Vegas or Bust
- Thread starter JAM
- Start date
gabesmom said:
FINALLY, we'll get to meet!
We're about 700 miles from Vegas now. That ride into Denver is unbelievable, nothing but plains. I'd hate to think if I was driving it at night and my car broke down. However, with the 75 MPH speed limit, it helps to get through it as quickly as possible.
I have never seen so many cows in my life, beginning in Nebraska all the way to Denver. The cows come in so many colors, beautiful chocolate browns, black, multi-colored, and white. Looking at the young baby cavles frolicking around the field makes me want to become a vegetarian.
Keith said that there's buffalo out here, but I ain't seen one yet. Nebraska was our longest State to drive through, and there is only one Starbucks coffee shop on Interstate I-80 in York, Nebraska. There was no advanced signage, and as luck would have it, I passed it and missed getting my caffeine fix.
Drive safe and see you in Vegas, Baby!
JAM
jay helfert said:
We're hoping to get to Vegas ahead of time, so that Keith can practice. I'm wondering if that Lou Butera's pool room has Diamond tables.
Last night, we went to Paradise Billiards, which has been in existence since 1968, on the advice of Regis a/k/a "Sixpack" on AzBilliards. We met Melody who remembered Keith from 1979, when she used to play herself. As soon as I mentioned to Melody that Regis referred us to Paradise Billiards, she immediately smiled and remembered Regis well, stating she just loved that fellow a whole bunch. She was flattered that he praised her cooking too. I took a picture of her holding a note for Regis and will post it when we get back home in D.C.
A local called Mark Haddad who is living with WPBA Pro Melissa Little. Keith and Mark are old friends and began to hit 'em around a bit. Mark is hitting 'em SWEET. He did play in two IPT qualifiers, but didn't make it to the top. However, he's fully capable, and I'd like to see him take another shot at it.
Melissa Little is the nicest person. As a matter of fact, EVERYBODY here in Denver is nice, much different than any other part of the country I have ever visited. Melissa, BTW, is gearing up for Peoria, the WPBA event, and after it is over, she and Ga Young Kim [sp] are going to be returning to Denver together and doing a couple of exhibitions along the way.
Melissa has such a nice spirit about her. I love her attitude about professional pool. You can see that she was born to be a pool player because she has such a great deal of passion for this game. I was very pleased to get to know her a bit last night. She and Mark are very happy together, practicing pool and enjoying life to the fullest.
Oh, Jay, BTW, I'm always the designated driver and don't let anybody drive my vehicle, not even my daughter. I'm a lawyer's daughter and am paranoid about any consequences that could happen if somebody had an accident. Keith is a good co-pilot, though, and reads the directions pretty good today. We don't smoke in my car, and it's a non-drinking mobile too. I'm kind of a straight arrow that way, I guess! If I ever get pulled over, I ain't got nothing to worry about, other than speeding maybe. This 75 MPH speed limit is the nuts! I'm going about 85 and 90 during some stretches, and it seems like I'm going 30 MPH!
Well, I hope to be in Vegas tomorrow and will report back with some Vegas action pre-IPT event!
JAM
I'm pretty certain that Kieth and Jen realize the importance of the situation. After all, Jen has posted more positive information about the IPT and upcoming events than anyone on AZ. Her support for her partner and her enthusiasm is more than obvious.macguy said:
I suspect they have weighed their options and have mapped the best plan they can. The best we can do is wish them well instead of offering a business critique that they did not ask for.
macguy said:
Typical negative post from a negative person.
Keith and I do it our way, Macguy, not yours, not like Mizerak, and not like Jeanette Lee. He's Keith McCready, and he's very happy to be who he is. Your interpretation of what pool business is all about as a player is your opinion. Some people are blessed with a God-given talent. Others, like me, sit on the sidelines and enjoy.
You continually pummel this forum with negativities. You've already made your opinion known about Keith's talent and capabilities on this form by ridiculing him and posting up as bad a post as you could conjure up.
Please let Keith and I enjoy this IPT experience. I'd love to share my experience with AzBilliards Discussion Forum, but you seem to always be Mr. Gloom and Doom. For somebody who doesn't like what the IPT does and is all about, you sure seem to post on here quite a bit.
JAM
Maybe Keith thought a road trip would get him into playing mold like the old days. I'm sure he/JAM had their reasons. I figure it costs them $600 in gas just for the round trip, not including hotels along the way....so it surely wasn't to save money as a plane ride would have been cheaper. For his sake, I hope he does as well as he expects or it will be even a longer drive home.
JAM, my only question is where did you get your map? If you came thru Indy, wouldn't it have been faster to go thru St Louis down to Springfield MO thru Tulsa, next Denver & then Vegas. Just something you to look into on the way home. St Louis has a horsetrack--Fairmount Park, I am sure Keith knows about it.
