IPTers are guaranteed $13,000 in 2006!!!!!

[macguy]

Well now that you have changed everything it isn't as ridiculous, now you have the ones hanging on by their fingernails as opposed to those depending on it for a living and now it not having much fun as opposed to a nightmare.

There are many thousands of sportsmen who are not big stars who depend on their income from their sport for their living and love what they do and are not looking for a way out. Those chasing their dream will endure all kinds of hardships and love every minute of it and for most it is the greatest time of their life and for many they could care less about the money. In fact many are happiest when they have the least but are chasing their dream.

Wayne

A lot of those people have parlayed the sports career into other lucrative ventures that either let them get out all together or if they really like it to now play and enjoy playing without having to depend on it. No one can enjoy having no security and being paid only based on performance, especially if you are not one of the gifted ones. I have known jockeys, pro bowlers, football players and they all looked forward to when they could get out. A sports career can be a means to an end, something as a result of having played the sport. One guy I know who played on both Houston and Miami opened a car dealership. This was a direct result of him playing pro ball and he quit as soon as he could. My jockey friend has an Italian restaurant and does very well he quit riding young.

One of my neighbors was a stand out player for the University of Miami and got a contract with that league that was being set up years ago that Donald Trump was involved with. The league went belly up and Trump paid everybody's contracts, Mark got his three million and was free to sign with anyone he wanted. Even though he could have gotten a few million from somebody else he never took any offers and never played again. I just saw him today it was bulk trash day and he helped me move some tree trunks still left over from the hurricanes. I think maybe the only sport that may be fun to play professionally would be golf. You aren't going to end up a cripple at an early age, you can have a long career and even if you aren't a super star can make a nice living. Almost every other pro sport even Tennis is a grind and forget football and basketball, I doubt many of those guys would go through what they do except for the money.

 

[wayne]

A lot of those people have parlayed the sports career into other lucrative ventures that either let them get out all together or if they really like it to now play and enjoy playing without having to depend on it. No one can enjoy having no security and being paid only based on performance, especially if you are not one of the gifted ones. I have known jockeys, pro bowlers, football players and they all looked forward to when they could get out. A sports career can be a means to an end, something as a result of having played the sport. One guy I know who played on both Houston and Miami opened a car dealership. This was a direct result of him playing pro ball and he quit as soon as he could. My jockey friend has an Italian restaurant and does very well he quit riding young.

One of my neighbors was a stand out player for the University of Miami and got a contract with that league that was being set up years ago that Donald Trump was involved with. The league went belly up and Trump paid everybody's contracts, Mark got his three million and was free to sign with anyone he wanted. Even though he could have gotten a few million from somebody else he never took any offers and never played again. I just saw him today it was bulk trash day and he helped me move some tree trunks still left over from the hurricanes. I think maybe the only sport that may be fun to play professionally would be golf. You aren't going to end up a cripple at an early age, you can have a long career and even if you aren't a super star can make a nice living. Almost every other pro sport even Tennis is a grind and forget football and basketball, I doubt many of those guys would go through what they do except for the money.

Yeah but there are only millions that play the same sports for no money at all just because they love the competition and it is one of the most enjoyable parts of their lives. And millions of examples of guys going through a lot worse and coming back for more that had nothing to do with the money.

End of story on my part.

Wayne

 

[lamar25]

This is tournament 1 - N. American:
Prize money breakdown for the 2006 IPT North American 8-Ball Open:

1st- $350,000
2nd - $99,000
3rd - $80,000
4th - $65,000
5th - $50,000
6th - $40,000
7th - 18th - $30,000 each
19th - 36th - $17,000 each
37th - 60th - $10,000 each
61st - 120th - $5,000 each
121st - 200th - $2,000 each

Tournament 2 - Worlds:
Prize money breakdown for the 2006 IPT World 8-Ball Open:

Prize money breakdown for the 2006 IPT World 8-Ball Open:

1st - $500,000
2nd - $150,000
3rd - $92,000
4th - $80,000
5th - $66,000
6th - $50,000
7th - 18th - $36,000 each
19th - 36th - $25,000 each
37th - 60th - $15,000 each
61st - 120th - $7,000 each
121st - 200th - $5,000 each

Tournaments 3 and 4 for members only:

1st - $200,000
2nd - $100,000
3rd - $70,000
4th - $50,000
5th - $40,000
6th - $30,000
7th - 15th - $20,000 each
16th - 30th - $10,000 each
31st - 75th - $5,000 each
76th - 150th - $3000 each

$2K + $5K + $3K + $3K = $13K

What were you seeing?

