Mark Griffin said:
One Pocket Ghost;
Here is the thought process behind the requirement that a player stay at the Host Hotel.
This event has a LOT of added money ($30,000 guaranteed to US Open and BCAPL). The players really should try to support the locations that support pool. The Clarion is providing the space and a reasonable room rate.
A player will get every penny they earn from how they place in the event. If they want to "participate" in the added money, they will have to be a registered guest. I find that only fair because there are just so many expenses that have to be covered somewhere. This is really quite similar to a player no being involved in a calcutta - they still get the tournament prize but none of the "side" money.
If a player lives in Floyd or Clark County (IN) or Jefferson County (KY) they are "exempt" from this requirement.
If this causes players to not play - then that just shows they are not willing to support the event. If that is the case, the event will just go away. I will be brutally honest here - this event will probably lose $50,000+. I feel the players need events and this has the possibility to grow into a great one. If there is no support then I will always know that I tried my best and it just did not work. This is actually a great opportunity for many players because many of the TOP players will be at the WPC in Manilla.
However, I really feel that players need to select their priorities - events not in pool rooms have huge costs and need player and spectator support. There is no city sponsorship or other outside sponsors for this first year. If we are half successful, we can make this grow into a monster event. But the players will need to support it.
It is no secret that tournments try to make ends meet several ways. One is a room rebate. There is no door charge. So the main source of offset will be room rebates.
Unfortunately, that is the facts of life. If you have any questions, please contact me at 702-719-7665. I probably have a lot more to say but there are space limitations here.
Mark Griffin
Mark, everyone in the pool world owes you a debt of gratitude for all you've done to promote pool. And I also believe your events deserve everyone's support. I myself have happily bought plane tickets, rented a car, and paid entry fees to play in one of your tournaments that I had absolutely to chance of cashing in. And I think the Qlympics is a great idea too and I wish it every success for years to come -- your events are always first class.
But tournament rules should be equitably enforced and this rule -- that you must stay at the hotel or you cannot participate in the added monies -- is unfair, IMO. Certainly you realize that participating in the added monies is, realistically, a long odds proposition for an amateur player like me, so that's not central to why I'm taking issue with it. It's simply the idea that if a player has friends in Louisville that are willing to put them up, or if they travel in an RV, or are just low on cash and need to crash in their car or some other improvised locale, they won't be treated the same as everyone else in the tournament.
Staying at the hosting venue makes all the sense in the world. You can be in the tournament arena and just walk to your room for a nap or shower whenever you like. You cannot beat the convenience. And I'd guess, at a most reasonable $79 a night, you are automatically going to get 95% of the out-of-town players that need a hotel room. But why be unfair to the 5%? Depending on the number of events they're participating in, and whether they're splitting a room, they could be looking at anywhere from a $100 to a $1200 in additional room expense that they might otherwise avoid. Clearly, in some circumstances, it's not an issue of players not being willing to support your event, just economic common sense.
I can only imagine the costs involved with putting on an event like this, and no one could take issue with a promoter's efforts to cover expenses or make a profit. But that should not be achieved at the expense of fairness to *all* the players. It's sorta like saying, everyone staying at the Clarion gets BIH after the break. Those that are not staying at the hotel, don't (players living in Floyd, Clark, or Jefferson County exempt
.
Personally, I think that everyone who is a potential entrant into one of your tournaments wants to support it and wants it to succeed and is likely to stay at the Clarion anyway. But regardless, for the price of your entry fee you should be entitled to fair treatment, instead of some players being taxed more than others playing in the very same event. Of course that's JMO. Obviously it's your event, you're paying the bills, soooo ultimately, it is your rules.
Lou Figueroa
It was nice meeting you at Grady's. It was also nice to chat with Jerry Forsyth and Eric.
