Ranking Points Notice to All Pro Players

[Peter@CEP]

Peter,

The World Championships are comprised of fields of 64-128 of the worlds best players. Every match is tough. They are an excellent test of a player's ability. In an Open event where anyone can play then a champion may play Joe the house painter in the first round or two. After that, when the filed is down to 128 or 64 or whatever, it becomes a fine test. But field size does not in and of itself guarantee a real test. I remember some of the old Reno Opens where there were 300 players or more but only a dozen of them had a chance at winning.

OK I can accept your point that each of these events are a tough test but do you honestly think that 3 events per year is enough for a world ranking system? It is clear that in these hard times, we are not going to find many sponsors putting up $75,000. The WPA, in my opinion needs to think again. Another thing occurs to me, if the ranking system is based purely on the added prize money then the 10 players of the Mosconi Cup should get ranking points as there is $150,000 added.

 

[Peter@CEP]

Stick with the bar for world championships.. 75k added.. So be it... But award points for any tournament that pays the WPA a 5% fee of it's added
money at a discounted rate. Barry added $50k pays you $2500 to sanction the event and you award points based on 50k/75k or .66% of normal. The Steve Mizerack could have done the same. I think Turning Stones is 25k added. $1250 and they get 1/3rd of the normal points awarded. This would work for the Eurotour as well.

The Eurotour is already paying 5% of €280,000 per year to the EPBF so I doubt it would pay an additional 5% to the WPA

 

[pro9dg]

I have not published the points as they are subject to verification. But I am confident that the positions would be accurate.

The effect is to see big jumps for Rodney, Corey and Charlie into the top 32.
Shane improves from 11th to 6th while Jason Klatt rises from 22nd to 8th and Darren Appleton from 19th to 2nd. It is starting to look a bit more indicative of the true state of the game but still lacks a European event.

With the European players, none of their points were gained on home soil. There is a band of them (Immonen, Hohmann, Souquet, Alcaide, Chamat, Appleton, Boyes, Peach, Melling, Higgins, Majid) who have got up and gone to almost every major event wherever it is in the world.

Add points for just any ONE of the last seven Euro Tours and Appleton and Boyes would go to #1 and #2 and the others listed would occupy most of the top 16 spots.

The US travelling band is small and I would like to see some of your Young Guns make a more positive effort to join their European (and Asia) counterparts).

Oscar D is one who has started already but players like Mike Dechaine, Brandon Shuff and Tommy Tokoph might not fulfil their potential unless they get more international seasoning.

 

[JAM]

...The US travelling band is small and I would like to see some of your Young Guns make a more positive effort to join their European (and Asia) counterparts).

Oscar D is one who has started already but players like Mike Dechaine, Brandon Shuff and Tommy Tokoph might not fulfil their potential unless they get more international seasoning.

Those are good thoughts, but who of these fine American young guns can afford it? The BCA has turned their back on sponsoring American professional players to attend overseas events. The pool industry sponsors are suffering economic hardships like the rest of the world.

The WPA might think it's raising the bar to help pool elevate, but while they're looking up and admiring how grandeur their newly instituted rules are, I hope they also notice the drop in attendance by American players.

The European players for sure got ripped off on the WPA's ranking system. It's a shame and not fair. I'm sorry if I offend anyone with my opinion, but this really stinks to high heaven.

 

[pro9dg]

Those are good thoughts, but who of these fine American young guns can afford it? The BCA has turned their back on sponsoring American professional players to attend overseas events. The pool industry sponsors are suffering economic hardships like the rest of the world.

The WPA might think it's raising the bar to help pool elevate, but while they're looking up and admiring how grandeur their newly instituted rules are, I hope they also notice the drop in attendance by American players.

The European players for sure got ripped off on the WPA's ranking system. It's a shame and not fair. I'm sorry if I offend anyone with my opinion, but this really stinks to high heaven.

It is not beyond the bounds of possibility to get on the globetrotting bandwagon. British players generally funded their own campaigns and succeeded.
What a bunch of them need is a sponsorship manager (perhaps a Fairy Godmother with a Significant Other to back her up).
Ring any bells Jen?

 

[JAM]

It is not beyond the bounds of possibility to get on the globetrotting bandwagon. British players generally funded their own campaigns and succeeded.
What a bunch of them need is a sponsorship manager (perhaps a Fairy Godmother with a Significant Other to back her up).
Ring any bells Jen?

:grin: Normally, I'd agree with you, but in case you missed the thread on page 1 of our beloved forum today, many folks in the American pool culture consider pro players as "douchebags" and have no respect for them.

Seriously, though, with the WPA and their raised bar, it's too high for me to even see. I've thrown the towel in and today will enjoy sitting on the rail watching the pool action in my local neighborhood pool room.

I look forward to reading the adventures of those brave young men and women who dare to be bold and travel the globe in their quest to be a professional pool player. God bless 'em all.

