Message from Allen Hopkins

SpiderWebComm said:
To All AZB CIA-Detectives:

1) I helped setup Allen's hotmail so he didn't have to. He and his wife share an aol acct - but he didn't know how to get into it.

2) I didn't have the time to help him setup an AZB account

3) He had to find the "U" on the keyboard to respond to another player's email

Stop trying to look past the apparent and always trying to look for the conspiracy theory - many times you end up missing the whole point. He just wanted to get his view out asap since some pros were waiting to hear from him. I was just the messenger. If someone here wants to call up AH to set him up on AZ, by all means do it. You'll def have to train him - because he's very, very bad on the computer. How can he be bad on the computer and still run valley forge? Maybe the aliens are helping him? Maybe the Men in Black? Maybe he has a secret satellite phone connection into NORAD?

:)
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Allen is a good guy. I hope that everyone saying negative things about him would consider granting him the same forgiveness you might have needed back when you were a newbie. When you are inexperienced at using a forum, you have a point which you want to get across and you don't have the right instincts yet as to how it will be perceived.

We've seen it time and time again from pro players coming on here. They're not bad people and they don't have bad opinions - they just haven't invested the kind of time we have learning to use a forum responsibly. I guarantee you Allen was not being lazy nor condescending when he sent his message out via Spider. He would never try and upset some of pool's most ardent fans. If he had even an inkling of how this would play out so negatively, he either wouldn't have done it in the first place or he would have had Dawn set him up an account.

I can't defend Allen's position on this. I can only say that Allen Hopkins has done so much for this game (playing, promoting, and commentating), and on top of that, is truly a down-to-earth and approachable fellow. If he made a mistake with this post, so be it. But I know I've made mistakes on an internet forum, and if any of you have too, please try and cut the guy some slack.

- Steve
 
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Johnnyt said:
his e-mail is on the first page of this thread. Johnnyt
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my bad,,, didn't even look that far down,,, usually the poster (messenger) has his own signature and info there...:D

thanks for correcting me........... lets go people fill that email box up !
 
I don't understand how someone can make a statement that they won't go to the events put on by someone who has voiced what is essentially a fairly neutral opinion about a situation he is involved in from a player's perspective.

Many people still attend Barry Behrman's US Open even though he has cheated the players and even gone so far as to throw them out of the venue when they had the audactity to ask for the money that was owed to them.

Mr. Purdy, you are the highest profile person in this category at the moment due to your support of John Schmidt (good job by the way). How can you condemn Allen Hopkins and yet support Barry Behrman? If anything, Allen is perhaps too optimistic, perhaps not as militant as we would like him to be, but he has certainly not endorsed Trudeau, he has put the situation out there as he sees it, i.e. give the guy a chance to make it right and if the players were organized from the beginning then Trudeau wouldn't have been able to get to this point. The former is the view held by several on the board, whether right or wrong, it is simply the view of optimism. The latter is something that nearly everyone has said here at various point throughout the last two months and quite a lot before that.
 
Mr. Hopkin's statement was far from being neutral. His statement praised and supported KT and the IPT while shifting much of the blame to the players.

In case anyone forgot, I'll quote: "it's not all his fault anyways - if the players were organized - we would not be in this situation"

Does that mean that it is legal and ethical to not pay the valid debts of 200 poolplayers, all of which did everything that was asked and expected of them, simply because they were not organized? No Sir, it is not! I also believe that this was no accident, and that KT picked his shot here, because they were not organized.

That's not just plain wrong, it is an insult to the intelligence of most people reading it.

While again stating that this does not diminish the past accomplishments and good that Mr. Hopkins has done, I find it very worrisome that anyone would advocate putting the IPT on "life support" at the expense of the players, especially with KT at it's helm.

Tough crowd? Maybe, after having one's brains bashed in, what would you expect?

Jim
 
Roadie...<<If anything, Allen is perhaps too optimistic, perhaps not as militant as we would like him to be, but he has certainly not endorsed Trudeau>>

Look, from what I know, Allen is a GREAT champion, a GREAT event producer...a GREAT TV commentator and an all around NICE GUY.

