Carissa Biggs sent me the following message that she wanted posted regarding last weekends Pechauer Tour Stop and Ronnie Allen's DQ from the event. These are Carissa's exact words...
The Pechauer West Coast Tour is designed to be a tour about pool. We strongly believe in professionalism and respect to all competitors who participate in tour events. We hope that by setting high standards for conduct, respect, and sportsmanship, the game of pool (at least in our area) will be in a position to move forward, rather than backward - like it seems to have done over the past several years.
When I first started running the tournaments on my own I found that certain players would want special treatment, or that situations would arise with sharking that I felt I should not intervene on because I could not tell whether or not it bothered the opponent. After that happened a couple times, we made the decision that there should be a minimum level of respect between players required at the events or sportsmanship infractions would be implemented regardless of whether or not the opposing player requested it. Before each event there is a player's meeting that outlines what that minimum level of conduct is. It includes (1) 5 minute break, no talking while your opponent is at the table, being seated when it is your opponent's turn to shoot, taking breaks on your inning or between games only, among other what seem to me to be common sense acts of respect. I make sure to get across in every player's meeting that the tournament the players have just signed up for is a pool tournament - and that the matches in the tournament should be about a game of pool - not who can mentally outmaneuver their opponent into shooting the worst. Please keep in mind that health issues are a completely different topic and would be handled with sensitivity and common sense.
This is what happened in regards to Ronnie Allen at the Ca Billiard Club stop - it is an accurate sequence of events.
Ronnie Allen was in a match. I walked through to survey the room as I had done many times throughout the day to make sure things were running smooth. I noticed Ronnie talking for the sake of talking while his opponent was trying to shoot. His opponent did not appear to be engaging in the conversation - but rather appeared to be trying to work through it and send Ronnie a message that he didn’t want to chitchat. This was observed from the rail, which was very much away from their table. I continued to watch and in between a game, after Ronnie hadn't stopped, I went over to the table to talk to Ronnie (quietly) about the fact that his conduct was unsportsmanlike and that he shouldn't be talking and carrying on during the match. He immediately changed the subject telling me that the cue ball was out of round (without ever acknowledging the reason I needed to be there in the first place). I continued to try to talk to him about why I was there - but he naturally would not let the cue ball issue go - trying to involve his opponent - who again, did not want to be involved. Ronnie told me that he was a professional pool player and that he would in no way be trying to "work me over" but anyone could see the cue ball is out of round. I had no problem dealing with the cue ball issue. I went to the owner of the room who promptly took over a fresh cue ball. Ronnie made some mistake during the next game and swiped the two remaining balls off the table when he gave up ball-in-hand on the 8-9. I then went over to talk to him again and let him know that his conduct was unacceptable. I left the immediate area and when I came back Ronnie was not at the table. His opponent came up to me and asked me to intervene - when Ronnie came back from the "bathroom" which was his 2nd break of the match with a fresh drink - I let him know that he needed to stay at the table during the match. He had words with me about the importance of the bathroom and walked over to resume the game. When he missed, his opponent went up to shoot (I did not know he was on the hill) - and Ronnie started talking and carrying on - at which point I went over to let Ronnie know that he forfeited the game due to continued unsportsmanlike conduct. At that point Ronnie had to tell me what he thought of the tour and me and how he would never be back or play again.
The last thing I wanted to do was be in a situation like that. Contrary to what others seem to be saying, I did not want to forfeit Ronnie.
Danny Medina never talked to me about the match - I did not know that Ronnie's opponent had anything to do with Medina until I read it on the azbilliards forum. I also intervened between George Michaels and Mark Haddad when their heated debate took place after their match. The bottom line is that no matter who is being loud or obnoxious it is disruptive to other players and the crowd – otherwise not so many people would have spoke up about what they thought they saw. It is not just the opponent who suffers – people in other matches are also often times unable to keep their concentration when disruptive situations are taking place.
On The Wire Billiard Promotions, which includes On The Wire newspaper and The Pechauer West Coast Tour, Steve Lingelbach, and myself, Carissa Biggs, would like to continue working toward a day when these kinds of incidents are a thing of the past. The tour has been a great success and the driving force behind that success are the generous sponsors who make the events possible. The bottom line is that sponsors don't want to be involved in sports that condone this type of behavior (Camel is a perfect example of this). There is no men's professional tour because of this exact lack of professionalism.
