Viking Tour Has Done Alot For Pool

[Southpaw]

I just want to say that I think Mike Janis and the Viking Tour have really done alot for the sport of pool. There is always a good following of players of all calibers. I can remember when Shawn Putnam was a regular face on the Viking Tour and had not qutie gotten over the hump to play with the "Big Boys". Now look where he is at. I was at the last UPT event in Athens, Ga. and the night before the tourney, Charlie Williams made a couple of rule changes based on some of the players opinions. He said that they were going to start with this tourney breaking from the break box (which they hadnt done in any of the other events) and there was even mention of calling pockets on all shots. Well of course this upset some of the players that 1 or 2 players could make such suggestions and no one else had any say so. In fact, Rodney Morris went up to CW right then and there and said "No one player is bigger than the game..." and walked out! A few of the players talked him into coming back and they played under the rules that they had played under all year long. My point here is that the tournamnet director should set the rules and abide by them....NO EXCEPTIONS! Mike Janis has always done this and his tour is successful because of it. So keep up the good work MJ. Also, your son Matt is doing a great job of assisting you. The Greenville tourney went smooth as silk.

Southpaw

 

[Timberly]

I was at the last UPT event in Athens, Ga. and the night before the tourney, Charlie Williams made a couple of rule changes based on some of the players opinions. He said that they were going to start with this tourney breaking from the break box (which they hadnt done in any of the other events) and there was even mention of calling pockets on all shots. Well of course this upset some of the players that 1 or 2 players could make such suggestions and no one else had any say so. In fact, Rodney Morris went up to CW right then and there and said "No one player is bigger than the game..." and walked out! A few of the players talked him into coming back

Southpaw

You really botched that story. Rodney wasn't leaving because he was upset that there was going to be a rule change. He was upset that ONE player inparticular stood their ground and as a result, they were not going to change the rule. THAT's when Rodney got angry and started to walk out. Rodney was for the rule change, not against it.

If they want to change the rules, that's fine but not right before a tournament. People have already paid their entry fee on the basis of the rules being the same that they've always been. A rule change needs to be voted on and passed before another tournament takes place so that the people that don't agree with the rule change have the option to play or not. This will ensure that players like the one that stood his ground will not send in an entry fee to play in a tournament where they do not like the rules.