But that doesn't mean that A) he can't be wrong and B) if he is wrong, be immune from people disagreeing with him for fear of being accused of trashing his entire career.

OF COURSE he is "endorsing KT" when he says we should back off and give the guy a chance etc.

Chalk up my man...you are miscuing badly on this one.

Regards,
Jim
 
Tin foil hats for everybody!

Is this a message board populated by ADULTS or is this freaking middle school? My lord. It's mob rule around here these days.

foil5.jpg
 
Cap 'n Gown

ScottW said:
Tin foil hats for everybody!

Is this a message board populated by ADULTS or is this freaking middle school? My lord. It's mob rule around here these days.

foil5.jpg
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DID THEY LET YOU WEAR THAT TO GRADUATION? :p WHICH MIDDLE SCHOOL?
 
Many people still attend Barry Behrman's US Open even though he has cheated the players and even gone so far as to throw them out of the venue when they had the audactity to ask for the money that was owed to them.

Mr. Purdy, you are the highest profile person in this category at the moment due to your support of John Schmidt (good job by the way). How can you condemn Allen Hopkins and yet support Barry Behrman?


Roadie>>>>>>>>

Just to play devil's advocate, again,. Could it possibly be that Barry had a legitimate reason for his shortages... Like maybe 9/11.....Then i believe he had to also cut the purse short because of a hurricane. Barry Behrman has paid his dues over and over many times. I will agree that Barry's 1st problem was using the word "Guarantee" in his advertising. Which i do not believe he does any longer. Maybe this is why alot of people, including myself, have supported Barry every year. And yes i went to both the tournaments i mentioned above. And this year was my 19th i believe. There was only 1 other tournament i believe where the purse was cut short. But that was put on by Brady Berhman. So give Purdman a break. He is entitled to spend his money any place he wants. And if he decides to not go to The expo at VF because of the post made for Allan Hopkins then that is his right and his decision and his alone.................mike
 
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Roadie said:
Well, now we are at a point where I have to get personal. Allen Hopkins is my friend. I have know him for two decades. He has nothing but the players best interests at heart. While his idea of their best interests may not be the same as other folks it still does not change the fact that Allen is a straight up guy.

One thing that has been overlooked throughout the analysis of Allen's statement is that he says, "it's not Kevin's fault, the players were not organized anyway."

This statement right there tells you that Allen's sentiment lays with the players. He knows the value of organization and is simply stating for the record that Kevin Trudeau got a free pass to screw up because no held him accountable beforehand for his statements.

Allen is entitled to hs opinion of whether to give Trudeau more time before instigating legal action. Many don't agree with him and that's fine. However, his opinion should be given proper consideration simply because of the source. Allen has given us the greatest expo in pool. His expo has allowed a lot of entrepeneurs to earn signifigant income and get established in the billiard industry. He is one of the few who have managed to carve out a career in the billiard industry beside his playing career.

No one is immune to bad decisions or unpopular opinions. Some folks should however be accorded some amount of respect for what they have accomplished, especially if others are to eternally condemned for the things they have done as well.
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I am doing an interview with Allen in the morning, and was going over these responses for additional questions to ask him.

I can't agree more with you Roadie. Allen has done so much on a consistant basis for the industry, and Super Billiards Expo is the greatest show on earth! I have the utmost respect for both Allen and Dawn Hopkins, and always will.

These are all excellent points you brought out, and I couldn't agree more!

Eydie
 
Eydie Romano said:
I am doing an interview with Allen in the morning, and was going over these responses for additional questions to ask him.

I can't agree more with you Roadie. Allen has done so much on a consistant basis for the industry, and Super Billiards Expo is the greatest show on earth! I have the utmost respect for both Allen and Dawn Hopkins, and always will.

These are all excellent points you brought out, and I couldn't agree more!