We have nothing against Ronnie Allen and should he have a change of heart - he is welcome at future West Coast Pechauer Tour events.
The Pechauer West Coast Tour is designed to be a tour about pool. We strongly believe in professionalism and respect to all competitors who participate in tour events. We hope that by setting high standards for conduct, respect, and sportsmanship, the game of pool (at least in our area) will be in a position to move forward, rather than backward - like it seems to have done over the past several years.
When I first started running the tournaments on my own I found that certain players would want special treatment, or that situations would arise with sharking that I felt I should not intervene on because I could not tell whether or not it bothered the opponent. After that happened a couple times, we made the decision that there should be a minimum level of respect between players required at the events or sportsmanship infractions would be implemented regardless of whether or not the opposing player requested it. Before each event there is a player's meeting that outlines what that minimum level of conduct is. It includes (1) 5 minute break, no talking while your opponent is at the table, being seated when it is your opponent's turn to shoot, taking breaks on your inning or between games only, among other what seem to me to be common sense acts of respect. I make sure to get across in every player's meeting that the tournament the players have just signed up for is a pool tournament - and that the matches in the tournament should be about a game of pool - not who can mentally outmaneuver their opponent into shooting the worst. Please keep in mind that health issues are a completely different topic and would be handled with sensitivity and common sense.
This is what happened in regards to Ronnie Allen at the Ca Billiard Club stop - it is an accurate sequence of events.
Ronnie Allen was in a match. I walked through to survey the room as I had done many times throughout the day to make sure things were running smooth. I noticed Ronnie talking for the sake of talking while his opponent was trying to shoot. His opponent did not appear to be engaging in the conversation - but rather appeared to be trying to work through it and send Ronnie a message that he didn’t want to chitchat. This was observed from the rail, which was very much away from their table. I continued to watch and in between a game, after Ronnie hadn't stopped, I went over to the table to talk to Ronnie (quietly) about the fact that his conduct was unsportsmanlike and that he shouldn't be talking and carrying on during the match. He immediately changed the subject telling me that the cue ball was out of round (without ever acknowledging the reason I needed to be there in the first place). I continued to try to talk to him about why I was there - but he naturally would not let the cue ball issue go - trying to involve his opponent - who again, did not want to be involved. Ronnie told me that he was a professional pool player and that he would in no way be trying to "work me over" but anyone could see the cue ball is out of round. I had no problem dealing with the cue ball issue. I went to the owner of the room who promptly took over a fresh cue ball. Ronnie made some mistake during the next game and swiped the two remaining balls off the table when he gave up ball-in-hand on the 8-9. I then went over to talk to him again and let him know that his conduct was unacceptable. I left the immediate area and when I came back Ronnie was not at the table. His opponent came up to me and asked me to intervene - when Ronnie came back from the "bathroom" which was his 2nd break of the match with a fresh drink - I let him know that he needed to stay at the table during the match. He had words with me about the importance of the bathroom and walked over to resume the game. When he missed, his opponent went up to shoot (I did not know he was on the hill) - and Ronnie started talking and carrying on - at which point I went over to let Ronnie know that he forfeited the game due to continued unsportsmanlike conduct. At that point Ronnie had to tell me what he thought of the tour and me and how he would never be back or play again.
The last thing I wanted to do was be in a situation like that. Contrary to what others seem to be saying, I did not want to forfeit Ronnie.
Danny Medina never talked to me about the match - I did not know that Ronnie's opponent had anything to do with Medina until I read it on the azbilliards forum. I also intervened between George Michaels and Mark Haddad when their heated debate took place after their match. The bottom line is that no matter who is being loud or obnoxious it is disruptive to other players and the crowd – otherwise not so many people would have spoke up about what they thought they saw. It is not just the opponent who suffers – people in other matches are also often times unable to keep their concentration when disruptive situations are taking place.
On The Wire Billiard Promotions, which includes On The Wire newspaper and The Pechauer West Coast Tour, Steve Lingelbach, and myself, Carissa Biggs, would like to continue working toward a day when these kinds of incidents are a thing of the past. The tour has been a great success and the driving force behind that success are the generous sponsors who make the events possible. The bottom line is that sponsors don't want to be involved in sports that condone this type of behavior (Camel is a perfect example of this). There is no men's professional tour because of this exact lack of professionalism.
We have nothing against Ronnie Allen and should he have a change of heart - he is welcome at future West Coast Pechauer Tour events.
