post IPT comments

[delano]

I'm just curious but what can you say about the IPT tournaments after all these years? Tournament wise, round robin format, online coverage and no KT comments if it's alright.

I really thought it was top notch. Every rack was so important, esp for a round robin format. I kinda miss it and I was really so excited to follow it everyday.

 

[Black-Balled]

Nice try, Mike?

 

[delano]

that's a sad comment but.... tournament wise, it was a great thing.

 

[Tom In Cincy]

The tournament and money was exactly what everyone wanted (and still do)

The productions were way beyond normal. Lots of Sizzle.

Huge winnings and a select group of players to represent the best of the best.

The format was a derivative of the old style round robin tournaments used for 3C and 14.1 championships, but on a much larger scale.

I really liked the format, it gave the players a better chance to compete and advance.

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

The IPT was a good idea for the Pro player that is DEAD, so why,

??​

 

[metallicane]

I agree I thought it really had potential. It is a shame it could not get off the ground. I do not know if it could fly financially no matter who was in charge, but I wish it did.

 

[Blackjack]

I'm just curious but what can you say about the IPT tournaments after all these years?

I was right.

 

[delano]

I was right.

I know you are right, but it was exciting right?

 

[Blackjack]

I know you are right, but it was exciting right?

I'll say yes, but I am only referring to the matches that Danny Harriman played.

 

[Johnnyt]

I still say that the IPT model is what will work for pool, but with purses a third as much to start with. I believe the qualifiers are a good thing to get the best players and help sustain the tour. Now we need one more person with deep pockets to start it:wink:. Johnnyt

 

[Voodoo Daddy]

I was right.

Was it just you? smirk:wink:

 

[Blackjack]

Was it just you? smirk:wink:

I'll rephrase that ... my tag team partner was also right.

 

[ceebee]

If the IPT Model could be scrutinized & the good parts kept & the bad parts modified to become good parts... Professional Pool could be great enetertainment for player & spectator.

The IPT obviously didn't undergo much brainstorming (well maybe one sorta brain) so it turned out to be a "flash in the pan". Lots of people were disappointed, some extremely disappointed.

Professional Pool Players & Celebrities could have ridden a similar format to the point that millions watched, just to see the action between the Pro & Celebrities.

Ring games with "LOTS of money on the line", Pro-AM Tournaments with amatuers, Pros & celebs & staged Tournaments around the world.

Now that On-Line Gaming is a buzzword again, maybe some rich guys will want to give it a go...

 

[SpiderWebComm]

I took a beating and a half with the IPT, but one thing I'll always say.... the IPT events were second to none. It was PGA-TOUR-LIKE in every way. If pool is to go head-to-head with mainstream sports.... IPT-LIKE (production-wise) is how it'd have to be.

 

[macguy]

I'm just curious but what can you say about the IPT tournaments after all these years? Tournament wise, round robin format, online coverage and no KT comments if it's alright.

I really thought it was top notch. Every rack was so important, esp for a round robin format. I kinda miss it and I was really so excited to follow it everyday.

It was started on deceit, gross exaggerations and down right lies. Leading desperate players to drop everything some go in debt and follow, promised TV, movie parts, endorsements, retirement, health care and just about anything else that came into their heads. I know players that actually believed it all, hook line and sinker. In the end it was a cruel and sad joke.

 

[Luxury]

No time limit on shots for big $$$ had the pros moving wayyyyy slower than normal. The people in the stands looked like they wanted to fall asleep. Snail's pace pool will never have even a small chance in today's tiny attention span world.

I've been saying this for years. Make it faster and change the rules. Snooker is starting to figure it out and the crowd responded positively.

 

[JAM]

I'm just curious but what can you say about the IPT tournaments after all these years? Tournament wise, round robin format, online coverage and no KT comments if it's alright.

I really thought it was top notch. Every rack was so important, esp for a round robin format. I kinda miss it and I was really so excited to follow it everyday.

Everybody, except the actual competitors in the IPT, seemed to dislike the IPT immensely for a variety of reasons. Their disdain for Kevin Trudeau's other business ventures was brought up quite often, even though he did, in fact, invest MILLIONS -- multiple MILLIONS of dollars -- into pool, hoping that his vision of a tour would catch on.

Many pool industry members did not like the IPT one bit, again, for a variety of reasons. Kevin Trudeau refused to pay the WPA tax to sanction his events, which didn't sit well with some industry folks.

Many a pool player came out of the woodwork when the IPT first came to the scene. Road warriors like Dave Matlock, John Kuchero, James Walden, and Scotty Baldwin dressed up in suits and ties because they saw an opportunity to earn a decent income from playing pool on the IPT tour. In fact, it seemed like the pool players were treated like professional sports figures on the IPT tour, and they loved it. Pool, for the first time in a long time, seemed like a real legitimate sport.

As a side note, Dave Matlock did pocket a nice chunk of change, five figures, and told me that he was going to use it as a down payment on a house for him and his fiance.

If the IPT tour had started out with a different platform as it pertains to tournament payouts, it might have had a chance to survive. To this day, I am not aware of anybody or any entity that has invested as much money in pool as Kevin Trudeau. Oh, the memories of those first-class venues -- the Starship TV stage, the Green Room with a buffet of food and beverages for the competitors, free Cyber Cafe, gift bags full of IPT goodies to each competitor, $30,000 to each BCA Hall of Famer for just showing up in Orlando (December 2005), just to name a few.

The last tournament in Reno (September 2006) resulted in players getting staggered payments for the tournament, and that was the end of the IPT era. For the players who did get the opportunity to compete in the events, it sure was fun while it lasted.

Here's a cute shot of Keith McCready and Sandor Tot of Hungary adhering to the IPT dress code at the IPT tournament in Vegas, July 2006. I loved that blue jacket on Keith; it matches his eyes. :grin-loving:

 

[JAM]

IPT Starship Stage for TV rounds.

 

[JAM]

At each IPT tournament, each competitor was given a gift. Here is the one from the King of the Hill tournament in Florida. The bags had the players' names embroidered on the bag, and they were filled with goodies, a baseball cap with the IPT logo, a coffee tumbler, a shirt, some DVDs.

I do think it was a nice gesture on behalf of the organizers.

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

Good post JAM, too bad the IPT went Down in FLAMES!

Also some player are still owed money they won if I recall!