IPT - Are you Black, White or GREY?

[TheOne]

I think many many posters like myself think that the IPT for the most part is good for pool. Finally somebody with some business sence and marketing expertise has come into pool and has given a lot of players hope. The events they have ran so far from what I have been told are fantastic, their website IMO has been their biggest success, and of course the promised money has never been seen before in pool.

However, too often on this forum we see posters grouped as either pro or anti IPT. Personally I think the IPT have made mistakes but many times they have fixed them. I am concerned about some of the decissions the IPT have made like many because I want them to succeed long term.

I would be intereseted to know where others stand?

 

[Icon of Sin]

Definately Grey for me. I dont like the rules they use (banning non leather tips and jump cues, no breaking from the side, decision to use slow cloth) but I would like to see it succeed and draw the attention of non pool players and pool players alike.

Overall I like the show, minus the redunacy of the commentators.

 

[Craig Fales]

I went grey too...it's too early to tell if this will be a flash in the pan...I would like to see it succeed....
________

 

[RunArak]

I would too LOVE to see it succeed. I am a skeptic but really do wish it much success. Only time will tell.. I try to ignore the rumors and take the comments from the naysayers with a grain of salt.
Let's get through 2006 and see where the IPT stands at that point. Hopefully, it will bring pool to an entirely new level.

Joe

 

[ScottW]

^^^ What RunArak said. Pretty much sums up my stance. Hopeful, but cautious.

 

[DaveK]

Hey, how come jake got to vote three times ?

Dave

 

[Cameron Smith]

I am watching with bated breath. I guess for me all of this seems too good to be true. But I have my fingers crossed.

That said I am playing more 8 ball now. Instead 10 minutes of 8 ball practice I have upped it to a whopping 30 minutes.

 

[Rich R.]

I had to vote "Grey"

I would love to see the IPT succeed and stay in business for may years to come.

Unlike others, I believe, since they have the money, they can make up and play by any rules that they want. After all, everyone in the IPT will be playing be the same set of rules, so it shouldn't make a difference.

My biggest gripe about the IPT is the way they tried to steamroll other established tournaments. In the future, I hope they will coordinate their dates and avoid conflicts with other major tournaments instead of forcing the other promoters to scramble and change their dates.

 

[TheOne]

Well isn't that amazing, the biggest category is the one that is most often missed when stereo typing peoples opinions about the IPT. Anyone that has read the forums in recent months would have swore blind that black and white would have got the lions share of the votes! But alas we have no anti IPTers (although I'm sure theres a few out there) and we only have Jakes multiple votes in the IPT can do no wrong white section (joke!)

We may not all agree on the mistakes that the IPT have made but we seem united in not only that it has made mistakes but also in the hope that it succeeds.

I for one hope more people can and will discuss what they would like to change without fear of being labelled an IPT hater or worrying about causing KT to ride off into the sunset with his millions. Im convinced it can only help improve the current situation for ALL pool players.

 

[unknownpro]

I think many many posters like myself think that the IPT for the most part is good for pool. Finally somebody with some business sence and marketing expertise has come into pool and has given a lot of players hope. The events they have ran so far from what I have been told are fantastic, their website IMO has been their biggest success, and of course the promised money has never been seen before in pool.

However, too often on this forum we see posters grouped as either pro or anti IPT. Personally I think the IPT have made mistakes but many times they have fixed them. I am concerned about some of the decissions the IPT have made like many because I want them to succeed long term.

I would be intereseted to know where others stand?

The loneliest number has forced me to really think about this question and I have just cast the first "fail" vote. The reason being of course that I was left out, lol! But even if I wasn't, I'd have to vote the same way. I think Kevin Trudeau may have good intentions for the future of pool, but he is also trying to make money.

Why should any pro sport be run by a corporation or person that "owns" the sport? The players should take control and run open tours and tournaments. If any sport should be open to everyone it is pool.

I'm not saying there won't be good to come out of it. Hopefully a lot of pool players will make a lot of money. Good luck to all of you who participate.

A lot of rooms, corporations, movies, advertising agencies, ESPN and the BCA have made a lot of money on pool over the years. The BCA doesn't seem to be interested in men's professional pool, ESPN doesn't care how stupid they make it as long as they can keep repeating shows, advertisers for non-pool products don't feature pro players, the movies aren't about real people, and the rooms are making so much money they can't afford to have a tournament. So all we have are a few table and cue manufacturers trying to keep something going.

