Here's my solution to UPA and Charlie

G

Grady

Pro Player
I'm going to start small, with Bank Pool, One Pocket, Senior and 14.1 events. Players will have to sign an agreement to not play in any of those disciplines put on by the UPA or the WPA. I have catchy names and promotional plans to really bring these great games to the fore.
When it comes time for me to retire, I hope I can do so gracefully but I refuse to allow the likes of a Charlie Williams or a UPA to dictate anything to me. I'm not going to bother to answer Blackjack's explanation. I could but it would get me even more heat but I suspect that most of what he said is true.
Rather why don't I start my own assn., for seniors, One Pocket and Bank Pool players? I repeat that I offered to consider sanctioning my events with the UPA, with only one small proviso: that Bank Pool, One Pocket and 14.1 get the same ratings points as 9 Ball.
You young good players better wise up. How many invites do you think you'll get at the hands of Hopkins, Braun, Hearns and Williams? Just think about it. If you come and play in my tournaments you won't need an invitation and I'll treat you like a star.
Look for my ads for impending , wonderful things.
 
Grady said:
I'm going to start small, with Bank Pool, One Pocket, Senior and 14.1 events. Players will have to sign an agreement to not play in any of those disciplines put on by the UPA or the WPA. I have catchy names and promotional plans to really bring these great games to the fore.
When it comes time for me to retire, I hope I can do so gracefully but I refuse to allow the likes of a Charlie Williams or a UPA to dictate anything to me. I'm not going to bother to answer Blackjack's explanation. I could but it would get me even more heat but I suspect that most of what he said is true.
Rather why don't I start my own assn., for seniors, One Pocket and Bank Pool players? I repeat that I offered to consider sanctioning my events with the UPA, with only one small proviso: that Bank Pool, One Pocket and 14.1 get the same ratings points as 9 Ball.
You young good players better wise up. How many invites do you think you'll get at the hands of Hopkins, Braun, Hearns and Williams? Just think about it. If you come and play in my tournaments you won't need an invitation and I'll treat you like a star.
Look for my ads for impending , wonderful things.
Click to expand...

That's great news, Grady. And we're hoping the opening of your new room will also start a great and wonderful time in your life. You deserve some peace and we offer you all the best wishes for your future.
 
Best of luck!

Best of luck with your new enterprises Grady!

I'll see you in the Seniors before too long.

Hu
 
Go for it!!

You don't know me but I remember you when you were in Colo Springs. Competition and a better product usually wins in all platforms. Treat the pool players the way you want to be treated and then go one step further and you should have a winner. That's what I always tried to do in the tournaments that I ran. You obiviously have a following on this forum. They should be able to supply some support. Go for it!! :D :D
 
Grady said:
Players will have to sign an agreement to not play in any of those disciplines put on by the UPA or the WPA.
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What is the point of blocking players from compete in WPA-events???

Because you aren't invited to the World 14-1 Championship Thorsten Hohmann can't compete in your events if he doesn't sign an agreement to not play in WPA-tournaments like the World 14-1 Championship.

This is just stupid, and I really hope you don't succeed with it.

If the poolworld is going to succeed we, the poolplayers, need to work together!

The poolworld seems to never learn...
 
Correction

I made a mistake. I meant only One Pocket and Bank Pool. By the way, this august board doesn't know that about 3 years ago the UPA promised me they'd only do 9 Ball.
 
What I can see from UPA's homepage they are only doing 9-ball tournaments.

If you are thinking about the World 14-1 Championship as an UPA-event, that is clearly a mistake. That is a tournament organized and promoted by Dragon Promotions, sanctioned by the WPA.

Anyway, back to blocking players from competing in events. I still don't get it. EDITED: What is the purpose of blocking players? If you can guarantee that players can make a living of pool by just playing your events I can understand it, but not agree, but as long as there are so few monies involved in pool I feel it's wrong for one promoter to block players on their tour from competing in other tournaments. The poolplayers loves to compete, and we want to compete in as many tournaments as possible, to make the profit as high as possible. Why take this oppurtunity away from the poolplayers, just because you have problems with some organization? If your tournaments will be the best, then don't worry about where the players loyalty will be. They will then join your tournaments, but please let them also join other tournaments... JMHO

Derby City Classic is sanctioned by the WPA, and is now an official WPA-tournament. Will "your" players, including yourselves, not join the DCC in 2008?
http://www.epbf.com/sportsite/Sportcalendar2007.htm, here's the link of EPBF Sportscalender. All tournaments here are sanctioned by EPBF/WPA
 
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Good Luck Grady, pool certainly needs something changed, and you may just be that change. I wish you Randi the best!!!!!!!

