Straight Pool anyone?

You guys win. I just won't do straight pool. I need that aggravation like I need another hole in the head anyway. What are you talking about, that I run and don't explain myself? Can you read? Everything I say about the current groups is true.
I don't need to defend myself here or anywhere. I've promoted 20 major tournaments, six of which I lost $10,000 or more dollars on but I paid every cent off.Why don't some of you criticizers do a few events then let me hear what you have to say?
Or sit at home, not being allowed to play in something that you're good at and make a living at, then talk to me. Most of you that critique me and my work haven't even earned the right to do so, with a proper background in pool.I thought I was being nice, offering to maybe do straight pool. I guess not.
In closing please consider this. I've done three 14.1 tournaments. One I lost $6,000, one I broke even and one I lost $10,000.Again, you absolutely win. No more 14.1 for me!!
 
Grady said:
You people must be kidding. Have you gotten a load of the UPA contract? Look, from my end we can finish this quickly and decisively. I've tried to work with the different groups. A total failure.
I'm tired of it being Sunday, the last day of one of my events and everyone's happy except me and Randi.
It's bad enough that I have absolutely the best rules for 9 Ball and every top player who has played them agrees. And that I'll never get to do TV commentary. You'd deny me loyalty when I do 14.1? You must be out of your collective minds. I am. as they say, out of here.
Grady
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I have seen the UPA contract, and I heartily object to every single line in it. The only thing I agree with is that the organizers may use the likeness (i.e. pictures) of players in advertising and promotion.

However, I also heartily object to any contracts which forbid me to play in any tournament I choose. Even though in this case the tournaments don't exist (and aren't likely to) the whole notion begins a slippery slope which ends with a situation similar to what you described for your Reno event.

Eventually you have all organizers saying that in order to play in 'our' xxx Championships, you can't play in 'their' xxx Championships. This is a situation to be avoided at all costs (look what it did to Auto Racing) and the line must be drawn at the beginning, not halfway down the road. Can you imagine what would happen if the organizers of the World Poker Tour said that players who enter their tournaments were restriced from playing in the WSOP?

Professional players should be free to play in any event they so choose in their given sport and it is up to the organizers of such events to make 'their' tournament the best one on the scene and to trust that they will be received as such when the smoke clears. Bottom line is that the players should never be used as a 'weapon' in the battle that may or may not take place between organizers.

Also Grady, two further things:

1) If I had my way you would definately be doing TV commentary. It's a travesty that someone of your abilities is on the sidelines and Mitch Laurence is in the booth.

2) I attended the event you put on a few years ago in Columbia, SC and I must say that I was NOT impressed. You can do much better.
 
Grady said:
You guys win. I just won't do straight pool. I need that aggravation like I need another hole in the head anyway. What are you talking about, that I run and don't explain myself? Can you read? Everything I say about the current groups is true.
I don't need to defend myself here or anywhere. I've promoted 20 major tournaments, six of which I lost $10,000 or more dollars on but I paid every cent off.Why don't some of you criticizers do a few events then let me hear what you have to say?
Or sit at home, not being allowed to play in something that you're good at and make a living at, then talk to me. Most of you that critique me and my work haven't even earned the right to do so, with a proper background in pool.I thought I was being nice, offering to maybe do straight pool. I guess not.
In closing please consider this. I've done three 14.1 tournaments. One I lost $6,000, one I broke even and one I lost $10,000.Again, you absolutely win. No more 14.1 for me!!
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I see a failue to communicate here ...

Grady, from what I read in this thread, the fundamental question that remains unanswered is why would you require an exlusive 14.1 agreement from players when you apparently disagree with the concept as implimented by other organizations ? You say above 'talk to me after not being allowed to play in something you're good at', while your agreement could cause that exact scenario when one of your players who signed your agreement would be prevented from playing another promoters 14.1 event. I think that some see hipocricy when you argue against the APA agreement and 'closed' events but then want to do the same thing in your proposed straight pool. I do not have an opinion one way or the other, just trying to bridge the gap a bit.

