When two of this forum's finest posters, both of them good friends of mine, raise a matter as important as the IPT's initial conflict with the WPBA schedule, I can't help but dig into the subject.
jay helfert said:
...Not so long ago, many of the the women were crossing lines set by the WPBA to play in the IPT, including board members. Who sat in judgement of them? I must not have heard about those suspensions. This is what's called selective enforcement of the rules.
Williebetmore said:
sjm,
I wonder if your confidence is warranted. The IPT episode a couple of years ago seemed to indicate that the better women players will jump ship at the prospect of big money. The board's acceptance of WPBA players competing in the IPT definitely weakens their appearance of authority; and calls into question their consistency. Rather than sticking to their policy during the IPT, they now proceed into an area where their motives will need to be questioned.
Why suspend Jasmine and not all of the women who competed in the IPT event that overlapped the Peoria WPBA tournament??? Though I heard that they received exemptions; I believe that many stated their intention to play before that decision; whether exemptions were received or not. Should those players not have been suspended? What are their criteria for allowing players to play in competing events???
OK, let's take a closer look.
As the IPT emerged, I recall thinking that the WPBA would be hard pressed to deny IPT waivers requested when such participation offered greater prestige and prize money to a participant than playing in a WPBA event, even when events conflicted.
And, sure enough, one year later, it came to pass that two events were concurrent, and it was known long in advance that they would be concurrent (in fact, after checking with Peg Ledman that the WPBA event date was firm, I booked my vacation, which included attending the WPBA event).
IPT North American Open
8-Ball Championship The Venetian
Las Vegas, Nevada
July 22 - 30, 2006
WPBA Midwest Classic
Par-a-Dice Hotel and Casino
East Peoria, Illinois
July 27-30, 2006
Actually, I attended both events, leaving Las Vegas on the Wednesday morning (July 26), four days prior to completion of the IPT event, and flew to Peoria to attend the WPBA Midwest Classic, which began the very next day. In fact, several WPBA players that had already been eliminated from the IPT event were on my plane from Nevada to Illinois.
Many WPBA players had requested waivers to play in that 2006 IPT event that coincided with the WPBA event and the waivers were granted without exception. I recall agreeing with this decision, even though the IPT was a competing tour and was, undeniably, a potential threat to the vitality of the WPBA tour, which might have lost its biggest headliners if the IPT venture had delivered the riches Kevin Trudeau had promised. I agreed with the WPBA decision to grant waivers on the grounds that the IPT tour was more prestigious and offered more prize money than the WPBA tour, though it caneasily be argued that there should have been a provision barring IPT participation whenever it conflicted with the WPBA schedule.
In light of the WPBA case history, it strikes me as most unusual that Jasmin's request for a waiver in the World Ten Ball Championship wasn't granted, given that she wanted to play in a WPA event that couldn't possibly be construed as competing with any WPBA event(s). Just like that IPT event in the summer of 2006, the 2008 WTBC was more prestigious and offered more prize money than the WPBA event.
Mind you, I am big on WPBA player members living by the rules and I fully understand the actions taken. I understand the exclusivity subject inside and out, and agree with strict enforcement of the player contract. If Jasmin played in the WTBC when her request for a waiver was denied, then I agree she broke the rules and should be penalized.
Obviously, the WPBA can't, as a rule, grant waivers to players wishing to play in events that coincide with WPBA events, but I'd suggest that a WPA World Championship event should constitute an exception. I just can't quite work out what principles the organization stood for in the denial of Jasmin's waiver, given that there is already precedent for permitting participation in a non-WPBA event in a similar situation.
In other words, Jay and Williebetmore, you make very valid points. No doubt, the WPBA Board will have to debate the matter at length.