Hey Linda,
Ok, to start I'll say, "I STAND CORRECTED!"

I was thinking the $13k payout would be similar to the $30k paid out to Hall of Famers in the '05 event.

Did not look at from your view point, sorry.

"Thanks",
Lamar

 

[macguy]

Yeah but there are only millions that play the same sports for no money at all just because they love the competition and it is one of the most enjoyable parts of their lives. And millions of examples of guys going through a lot worse and coming back for more that had nothing to do with the money.

End of story on my part.

Wayne

The difference is, their lives don't depend on it, thats when it's fun.

 

[Travis Bickle]

Like most struggling players and fans, I hope the IPT is a great success, for the sake of all these world-class talents who take home less than most plumbers, but has anybody here seriously looked into why the entry fees are so stiff for these qualifiers?

Don't say the 2K upfront is to "Show you're serious." That's the Nigerian bank scammers' favorite line, getting you to cough up your "good-faith" dough to collect some mysterious payment that happens to have your name on it.

Can't help but wonder, especially when you consider the first year promise is but 13K, barely break-even money with travel, etc. Then it all magically shoots up to 100K? Based exactly on what? Hopes, good intentions?

So I wonder: Does KT need cash right now to keep this thing rolling? Is HE the one, in fact, who needs to come up with a big chunk of change to prove to his investors that HE is serious?

The Orlando production was obviously first-rate and very costly. Must he now show some dough before his money people will commit the cash so that the next tourney date can be set?

If it were just his money, certainly he could have committed to dates by now. No?

 

[rackmsuckr]

Like most struggling players and fans, I hope the IPT is a great success, for the sake of all these world-class talents who take home less than most plumbers, but has anybody here seriously looked into why the entry fees are so stiff for these qualifiers?

Don't say the 2K upfront is to "Show you're serious." That's the Nigerian bank scammers' favorite line, getting you to cough up your "good-faith" dough to collect some mysterious payment that happens to have your name on it.

Can't help but wonder, especially when you consider the first year promise is but 13K, barely break-even money with travel, etc. Then it all magically shoots up to 100K? Based exactly on what? Hopes, good intentions?

So I wonder: Does KT need cash right now to keep this thing rolling? Is HE the one, in fact, who needs to come up with a big chunk of change to prove to his investors that HE is serious?

The Orlando production was obviously first-rate and very costly. Must he now show some dough before his money people will commit the cash so that the next tourney date can be set?

If it were just his money, certainly he could have committed to dates by now. No?

His investors? His money people? Where are you getting these people??

 

[spadevil]

Travis, read back through the thread for a more informed view.

 

[macguy]

Like most struggling players and fans, I hope the IPT is a great success, for the sake of all these world-class talents who take home less than most plumbers, but has anybody here seriously looked into why the entry fees are so stiff for these qualifiers?

Don't say the 2K upfront is to "Show you're serious." That's the Nigerian bank scammers' favorite line, getting you to cough up your "good-faith" dough to collect some mysterious payment that happens to have your name on it.

Can't help but wonder, especially when you consider the first year promise is but 13K, barely break-even money with travel, etc. Then it all magically shoots up to 100K? Based exactly on what? Hopes, good intentions?

So I wonder: Does KT need cash right now to keep this thing rolling? Is HE the one, in fact, who needs to come up with a big chunk of change to prove to his investors that HE is serious?

The Orlando production was obviously first-rate and very costly. Must he now show some dough before his money people will commit the cash so that the next tourney date can be set?

If it were just his money, certainly he could have committed to dates by now. No?

I doubt he has any investors it's his money. I think the $100,000 is speculation on a profit sharing program and he is making projections but has said if it falls short he will make up the difference out of his pocket. Assuming you can take him at his word if the thing stays afloat there is no reason to not believe this will happen. It is a gamble on everybody's part, it's a very ambitious undertaking. It could fail completely due solely to the attempt to start off so big so quickly and what appears to be poor planing so far. For everyone involved lets hope they get their act together and if they have to scale it down to size to make it happen are wise enough to do what ever it takes to be a success and not just run the numbers and say, "In retrospect this was a bad idea" and pull the plug on something that could have succeeded.