Eydie
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Allen, Allen, Allen, yes he has done alllllllotttttttttttt for the sport, but I have two children and they have done allot tooooooooooo, made mistakes along the way but have grown up to be well educated well off, and with many friends. Now if one of them got out of line, I would let em know RIGHT away, I would by NO means patronize them because of how wonderful they are, I would tell em how I felt and without reservation. If they can't handle it too frikin bad, thats how I taught em when I raised them and that's how I'll always treat them, this AH issue is no different. It would be no different than telling the cop when your were caught doing 80 in a 70mph zone and saying, "I don't think I should get a ticket because I haven't gotten one for 15 years" RIGHT. This may just be another position in AH life where he may grow a little more. No matter how old or who we are we can all grow and learn from others. Now lets get on too someone elses isuuuuuuuuuuuuues.
 
PoolSharkAllen said:
Folks,
Allen Hopkins does not deserve to be flamed like this. Although you may disagree with him, he too is also looking out for the best interests of the players.

I can think of one very good reason why the payouts should be reduced by 1/3. And that is to put the IPT business model back on a sound financial footing. The previous business model with $3-million dollar payouts is simply not sustainable. The income from sponsorships, tv revenues, qualifier events and IPT memberships, simply isn't high enough to support 3-million dollar payouts. Despite what KT has said about personally subsidizing the IPT for the first two years, KT has apparently realized that bankrolling the payouts isn't a viable business model when expenditures far exceed incoming revenue.

So while I agree that KT has mislead the players and the fans many times over, the reality is that everyone is going to have to scale back their expectations if the IPT is going to be successful.

If push comes to shove and players start sueing the IPT, then bankruptsy becomes a very real possibility...in which case, nobody wins.
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In the case of bankruptsy of the IPT, the players will lose twice: They will MOST likely never be paid a dime, secondly, they will lose the money that they will have to collect and spend up front in order to obtain competent legal representation.

Does anyone think that the IPT has a positive cash flow or assets to be seized? Does anyone really believe that they will be able to obtain cash from KT's personal accounts? I'm not a lawyer but it sure seems it would be hard to prove that KT profited by any of his plans or promises. Maybe they could convince a jury or judge of this but that seems to be an even greater uphill battle than trying to let something positive shakeout from the gasping IPT.

JoeyA
 
JoeyA...<<In the case of bankruptsy of the IPT, the players will lose twice: They will MOST likely never be paid a dime, secondly, they will lose the money that they will have to collect and spend up front in order to obtain competent legal representation.>>

The going rumor is that there are a group of lawyers willing to prosecute this case for free. I REALLY HOPE that some great lawyers are willing to do so...but I will believe it when I see it.

Regards,
Jim
 
i seem to be in somewhat of a minority here in agreeing completely with the sentiments of allen's message. Firstly Roadie once again hits the nail right on the head with the following:

"This statement right there tells you that Allen's sentiment lays with the players. He knows the value of organization and is simply stating for the record that Kevin Trudeau got a free pass to screw up because no held him accountable beforehand for his statements."

many people overlooked the actual point behind what he said.

secondly, it seems people seem to be not getting the proper point of the following statement either.

"Please calm down and give KT a chance. At the first chance, I'm hearing talk about lawsuits. Why not talk about what we can do to help KT make this tour successful? He still has paid more money to professional players than any other promoter or organization ever."

He's not brown-nosing KT like some people seem to think, but he's trying to look at things constructively. All he's saying is surely it's more beneficial for all concerned, not just the players but indeed the game of pool itself, if we leave suing Mr Trudeau to a last resort, and try and back him to the hilt and encourage him, trying to make sure this IPT stays alive! He's just trying to be rational. the angry emotional part of the players are indeed just that - angry and emotional, and hurt. but i find it hard to believe every single one of them didn't have the time of their lives at the IPT events such was the scale and grandeur of them. KT may be an arse, i personally don't think so, but even if he is, let's try and be constructive. and the most constructive thing the players can do in my opinion is support KT and urge him to keep this tour going. regardless of the sour taste it may leave in some's mouth.

passionate preaching over! :o
 
I don't agree with AH position...but it's his choice to make. I'm a little unsure about the legal implications (I'm Canadian) but I do have one point of reference. OJ Simpson. Was there not a civil judgment against him? Did the Goldman's get much of anything?

