They didn't put up with his comments about the jump cue during his match, but they are trying to draw fans to watch the events. They know that Earl draws fans.
Mike
Mike
Upa, the players and the US Open
- Thread starter azhousepro
- Start date
M
MSB Promotions
Guest
jjinfla said:
I was just saying this last weekend at the Joss Tour Finals. For the UPA to put these requirements on their members, they need to prove to their membership that they can support them by supplying them enough events to make a living.
The UPA either has to lock in enough deals with independent promoters or create their own tournament promotional arm. Either way has it's pro and cons, but as Jake points out the WPBA promotes their own events.
If the UPA created a tournament promotional arm and promoted a dozen events each year, it could be lucrative for the players. If it was lucrative for the players, the UPA could force players to attend their events. They could also open other non-sanctioned events to the membership as long as those events don't conflict with the UPA schedule. This would give the players more earning potential and independent promoters could continue doing their thing.
I was at Charlie's Predator Cup in Orlando yesterday (11:30 am to 12:30am) and it was a well attended event. And everybody was enjoying themselves. The food was great and the fans got to rub elbows with the players. Charlie didn't publicly prohibit the pros from signing cue balls and I didn't pester the pros to sign any, even though I had them with me. I don't know but I doubt that everyone there was a UPA member. Only saw a few UPA patches. The problems with tournaments is that they take too long and the spectators really can't get a good view of the tables. Even front row tickets have to contend with the players sitting of front of them. Maybe in the future a pool room will be designed with collapsible bleacher seats all around the arena. Then if they start drawing fans the pros can get a cut of the attendance in addition to prize winnings. Then the UPA will have a valid reason for getting everyone to join them. I know the players don't like it but I would suggest that they would cut the games, make it a race to 5 or 6 on the winners side and 3 or 4 on the losers side with alternate breaks. That would draw the fans (money). A person can go and spend a few hours at a tournament and get to see a bunch of good games. One thing for sure, the way it is run right now is not working. It just has to be speeded up. And Sarah Ellerby sure proved that she is no fluke and is a force to be reckoned with. But it amazes me that she got this far in pool with such a pitifull break. She just has no chance of a break and run if she can't make a ball on the break. She needs a lot of work there. But she beat Ray Martin and had Tommy Kennedy on the ropes 4-zip. Tommy lost his famous smile, must have been praying to the Lord for Divine guidance, it worked and he came back to win 9-6. No one seemed to mind that there was no smoking in the arena nor in the section of the pool room that is carpeted. I would like to go back today but 13 hours is about all I can take, plus a 3 hour round trip. Jake~~~I wonder if the pros have the vision to picture themselves playing in an arena surrounded by 1,000 cheering fans who have paid an average of $25 and the pros are getting a cut of the attendance, food/drink sales, autograph/souvenir sales. A $500 to $1,000 check just for showing up.
A
Allen
Guest
Whether you like him or hate him Earl Strickland is one of the best pool players in the history of billiards. He deserves the respect of his past accomplishments and after all these years is still a reigning pro.
We all have our own personalities as demonstrated by this forum. Earl has a right to be Earl. Like him, love him or hate him he is a remarkable player and will go down in the history books for his achievements, as some of these "so called" professionals will only have their 15 minutes of fame!
By the sounds of this post over the past week or so, the UPA is foolish to run off players and promoters! Compromises must be made to accommodate everyone involved. The game of billiards already has a "questionable" reputation, why ruin the name more with bad karma.
Once they stop fighting among themselves, this situation could be worked out with the correct professionals redoing the guidelines.
We all have our own personalities as demonstrated by this forum. Earl has a right to be Earl. Like him, love him or hate him he is a remarkable player and will go down in the history books for his achievements, as some of these "so called" professionals will only have their 15 minutes of fame!
By the sounds of this post over the past week or so, the UPA is foolish to run off players and promoters! Compromises must be made to accommodate everyone involved. The game of billiards already has a "questionable" reputation, why ruin the name more with bad karma.
Once they stop fighting among themselves, this situation could be worked out with the correct professionals redoing the guidelines.
L
L.S. Dennis
Guest
Here's a recent e-mail I recieved from the UPA that should help clear up some of this confusion:
Hello Dennis,
The UPA has an open waiver for all events thus allowing individual players to participate in any event they so choose. The only event that a UPA Touring Pro would not have permission to participate in would be a specific event that was "officially" boycotted by the UPA. Currently there are no such events and hopefully this occurance will never become an actual reality.
Thank you, please let me know if I can be of further assistance,
Frank Alvarez III
UPA Rep/Touring
Hello Dennis,
The UPA has an open waiver for all events thus allowing individual players to participate in any event they so choose. The only event that a UPA Touring Pro would not have permission to participate in would be a specific event that was "officially" boycotted by the UPA. Currently there are no such events and hopefully this occurance will never become an actual reality.
Thank you, please let me know if I can be of further assistance,
Frank Alvarez III
UPA Rep/Touring
I had the chance to meet Frank at the BCA event in Vegas and he is a true class act. We talked for quite some time about the whole UPA situation. He may not have agreed with things I had to say, but he was very patient and listened to me each time I had something to say.
Mike
Mike
L.S. Dennis said:
This makes no sense at all. You eaither have a waiver or you don't have a waiver. If Archer goes in and gets a waiver for the US Open today and next week the UPA decides to boycott the US Open would Archer's waiver be any good? If yes, then I would suggest that all the UPA players would hurry and go to the UPA offices and get waivers for every tournament they might even think of entering in 2003. If no, then the waiver isn't worth the paper it is written on. Just another contract from Flor - i - duh. I wonder if these guys were able to pass the Florida FCAT? Jake~~~and this is the first time that I have officially seen the UPA use the word boycott. From now on it will be a lot easier.
Even if you had "permission" from the UPA to have several of their players attend your event, whats to say that "they" or CW wont throw in a sanctioned UPA event that would conflict with your dates? Then they must attend the other event because it is in their contract.
BTW, I too did meet Frank Alverez at the BCA tournament and ditto Mike's option of him.. He is a CLASS ACT, listions to your option and is tryes to understand what is going on....