There is no doubt in my mind with that with their resources they could have launched a small "OPEN" tour (when I say small I am only talking as compared to what they are promising) that could have had a tournament a month with quarter million prize funds around the country and set the pool world on fire, every guy with a cue would be practicing, that might have built into who knows what, the sky may be the limit. This giant thing they have embarked on right out of the box looks like a disaster waiting to happen. At the moment it's all on paper and except for the one KOTH tournament it is still just an idea waiting to happen. As far as committed dates I could not imagine them signing any venue deals locking in dates beyond one tournament. I know I will get heat for this and be called negative but I don't think they know what they are doing and are making it up as they go along. This would not be the first time well meaning smart people screwed everything up, if that turns out to be the case. Never assume people know what they are doing I don't care if it is a pool tour or the launch of a space shuttle.

 

[Travis Bickle]

Travis, read back through the thread for a more informed view.

What do you mean? Everybody's hoping or guessing here. No hard facts, really. But after rereading I know better where you're coming from. You're laying down a very big bet on this thing. And I hope it works out for you and everybody else. But I see a few red flags ...

 

[Travis Bickle]

His investors? His money people? Where are you getting these people??

Linda,

I was just making a few suppositions, trying to come up with a scenario for this that makes sense.

To me, there were a few things that seemed odd, that's all. Why the big fees? Why the lack of tourney date(s)? Why the blind Web entries, even? And the optimistic projections for 2007 or 2008 also made me wonder, considering the rest.

 

[Gabber]

To me, there were a few things that seemed odd, that's all. Why the big fees? Why the lack of tourney date(s)? Why the blind Web entries, even? And the optimistic projections for 2007 or 2008 also made me wonder, considering the rest.

The least they could have done was to go ahead with the tournament they had already announced. Not only have they changed the date but they have changed the tourney. There are now 50 open spots that will have to be played for which will take even more time. [It seems to me that the prize money just keeps going up and up everytime there's a hitch.]
I agree with you that the whole history of the IPT is strange . First they didnt care who was going to be playing because the target audience wouldnt know Earl for Daffy Duck. Now they are asking $2000 for entry to a Qally [when a years membership is only $1000] - apparently to get rid of the riff-raff. ie, the no-hopers who believed the IPT spiel that because its *BALL, 'slow nap cloth' etc, they would have a chance of fame and fortune. The idea was given that everyone would have a chance, that all these unknows would come out of the woodwork and take their chance.
I would imagine that if these pelple do exist, they would have jobs, family, commitments etc. A cancellation, after months of waiting, would make it very difficult for them to compete.

2 months ago it was announced that the bottom 75 in the regular tourneys would recieve no prize money at all- after all, the IPT isnt a charity.
Now we hear that in 2007 they will all be making at least $113,000, regardless!
Thats a big jump. I cant remember anyone complaining about the prize money, so I cant really see the need for it. Why would KT want to give away more money than he needs to?
There is a lot of propoganda and very little info coming from the IPT.

The IPT asked people to register for a tourney- date, rules, format etc TBD.
The lucky [ chosen] 150 get a spot but to keep it , they HAVE to attend a tourney they most are not even playing in. Apart from that, they find out they have entered a reality show!
After months of uncertainty, they finally announce a date for the first tourney.
People make arrangements.
4 weeks later [ ?] they cancel it . The only reason it was cancelled was because Kevin changed his mind. It could have gone ahead easily.
Call me old-fashioned but if I enter a tournament, I want to know When it is, Where it is, what the Prizemoney is and the tournament format.
Is that too much to ask?

Gabber.........The only thing remarkable about the publicity is the LACK of it!

 

[rackmsuckr]

Linda,

I was just making a few suppositions, trying to come up with a scenario for this that makes sense.

To me, there were a few things that seemed odd, that's all. Why the big fees? Why the lack of tourney date(s)? Why the blind Web entries, even? And the optimistic projections for 2007 or 2008 also made me wonder, considering the rest.