JAM, my only question is where did you get your map? If you came thru Indy, wouldn't it have been faster to go thru St Louis down to Springfield MO thru Tulsa, next Denver & then Vegas. Just something you to look into on the way home. St Louis has a horsetrack--Fairmount Park, I am sure Keith knows about it.
JAM said:
That's OK, you have plenty of people on here who will tell you what you want to hear instead of the truth. They do you no favors with their cheer leading. Truth is, you guys are just throwing it up in the air and will see what happens instead of taking control and giving yourselves the optimum chance of success. Some people even become successful in spite of themselves, but they are the rare exception.
If you had said something like, "Yea, I wish we could have done that but it just wasn't possible" I would have some respect for your answer instead of a ridiculous rationalization. I guess you took what I said as an insult, thats fine, say want you wish to me, but don't BS yourself.
macguy said:
Listen, Macguy, I don't post on AzBilliards looking for any cheerleading section. I post on here because I like networking with others and sharing my experiences as well as reading about others.
FWIW, we did do it our way. We are driving to Vegas by choice. Money doesn't have anything to do with our decision to do it our way.
I'm sickened to death of your insults to Keith and myself on this forum. I did take what you posted on this thread as an insult, as I did when you called me a "groupie" because I happen to have a pool player as a boyfriend. You're pathetic.
Matter of fact, why don't you go straight to hell and leave me and mine alone. I will enjoy this IPT experience, despite you.
I apologize to the readers of this forum for this negative post in what I had hoped would be a fun thread.
JAM
JAM said:
Say what you want to me , that's fine, but don't BS yourself. Just the possibility of car problems could put the whole tournament in jeopardy for him. Hundreds of thousands of dollars at stake and this is your plan, fine. I would rethink it for the future tournaments.
O
onepocketchump
Guest
macguy said:
Oh screw off. You are so negative. You aren't their business manager. Keith has put more miles on the road than anybody here and probably jumped out the car and played BIG TIME ACTION games at a moment's notice.
Enjoy the drive Jennie. Let the miles relax you and remind you how beautiful the country is and how good life is.
Keither's gonna dab it just fine!!
John
You guys might not like it, but Macguy *does* have a point.
A tournament like this can't be compared to just tooling around on the road. There's a definite schedule to keep, and a not-insignificant chunk of change on the line - more than a road player could make in anywhere near the same amount of time. This situation does beg more precautions and preparation. Any number of minor bad things could happen to keep Keith from getting to the tournament on time, and hence, make the whole trip a wash.
Although he *is* negative a lot of the time - in this case, I think he's being pragmatic. His pitch could use a bit of work though.
A tournament like this can't be compared to just tooling around on the road. There's a definite schedule to keep, and a not-insignificant chunk of change on the line - more than a road player could make in anywhere near the same amount of time. This situation does beg more precautions and preparation. Any number of minor bad things could happen to keep Keith from getting to the tournament on time, and hence, make the whole trip a wash.
Although he *is* negative a lot of the time - in this case, I think he's being pragmatic. His pitch could use a bit of work though.
macguy said:
Wow you really can't stand it when people disagree with you! Do you really think driving is going to have that much of an impact on their chances for success?(serious question btw)
It sounds like they are going to be in Vegas well in advance not to mention that Keith has been hitting some balls along the way to get ready.
I didn't post this to take a shot at you, so please don't give me a negative response, save the hollywood.
JAM,
Don't let MacGuy rain on your parade. Under the guise of being honest and helpful, he just likes to drop bombs and be a spoiler. Yes, wouldn't we all love to be there a week early and practice (on what?), but we are flying in the day of the meeting and I wouldn't think those tables are going to be ready much before then either, as they have paid (dearly) for specific days for the room.
Mike is playing 6-8 hours every day, so I think he is getting more out of being home as long as he can, than he would being there a week early.
Some of us still have to work and have other commitments. You don't have to explain, and I think it is safe to say that everyone else is enjoying your account of your journey. If you had car troubles, of course Keith could always fly out or rent a car somewhere. You left plenty of time for any eventuality, if you are arriving tonight. Me, I have to fly to MT tonight and fly back Thursday night, just in time to work on Friday and leave for the airport.
Onward and best of luck to you-driving/sweating and Keith-playing.
Linda
Don't let MacGuy rain on your parade. Under the guise of being honest and helpful, he just likes to drop bombs and be a spoiler. Yes, wouldn't we all love to be there a week early and practice (on what?), but we are flying in the day of the meeting and I wouldn't think those tables are going to be ready much before then either, as they have paid (dearly) for specific days for the room.
Mike is playing 6-8 hours every day, so I think he is getting more out of being home as long as he can, than he would being there a week early.
