I don't believe you, Randy

[rossaroni]

I for one don't buy that negative stigma crap. There have been upscale poolrooms in every city for years. And you see pool on TV all the time in commercials and as give away items on game shows. And one thing women's pool on TV has done is make it everyone's game. ESPN does show a lot of pool, even if the shows are poorly produced. Pool has a positive image on television today in this country and the BCA should be capitalizing on that, instead of trying to figure out why no one wants to go to their trade show.

Put pool in the high schools, and all those BCA companies will be very happy campers. This is what we call in poker a "laydown" or a "lock" in pool.

You are right Jay, but i still think there is an underlying stigma amongst the general public. When someone finds out I play pool, they don't ask me if I play a league or shot for fun. the first thing they say 95% of the time is, "oh your a hustler", or something about gambling. Like I said, you are right about pool being showed on T.V. quite a bit. There are upscale pool rooms all over the place, but there are also seedier pool rooms too. Just like any thing in life, there are good and bad in anything. Its just that the public seems to look at pool negative sometime. The two big pool movies didn't focus on league and tournament players after all.

 

[MisterBanker]

This won't work. Not that I don't think that your ideas don't have merit, but here is the flaw in the thinking:

You can't give the same amount of points out for 1P, 14.1 and Banks becuase of the depth of the fields. To win points at 9-ball, you may be on a board of 64 players or more in a tourney. You won't have nearly that same turnout for the other games, so I'd have to argue against that due to depth of field. It also appears that you're trying to stack the deck in your favour by giving equal points to games you know that you can compete at, because you know the young guys are passing you at 9-ball (again, no insult intended).

How can you be so sure that there wouldn't be as large a turnout for the other games that there would be for 9-ball? The Banks and One-Pocket tournaments at Derby City both draw more players than the 9-ball does. Buddy Hall has said that he is considering starting a Bank Pool tour "because every bank tournament always fills up" or words to that effect.

 

[watchez]

I think the reason you brought up One Pocket was just to annoy me. Let's see if you're serious and really a lover of the cue sports. First of all, forget the invitationals. Do you think I'd tell a Keith he couldn't play in an event.
If you put up $20,000 for One Pocket, I'll raise that much and we'll have a $30,000 added One Pocket World Championship. I'll find the site and make the arrangements and I'll get Accu-stats to come.
Again, no quality player should ever have to sit at home while lesser individuals play in events. Although if you do decide to do an invitational, against my solid advice I don't to see how anybody can justify Charlie being invited. Politics just shouldn't play a role in pool.

I know I have had a long day at work but---If Randy puts up $20k and Grady raises $20k then how is the One Pocket World Championship a $30k added event? Did Grady quickly just pocket $10k or has Kevin Trudeau got ahold of his password here on AZ?

 

[Williebetmore]

I know I have had a long day at work but---If Randy puts up $20k and Grady raises $20k then how is the One Pocket World Championship a $30k added event? Did Grady quickly just pocket $10k or has Kevin Trudeau got ahold of his password here on AZ?

Watchez,
There could possibly be a few expenses in setting up such an event.

P.S. - I and a couple of friends will be at the Billiard Bullpen Sept. 28th, 29th, & 30th; I hope you can drop by.

 

[dimes33]

I know I have had a long day at work but---If Randy puts up $20k and Grady raises $20k then how is the One Pocket World Championship a $30k added event? Did Grady quickly just pocket $10k or has Kevin Trudeau got ahold of his password here on AZ?

lol,i think the 10k would be for something else but that would be a good move huh?

 

[Mark Griffin]

US Open One Pocket etc.

Hey everyone;

I really would appreciate a HUGE (World's) One Pocket event just like everyone else.

But, please remember the US Open One Pocket event coming up that is part of the Qlympics. November 1-18, 2007 in Louisville, Ky. http://www.playbca.com/Default.aspx?tabid=246

All 4 of the US OPEN events are OPEN!!!!!!! There is a total of $20,000 to $64,000 added (depending on the field). 14.1/10 Ball/ Full Rack Banks.

ACCU-STATS will be there. I would hope everyone would come out a support an event that is actually scheduled. I would also support a future event like is being discussed.

I know Grady is planning on attending - as well as many other known players.

All I want ot do is to not let my event get lost in the talk of a future event. This is happening.