Dave, who was taught a long time ago that in order to sell effectively one must deal with objections head-on and with diplomacy
 
Grady said:
Which tournament inColumbia are you talking about? I had three and I'm proud of all of them.
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It was a straight pool and one-pocket tournament two years ago. It was in a meeting/banquet room of a hotel. I can't remember a lot of details.
 
14:1

Mr. Matthews,

First its an honor to hear from you as well as offer an opinion. I think what you are trying to do is needed. Billiards has become Pool, and Pool has become all about 9-Ball. When I was taught the game growing up in NJ, my father taught me all games, but my first game was 14:1 (Straight Pool). I know that you are familiar and have played in the NJ 14:1 Championship at Comet Billiards. Have you had any conversations with Jack? He, like you is a passionate 'Old Schooler' who works hard to see 14:1 come back to the forefront of Pocket Billiards.

Wish You All Success-

I'll be on the Rail
 
You get the 10 people or 5 let me know. Im out here on the West Coast.

I do think though that as someone in business who has lost money and made some you cant dwell on the negativity. No one cares how much Ive invested and worked and lost. Thats MY problem. Everyone wants to partake of the victory when you win of course. Thats the way of the world. Its business Grady, not personal. Jesus could come back and he wouldnt be given a free pass. He even predicted that his boys would turn their backs on him. He understood the world. Why be mad? Just continue doing the good that you can do.

We need someone courageous and bold to bring 14.1 back into the equation. But it will be someone who can take the blows and stand up to adversity and know how to win. It could be you.
 
Grady said:
You guys win. I just won't do straight pool. I need that aggravation like I need another hole in the head anyway. What are you talking about, that I run and don't explain myself? Can you read? Everything I say about the current groups is true.
I don't need to defend myself here or anywhere. I've promoted 20 major tournaments, six of which I lost $10,000 or more dollars on but I paid every cent off.Why don't some of you criticizers do a few events then let me hear what you have to say?
Or sit at home, not being allowed to play in something that you're good at and make a living at, then talk to me. Most of you that critique me and my work haven't even earned the right to do so, with a proper background in pool.I thought I was being nice, offering to maybe do straight pool. I guess not.
In closing please consider this. I've done three 14.1 tournaments. One I lost $6,000, one I broke even and one I lost $10,000.Again, you absolutely win. No more 14.1 for me!!
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Grady,
Stop crying. There are alot of people on this forum that have earned the right to critique you and your work, and yes they may not have a "proper" background in pool as you state, but I would bet my last dollar alot of them had there own businesses with both success and failures, like your pool business including myself. Business is business, Grady, different name, same game!

If you are going to offer straight pool, offer it with no strings attached! Get a partner, like Jim Rempe, Nick Varner, Allen Hopkins or Mike Sigel to help promote it and get people excited to participate.

It seems from your complaints about money losses with those previous tournaments that you have been biting off more than you can chew. I commend you for putting yourself on the line to put these tournaments on, however, you should start designing a better business plan.

Start by recruiting retired players like, Varner, Sigel, Hopkins, David Howard, Howard Vickery and Jim Rempe to collaborate on One Pocket and Straight Pool events...
 
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Men like Varner, Hopkins, Sigel run business'. Right or wrong they plow ahead doing their thing. You never hear public personal attacks and challenges to fist fights. You never hear about their demand for recognition for their past but they look to the future and try to participate in some profit of it.
There is always complaints. Many dont like Don Mackey but his tenure brought some of the greatest tournaments in the past decades, so with Charlie Williams, Behrman, ESPN, Pat Fleming. There are always crybabies and complainers. I even heard Diamond tables criticized after some whiners lost their matches in the Vegas one pocket. Lets get away from this crap. I dont want to see Grady lose his money for doing wonderful things but there is a right way to go about it.
 
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