UPA Announces 2007 World Pool Participants

Same Old...Same Old

From the AZBilliards.com homepage.

Former world champion Earl Strickland will represent the US in Manila
UPA Announces 2007 World Pool Participants

PHOENIX, AZ - The United States Professional Poolplayers Association (the "UPA") has announced the list of Touring Professionals that will be representing the U.S. at the 2007 World Pool Championship at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City Philippines on November 3-11, 2007.

The following list is of the U.S. invites followed by their means of qualification:

Corey Deuel (Canton, OH) - Top 12 UPA Rankings
Johnny Archer (Atlanta, GA) - Top 12 UPA Rankings
Mike Davis (Fayetteville, NC) - Top 12 UPA Rankings
Rodney Morris (Houston, TX) - Top 12 UPA Rankings
Robb Saez (Springhill, FL) - Top 12 UPA Rankings
Shawn Putnam (Canton, OH) - Top 12 UPA Rankings
Ronnie Wiseman (Detroit, MI) - Top 12 UPA Rankings
Charlie Bryant (Houston, TX) - Top 12 UPA Rankings
John Schmidt (Mobile, AL) - Top 12 UPA Rankings
Charlie Williams (Orlando, FL) - Top 12 UPA Rankings
Troy Frank (Melbourne, FL) - Top 12 UPA Rankings
Shane Van Boening (Sioux Falls, SD) - Top 12 UPA Rankings
Earl Strickland (Greenville, SC) - Former World Champion
Jeremy Jones (Houston, TX) - Former U.S. Mosconi Cup
Tony Robles (Bronx, NY) - Former U.S. Mosconi Cup

North American Players can qualify for World Championship events by attaining top ranking on the UPA Tour. Also, every UPA tour stop 1st and 2nd place finisher is automatically invited to the World Championships for both national and international players. Congratulations to all of these gentlemen and best of luck in the championships!

If you would like to learn more about the organization, our website is located at www.upatour.com or to contact us directly with questions, please call (480) 353-6747 or email info@upatour.com

By Press Release - September 05, 2007


I'm all for the WPC and pool, but at least half a dozen of the chosen are among the original 'good ole boys' of the UPA's inner circle inception five years ago. Missing is Frankie Hernadez and the MC at the Patriot Cup (good ole what's-his-name)....
Doug
( was it Max something or other )






.
 
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jay helfert said:
John, No one said you were lazy. That was your choice of words. I just don't like the fact that you demean the players, other than yourself, who were selected. I'm looking for the ones you could give the six to. Please tell us who they are.

First prize is only a hundred grand, so I can understand you not wanting half of that. It is only $10,000 more than first place in the U.S. Open. Should I go on? You and I both know there is a lot more I could say if I wanted to.

John, I respect you as a player and I know you are quite popular on here. But get off your high horse. If you don't want to go to the most important pool tournament in the world, that's your call. Just don't knock the guys who do.
jay i meant the players that would go if some of the selected ones chose to stay home.i think the ones selected are great players i was not talking about them ,im surprised you would misunderstand that.
 
it seems to me that going there playing and doing good would be a good way of getting a sponser. i mean if i were a superb player like Schmidt i would do what i could to get my face out there.
on the other hand i have flown to manila before and know how expensive and unfun of a plane ride it can be.
 
mindtriplx said:
it seems to me that going there playing and doing good would be a good way of getting a sponser. i mean if i were a superb player like Schmidt i would do what i could to get my face out there.
on the other hand i have flown to manila before and know how expensive and unfun of a plane ride it can be.
I know what you mean BUT he is the fricken reigning U.S. OPEN champion.What more does he have to do to get a sponsor.
 
John, what amazes me is that smart guys like you think you can make a living playing pool. How could it be that a top ranked player like you couldn't come up with $10,000 to make this trip? Unfortunately that is the sorry state of affairs with pool in the U.S. All the best and if you are ever in Austin, look me up, Jim K.
 
Jimk said:
John, what amazes me is that smart guys like you think you can make a living playing pool. How could it be that a top ranked player like you couldn't come up with $10,000 to make this trip? Unfortunately that is the sorry state of affairs with pool in the U.S. All the best and if you are ever in Austin, look me up, Jim K.
lol i think the better question is WHY would a top ranked player HAVE to come up with 10k?
 
jimmy-leggs said:
I know what you mean BUT he is the fricken reigning U.S. OPEN champion.What more does he have to do to get a sponsor.

i agree. he is the open champion and has plenty more notable things on his resume. i guess my thought process was get your face out there all over the world especially where pool is a big deal. perhaps sponsers from other countries will see the obvious potential in sponsering him. kinda like mika and mezz cues.
 
the filipinos take the trip to the US to play in tourneys and match-up all the time. I know they have sponsors and all but they probably make up the costs gambling anyway. Why cant the Americans do the same in Manila? I know Manila is probably the toughest place on earth to make money playing pool but still.

