I am sick.
This whole thing has caused me to be physically ill.
There are times when disappointment actually causes physical discomfort.
Much of this discomfort comes from confusion,
thinking something is one way,
only to find out it is another.
That in of itself can be distressing.
But when you thought something was good and found out it was bad,
it's a hurt that feels like betrayal and a struggle to understand "why" begins,
to resolve that discomfort and ease the confusion and lessen the pain.
I will share with you and try to ease your pain as many are confused.
This event is The Tornado Open hosted by The Seminole tribe of Florida,
held in the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
I participated in the Amateur Women's Event. (As it was near equal to paying for admission)
I made it to 16th and then asked Vivian what places were being paid out until-
her response to me was "I don't know, we still haven't decided"
I wasn't aware things were being decided as we go.
I understand contingencies and so forth but I thought we were going forward with an event in it's 3rd year, which already had this end ironed out. Okay.
Well eventually she did decide.She decided to pay through 12th.
No worries.
I enjoyed my time on the table, but it would have been nice to cash.
While play was active all around including during my match, issues with the Security Guard in the fluorescent yellow shirts, watching the matches in the live-stream aisle, tapping his rings on the metal bleachers.
Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding.!!!
People are playing everywhere! This is their money and you're obliviously tapping away!
ARGH!
I stop play in the middle of my stroke to turn around and stare him down and he realizes and stops.
After my 2nd loss I discover there are vendor booths on the far side of the arena that I never knew were there!
No announcements had been made - of these vendors was Molinari, Omega Mike and then-
This is where Vivian broke my heart and lost my respect.
There was an 80 year old Seminole woman who made dolls and bags by hand,
her name is Agnes.
Hunched from age over her dolls, she sat alone at her table.
I stopped and asked her if she had much business,
she did not look me in the eye and did not speak a word, she only shook her head no.
I didn't know she was there!
I would have spoke up and said something if I knew she was there...
Of course I bought 3 dolls right then and there and then I went outside to smoke a cigarette and cry.
The sight of this woman and how desolate her area was,
and that no one knew and no one cared, simply killed me.
Coming back into the arena I still had tears streaming down my face because now,
by that time I wanted everyone to know she existed.
I cleaned my face and stopped the water works.
I told Mike Delawder and he said he'd buy one.
Then I approached TD Linda Garza and asked that she make an announcement overhead to get some traffic that way, explaining to her that this woman is sitting there at her traffic-less table.
She made exactly one announcement on Saturday after my prompting.
None had been made on any of the days before.
This is on a human level.
On a personal level, I am of mixed heritage which includes native.
That you would allow such an inconsideration and oversight of your sponsor tribe AND as a paying vendor, to happen under your watch, is at it simplest, just awful.
Awful on many levels.
Staffing-
One referee.
You choose to have 8 overlapping professional, amateur and tribal events and only provide one referee?
Not only do you only provide one referee, but I know the guy, I like the guy.
But in no way is/was one referee adequate!
Nor can a referee's job be done over 32 tables from the seated position.
Nor can a referee's job be done while stationary, or kibitzing or while on the phone.
On Saturday alone, I had to get his attention and tell him to look up and see he was needed, 3 times Saturday alone, for which he thanked me.
On the subject of 8 overlapping events.
By using your friends and family, they were made to work well over 12 hour days-
you did everyone a disservice by stretching yourself thin on quality staffing and putting these women through the duress of coordinating 8 events and long hours
It's just selfish. You are terribly selfish.
You had an elderly woman as a referee for the tribal event, you had your elderly mother
working HARD behind the counter, you had Linda Garza and your GF overburdened and overloaded.
What is that besides elderly abuse?
Simple.
Greed.
What's worse is that you thought you could hold an event,
manage an event and play in the event and do all of this efficiently and then act surprised when people ask legitimate questions that you and your staff cannot answer in a polite or courteous way because everyone's so overworked,
manners have gone out the window, and now you feel as though you're being attacked.
