Here's my offer:

G

Grady

Pro Player
In 1995, Kerry Herbert and I put on a great 14.1 event in Portland, ME, $25,000 added. The then MPBA (Don Mackey) wouldn't let Mike Zuglan play. So kerry and I fixed it where Mike could play, period, even to threatening to not have the tournament if Zuglan wasn't allowed to compete. Where's my help when I need it? Since most seem to think biased invitationals are all right I guess you won't mind my having one. I hereby pledge to stage in the very near future my own $20,000 added 14.1 event. No UPA players or anyone who played in Charlie and Randy's event are allowed. I'll have it at a five star hotel or my friend John's Pool Room in Atlanta, with a $100 entry fee and black tie dress code.
I mean, what would you have me do? I love Straight Pool but the BCA and the Charlie Williams' of the billiard community won't have me or my kind in one of their events.
I promise everyone I hadn't wanted to play hardball but if that's the way it has to be......
 
Grady said:
..I mean, what would you have me do? I love Straight Pool but the BCA and the Charlie Williams' of the billiard community won't have me or my kind in one of their events.
I promise everyone I hadn't wanted to play hardball but if that's the way it has to be......
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Me and my kind made the decision not to go to Louisville this year for a variety of reasons, one of them being not having access to all events.

Funny how it stings like a ***** when the shoe is on the other foot!

JAM
 
JAM said:
Me and my kind made the decision not to go to Louisville this year for a variety of reasons, one of them being not having access to all events.

Funny how it stings like a ***** when the shoe is on the other foot!

JAM
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Which event in Louisville did Keith not have access too? Or am I misunderstanding what you are saying?


Grady, how did you do in the 14.1 event they had at the DCC?
 
Grady:

You have to make sure all of those UPA guys come to play in your event so you can kick their asses... that will validate your argument automatically... Right?

Plus it just sweetens the pot for your kind.
 
Grady sounds great to me, when you are sure on the location please let it be known, Id like to attend..


2wld4u
 
I have no idea what JAM is talking about. You know, all I have to do is ask, if I wish to do a 14.1 event at the DCC.
I hate it when somebody says,"Two wrongs don't make a right." What should we do? Let a Charlie Williams run all over us?
People like me and Mike not getting an invite is criminal, that's all there is to it.
As far as Kevin goes, I wish I could say what he told me but I cannot. But even before that, my wife and I had made our minds up to try to qualify, if we had to, for the IPT.
I herewith call upon Charlie to uninvite himself to things for a while and to resign from any position of influence in our industry. He's a joke.
 
We can all be jealous and envious of Charlie's ability to create the UPA: his, and a select few others, vehicle for pusuing their hobby.

From the pool standpoint, it isn't good for the sport in general, that the "stars" of the UPA get the priviliges they do.

From the 'Imma gonna get mine' standpoint, CW has put in lots of effort to making a market niche his own and deserves congrats for his success.

WTF can one do? Put your own blood/ sweat & tears AND $$$ into, like Grady, AHopkins, BBerhman, etc...only to further the rift? Or sit back and take it? Neither is forward motion for pool.

And I have no answer. Same $hit/ Different Day>>>>
 
Grady as i mentioned before,alot of it is in plain site,pool is gearing towards the young Generation X crowd,new money and market,this age group is more free to spending new money into the market,they want young faces representing the sport,i could be wrong but it wont be the first time.;) As for the event i would love to see it,i am not a Charlie Williams fan but there are alot of top palyers who play excellent straight pool.If you had an open event like you say then you would have to have these guys be apart of some sort of organization otherwise every Joe Blow,myself included,would show up and it would be a joke,you want pros,not a bunch of shortstops.If it was an open event you woud get alot of people to go,so how many people would be too many at a straight pool tournament?Even alot of older events were invitational,i dont believe JC was although and that was perhaps one the greatest events of pool history,and it was people like "your kind".;) I will be looking forward to hearing about an event you are going to organize for 14.1,i think thats the best way,show them how its done,you can boycott the event but the event will still happen anyway.