Everything was planned and on track, including the "optimistic projections for 2007 or 2008" until the airing of the Loree Jon Jones/Mike Sigel match. The huge success and response to that show opened up a lot more doors for great venues and they have been scrambling since to firm up the dates for those venues.

KT took so much heat on his original selection process, that he thought he would be fairer when the other 8 spots opened up (he did stand by his word there - see the Mandatory is mandatory thread by Deno) and set the $2000 entry fee for qualifying for the tour, justifying it by thinking that only serious players would be entering, and that they would be rewarded if they qualified. I think $1000 would have done that and been more attainable for his goals and the players, especially now that some upper echelon players are playing the percentages and waiting for the 50 spots to open up at the end of 2006 to qualify at $1000 for a shot at $100k minimum, as opposed to $2k for $13k minimum. At $2000, you may get players with the money but without the skill. And you may have a stakehorse that will back you for one tournament, but if you don't make top 2, they are going to think twice about losing another $2K. Winning a guaranteed $13K (but probably more) and having to split it with your backer may not be that appealing either. I agree it's a hardship and I do understand. I believe that in the future, with more time and experience, the qualifying process will go a lot smoother.

This qualifying system opened him up to more attacks, but I also think his goal was not to pocket the $, but increase revenues back to the players in the form of referrals and added $ to spread down lower, which he did. For anyone who does make it through the qualifying stages, the rewards are going to be real.

I believe that KT genuinely wants this to succeed and is putting his own blood, sweat and tears, not to mention money into it to ensure its success. Every new venture has hiccups and a tour of this magnitiude is bound to encounter a few. It's a work in progress and is still evolving. KT does listen to criticism and has acted at every turn to try to make things better. If we keep that in mind, maybe we can be more patient.

 

[Gabber]

Colin said,


I don't see why IPT tour members should be upset about delays etc What If KT decides that the first tourney will be the Australian Open and all the US players have to go there? 4 weeks later he decides the tourney will be played in Canada? Fine by you?

He may be on some kind of gravy train himself, but he certainly does not speak on behalf of the average IPT player. Do you? Are you the average IPT player?

Now I ask you, if being delayed a few months for implementation to fall into place, when most players would have little else better to do, Now you are jumping to conclusions. What do you know about any of the IPT players personal lives? Please tell me how you can justify that statement Colin.

Gabber

 

[Travis Bickle]

KT took so much heat on his original selection process ... and set the $2000 entry fee for qualifying for the tour, justifying it by thinking that only serious players would be entering. ... I think $1000 would have done that and been more attainable for his goals and the players, especially now that some upper echelon players are playing the percentages and waiting for the 50 spots to open up at the end of 2006 to qualify at $1000 for a shot at $100k minimum, as opposed to $2k for $13k minimum. At $2000, you may get players with the money but without the skill. And you may have a stakehorse that will back you for one tournament, but if you don't make top 2, they are going to think twice about losing another $2K.

This qualifying system opened him up to more attacks, but I also think his goal was not to pocket the $, but increase revenues back to the players in the form of referrals and added $ to spread down lower, which he did.

Well, you could conceivably collect some "serious" dough if you somehow could fill 4 qualifying tourneys with 32-man fields at 2K a head. That's 256K.

But imagine if you allowed entries on the day of the tourney. People would look around, calculate their odds, and maybe you'd have 4 to 8 entrants, right? Not a good fund-raising strategy.

But hey, I hope you're right, Linda, and that this turns out to be some glitch or misunderstanding. Another possible scenario is that KT, living in the land of large money, is disconnected, like people in his class might be. I mean, there is the vast majority of us scraping by as home prices and taxes soar, slowly suffocating as their contributions to health care, pensions and such go ever upward faster than their incomes --- and then there are those people with ANOTHER KIND OF MONEY, the people buying all those McMansions, thinking nothing of paying 50K in taxes a year and at least that much on their kids' schooling. 2K is chump change to them ...

 

[Colin Colenso]

The least they could have done was to go ahead with the tournament they had already announced. Not only have they changed the date but they have changed the tourney. There are now 50 open spots that will have to be played for which will take even more time. [It seems to me that the prize money just keeps going up and up everytime there's a hitch.]
I agree with you that the whole history of the IPT is strange . First they didnt care who was going to be playing because the target audience wouldnt know Earl for Daffy Duck. Now they are asking $2000 for entry to a Qally [when a years membership is only $1000] - apparently to get rid of the riff-raff. ie, the no-hopers who believed the IPT spiel that because its *BALL, 'slow nap cloth' etc, they would have a chance of fame and fortune. The idea was given that everyone would have a chance, that all these unknows would come out of the woodwork and take their chance.
I would imagine that if these pelple do exist, they would have jobs, family, commitments etc. A cancellation, after months of waiting, would make it very difficult for them to compete.