Mark Griffin
BCAPL
www.playbca.com

 

[jgpool]

Issues - A little long

The Issues with Pool
IMO: There are three issues with the pool industry.
1): Men?s Basketball has the NCAA and NBA, Baseball has the NCAA and the MLB, Football has the BCS and the NFL, Hockey has the NCAA and the NHL, Women?s Basketball has the NCAA and the WNBA and all these industries are all successful. What is missing in pool is a ?controlling authority?. (you NPR guys leave this alone!) There have been many that have tried to focus attention onto the pool world. Only a few have been successful. Fatty did it and now it seems the ladies are accomplishing it. This is all food for thought. I hope you give it some credible consideration.
2): There are too many games and I think this is the most complicated issue with pool. You have 9-ball, 8-ball, 1p, 14-1, banks. If you want to crown a pool champion you should either have to pick one venue that is the focal point which I think has been proven not to be the answer or figure out a way to have all of these games included in the tournament or tour?s format.
3): HIGH SCHOOL--- This is great place to start. Someone in a prior post had a very good point. Take one classroom and put in a table or two and have teams. Very low cost to the school. No shoulder pads or goalie pads or a basketball court or football field to buy and/or maintain. Just a room with a table. The kids could get their own sticks or start them with house cues like some of us did. The game will intrigue them. This could extend to the home. I would rather teach my child to draw the cue ball in my house than to try to teach them that they are hanging around with the wrong crowd. Family time together is quality life time.
JMO:
I have more thought buts I don?t have any more COORS. So I?m signing off. Pool deserves to be embraced like I embrace it and I think every one of you embrace it also.

 

[Fatboy]

HEAR HEAR for Betmore! I've been saying this for years. POOL should be a high school sport. The BCA has put all their efforts into making it an Olympic sport for many years with no results.

Kids love pool. It's that simple. And it is an easy sport to fund. Put a couple of tables in one empty classroom and you have your playing field. No expensive equipment for the players either. They can wear street clothes and play with inexpensive cues that they furnish themself, just like on the golf and tennis teams. Four to six players on a team is fine.

I've only heard of this in Pennslvania (thanks to the Birbeck twins) and in Texas and in Sacramento thanks to Bart Mahoney. We should have high school Pool all over the USA. Then the sport would enjoy it's next big boom. HELLO BCA!!!

we had pool tables at my highschool. the worst tables ever but you know what they were awalys busy. too bad they were in the Physical Education dept for hadnicapped kids, i faked a foot problem so I could play instead or being in regular PE playing other sports I didnt like, and Gods honest truth we played of $$$ sometimes-more often than not, we didnt get caught.

John Schmit made a post here about kids too and he is 100% right.

Grady nice thread, now your pushing some balls to your side of the table(in other words using the internet to support you and not piss people off-even if your right about something, arguing on the internet everyone loses)-your a HUGE assett to pool, keep working on your internet persona and it will benefit you more than you caold ever imagine, promote things, tell stories of the past, give your fans what they want, we have met and spoke many times back in 92 or 93 in Vegas. I'm on your team, i hope you read my other posts about using this site to serve you-you have the nuts if you play it right, best of luck.

 

[firehawk062]

Does anyone know of or where to find how many colleges and the names of which that have pool as a collegiate sport? I would appreciate this info.



Gary

FSU has a pool team

 

[watchez]

Watchez,
There could possibly be a few expenses in setting up such an event.

P.S. - I and a couple of friends will be at the Billiard Bullpen Sept. 28th, 29th, & 30th; I hope you can drop by.

And there could possibly be a few profits in holding such an event. Grady really need to take 50% of what he rustles up to run it? That is the difference between him & Randy. Randy says he will have a $20K added tournament. Grady says he will take Randy's $20k, drum up $20k himself from people he knows, and then use $10k to hold/run the event. I am sure when Randy said that he would have a $20k added event, that he was also expecting that he would have to come out of pocket to hold the event itself.

Grady doesn't believe Randy????? I am not so sure that I believe him.

P.S. - I will make it by the say hello. Haven't hit a ball since May and weekends are busy for me. Probably Friday night would be best.

 

[watchez]

Largest pool room in STL is at a high school. Over 60 tables in the basement. At one time, I heard they had close to 100.

I know community colleges have billiard classes.

My buddy, Lars Vardaman is 3-time NCAA champion, so yes it is part of the NCAA.

 

[punter]

And there could possibly be a few profits in holding such an event. Grady really need to take 50% of what he rustles up to run it? That is the difference between him & Randy. Randy says he will have a $20K added tournament. Grady says he will take Randy's $20k, drum up $20k himself from people he knows, and then use $10k to hold/run the event. I am sure when Randy said that he would have a $20k added event, that he was also expecting that he would have to come out of pocket to hold the event itself.

Grady doesn't believe Randy????? I am not so sure that I believe him.

P.S. - I will make it by the say hello. Haven't hit a ball since May and weekends are busy for me. Probably Friday night would be best.