Some of us still have to work and have other commitments. You don't have to explain, and I think it is safe to say that everyone else is enjoying your account of your journey. If you had car troubles, of course Keith could always fly out or rent a car somewhere. You left plenty of time for any eventuality, if you are arriving tonight. Me, I have to fly to MT tonight and fly back Thursday night, just in time to work on Friday and leave for the airport.
Onward and best of luck to you-driving/sweating and Keith-playing.
Linda
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JAM,
You guys enjoy the trip, and each other's company along the way. This is a huge event, and it sounds like you are making the most of it. Best of luck to Keith, and you just keep us posted on your journey.
Don't let a notoriously negative poster bother you. If he was any good, he would be on his way to Vegas as well.
Steve
You guys enjoy the trip, and each other's company along the way. This is a huge event, and it sounds like you are making the most of it. Best of luck to Keith, and you just keep us posted on your journey.
Don't let a notoriously negative poster bother you. If he was any good, he would be on his way to Vegas as well.
Steve
L. Salazar
Registered
hrmmm...
I dont normally post in threads like this, but i felt this is a time to chime in. I think Keith is doing what he needs to do to play at the best of his ability, just as I am. What he and JAM are doing would not work for me, and I learned that from experience. Just as, I'm sure, Keith would not perform to the best of his abilities under the same circumstances that I do. Or anybody for that matter. Part of this game is learning yourself, and putting yourself in the best situation to win. There are 200 players in this tournament, and I will bet that everybody is preparing in different ways.
And by the way JAM, I talked to my friend that lives in Vegas, they are reserving the 1 diamond they have at pool sharks for IPT players. You may want to call and see if you can reserve it ahead of time... If thats a possibility.... Have a safe trip.
Lance
I dont normally post in threads like this, but i felt this is a time to chime in. I think Keith is doing what he needs to do to play at the best of his ability, just as I am. What he and JAM are doing would not work for me, and I learned that from experience. Just as, I'm sure, Keith would not perform to the best of his abilities under the same circumstances that I do. Or anybody for that matter. Part of this game is learning yourself, and putting yourself in the best situation to win. There are 200 players in this tournament, and I will bet that everybody is preparing in different ways.
And by the way JAM, I talked to my friend that lives in Vegas, they are reserving the 1 diamond they have at pool sharks for IPT players. You may want to call and see if you can reserve it ahead of time... If thats a possibility.... Have a safe trip.
Lance
Hi JAM,
Enjoying your road trip coverage. Hope to read a couple more before I leave on Friday morning and meet up with you guys at the meeting.
Hopefully Macguy will go on a road trip of his own in the mean time
For what it's worth, I played a lot of my best pool after a long drive. I speculated that it has something to do with staring at those lines on the road. Seems to get the eyes tuned in
Anyway, keep having a ball and sharing your experiences. Hope I can get online when I'm there to add my 2c for the forum readers as well! And btw, don't fret too much about them cute calves, for if everyone was a vegetarian, you'd be looking at more boring corn, as no more calves would be farmed and allowed to frolic for a couple of years in the pastures
Colin < Ex-vegetarian (the worst kind of meat eater) lol
Enjoying your road trip coverage. Hope to read a couple more before I leave on Friday morning and meet up with you guys at the meeting.
Hopefully Macguy will go on a road trip of his own in the mean time
For what it's worth, I played a lot of my best pool after a long drive. I speculated that it has something to do with staring at those lines on the road. Seems to get the eyes tuned in
Anyway, keep having a ball and sharing your experiences. Hope I can get online when I'm there to add my 2c for the forum readers as well! And btw, don't fret too much about them cute calves, for if everyone was a vegetarian, you'd be looking at more boring corn, as no more calves would be farmed and allowed to frolic for a couple of years in the pastures
Colin < Ex-vegetarian (the worst kind of meat eater) lol
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If we can discuss this in rational impersonal terms, that answer is absolutely. There are few things tougher then playing individual (not team) professional sports. Take Tiger Woods for instance, maybe the greatest player ever to play. In reality although his edge is certainly there without perpetration for every tournament he is just another player even with all that talent.sniper said:
Develop a case of the yips or a little slump and he doesn't even make the cuts. Every player out there can play and wants what you want and will, if they are serious about it. do what ever it takes to achieve their goals. If you don't share the same commitment then your chances are just that, thrown to chance, that is just not the way to do it. Regardless what the future of the IPT is, at least currently this money that is being offered is the kind of money that can be life changing, it is lottery level.
Many of these players don't have much and even the ones with jobs would be hard pressed to put together four or five hundred thousand dollars at one time in their lifetime. The possibility of maybe owning a pool room or a home and some financial independence for maybe the first time in their lives is actually with in their grasp. You don't piss away this kind of opportunity, you do what ever it takes to at least give yourself the greatest chance of success. That is what someone who cares would be telling them and that applies to every IPT player. That is just the way it is.
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