Have a good night!!!!
 
Roy Steffensen said:
What is the point of blocking players from compete in WPA-events???

This is just stupid, and I really hope you don't succeed with it.

If the poolworld is going to succeed we, the poolplayers, need to work together!

The poolworld seems to never learn...
Click to expand...

RS,
I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one. If the UPA is the competition; then a new and competing organization should have no part of it or it's players. Supporting those players only further supports the UPA whose lack of "fairness" seems obvious.

In addition, supporting such an organization may be "bad for pool." There are 2 types of promoters in pool - those that try to maximize payment and opportunities for players first and themselves second; and those that try to maximize payment and opportunities for themselves first and the players secondarily. It is obvious that Grady is one of the former; and my only criticism of the UPA is that they seem obviously the latter.

I do not agree that we need to support ALL pool ventures - I prefer to lend my support to promoters who endorse the philosophy that Grady embodies. Players can choose their "horse". Using your philosophy of "all together", Don Mackey would still be in charge of American pool.
 
Williebetmore said:
RS,
I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one. If the UPA is the competition; then a new and competing organization should have no part of it or it's players. Supporting those players only further supports the UPA whose lack of "fairness" seems obvious.

In addition, supporting such an organization may be "bad for pool." There are 2 types of promoters in pool - those that try to maximize payment and opportunities for players first and themselves second; and those that try to maximize payment and opportunities for themselves first and the players secondarily. It is obvious that Grady is one of the former; and my only criticism of the UPA is that they seem obviously the latter.

I do not agree that we need to support ALL pool ventures - I prefer to lend my support to promoters who endorse the philosophy that Grady embodies. Players can choose their "horse". Using your philosophy of "all together", Don Mackey would still be in charge of American pool.
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If that is the case, then players should go wherever they can maximize their profit, which means the competitive players will play where they can play in the most tournaments, without restrictions.

Therefore, the organization having the restrictions will most likely become a "minor" league catering to the players that will not be competitive in the "major" leagues.

JMO.
 
Grady,

All of this inside baseball about the promotion and sanctioning of tournaments is a little over my head, but I'm for anybody wanting to promote more tournaments in alternative games like One Pocket, 14.1 and Banks. Good luck
 
Just to clarify one thing: I respect Grady for putting up and promoting tournaments in banks, 14-1 and especially one pocket!

What I don't understand is why he needs to block players from competing in UPA or WPA events.

If I make an European version of Derby City Classic, I will get it sanctioned by the WPA. According to Grady's rules his players then can't compete in my tournament.

I find the blocking-rule pretty stupid, but not his actions in promoting and organizing the tournaments.
 
Looking forward to you making it come true Grady. I think your heart is in the right place.
 
hay grady i've always been a fan of your commentary. i'd like to see you in more events. i haven't been following your threads. are you saying that you weren't allowed to play in the us open because of your age?
 
Roy,

I have known Grady a long time and I can tell you this. If you simply talk to him then he will go out of his way to accomodate you. You needen't have any worries about conflicting with him as long as you communicate.

As for the sanctioning - you can't play in this or that - well it's obviously predicated on the animosity that exists. It did not work for the UPA and will not work for Grady. He will see that by simply putting on better events the players will support him.
 
Williebetmore said:
RS,
I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one. If the UPA is the competition; then a new and competing organization should have no part of it or it's players. Supporting those players only further supports the UPA whose lack of "fairness" seems obvious.

In addition, supporting such an organization may be "bad for pool." There are 2 types of promoters in pool - those that try to maximize payment and opportunities for players first and themselves second; and those that try to maximize payment and opportunities for themselves first and the players secondarily. It is obvious that Grady is one of the former; and my only criticism of the UPA is that they seem obviously the latter.