This is also at it's root, selfish.
Perhaps if running a quality event was the priority.
But it was not.
Why do I sound so confident in my assessment of the situation?
Because of what I saw from Vivian during the J&J Scotch Doubles.
Fine, she talked to her opponents during her match, some would say she sharked them here and there.
It was what I saw when she won...
To go off hooting and hollering after the last ball went in the hole and leave your opponents, Allison Fisher and John Morra standing there, waiting to shake your hand?!
This was poor sportsmanship on display for the world to see.
We all stood there, pretty much disgusted at this flagrant show.
I understand being happy to win.
But this was not merely a fist pump or a primal yell.
How could you be so happy to take money out of your brothers and sisters pockets in such a denigrating fashion as to flaunt it in their faces by making them wait?
I sent both John and Allison a message telling them I saw the lack of humility shown them and I felt very bad for them and the situation.
Because at that point, what else can you say?
You broke many people's hearts, not just mine.
Do you know you broke Josh Roberts heart Vivian?
No?
Well let me tell you from his own mouth:
He adored you.
He was so happy to be in Florida playing after taking 2nd in Beloit (I was there)
You were the only woman player that had a slip-stroke like his and plus he admired that you were creating something for the players.
Until he experienced you.
Then he decided to speak his mind and posted about his experience as did a couple of other players from what I understand.
All were asked by fellow players at Vivian's urging to say something positive, rather than bash the event,
and those that were rightfully wronged relented rather than "make problems" and create dissension, ultimately, they removed their posts.
They folded in the interest of being better men and women and giving her a chance.
She also asked some personally to remove their posts.
In the interest of brotherhood, they held their tongues.
"You" ladies and gentlemen, are truly good people,
and you want what's best for your sport,
and I understand why you subsequently became quiet.
You thought it would be the honorable thing to do.
There is no honor in it at all.
It does no one any good at all because change will not happen if you allow bad behavior to be the norm.
I've had enough with the disrespect of our players.
They deserve better and most of you agree.
Haven't they been beat down enough from both outside and within to have to worry about their sister now putting the squeeze on them?
Stand up for yourselves!
Bad Behavior from spectators:
Now, I'm a pool person, from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.
If there are any among you who sit in the front row of a streaming match between Champions and you don't have the courtesy to put your phones down and give these amazing talents your full attention,
leave the arena to use your phone.
Vivian this means you also, as I sat and watched you on the phone there in the first row as a match was in play.
Blatantly rude.
Again, your own desire to watch matches as everyone else around you contended with tournament chaos only reinforces my point.
Now I'm not just talking about people on their phones,
I'm talking about guys like this:
Stupid Foot Guy and his Ignorant Friend ( Ignorant friend walked to his seat in front of Shane as Shane was down on the shot on the 10!! because I'm only allowed 5 pics at a time, I will regale you with these, shame on these guys- If you know 'em, tell 'em I said so)
How can you disrespect our players like that? Just ARGGGGGH!
Vivian-how come you or the people you paid to do the stream or the referee didn't speak up?!!
I got the guys attention and he took his feet down.
I also almost got punched in the face by a security guard who was entirely oblivious to his volume, his choice of words and where he was standing.
This is not my job.
But it is my duty to point out pool etiquette in respect to our players.
They deserve respect, and I will fight or eat fist to make sure they get it.
Why wouldn't you ask for courtesy for your players?
Most of the announcements besides matches, were no filming announcements and the one announcement was made to shame a man when he (guy in the pink shirt) knocked over Ga Young Kim's Cue because there was no place to rest a cue at any tables-
How hard would it have been to ask Robin Bell for Cue-Clips or Mueller or anybody for Grippers to rest their cues on?
Not everyone has a case that holds a cue when it's put together.
You're a player for goodness sakes, how can this most basic of things escape you?
Twice I saw cues go down because the players in the streaming area had leaned their cues and who ever walked past, caught them and down they went onto the hard floor.