WPC or not there are more than enough players in Manila John Schmidt or anybody could match-up with. Would'nt any gambling pool player want to be where the action is? I guess not.
 
smashmouth said:
everyone else makes the trip

I have spoken with John before and he seems to be the epitome of class in the pool world. Everyone needs to wake up and see the reason why American pool players are no longer the dominating force they were the last 80 years. John is the Current United States open champion. That and a dollar will get him a cup of coffee. In Asia the top players are sponsered and treated like national heroes. Here if we stopped 10 people on the street and asked them who the current US open 9ball champion was, I am willing to bet no more than two would name our esteemed board member John S. I think guys like John, Earl, Johnny, Rodney have a lot of grit to continue to do something they love and to be compensated the same amounts players were in the 70's and 80's. My grandfather was once asked one time why he didn't play tournaments and he told the reporter "Wimpy won 10,200 last year playing in tournaments, that wouldn't keep me in whiskey" Look at some of the tournament casulties in American pool. Allen Hopkins (promoting etc.), Shannon Daulton (promoting), Mike Sigel (Cues, other ventures) Keith McCready (online poker, local events). John hit the nail on the head in order to be able to break even a player needs to spend countless hours working on his game, playing stiff competition, travel the globe, etc. Then if they are lucky they will finish in the top spots of the tourney and they make a few dimes. Competition is stiff and the financial reward is slim. Road playing is great until you can't get a good game anymore, and you have to give the nuts up to get played. I think guys that support the sport are great (Mike Janis with the great Viking tour ((there is your plug Mike)) Mark Griffith, etc.), but it does not allow most great players to support and raise a family. I will leave my rambling post with something else my Grandfather said about surviving on your abilities with a cue. He said when I was out on the road I used to imagine I was shooting for the groceries, milk in the side pocket, eggs in the bottom corner, and I cut the hamburger in the corner. "When you are gambling at pool for a living, you can't tell the electric company you over cut the eight ball. Give John a break he is a good dude and we should be reaching out to send champions like him to represent the United States.
 
huckster said:
I have spoken with John before and he seems to be the epitome of class in the pool world. Everyone needs to wake up and see the reason why American pool players are no longer the dominating force they were the last 80 years. John is the Current United States open champion. That and a dollar will get him a cup of coffee. In Asia the top players are sponsered and treated like national heroes. Here if we stopped 10 people on the street and asked them who the current US open 9ball champion was, I am willing to bet no more than two would name our esteemed board member John S. I think guys like John, Earl, Johnny, Rodney have a lot of grit to continue to do something they love and to be compensated the same amounts players were in the 70's and 80's. My grandfather was once asked one time why he didn't play tournaments and he told the reporter "Wimpy won 10,200 last year playing in tournaments, that wouldn't keep me in whiskey" Look at some of the tournament casulties in American pool. Allen Hopkins (promoting etc.), Shannon Daulton (promoting), Mike Sigel (Cues, other ventures) Keith McCready (online poker, local events). John hit the nail on the head in order to be able to break even a player needs to spend countless hours working on his game, playing stiff competition, travel the globe, etc. Then if they are lucky they will finish in the top spots of the tourney and they make a few dimes. Competition is stiff and the financial reward is slim. Road playing is great until you can't get a good game anymore, and you have to give the nuts up to get played. I think guys that support the sport are great (Mike Janis with the great Viking tour ((there is your plug Mike)) Mark Griffith, etc.), but it does not allow most great players to support and raise a family. I will leave my rambling post with something else my Grandfather said about surviving on your abilities with a cue. He said when I was out on the road I used to imagine I was shooting for the groceries, milk in the side pocket, eggs in the bottom corner, and I cut the hamburger in the corner. "When you are gambling at pool for a living, you can't tell the electric company you over cut the eight ball. Give John a break he is a good dude and we should be reaching out to send champions like him to represent the United States.
very well put! people dont understand how much it cost to attend these events and it says a lot about our sport that our current open champion doesnt have sponsors to send him to the largest pool event on earth.
 
so if John Schmidt doesnt go... can we send Stevie Moore? =)

Seriously though, i dont know the interworkings of our system for sending US players to the WPC but i always thought that Stevie is one of our strongest US players.

