couple of things
There are a couple of things I'm seeing here that have me bewildered and saddened. First off, there are people out there just ripping the heads off of others because they are happy about what KT is doing with the IPT. I can tell you that in researching KT it's pretty obvious what he's trying to do.
The first thing he's trying to do is give himself a venue that gives him total control on advertising of his book and website. He needs to do this because the FDA is trying to limit his television advertising. He is friends with people in the pool industry and realized that there is a total lack of exploitation. Don't get me wrong I don't mean negative exploitation I mean positive exploitation. There are no popular sports out there that don't have advertising that is outside the scope of the sport. When's the lsat time you watched pool on espn with an advertsisment for toothpaste?
KT realizes that there IS a market out there for that type of adverstising and is probably surprised that there hasn't been an effort to previously capitalize on it. His primary goal is still probably to have a controllable venue for HIS advertising though.
Now the probable benefit to pool and the likely reason for the negativity to KT's approach. First this is only good for the pool world. Yes, it is eight ball, a game pretty much despised by serious pool players, though not a terrible game. The reason for this is pretty plain if you think about it. The majority of people that are NOT in the pool world associate pool/eightball as the same thing. Hell, most people don't even know that eightball is called eightball and just call it pool. IT is THIS crowd that KT is attempting to market to. This is good. It will bring a popularity and a fame to professional pool that has never been there.
The negativity to the approach is also understandable. IT's eightball for crying out loud, they have to change the rules for A- caliber players and above just to make it half way enjoyable, but I don't think that is the main reason for discontinuity between players for and against it. I think it comes down to the establishment. The professional pool establishment is not happy about the possibility of losing their power in regards professional pool. I don't personally see this as being a great liklihood, but who am I?
This power base and type of corruption is exactly what KT fights against, that's what his book is all about. The unwillingness of the FDA and drug companies to give up their profits or power even at the risk to the health of a LOT of people. Yes, he made a buttload of money doing it. So what. I can't believe that someone would use Bill Gates as a model of pilanthropy. What a JOKE. More like a good tax write off.
Anyways, as many people have said, It's time to just wait and see. I wouldn't write off KT though, as a pool player, that's where I'd put my money. Even if there has been someone with the kind of money KT has that has attempted to bolster pro pool, there hasn't been anyone with as well an established marketing ability.
P.S. To anyone who wants to accuse ME of being a KT kiss ass, screw off, I'm just being a realist. IPT ain't going anywhere atleast for the next two years and more than likely it'll be a good thing for the pool community whether it succeeds or not.
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