Maybe you were busy playing.
I had to leave the arena after the Men's Pro Finals were finished but before the Women's Pro event wrapped up.
Vivian-
How dare you cry to new player April Larsen about how difficult it's been to run this event with people coming at you from all directions-
She didn't need this drama coming into a professional event her first year out.
She doesn't deserve that coming from the woman who granted no one a pass for their significant other.
You didn't just squeeze, you squeezed hard!
April's grandparents live there on a fixed budget and couldn't afford the $200+ to watch their granddaughter play you see,
and now here you are to cry on her shoulder and tell her how you're being overwhelmed?
That's what your girlfriend is for, or your TD or your mother or your player friends.
You got a lot of nerve to cry to an 18 yr old new player.
That's rotten and again, selfish on an exponential level.
Moving right along with unburdenings-
I asked TD Linda if I could take a picture of these buckets of balls that were behind her. Upon doing so, she chose to unburden herself to me, citing that this has been difficult running 8 events, I say "I thought it was 6."
she corrects me and says it's 8 and how when one match gets held up it creates a ripple effect, slowing things down and creating jams.
I say "I've thrown my hat into the promoters ring once, next time I'll take $8,000 in champagne, fill the tub and soak my head for having such a bright idea. Chicago-Venom, 2011, also why I will never back anything Venom does. Ungrateful and inconsiderate, and I'm done being mum about that.)
TD then goes on about her business as no mercy is to be had from our exchange.
If we stay quiet, we will keep getting what we've been getting.
This pattern is repeating itself.
DO NOT BE QUIET OR SILENCED ANY LONGER!
If you see bad being done, do not tolerate it or we will have another U.S. Open promoter on the loose and we will all shake our heads, feeling powerless when the power to enforce change lies in our hands the whole time.
I'll be damned if I let anyone ride on the backs of the tribes or the backs of their fellow players while trying to tell me it's for the good of the game!
The ridiculous part is I could actually go on but
writing about this much of it should suffice.
This whole thing has caused me to be physically ill.
There are times when disappointment actually causes physical discomfort.
Much of this discomfort comes from confusion,
thinking something is one way,
only to find out it is another.
That in of itself can be distressing.
But when you thought something was good and found out it was bad,
it's a hurt that feels like betrayal and a struggle to understand "why" begins,
to resolve that discomfort and ease the confusion and lessen the pain.
I will share with you and try to ease your pain as many are confused.
This event is The Tornado Open hosted by The Seminole tribe of Florida,
held in the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
I participated in the Amateur Women's Event. (As it was near equal to paying for admission)
I made it to 16th and then asked Vivian what places were being paid out until-
her response to me was "I don't know, we still haven't decided"
I wasn't aware things were being decided as we go.
I understand contingencies and so forth but I thought we were going forward with an event in it's 3rd year, which already had this end ironed out. Okay.
Well eventually she did decide.She decided to pay through 12th.
No worries.
I enjoyed my time on the table, but it would have been nice to cash.
While play was active all around including during my match, issues with the Security Guard in the fluorescent yellow shirts, watching the matches in the live-stream aisle, tapping his rings on the metal bleachers.
Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding.!!!
People are playing everywhere! This is their money and you're obliviously tapping away!
ARGH!
I stop play in the middle of my stroke to turn around and stare him down and he realizes and stops.
After my 2nd loss I discover there are vendor booths on the far side of the arena that I never knew were there!
No announcements had been made - of these vendors was Molinari, Omega Mike and then-
This is where Vivian broke my heart and lost my respect.
There was an 80 year old Seminole woman who made dolls and bags by hand,
her name is Agnes.
Hunched from age over her dolls, she sat alone at her table.
I stopped and asked her if she had much business,
she did not look me in the eye and did not speak a word, she only shook her head no.
I didn't know she was there!
I would have spoke up and said something if I knew she was there...
Of course I bought 3 dolls right then and there and then I went outside to smoke a cigarette and cry.