2 months ago it was announced that the bottom 75 in the regular tourneys would recieve no prize money at all- after all, the IPT isnt a charity.
Now we hear that in 2007 they will all be making at least $113,000, regardless!
Thats a big jump. I cant remember anyone complaining about the prize money, so I cant really see the need for it. Why would KT want to give away more money than he needs to?
There is a lot of propoganda and very little info coming from the IPT.

The IPT asked people to register for a tourney- date, rules, format etc TBD.
The lucky [ chosen] 150 get a spot but to keep it , they HAVE to attend a tourney they most are not even playing in. Apart from that, they find out they have entered a reality show!
After months of uncertainty, they finally announce a date for the first tourney.
People make arrangements.
4 weeks later [ ?] they cancel it . The only reason it was cancelled was because Kevin changed his mind. It could have gone ahead easily.
Call me old-fashioned but if I enter a tournament, I want to know When it is, Where it is, what the Prizemoney is and the tournament format.
Is that too much to ask?

Gabber.........The only thing remarkable about the publicity is the LACK of it!

Gabber,
This is not a disneyland movie, it is a business!!!

Businesses adapt and change strategy very often in their early stages.

Now tell me if you have a casino offering you 1 million to host and be co-sponsor of your event...but they prefer July over May. Or you can pay 100k at another exhibition center who have the space available at the scheduled time.

Are you gonna throw away 1.1mill to satisfy the forum whiners or IPT members, when a thousand or so are standing behind them begging for a chance?

Fact is we don't know exactly what is hapenning, and it's not KT's right to even discuss openly what is taking place in negotiations. He must balance the pros and cons and make decisions and announcements that will satisfy partners, sponsors, players, fans, broadcasters etc. according to the situation.

This is not a local bar setting a tourney date, there is much more on the line with huge expenditures and partners that are key to making the business work.

The best thing for everyone is that the IPT makes money. So patience among the pool community would help if it allows the IPT to maximize the efficiency of its immediate events.

 

[Steve Lipsky]

Now tell me if you have a casino offering you 1 million to host and be co-sponsor of your event...but they prefer July over May. Or you can pay 100k at another exhibition center who have the space available at the scheduled time.

Are you gonna throw away 1.1mill to satisfy the forum whiners or IPT members, when a thousand or so are standing behind them begging for a chance?

Colin, on this, I disagree. In the above-mentioned scenario, I think the right thing to do is to hold both tournaments. Sure, your net gain is less, but you've gained more than the difference by keeping your credibility.

I think everyone pretty much agrees that the only way this tour can succeed financially is if he sells the reality-TV angle to a major network. To my skeptical eye, he's probably having trouble with this, or at least more than he thought he would. If nobody wants to buy this thing, where's he gonna come up with the money to meet his promises?

He's guaranteeing more than ten million in 2007. TEN million. Just to put it into perspective a bit, look at the reality show 'Survivor'. It started the boom, continues to get great ratings, and is the 800-pound gorilla in the genre. You know how much they give out per season to their players? Probably less than $1.3 million. This is on a major network, prime time, with commercial revenues beyond reason.

Could Survivor pay their contestants $10 million and still turn a big profit? Of course. But why do it if they don't have to? KT has been a businessman all his life, and he knows what he's doing. He could have guaranteed the top 100 players $30,000 a year and they all (justifiably so) would have been excited. It's way better than anything else they've been offered.

I don't know... I'm just skeptical. This tour gives good reasons to be skeptical. From not making it clear at the beginning that he was looking to do reality TV, to a 5-day mandatory player meeting shrouded in secrecy... it's just all very bizarre. And the player meeting really was secret - when I and a number of other players inquired why we had to make the trip, we were told "I can't tell you that, but it's going to be worth it." I can't tell you that? What the heck is that??