Lenny
 
Fast Lenny said:
Grady as i mentioned before,alot of it is in plain site,pool is gearing towards the young Generation X crowd,new money and market,this age group is more free to spending new money into the market,they want young faces representing the sport,i could be wrong but it wont be the first time
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You know, Lenny Baby, you and this age thing is something else! :D

Are you saying that because a pool player may be over 40 that he/she is not worthy of marketing? Pool truly isn't a physical sport requiring one to be in tip-top physical shape, i.e., Minnesota Fats. Granted, as one ages, their eyesight may diminish. But IMHO, some people may be worthy of marketing because of their skills set on a field of green and not their sex appeal or physical attractiveness.

Are you from NYC, by any chance?

JAM
 
JAM said:
You know, Lenny Baby, you and this age thing is something else! :D

Are you saying that because a pool player may be over 40 that he/she is not worthy of marketing? Pool truly isn't a physical sport requiring one to be in tip-top physical shape, i.e., Minnesota Fats. Granted, as one ages, their eyesight may diminish. But IMHO, some people may be worthy of marketing because of their skills set on a field of green and not their sex appeal or physical attractiveness.

Are you from NYC, by any chance?

JAM
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Hi JAM,i dont mean to harp on the age thing but alot of people in marketing know the tricks of the trade,they go to college and research stuff like this. Just look at Jennifer Baretta,she has great marketing potential,she can be geared towards the young and old crowd.I think Minnestoa Fats was his own marketing machine,great character,but the only one i can see taking his place is Danny,but he is also young.The older crowd just isnt as free to spending money as the young crowd,alot of pool halls survie off the banger kid crowd. Look at the APA for instance,see there commercials?,20 somethings in bars having a great time.I disagree that you dont need to be in tip top shape,you have to have good health,some guys are so beat up they cant stand on there own 2 feet without someone holding them up,you need to have stamina for those long matches and some guys cant do it.This sport is great,but i believe most players played there best when they were young and healthy,but then again i am just a puppy.;) I think that the guy who plays great should get what is owed to him wiht endorsements but its not the case in the pool world, its sickening the things ive seen and heard,you remember your friend at the Skins who Dawn Hopkins would not let sit with you because he was a big fellow?,then they had a young couple come and sit there,i declined the seating ladies offer because it was wrong,they want the tv to show nice faces,its BS!Look at Allison Fisher,greatest female player ever,but Corr is not too far behind,where are all her endorsements for tv and magazines besides Falcon Cues?,its all cosmetic and sad as you will agree i am sure,pool shouldnt be about window dressing.Oh,and yes i am from NY,very close to the city.:)
 
My thought on the subject is that if some people were not invited to the World Sraight Pool Championship is because they are not up to snuff! If a true World Class player was not invited.. that would be wrong! It also seems that someone has an axe to grind...over what is anyones guess!
 
Fast Lenny said:
...I think that the guy who plays great should get what is owed to him wiht endorsements but its not the case in the pool world, its sickening the things ive seen and heard,you remember your friend at the Skins who Dawn Hopkins would not let sit with you because he was a big fellow?,then they had a young couple come and sit there,i declined the seating ladies offer because it was wrong,they want the tv to show nice faces,its BS!Look at Allison Fisher,greatest female player ever,but Corr is not too far behind,where are all her endorsements for tv and magazines besides Falcon Cues?,its all cosmetic and sad as you will agree i am sure,pool shouldnt be about window dressing.Oh,and yes i am from NY,very close to the city...
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Here's the skinny on the Skins, Lenny. :p

Those front-row booths adjacent to the TV table were reserved for VIP seating. If you look closely at TV events, you'll usually see the sponsors sitting there, the Cuetech lady (don't know her name), the Olhausen gentleman who is currently the president of the BCA, and a few others. Many times, the pool players who are competing in the event will fill up these chairs as well.