20 k out of RG pocket, 20k out of Grady's pocket. 30k of this added to purse. Obviously 10k used to run tournament. And from this you conclude Grady is dishonest?

 

[watchez]

.....what is the internet name for a person that follows you around & replies in contradiction to every post you make? I know they have a name for it. Right now, all I can think to call it is - punter.

 

[Bob Jewett]

Largest pool room in STL is at a high school. Over 60 tables in the basement. At one time, I heard they had close to 100.

I know community colleges have billiard classes.

My buddy, Lars Vardaman is 3-time NCAA champion, so yes it is part of the NCAA.

I think that's ACU-I, not NCAA. To the best of my knowledge, the NCAA has never recognized or supported any pool, carom or snooker competitions.

The ACU-I is the Association of College Unions -- International. They conduct competitions in various sports and games that are not covered by the NCAA. They have a web site at http://www.acui.org/

 

[punter]

.....what is the internet name for a person that follows you around & replies in contradiction to every post you make? I know they have a name for it. Right now, all I can think to call it is - punter.

A little sensitive there aren't you? I think I have replied to a grand total of two of your posts.

 

[memikey]

Surprised that no-one has so far expressed the observation that the title chosen for the thread was "I don't believe you Randy" which to anyone other than the terminally wide-eyed and optimistic must surely mean that he doesn't believe Randy's repeated explanations that it wasn't his own decision not to invite him. Therefore it might as well have been titled "I think you're a liar Randy". If the thread title wasn't intended to convey that sentiment what the heck else can it possibly mean?

Speaking objectively, unless the poster concerned is to written communication skills what Pavarotti was to dietary advice and pole vaulting techniques, is it likely that the content of a post titled and addressed in that way (from any AZB poster at all irrespective of who it is) contains a serious attempt at some kind of an olive branch or a sincere gesture towards co-funding a tournament with another AZB poster?


Sorry for the cynicism, school of hard knocks and all that.......absolutely delighted if it transpires wrong to have been cynical. The venture indeed certainly sounds like a great idea and both should be commended if it comes off

 

[punter]

My take

Surprised that no-one has so far expressed the observation that the title chosen for the thread was "I don't believe you Randy" which to anyone other than the terminally wide-eyed and optimistic must surely mean that he doesn't believe Randy's repeated explanations that it wasn't his own decision not to invite him. Therefore it might as well have been titled "I think you're a liar Randy". If the thread title wasn't intended to convey that sentiment what the heck else can it possibly mean?

Speaking objectively, unless the poster concerned is to written communication skills what Pavarotti was to dietary advice and pole vaulting techniques, is it likely that the content of a post titled and addressed in that way (from any AZB poster at all irrespective of who it is) contains a serious attempt at some kind of an olive branch or a sincere gesture towards co-funding a tournament with another AZB poster?


Sorry for the cynicism, school of hard knocks and all that.......absolutely delighted if it transpires wrong to have been cynical and the venture indeed sounds like a great idea

My take on Grady's title was that he didn't believe RG was serious about starting a one-pocket tournament, and instead wrote his thread as a way to goad Grady.

 

[memikey]

Good point punter, yep that could well be all there is to it.....still means "you're a liar" in any other words though, so the second para still holds good

However, there's also perhaps too many references to "invitationals" for the door to be completely closed on any other interpretation.

Your answer is one reason why it's always good to look for how others read things, thanks.

 

[JimS]

Good point punter, yep that could well be all there is to it.....still means "you're a liar" in any other words though, so the second para still holds good

However, there's also perhaps too many references to "invitationals" for the door to be completely closed on any other interpretation.

Your answer is one reason why it's always good to look for how others read things, thanks.

Other posters took this thread to a postive and perhaps useful direction. What do you intend to be the direction of your contribution?

 

[memikey]

Other posters took this thread to a postive and perhaps useful direction. What do you intend to be the direction of your contribution?

Read the thread again, not all of the posters contributed positively, far from it, so spare me the selective holier than thou lecture. There is absolutely nothing in this thread YET to indicate that the first post wasn't just a 'goad' or just one more thread in the previous combative vein, nor is there any evidence YET that the first post was even taken in a positive manner by its targeted recipient.

These two gentlemen may or may not have in the meantime kissed and made up but on the other hand, for all anyone knows, they may instead be exchanging PM's right now of a nature that has more to do with pistols at dawn than jointly running/funding an event, so perhaps readers shouldn't get too excited about it until they clarify, that's all I meant

The kids/schools/colleges etc comments by John S are of course good ones but actually have precious little to do with the above and may merit their own stand alone discussion. Can't imagine anyone, least of all me, being anything other than supportive or positive on that subject. Hope this is now clear and in specific answer to your question rest assured I won't be posting again in this thread.