I also think he has a good image and would represent us well. But before anyone says anything... this is just my OPINION... i DO understand there is a specific way that the players are chose.
 
We Want Earl "the Pearl" Strickland
The Most Joyful To Watch
Like You WaTching
Evan Almighty Or Bruce Almighty

Go Go Go Earl
Earl Earl Earl All The Way
 
John doesn't need 10 Gs to go to the Philippines. A round trip ticket will
probably cost $1500 max, and he can get a decent room from a 3 or even
a 4 star hotel for $80 to $150 a night. A 10 night stay will cost him $1500,
that is if he goes all the way and that means he is in the money. He can
get a sumptuous meal for $10, or $30 for 3 or 4 square meals a day.

John can also take a chance and come early (Oct. 24-27) for a tournament
that will pay the winner roughly $21,500 and the runner-up gets $10,800.

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=72993

Look for Jay Helfert on this one John, Manila is his second home now and
he knows the ins and outs there, including the best bang for your buck...
 
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JohnPT said:
the filipinos take the trip to the US to play in tourneys and match-up all the time. I know they have sponsors and all but they probably make up the costs gambling anyway. Why cant the Americans do the same in Manila? I know Manila is probably the toughest place on earth to make money playing pool but still.

WPC or not there are more than enough players in Manila John Schmidt or anybody could match-up with. Would'nt any gambling pool player want to be where the action is? I guess not.

I have to agree with this. The top Filipinos go to the USA and other countries all the time and experience jet lag, food, lodging, financial and other problems and yet they still manage to win or place high most of the time. I am pretty sure most of them have backers and sponsors but surely not for 100% of the day to day expenses. And the US dollar would go a long way in the Philippines but not the other way around.
 
hi

you hit the nail on the head you said they have sponsors.i dont and until i do im forced to stay home sorry.ill live without going over there .if i do somehow land sponsorship ill go do my best until then i have alot of bills to pay and a dog to take care of and a house to take care of and a mortgage. and a girlfriend.i wish it was different but i have to do what makes sense and traveling 10000 miles on my own dime does not.
 
john schmidt said:
you hit the nail on the head you said they have sponsors.i dont and until i do im forced to stay home sorry.ill live without going over there .if i do somehow land sponsorship ill go do my best until then i have alot of bills to pay and a dog to take care of and a house to take care of and a mortgage. and a girlfriend.i wish it was different but i have to do what makes sense and traveling 10000 miles on my own dime does not.

John, I totally empathize with your stance! :)

Last week, I finally sent off the last payment on my credit card after traveling this wonderful tournament trail for the past 6 years. I have a zero balance for the first time in a long while and intend to keep it there. The tournament trail is very expensive, even when you do win, but I don't have to tell you that. It would be like preaching to the choir. :D

Good luck to you, John. You're a fine American champion with excellent work integrity and skills. You'll find your niche in pool, whether it is actively competing or in another venture. You're a smart cookie and kind of cutie pie, too. You're the complete package! :D

JAM
 

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john schmidt said:
you hit the nail on the head you said they have sponsors.i dont and until i do im forced to stay home sorry.ill live without going over there .if i do somehow land sponsorship ill go do my best until then i have alot of bills to pay and a dog to take care of and a house to take care of and a mortgage. and a girlfriend.i wish it was different but i have to do what makes sense and traveling 10000 miles on my own dime does not.
Sometimes, it's not about the glory. It's about the rent. If you can go down the street and beat the local tourney for $400, it's a better economic proposition than flying halfway around the world to perhaps cash in. I totally respect your opinion, John. As a pro, it's about paying the bills. Too bad someone hasn't got the foresight in the billiards industry to realize you are the real deal, and put some dough behind you and your efforts. I'd really love to see a big time maker from the US, like Viking, Schon, McD, Pechauer, or someone else come along and help make your dreams a reality.

Best of luck, John.
 
Smorgass Bored said:
I'm all for the WPC and pool, but at least half a dozen of the chosen are among the original 'good ole boys' of the UPA's inner circle inception five years ago. Missing is Frankie Hernadez and the MC at the Patriot Cup (good ole what's-his-name)....
Doug
( was it Max something or other )






.

So Jose Parica hasn't been playing UPA tournaments anymore?
 
dimes33 said:
lol i think the better question is WHY would a top ranked player HAVE to come up with 10k?

The biggest question is why the pool industry doesn't seem to need a top caliber player like John?
 
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