The sight of this woman and how desolate her area was,
and that no one knew and no one cared, simply killed me.
Coming back into the arena I still had tears streaming down my face because now,
by that time I wanted everyone to know she existed.
I cleaned my face and stopped the water works.
I told Mike Delawder and he said he'd buy one.
Then I approached TD Linda Garza and asked that she make an announcement overhead to get some traffic that way, explaining to her that this woman is sitting there at her traffic-less table.
She made exactly one announcement on Saturday after my prompting.
None had been made on any of the days before.
This is on a human level.
On a personal level, I am of mixed heritage which includes native.
That you would allow such an inconsideration and oversight of your sponsor tribe AND as a paying vendor, to happen under your watch, is at it simplest, just awful.
Awful on many levels.
Staffing-
One referee.
You choose to have 8 overlapping professional, amateur and tribal events and only provide one referee?
Not only do you only provide one referee, but I know the guy, I like the guy.
But in no way is/was one referee adequate!
Nor can a referee's job be done over 32 tables from the seated position.
Nor can a referee's job be done while stationary, or kibitzing or while on the phone.
On Saturday alone, I had to get his attention and tell him to look up and see he was needed, 3 times Saturday alone, for which he thanked me.
On the subject of 8 overlapping events.
By using your friends and family, they were made to work well over 12 hour days-
you did everyone a disservice by stretching yourself thin on quality staffing and putting these women through the duress of coordinating 8 events and long hours
It's just selfish. You are terribly selfish.
You had an elderly woman as a referee for the tribal event, you had your elderly mother
working HARD behind the counter, you had Linda Garza and your GF overburdened and overloaded.
What is that besides elderly abuse?
Simple.
Greed.
What's worse is that you thought you could hold an event,
manage an event and play in the event and do all of this efficiently and then act surprised when people ask legitimate questions that you and your staff cannot answer in a polite or courteous way because everyone's so overworked,
manners have gone out the window, and now you feel as though you're being attacked.
This is also at it's root, selfish.
Perhaps if running a quality event was the priority.
But it was not.
Why do I sound so confident in my assessment of the situation?
Because of what I saw from Vivian during the J&J Scotch Doubles.
Fine, she talked to her opponents during her match, some would say she sharked them here and there.
It was what I saw when she won...
To go off hooting and hollering after the last ball went in the hole and leave your opponents, Allison Fisher and John Morra standing there, waiting to shake your hand?!
This was poor sportsmanship on display for the world to see.
We all stood there, pretty much disgusted at this flagrant show.
I understand being happy to win.
But this was not merely a fist pump or a primal yell.
How could you be so happy to take money out of your brothers and sisters pockets in such a denigrating fashion as to flaunt it in their faces by making them wait?
I sent both John and Allison a message telling them I saw the lack of humility shown them and I felt very bad for them and the situation.
Because at that point, what else can you say?
You broke many people's hearts, not just mine.
Do you know you broke Josh Roberts heart Vivian?
No?
Well let me tell you from his own mouth:
He adored you.
He was so happy to be in Florida playing after taking 2nd in Beloit (I was there)
You were the only woman player that had a slip-stroke like his and plus he admired that you were creating something for the players.
Until he experienced you.
Then he decided to speak his mind and posted about his experience as did a couple of other players from what I understand.
All were asked by fellow players at Vivian's urging to say something positive, rather than bash the event,
and those that were rightfully wronged relented rather than "make problems" and create dissension, ultimately, they removed their posts.
They folded in the interest of being better men and women and giving her a chance.
She also asked some personally to remove their posts.
In the interest of brotherhood, they held their tongues.
"You" ladies and gentlemen, are truly good people,
and you want what's best for your sport,
and I understand why you subsequently became quiet.
You thought it would be the honorable thing to do.
There is no honor in it at all.
It does no one any good at all because change will not happen if you allow bad behavior to be the norm.
I've had enough with the disrespect of our players.