I do not agree that we need to support ALL pool ventures - I prefer to lend my support to promoters who endorse the philosophy that Grady embodies. Players can choose their "horse". Using your philosophy of "all together", Don Mackey would still be in charge of American pool.
Click to expand...

In my opinion, many of the existing tours keep money for themselves - whether this is a few dollars here or there or a substantial amount, either way, very few put all monies into the pot for the players - this on a professional and regional level, and how can many events being available to the players not be a great thing for the sport. I do not see how you can say the UPA and Grady would be competing if the UPA is only putting on 9-ball events and Grady is providing another outlet of games. Now, I am curious to know what events he has put together over the past few years after reading this and the other thread - I have seen him discussing wanting to pull together events, but that was as far as I got with it.

P.S. let me be clear here so that I don't get hammered by people - I don't know Grady other than the stories he provides on the forums and the fact that he has always been a fixture in the sport. The rants that I have seen here on AZ are enough to make me wonder what it was that got him all hot under the collar. That is the extent of my interest.
 
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I will support you Grady in any way that I can.
All you have to do is ask.
That's how much respect I have for you and the diciplines you represent.
As for the UPA. It is the only organization recognized for US rankings and invitations like the Mosconi Cup , World 9-ball Championships , etc.
I do not think that the Top Ranked Pro's will abandone that since we have a great deal of SPONSORS that need us to get exposure through tournaments and TV.
To some of us the only drive is to be the #1 ranked player in the country.(fame and glory)
To others its money.
I'm not saying work together with the UPA and DP. I'm saying be the bigger man that I know you are and LEAD by example.
The whole sport will benefit and you'll have this to add to your legacy !!!

Sincerely your freind,
Shawn Putnam
 
9balllvr said:
Now, I am curious to know what events he has put together over the past few years after reading this and the other thread - I have seen him discussing wanting to pull together events, but that was as far as I got with it...That is the extent of my interest.
Click to expand...


1983 All Around Pocket Billiards Open, (Tampa, Florida)
1985 Motor City Open, (Detroit, Michigan)
1990 and 1991, Legends of One-Pocket Championship, (Columbia, South Carolina)
1991 Legends of One-Pocket Championship, (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
1993 Legends of One-Pocket Championship, (Reno, Nevada)
1994 Legends of One-Pocket Championship, (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
1995 The Maine Event 14.1 Championship, (Portland, Maine)
1995 Legends of One-Pocket Championship, (Olathe, Kansas)
1995 Back Pocket Nine-Ball Open, (Hampton, Virginia)
1998 Legends of One-Pocket Championship, (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
1999 World One-pocket Championship, (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
1999 Seniors Nine-ball Championship, (Portland, Maine)
2000 World One-Pocket Championship, (Portland, Maine)
2003 Seniors Nine-ball Championship, (Naples, Florida)
2004 Gulf Coast Classic, (Gulfport, Mississippi)

And there's a few missing, but here's some of the tournament Grady Mathews has promoted and produced.

JAM
 
Grady said:
I'm going to start small, with Bank Pool, One Pocket, Senior and 14.1 events. Players will have to sign an agreement to not play in any of those disciplines put on by the UPA or the WPA. I have catchy names and promotional plans to really bring these great games to the fore.
When it comes time for me to retire, I hope I can do so gracefully but I refuse to allow the likes of a Charlie Williams or a UPA to dictate anything to me. I'm not going to bother to answer Blackjack's explanation. I could but it would get me even more heat but I suspect that most of what he said is true.
Rather why don't I start my own assn., for seniors, One Pocket and Bank Pool players? I repeat that I offered to consider sanctioning my events with the UPA, with only one small proviso: that Bank Pool, One Pocket and 14.1 get the same ratings points as 9 Ball.
You young good players better wise up. How many invites do you think you'll get at the hands of Hopkins, Braun, Hearns and Williams? Just think about it. If you come and play in my tournaments you won't need an invitation and I'll treat you like a star.
Look for my ads for impending , wonderful things.
Click to expand...

Personally, Grady, I would enjoy seeing in the future an All American Open, you know, a nationality-restricted tournament like they do in Europe, England, Asia, Thailand, Phillipines, and everywhere else in the world, except here.

JAM
 
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