 

[jay helfert]

First questions) Last year when Barry paid the sanctioning fees and had enough added money for the event to be recognized by the WPA who was the official that was sent to the US Open? What exactly did they do to assist the event? I pretty much recall Ken, Jay and Todd were doing pretty much everything same as this year except they added Bill from BCAPL as a reinforcement. So if there was no official assistance, Barry kicked in monies to the WPA in order for them to award points to the Winners of what the entire world knows is the Wimbledon of the pool universe.

Fast forward 1 year) If the WPA is correct in setting it's bar at the proper level why on earth did players from 22 countries converge on Chesapeake knowing there was only 50k added and that it was 25k short of it being worth their time due to travel costs.

I have to call BS... The WPA is currently more concerned with owning professional pool than with promoting it. If someone steps up in Timbuktu next year and adds 75k the 3rd week in October and Barry can only add 50k again, the players would have to decide to hit the US Open or to chase the points. When the points are required to get into the other high paying tournaments the US Open will suffer not because the competing venue will be superior or because of the extra added monies but because there is a definite carrot on the end of their stick. They can do the same thing to DCC or any other independent event effectively creating a monopoly on professional pool.

The WPA earned $11,250.00 (5% of $225,000 for the 3 events where they awarded points). That's not even an operating budget.. YET.. But if they stay the course and slowly add an event a year in a few more years they will have such a stranglehold on who gets to play for the big paydays that they will be able to force the players under managerial contracts. Anyone recall the last time that was tried? The difference is the WPA will be "showing the players the money" so noone is really gonna be pissed about it.

What they don't get is that they can still use that model while there is a shortage of big payday tournaments and create a working budget to promote the game, sell it to the IOC, or add WPA money to payouts.

Stick with the bar for world championships.. 75k added.. So be it... But award points for any tournament that pays the WPA a 5% fee of it's added
money at a discounted rate. Barry added $50k pays you $2500 to sanction the event and you award points based on 50k/75k or .66% of normal. The Steve Mizerack could have done the same. I think Turning Stones is 25k added. $1250 and they get 1/3rd of the normal points awarded. This would work for the Eurotour as well.

And don't put a minimum on the added money if a player was to win 10 regional 2500 added events in a year I would think that would be worth the same as winning a $25000 added event granted someone would actually have to enter the results into the computer for each event but the $125 check sent in should cover 30 minutes of data entry...

Basically if you are the WPA be the WPA. Award points worldwide to the players in all of the different tours. The big WPA events should be the icing on the cake and you still get to own the game. You just get to let all of the rest of us play too and that will keep us coming back and get the sport healthy a lot faster.

You're making way too much sense here. I doubt any of the powers that be would ever pay attention to this. :wink:

 

[pro9dg]

You're making way too much sense here. I doubt any of the powers that be would ever pay attention to this. :wink:

Jay
With respect, you are making it sound that 'the powers that be' are some sort of Super Race. They come from Australia, Aruba, South Africa, Singapore - all well known hot beds of the game.

The esteemed gentlemen from Asia and the USA do have a positive market but (apart from my good friend JF) I doubt if you will see anyone from the WPA when you come over for The Mosconi Cup next month.

Incidently, this will attract a $7500 sanction fee. I believe I read somewhere that the sanction fee is 10% or even 15% but unless there has been a recent rate change then the fee is 5%.

I am slighly mystified what has happened to Fran Crimi. She does not appear on some WPA documentation. If she is no longer involved then that should mean that there is a vacancy for another US Board Member.

Why not see if the BCA will nominate you? This is the only route you can follow but even then you might find your path blocked because of your criticism of the present incumbents.

 

[Johnnyt]

You're making way too much sense here. I doubt any of the powers that be would ever pay attention to this. :wink:

Best idea I've seen yet. Johnnyt

 

[Peter@CEP]

Jay
Incidently, this will attract a $7500 sanction fee. I believe I read somewhere that the sanction fee is 10% or even 15% but unless there has been a recent rate change then the fee is 5%.

.

III When does a tournament need to be sanctioned:

Sanctioning is required when an event will include players from other intercontinental memberships that make up a minimum of eight players, or one-eight of the field, and has an added prize fund on offer in excess of USD 30,000.

IV Sanction fees:

The total cost of sanctioning is negotiated between the WPA and organiser, but will not be less than 5% of total added money in all categories. There are no fees applied to any entry fee money that is added to the prize fund. The sanction fee is limited to a prize fund up to USD 500,000. Sanction fees are not deducted from the advertised added prize money.

Not sure I understand this

 

[JAM]

III When does a tournament need to be sanctioned:

Sanctioning is required when an event will include players from other intercontinental memberships that make up a minimum of eight players, or one-eight of the field, and has an added prize fund on offer in excess of USD 30,000.

IV Sanction fees:

The total cost of sanctioning is negotiated between the WPA and organiser, but will not be less than 5% of total added money in all categories. There are no fees applied to any entry fee money that is added to the prize fund. The sanction fee is limited to a prize fund up to USD 500,000. Sanction fees are not deducted from the advertised added prize money.

Not sure I understand this

Don't feel like the lone soldier. I do not understand it either.

However, it sounds like the Mosconi Cup should be a WPA-ranking event. :wink: