That is exactly how I feel. Exactly! It is amazing that there is a lot of railbird chatter about this problem, yet there's not much coming from the players themselves, who seem to be mute on this issue.Does anyone feel that a title sponsor -- the sponsor that provides the majority of the added money -- should not be able to control the advertising images of related products appearing at the event? I'm trying to imagine what would have happened if Tiger Woods had worn a "Built Ford Tough" hat at the Buick Open.
It seems to me that some don't want pool to have sponsors because sponsors might be looking out for their own interests.
I think that that's exactly why companies sponsor athletes! Why else?What makes it silly is that I doubt many amateurs select their equipment based on what the pros use. I mean, who could think buying a cue that the pros use will suddenly have them playing like the pro?
Do you think Apple is a Chinese company too?What part of the "People's Republic of China" is in error?
Yes I know about the office in FL. and the Revo's in MA.
Predator does a lot for pool and players. They have every right being the title sponsor to put their logo and advertisements anywhere they want at the event. Hell they could print their logo across the middle of the felt if they wanted. I don’t think that’s the issue at all. But forcing players that aren’t sponsored by Predator to promote their brand on their clothing if they want to play in a Matchroom event is obviously a issue for several reasons.Does anyone feel that a title sponsor -- the sponsor that provides the majority of the added money -- should not be able to control the advertising images of related products appearing at the event? I'm trying to imagine what would have happened if Tiger Woods had worn a "Built Ford Tough" hat at the Buick Open.
It seems to me that some don't want pool to have sponsors because sponsors might be looking out for their own interests.
Yeah but later this year when Matchroom releases the SVB and Fedor Mosconi Cup posters or other promo material and there they are with a Predator patch who wins? This isn’t exaggerated. They literally did it with Fedor last year.BTW, this isn't Predators fault, it's cuetec and the other players sponsor's fault. The patch they have to wear is a "league" patch.
Hell, I'd want my player in it to "prove" perhaps my cue is better than theirs.
Cuetec sponsored players SVB and Gorst take #1 and #2 in Predator CLP event, see why the best in the world play Cuetec.
Seems like a good advertising opportunity
But in this case, the logo is CLP, Championship League Pool. I don't see what harm that would do.
I understand your argument, I really do, but snooker and pool are not the same thing at all. Snooker players are well paid with sponsors outside the industry, appearance fees for exhibitions and coaching (if they want to do that sort of thing), and good prizes for even mediocre placing.In snooker, the event sponsor's logo is always on the player's shirts/waistcoats, they then get an additional 1 or 2 patches for their own personal sponsors.
Given this is a Matchroom event, presumably they just followed the tried and tested model that has worked for years without too many problems (and possibly didn't see why this would be an issue).
I guess perhaps the key difference is that I've never heard of a snooker tournament being sponsored by a cue maker (although pretty sure some of the players have had rival betting company logos on before, I'm sure Ronnie had a Chinese firm for a while).
From a player's perspective, who is Matchroom or Predator to force a player to wear a logo on their shirt. This isn't a free invitational, all expenses aren't paid, the players have to pay an entry fee, along with all of their expenses including travel. As an event sponsor, Predator should control the event, its equipment, signage, marketing, rules etc, but to try and dictate what a competitor wears, I see that as too much. Predator isn't even providing the jersey for the event.
It looks like the best-paid players are taking the stand. SVB and Fedor at Cuetec, Sky at Meucci and Shaw at Peri Cues. Imagine being a lower level pro and having a smaller cue sponsor that has supported you for years, and now you are required to wear a Predator patch... Its not a good look for Predator. They do a lot for the game, but that doesn't make this okay, and you can see it happening at the "Predator World 10-Ball" and who knows where else.
I think SVB had problems with this in the past. Matchroom sold a patch location to the APA and made SVB wear it even though he was a CSI or VNEA rep. None of us should forget that hateful Mosconi MVP trophy either. Making Sky and Shaw hold that yellow Predator bumper sticker just looked classless to me, but sometimes I miss the vests.
I understand your argument, I really do, but snooker and pool are not the same thing at all. Snooker players are well paid with sponsors outside the industry, appearance fees for exhibitions and coaching (if they want to do that sort of thing), and good prizes for even mediocre placing.
Pro pool players get a pittance for sponsorship, and some of the best sponsors they could hope for are cue makers. Other options for sponsorship are sponsors who for one reason or another are not allowed to sponsor major sports, or can't afford to. Shady betting companies are the richest but are in and out of the sport, it used to be cigarettes, now maybe vaping pens and stuff like that. Even sponsors of the bottom variety are rare and hard to come by. The sponsor covers maybe the entry fee, possibly travel, but that's probably it, unless you're top 5. So you have to beat world beaters, with little guarantee of winning anything at all. Even a 3. place could be as bad as a break-even proposition in many tournaments
Matchroom should realize that this is the reality of things, and rather than wishing it were different, accept it and work from there.