ironman said:
The problem to me seems so msimple and obvious. There just isn't much audience for pro pool and this makes it so tough to sell to outside the industry sponsors and it is so very obvious to those from within the industry.

That as I see it is the big problem, the solution, I'm not so sure about.

Is TV the answer? Maybe, but who can sell that at this point and time. They aren't exactly motivated about the game either. They haven't been since the days of FATS and MOSCONI>

One other thng that bugs me, is how to make the game more competitive and spread the money around more. That is one that has been argued for many years though.
Click to expand...

Only a small percentage of people enjoy watching two people play a match on TV..........
 
Island Drive said:
Only a small percentage of people enjoy watching two people play a match on TV..........
Click to expand...

I understand and don't argue one little bit. I love the game but get bored watching it pretty quickly myself.

As I said, I don't have a solution so I probably shouldn't have an opinion.
 
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