If they could get the IPT to hand over 30-40% in ONE PAYMENT...maybe they should call it a day. Do I think the players deserve all of it? Absolutely. Did I believe the IPT and KT. No. I hope that from this the players can setup some sort of collaborative organization and the promoters can deal with one body.

Example:
Earl acts up and a individual promoter may be weary of taking him on. Now a players org(made up of his peers) that can ban him from 10 events might have some bite.

Nick
 
Just my 2 cents. KT and the IPT are probably incorporated and have limited liability i.e. you can't go after his personal assets. My feeling is if you can get anything do it! But if I'm owed a substantial amount it would be worth consulting with a qualified business/bankruptcy attorney to get some answers.
 
Roadie said:
Well, now we are at a point where I have to get personal. Allen Hopkins is my friend. I have know him for two decades. He has nothing but the players best interests at heart. While his idea of their best interests may not be the same as other folks it still does not change the fact that Allen is a straight up guy.

One thing that has been overlooked throughout the analysis of Allen's statement is that he says, "it's not Kevin's fault, the players were not organized anyway."

This statement right there tells you that Allen's sentiment lays with the players. He knows the value of organization and is simply stating for the record that Kevin Trudeau got a free pass to screw up because no held him accountable beforehand for his statements.

Allen is entitled to hs opinion of whether to give Trudeau more time before instigating legal action. Many don't agree with him and that's fine. However, his opinion should be given proper consideration simply because of the source. Allen has given us the greatest expo in pool. His expo has allowed a lot of entrepeneurs to earn signifigant income and get established in the billiard industry. He is one of the few who have managed to carve out a career in the billiard industry beside his playing career.

No one is immune to bad decisions or unpopular opinions. Some folks should however be accorded some amount of respect for what they have accomplished, especially if others are to eternally condemned for the things they have done as well.
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I'm with you Roadie.
 
Worriedbeef...<<He's not brown-nosing KT like some people seem to think, but he's trying to look at things constructively. All he's saying is surely it's more beneficial for all concerned, not just the players but indeed the game of pool itself, if we leave suing Mr Trudeau to a last resort, and try and back him to the hilt and encourage him, trying to make sure this IPT stays alive!>>

I won't use the phrase "brown-nosing." That was your expression. But AH was CERTAINLY being "supportive" of KT and so, without question, are you.

Thats OK! You have the complete right to express that view. But when you or AH is criticized for that view, don't object to those criticisms on the theory that you were not being supportive...because you ARE by the clear language of your post and AH's.

<<and the most constructive thing the players can do in my opinion is support KT and urge him to keep this tour going. regardless of the sour taste it may leave in some's mouth.>>

Again...OK...but how much of a sour taste was left in YOUR mouth? How much does the IPT owe YOU? It is pretty empty to suggest to people who are owed ,in some cases, HUGE sums of money, that they should but "constructive" toward someone who owes them money as is now...officially...refusing to pay in full.

Regards,
Jim
 
av84fun said:
JoeyA...<<In the case of bankruptsy of the IPT, the players will lose twice: They will MOST likely never be paid a dime, secondly, they will lose the money that they will have to collect and spend up front in order to obtain competent legal representation.>>

The going rumor is that there are a group of lawyers willing to prosecute this case for free. I REALLY HOPE that some great lawyers are willing to do so...but I will believe it when I see it.

Regards,
Jim
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Great lawyers for the players and for FREE? Whew, the only player that gets that lucky is Efren. It would be great if the IPT survives and prospers but second place: Great lawyers for free, sounds like a back-up plan although I find it hard to believe any great lawyers are gonna belly-up for free but who knows, hell I'm still hoping the IPT survives.
JoeyA
 
JoeyA said:
Great lawyers for the players and for FREE? Whew, the only player that gets that lucky is Efren. It would be great if the IPT survives and prospers but second place: Great lawyers for free, sounds like a back-up plan although I find it hard to believe any great lawyers are gonna belly-up for free but who knows, hell I'm still hoping the IPT survives.
JoeyA
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Could a benefactor be pickin up the tab???;)
 
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