I think the key here is that the players themselves are in a very good position. There's really not too much risk to them, since they're never going to have to put any money into it. If KT finds a way to make this thing work, the players are going to share in his profits, and I do believe that KT wants to pay them handsomely. If he can't make it work, I don't think the players will get paid (much), but that's not such a big deal. Maybe they'll lose one tournament's travel expenses; that's not so bad.

Anyway, in a weird way, I think everyone's in kind of a good spot here - except maybe for the people looking to qualify. They are the only ones who might be putting up a significant amount of money to play a tour that in the worst case scenario will never have another event. But the 142 chosen players are in a real nice situation - virtually a free chance to make a lot of money, and not much downside if things don't work out. Not too bad.

- Steve

 

[rackmsuckr]

This is by far a better show than "Good Morning America with Kelly and Regis".."Welcome America to the IPT with Colin and Linda"...Not meant as an insult by not means i enjoy every word from both. i think its great they both have such great support for what they believe in, and what will happen. And i for one hope all comes true as they see it, and they both have their dreams come true.

Wait til Colin and I call in ("Call in/Colin, get it?) our ultimate weapon - 8ball Bernie.

 

[Gabber]

Gabber,
This is not a disneyland movie, it is a business!!!

Businesses adapt and change strategy very often in their early stages.

Now tell me if you have a casino offering you 1 million to host and be co-sponsor of your event...but they prefer July over May. Or you can pay 100k at another exhibition center who have the space available at the scheduled time.

Are you gonna throw away 1.1mill to satisfy the forum whiners or IPT members, when a thousand or so are standing behind them begging for a chance?
QUESTION:
Are other sponsors coming to you to sponsor the tour?

Answer:
Yes. Major corporations from around the world are showing tremendous interest in the IPT. We have firm offers on the table for large corporate sponsorships; however, there is no reason for me to accept any of this corporate money
Many other major corporations are coming to me as well; however, there is no reason for me to accept their money when it is much more profitable for me to sponsor the tour myself with the companies that I own. If those companies can see that these are good investments, then obviously it’s a good investment for my businesses as well. The bottom line here is the money for the production and the prize funds are absolutely there. The television interest is there, and this tour is already profitable!
Still think the delay is all about KT saving himself a $1,000,000 ??????

QUESTION:
Are you trying to get other sponsors?

Answer:
No. I am not trying to get other sponsors. All the people in pool are wondering how I can make money with the IPT tour, or ask all these questions about how I can turn a profit and what my business model is. Unfortunately, the critics have absolutely no clue about how to run a billion dollar business. Again, he doesnt need the money. R has already said[ 20 times ] that KT got rid of 140 M just for tax purposes!


Fact is we don't know exactly what is hapenning, and it's not KT's right to even discuss openly what is taking place in negotiations. He must balance the pros and cons and make decisions and announcements that will satisfy partners, sponsors, players, fans, broadcasters etc. according to the situation. Pure speculation. You are just as much in the dark as the rest of the board! You are just making excuses.


This is not a local bar setting a tourney date, there is much more on the line with huge expenditures and partners that are key to making the business work. Thats not the attitude you took when the British 9-Ball Open was postponed and they have OTHER sponsers to please and TV coverage!!!

The best thing for everyone is that the IPT makes money. So patience among the pool community would help if it allows the IPT to maximize the efficiency of its immediate events.

Quote KT,

"QUESTION:
Don’t you need the top pool players from all around the world playing in IPT events in order to make the IPT a success?
Answer:
The “Current” top pool players from around the world are only recognized for being top 9-Ball players using fast cloth and other easy conditions and formats. Ef winning the IPT invitational blew that idea right out the window, dont you think. LOL Nobody really knows who the top 8-Ball players in the world are. However, it doesn’t matter if not even a single “name” player plays on the IPT tour. "??????




Quote Colin,

"Are you gonna throw away 1.1mill to satisfy the forum whiners or IPT members".

So if I point out the OBVIOUS inconsistency with this statement and the $2,000 Q fee- I am a whiner??????
I was here LONG before the IPT and if the IPT wants to use this site for free advertising and pack the board with IPT syncophants- I will continue to give my 2ct. I can be hard and sometimes cutting but I try not to insult anyone just because he or she doesnt share my viewpoint. Just because some posters have different opinions than yours about the IPT workings, it doesnt make them negative, losers or whiners.
Capiche?