They deserve better and most of you agree.
Haven't they been beat down enough from both outside and within to have to worry about their sister now putting the squeeze on them?
Stand up for yourselves!
Bad Behavior from spectators:
Now, I'm a pool person, from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.
If there are any among you who sit in the front row of a streaming match between Champions and you don't have the courtesy to put your phones down and give these amazing talents your full attention,
leave the arena to use your phone.
Vivian this means you also, as I sat and watched you on the phone there in the first row as a match was in play.
Blatantly rude.
Again, your own desire to watch matches as everyone else around you contended with tournament chaos only reinforces my point.
Now I'm not just talking about people on their phones,
I'm talking about guys like this:
Stupid Foot Guy and his Ignorant Friend ( Ignorant friend walked to his seat in front of Shane as Shane was down on the shot on the 10!! because I'm only allowed 5 pics at a time, I will regale you with these, shame on these guys- If you know 'em, tell 'em I said so)
How can you disrespect our players like that? Just ARGGGGGH!
Vivian-how come you or the people you paid to do the stream or the referee didn't speak up?!!
I got the guys attention and he took his feet down.
I also almost got punched in the face by a security guard who was entirely oblivious to his volume, his choice of words and where he was standing.
This is not my job.
But it is my duty to point out pool etiquette in respect to our players.
They deserve respect, and I will fight or eat fist to make sure they get it.
Why wouldn't you ask for courtesy for your players?
Most of the announcements besides matches, were no filming announcements and the one announcement was made to shame a man when he (guy in the pink shirt) knocked over Ga Young Kim's Cue because there was no place to rest a cue at any tables-
How hard would it have been to ask Robin Bell for Cue-Clips or Mueller or anybody for Grippers to rest their cues on?
Not everyone has a case that holds a cue when it's put together.
You're a player for goodness sakes, how can this most basic of things escape you?
Twice I saw cues go down because the players in the streaming area had leaned their cues and who ever walked past, caught them and down they went onto the hard floor.
Maybe you were busy playing.
I had to leave the arena after the Men's Pro Finals were finished but before the Women's Pro event wrapped up.
Vivian-
How dare you cry to new player April Larsen about how difficult it's been to run this event with people coming at you from all directions-
She didn't need this drama coming into a professional event her first year out.
She doesn't deserve that coming from the woman who granted no one a pass for their significant other.
You didn't just squeeze, you squeezed hard!
April's grandparents live there on a fixed budget and couldn't afford the $200+ to watch their granddaughter play you see,
and now here you are to cry on her shoulder and tell her how you're being overwhelmed?
That's what your girlfriend is for, or your TD or your mother or your player friends.
You got a lot of nerve to cry to an 18 yr old new player.
That's rotten and again, selfish on an exponential level.
Moving right along with unburdenings-
I asked TD Linda if I could take a picture of these buckets of balls that were behind her. Upon doing so, she chose to unburden herself to me, citing that this has been difficult running 8 events, I say "I thought it was 6."
she corrects me and says it's 8 and how when one match gets held up it creates a ripple effect, slowing things down and creating jams.
I say "I've thrown my hat into the promoters ring once, next time I'll take $8,000 in champagne, fill the tub and soak my head for having such a bright idea. Chicago-Venom, 2011, also why I will never back anything Venom does. Ungrateful and inconsiderate, and I'm done being mum about that.)
TD then goes on about her business as no mercy is to be had from our exchange.
If we stay quiet, we will keep getting what we've been getting.
This pattern is repeating itself.
DO NOT BE QUIET OR SILENCED ANY LONGER!
If you see bad being done, do not tolerate it or we will have another U.S. Open promoter on the loose and we will all shake our heads, feeling powerless when the power to enforce change lies in our hands the whole time.
I'll be damned if I let anyone ride on the backs of the tribes or the backs of their fellow players while trying to tell me it's for the good of the game!
The ridiculous part is I could actually go on but
writing about this much of it should suffice.
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