I hope when the first hundred or so players become millionaires it will be of more help to the sad state of pocket billiards. But take the Challenge of Champions or Sudden Death 7-Ball for an example. Good or bad? Good because 1 of the chosen 8 makes 50 grand. Very bad because it gives ESPN a chance to show another crappy show the next 10 years, and that $50,000 could have helped sponsor a real tournament on a real tour which possibly could have been shown live on some other freakin channel.

I think I'm going to call Bill Gates and see if he'd like to invest a little in a pool tour with the Boys and Girls clubs as a charity. He should do it just for making us use these piece of crap computers. Had to scratch Ken Lay and Bernie Ebbers off the list...

unknownpro

 

[Koop]

Hey, why is Black negative and white positive. (humor meant)
Just like poolplayers, all the balls go down and nothing left but the whitey standing. This is what's so great about bowling, the big black ball goes down and knocks all them white pins to kingdom come...

Koop - half-witted attempt at humor and taken from a funny comedian (just can't remember who?)

 

[JAM]

The loneliest number has forced me to really think about this question and I have just cast the first "fail" vote....Why should any pro sport be run by a corporation or person that "owns" the sport? The players should take control and run open tours and tournaments. If any sport should be open to everyone it is pool....

Well, first and foremost, Happy 4th of July, Unknownpro!

In the history of pool in these United States, players have taken control and run open tours and tournament, with the end result sometimes unsatisfactory AND for a variety of reasons, GREED being one of them and FAVORITISM being another.

...and the rooms are making so much money they can't afford to have a tournament. So all we have are a few table and cue manufacturers trying to keep something going.

I agree that history has shown that pool is sponsored from those within its culture, to include cue manufacturers and other pool industry members.

I do not think that the pool rooms, though, are making so much money that they can't afford to have a tournament. The economy has been cruel to pool rooms, and the smoking bans, though enjoyed immensely by the non-smokers, has definitely hurt business. Pool rooms in my neck of the woods survive on the LEAGUE players, not the pro tournaments or regional tours.

I hope when the first hundred or so players become millionaires it will be of more help to the sad state of pocket billiards. But take the Challenge of Champions or Sudden Death 7-Ball for an example. Good or bad? Good because 1 of the chosen 8 makes 50 grand. Very bad because it gives ESPN a chance to show another crappy show the next 10 years, and that $50,000 could have helped sponsor a real tournament on a real tour which possibly could have been shown live on some other freakin channel.

I think the Challenge of Champions, Sudden Death 7-Ball, Skins Billiards Tournament, and the Texas Hold'em Billiards Championship, all products of Allen Hopkins and Matt Braun either collectively or individually, are very innovative and have contributed to pool having at least a presence on TV, though ESPN, I will agree with you, puts pool on the very back burner.

How about that launch today of the STS-121 Space Shuttle?! What a great feat to have this happen on the Nation's birthday. I think I read somewhere a long time ago that astronauts play pool when preparing to go into space, to keep their hand-and-eye coordination intact.

JAM

 

[Timberly]

Why should any pro sport be run by a corporation or person that "owns" the sport? The players should take control and run open tours and tournaments. If any sport should be open to everyone it is pool.

Sadly, men's pool has already been there, done that, & failed.

There are a lot of good, decent, nice, trustworthy pool players out there but there are also guys that have and will rob you blind... all the while, letting you think that they're your friend. Unfortunately very few in the pool world trust each other.

I could end up posting a novel about this but I'll stop at what I said above. Life circumstances in the pool world have produced people of a different mentality than the everyday business folks of the world. Not their fault but just how the hand was dealt.... Someone (KT) or a corporation with a proven track record is what it will take to get pool where we would all like to see it. The players alone cannot do it.

 

[jsp]

Hey, why is Black negative and white positive. (humor meant)
Just like poolplayers, all the balls go down and nothing left but the whitey standing. This is what's so great about bowling, the big black ball goes down and knocks all them white pins to kingdom come...

Koop - half-witted attempt at humor and taken from a funny comedian (just can't remember who?)

Don't forget the green felt represents the green colored earth. You got that from Boomerang, and the comedian that said it was Martin Lawrence.

Oh...as for the thread. I'm grey.

 

[jjinfla]

I got to vote 6 times because I am the Mighty Whitey.

This is just like a Chicago voting booth. Vote - pull the lever. Vote - pull the lever. Vote - pull the lever.

I am for it because I like it and especially liked what I saw when they were in Orlando. As far as rules and equipment and playing conditions that will all settle out in the future when the players get to speak their mind. Right now I doubt that there is anything so bad that the players can't adapt to it. I am sure they are all looking forward to their first pay check.

