FLICKit said:This is a concept that Teacherman will not be able to grasp, so expect a bashing response here...
It's makes perfect dollars and "sense" to me that league, amateur, and social shooters are in the majority of the pool-playing public.
Hopefully, the Hilton-sponsored NAOT will reap some benefit from hosting an amateur event in the future. The first two stops on this tour, which were both sanctioned by the men's professional organization and attended by "touring pros" and a few "independents", were not money-makers. I spoke to a couple of folks who went to the Pittsburgh Hilton, and they said the attendance by spectators was very, very low. This is a sad fact in today's pool world, at least as it pertains to men's professional pool.
Until the organizations "fix" the problem of the extraordinary expenses of attending 4-, 5-, and 6-day events, the dilemma of low turnouts will grow, to include the players themselves. It is a financial burden on an aspiring pool player to compete in these sanctioned events, tournaments which are stretched out for 4 and 5 days and could have been held in 2 days quite easily.
The governing bodies of professional pool need to address this financial burden experienced by "pro" players, rather than continuing on their merry way with a select few. The lady players I have spoken to seem to like the WPBA and want to continue their quest to be all that they can be. I have spoken to MANY previous "touring pros" who have given up on starting at the bottom of the charts each and every time, while a select few get seeds and byes because of a faulty ranking system.
One current unnamed touring pro chuckles when he is reminded of his spot at the BCA Open this coming May. He will get to compete because of his attendance last year at the BCA Open in which he received ranking points, one of 32 American players, enabling him to stay at the top of the heap. It's quite easy to do when the BCA Open represents one-sixth of the whole tour.
Real nice deal, huh!
JAM