Because the location of the Skins venue was switched from the Hilton to the Resorts in Atlantic City, a couple of months earlier, I think the attendance at this Skins did suffer a bit. I met several attendees who said they had gone over to the Hilton, looking for the Skins, and had trouble finding out any info and if the venue had indeed changed.

When Dawn Hopkins and the usher accompanied me to this front-row booth, I did ask the heavyset fellow to join me. He's a friend of Keith and mine from Parsippany, NJ, Comet Billiards to be exact. Apparently, the usher did not realize he was my friend and came up to him and politely asked him to move to another seat. Not wanting to create a hoopla, he just moseyed on up and sat in another seat. He's just that kind of guy.

Now, the reason why the "younger" people eventually sat in that booth is because I invited them to, not because it was thought that youthful faces make for good TV viewing. When I discovered the location of this booth in relation to the ESPN cameras, I immediately elected not to sit there. If you remember, it was exactly behind the players' chairs in the TV pit. I tend to shy away from the camera whenever possible and did not want to be on TV. BTW, the Generation X-ers were Matt Kroh, his girlfriend, and a couple buddies.

JAM
 
Thanks for clearing that up JAM,i just remember being sick to my stomach seeing that guy upset,me and my grilfriend thought it was really wrong.I can understand shying away from the cameras,i opted to sit above your guys table,the one guys moved to,it was a pleasure to see and be so close to Keith, your a lucky lady,he is a character and i enjoyed his comments on the mathces.:) I did also have that problem,i went to the Hilton first and they looked at me like i was nuts,me and my girlfriend already paid for parking and were ready to gamble and then i find out its at Resorts,getting info there was horrific,i waited on a line for 30 minutes just to find out it was in the Star Ballroom,which i shouldve know because i saw Loree Jon and Jeanette Lee do an exhibition there earlier in the year.Well,hopefuly i will see you next year at the Skins,it was fun,so when the next tournament in the tri-state area for you and Keith?,oh and if you dont mind me asking what happened with DCC?

Lenny
 
I remember a tense thread a while back where Grady went off on Jam & Kieth. If my memory serves me well I remember Grady apologizing & stating that he would never post here again! Am I right or wrong here?:eek:
 
Since this is a new match, the two foul rule (actually the 3 foule rule) does not apply. Grady isn't even on one. Scott would rule this way because he is a friend of mine.
JoeyA

Smorgass Bored said:
I believe that anything said previous to Mr. Wilson becoming Moderator was ruled null & void and one must screw up anew for it to now count... I'm afraid that Grady is currently on two fouls and needs to examine ALL options. Where's Scott Smith when you need him ?
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Fast Lenny said:
Grady as i mentioned before,alot of it is in plain site,pool is gearing towards the young Generation X crowd,new money and market,this age group is more free to spending new money into the market,they want young faces representing the sport,i could be wrong but it wont be the first time.;) As for the event i would love to see it,i am not a Charlie Williams fan but there are alot of top palyers who play excellent straight pool.If you had an open event like you say then you would have to have these guys be apart of some sort of organization otherwise every Joe Blow,myself included,would show up and it would be a joke,you want pros,not a bunch of shortstops.If it was an open event you woud get alot of people to go,so how many people would be too many at a straight pool tournament?Even alot of older events were invitational,i dont believe JC was although and that was perhaps one the greatest events of pool history,and it was people like "your kind".;) I will be looking forward to hearing about an event you are going to organize for 14.1,i think thats the best way,show them how its done,you can boycott the event but the event will still happen anyway.

Lenny
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Invitationals are o.k. when they invite the best players, but one simply can't have a Straight Pool Championship without Mike Zuglan. This event discredits itself when it can't make room for players of Zuglan's calibur.

Grady, good luck with your event.

kollegedave
 
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