What I would really love to know is what Mike did to fall into such a sweetheart deal?

Jake

 

[jjinfla]

My biggest gripe about the IPT is the way they tried to steamroll other established tournaments. In the future, I hope they will coordinate their dates and avoid conflicts with other major tournaments instead of forcing the other promoters to scramble and change their dates.

Dream on. You ain't seen nothing yet.

When the 2007 IPT schedule comes out the crying will begin but it will be on deaf ears. Both from the IPT organization and the IPT players.

There will be a new gorilla in town.

Jake

 

[Timberly]

Dream on. You ain't seen nothing yet.

When the 2007 IPT schedule comes out the crying will begin but it will be on deaf ears. Both from the IPT organization and the IPT players.

There will be a new gorilla in town.

Jake

This has to be one of the most immature statements I've seen you make yet. Not every player is on the IPT... they need the other tournaments. There are a lot of people on the IPT that aren't going to be finishing very high... they need these other tournaments to try to supplement their income. The fans need these other tournaments because they enjoy going to them, some are more affordable because their in other places than just Vegas & Reno, and some are simply a tradition in pool thats loved by both the fans & the players. For anyone to wish all others fall by the wayside and the pool world only have the IPT.... idiocy.

What I would really love to know is what Mike did to fall into such a sweetheart deal?

Jake

Sometimes good things happen to bad people.

 

[Timberly]

Jake, I know from some of your posts that you enjoy going to the 10 ball tourneys in FL.... think about it... if that went bye bye along with the rest and all that was left was the IPT having tourneys in just Vegas & Reno.... would you be happy then?

 

[Koop]

Don't forget the green felt represents the green colored earth. You got that from Boomerang, and the comedian that said it was Martin Lawrence.

Oh...as for the thread. I'm grey.

Thanks buddy. Always in for a little comedic relief...

 

[jjinfla]

Timberly,

Since the IPT will be having their tournaments some distance from central Florida, and I just don't feel like traveling that far, you are right in that it will adversely affect me. Right now I have it nice in that I can go and watch a lot of the pros play near me at various tournaments, and do it for free. But it would be selfish of me to want the IPT to fold just so I can watch them play.

Unfortunately the Florida Pro Tour does not have any tournaments scheduled until October and those three are down around WPB which is 300+ miles from me. So I will miss them.

The Florida Tour may have a serious conflict with the IPT in that they have a lot of IPT players who play on that tour. I believe that as long as there is not a direct scheduling conflict the players will still play on the FPT. But who knows?

I did kiddingly ask Tommy Kennedy if, when he makes it big on the IPT, is he going to fold his tour. He laughed and said "no way". But being realistic he does put on an awful lot of miles on his car trying to run his tour and if he is successful in the IPT then it would be asking a lot for him to keep up that grind. He is not a young kid anymore and it is dangerous to spend that much time on the road. And with gas probably going to $4 a gallon by Christmas it will be very expensive.

I suspect that the local tours will just have to modify themselves and become actual amateur tours and just do without the pros. I don't see the IPT affecting the KBP tour. But the high cost of gas might. In fact the high cost of gas might be the death knell for a lot of tours. Weak players who consistently go two and out, or two and one, are not going to spend $40 for gas, $40-$50 for entry fee, $60 for motel, $50 for food. They will just quit going. And without the weak players the prize money will drastically drop. That is one reason that all the top players should really be nice to the weak players and thank them and help them when they do show up. Make them feel part of the club. But of course they don't. They call them stupid or fish.

I can see the IPT being run as not a whole year tour but just so many stops that are completed by June and the season would be over. Just like basketball, football, baseball, etc. I got that idea from some comments that Mike Sigel made when he was at Capones. But then the IPT might be holding qualifiers for the last 6 months of the year.

They are starting 25 more qualifiers next weekend. http://www.internationalpooltour.com/ipt_content/event_qualifiers/na_06_open_default.asp#world After this batch of qualifiers they still have another batch of 100 more. This is beginning to boggle my mind.


If the IPT does really take off in 2007, and that is still a big if in my mind, then I can see that the top say 100, or maybe even all IPT players would be restricted from participating in any other tour without receiving a fee, like $10K. Of course that would effectively bar them from participating in a tour because no tour could afford it. That is not far fetched and I do believe the WPBA has a similar clause with their players.

But then I really enjoy playing the game too. There is a man here who plays really well and the two of us play a lot. Usually Three hours a day. Today we were at it for four hours. If I keep at it, maybe next time I will win four games from Tracie. LOL

Jake