Eydie Romano said:
Here are some interesting quotes from Deno in the latest issue of
Inside Pool...
"Everything is first class and the players know it. For example, we
start our matches on time. That sounds like a small thing, but most tournaments are run sort of willy-nilly. We also pay our players on time.
Many players tell me that they are still owed money from promoters.
That will never happen here. We just don't operate that way."
Well, let's be generous and say that Deno may have been mistaken. He was right about one thing, though. No pool organization has ever operated the way the IPT has. Thank heaven for that!
Those who would suggest that the PBT was even nearly as secretive on the matter of outstanding payments in its dark days are just kidding themselves.
Relating a personal experience, I sponsored a PBT professional player for several years in the mid to late 1990's. Our deal was that I picked up all expenses and give him a per diem in exchange for an agreed-to percentage of each of his prize checks. After each tournament in which he cashed, he'd sign over his prize check to me and I'd write him a check for his share of the winnings. Simple enough, until one of the checks from the PBT bounced, a check for $7,200! Still, I had no problem in following up with the PBT office. I spoke with Diane Mackey (Don's wife) a few times a week and she was honest with me, indicating that the prize fund hadn't yet been fully funded and that there would be no point in redepositing the prize check. Disappointing, but accurate. Sure enough, the day arrived when I was told that the prize fund would be fully funded by the next Monday. I redeposited the check on Monday, and, sure enough, it cleared. I know I was fortunate, but the fact was that the PBT office had been honest with me and accessible to me made the experience of waiting far less painful.
In contrast, the IPT just keeps lying to the players, telling them at players meetings when and how they will be paid and then not being as good as its word. In addition, player attempts to reach the IPT to find out the status of outstanding payments have been generally fruitless.
Even if the IPT ends up paying the players in full, it has behaved with operational ineptitude and a truly disgraceful lack of compassion for the players. Unfortunately, at the IPT, they actually
DO operate that way!
In truth, however, despite carrying the title of Chief Operating Officer of the IPT, Deno is powerless to make payments if the IPT has insufficient capital to cover them, and that would certainly appear to be the case, though nobody knows for sure. Deno took on this role hoping to be part of something special, and perhaps the IPT will be special, but if it isn't Deno is a victim, one of many that put his faith in the wrong pool organization.
I don't doubt for a moment that when Deno made the claim the the IPT pays the players prompltly, he believed it to be true. He gets a free pass, at least from me, on this occasion, and has my wishes that things turn around at the IPT.