Gabber

 

[Colin Colenso]

Colin said,


I don't see why IPT tour members should be upset about delays etc What If KT decides that the first tourney will be the Australian Open and all the US players have to go there? 4 weeks later he decides the tourney will be played in Canada? Fine by you?

This is simply a sly attack on my credibility. It assumes me to be a lackey, incapable of giving honest unbiased opinions. So I prefer not to justify it with an answer.

He may be on some kind of gravy train himself, but he certainly does not speak on behalf of the average IPT player. Do you? Are you the average IPT player?

More a snide comment than a real question.

Now I ask you, if being delayed a few months for implementation to fall into place, when most players would have little else better to do, Now you are jumping to conclusions. What do you know about any of the IPT players personal lives? Please tell me how you can justify that statement Colin.

Gabber

Yes, my comment above is an unspecific generalization. Not worded well. I meant to convey something along the lines of...'most players have nothing better on the horizon to look forward to and are more than willing to make the trade off of waiting for the chance to be in the IPT events when they occur'.

Colin

 

[Colin Colenso]

Colin, on this, I disagree. In the above-mentioned scenario, I think the right thing to do is to hold both tournaments. Sure, your net gain is less, but you've gained more than the difference by keeping your credibility.

I think everyone pretty much agrees that the only way this tour can succeed financially is if he sells the reality-TV angle to a major network. To my skeptical eye, he's probably having trouble with this, or at least more than he thought he would. If nobody wants to buy this thing, where's he gonna come up with the money to meet his promises?

He's guaranteeing more than ten million in 2007. TEN million. Just to put it into perspective a bit, look at the reality show 'Survivor'. It started the boom, continues to get great ratings, and is the 800-pound gorilla in the genre. You know how much they give out per season to their players? Probably less than $1.3 million. This is on a major network, prime time, with commercial revenues beyond reason.

Could Survivor pay their contestants $10 million and still turn a big profit? Of course. But why do it if they don't have to? KT has been a businessman all his life, and he knows what he's doing. He could have guaranteed the top 100 players $30,000 a year and they all (justifiably so) would have been excited. It's way better than anything else they've been offered.

I don't know... I'm just skeptical. This tour gives good reasons to be skeptical. From not making it clear at the beginning that he was looking to do reality TV, to a 5-day mandatory player meeting shrouded in secrecy... it's just all very bizarre. And the player meeting really was secret - when I and a number of other players inquired why we had to make the trip, we were told "I can't tell you that, but it's going to be worth it." I can't tell you that? What the heck is that??

I think the key here is that the players themselves are in a very good position. There's really not too much risk to them, since they're never going to have to put any money into it. If KT finds a way to make this thing work, the players are going to share in his profits, and I do believe that KT wants to pay them handsomely. If he can't make it work, I don't think the players will get paid (much), but that's not such a big deal. Maybe they'll lose one tournament's travel expenses; that's not so bad.

Anyway, in a weird way, I think everyone's in kind of a good spot here - except maybe for the people looking to qualify. They are the only ones who might be putting up a significant amount of money to play a tour that in the worst case scenario will never have another event. But the 142 chosen players are in a real nice situation - virtually a free chance to make a lot of money, and not much downside if things don't work out. Not too bad.

- Steve

Hi Steve,
I agree that some things could have been done better and have even sent a list of recommended improvements to the IPT which were warmly welcomed. They encouraged people to give suggestions via suggestion boxes at the KOH event. They have made several changes due to feedback already.

Will there is not all the information we all want, I think the website and email outs are professional and informative..more so than any other billiard event website I have seen. And I hope and expect that it will continue to improve and scheduling can be confirmed in the near future.

The reason I post here is try highlight the positives, or share ideas / guesses about what could be in the planning. When some comments appear that are reminiscent of 'The Sky is Falling' I try to show that this is likely not the case. Fear of disaster spreads like wild-fire and can grow into ridiculous virus, influencing many influencers. btw: Not suggesting your comments had such an effect.

Even Gabber shows above that I am guessing about what is going on. It is speculation to counter speculation sometimes. If all the readers only read about doubts or dire predictions then that atmosphere could spread to many.

Colin >~ Still thinks the IPT has many more bright sides than imperfections