Bigger Change is Needed to Promote Growth
I agree that this tour is good news for pool, and I am glad to see a man of intelligence mapping this thing out. Still, I don't think this format is really any different from other Pro Tours. If you guys with the power are listening, I would like to make a suggestion. Make all the tournaments ProAm, and offer much cheaper entry fees for the true amateur players. Then structure the brackets so that Amateurs will play the pros in the early brackets. The Pros will benefit by larger purses. The bar and hotels will benefit from the extra business generated by increased participation. Amateurs will benefit by gaining the experience and fun of playing in major tournaments without flushing two or three hundred dollars down the toilet. Think about it my friends, why would anyone out of the top 10 -20 players pay a $200 or $300 dollar entry fee, when they know they cannot place well in the tourney? This is what is killing the growth of our tournaments. Can you imagine how many amateur players like myself would enter these tournaments if you lowered the entry fee to $35 or $40 and gave them a chance (regardless of how slim) to play the big boys for the big cash? Sure, it would be a lottery ticket, but it would be fun, and it would gain a lot of attention. If one of these lower skilled players ever won the cash, it would make a great story that would be super publicity for the game. Just keep the amateurs restricted to APA or BCA (whatever) ranked players so that no hustlers could take advantage of this system. If a player has a real chance of doing well, he should pay full entry, but an APA 5 or 6 should be able to participate at a much reduced rate. It would be good for everyone. The number of participants at this skill level could be limited to 16 players, and I am sure the slots would fill quickly. You could even have qualifier tourneys for these slots. Any comments? We need some new thinking friends. Thanks!
