Roy Steffensen said:
You think you've lost more on pool than me?
Just because you are older than me doesn't mean you've spend more money on pool than me...
Yes, I think I have spent -- not lost -- more on pool than you in my lifetime. In fact, I am pretty confident in this statement. I have lost more in pool than money, and I can't get it back now because I am 54 years old. Money ain't the end-all/be-all for me. In fact, sometimes money stinks to high heaven and turns nice people into monsters. Those who follow the money like the Pied Piper are lost souls, and you will discover that many times those who have a lot of money are miserable in their life. :embarrassed2:
Now, that said, pool used to bring me enjoyment when I was a player on the league system and was hanging out with my friends, playing recreationally. Today, my involvement in pool is quite different. I learned some things I wish I had not learned, and I will leave it at that. :frown:
Roy said:
About flying halfway around the world. I get the impression that you seem to think it is ok for Taiwanese, Filipinos and Europeans to come to USA to compete in tournaments, but if there is a tournament outside USA you complain about the long flights, different culture and food, expensive trips etc for the American players...
The Europeans, et al., came to the United States because the pool in their countries didn't pay squat. I was told this by two VERY WELL KNOWN European champions at a Skins Billards Championship one year. In fact, as I know you are aware, some of those European players live in the United States. There must be something about this country they like besides pool maybe. Surely, it can't be the low-paying pool tournaments we have here.
There was a day, though, when they all flocked our shores because American pool was the only game in town. That was before your time. :thumbup:
Roy said:
About the WPA being a twisted and politically incorrect system, I agree with you. I don't like the way WPA/EPBF etc are run, and I know it's almost impossible to change the system. The people who have positions there seems to handpick their own people as new members of the boards, when old boardmembers wants to withdrawn.
Sometimes I just wish the IPT will come back for full, so we finally can get a league with rankingsystem, telling what players are the best in the world. Not like it is now...
Ranking systems. LOL! What a joke.
Pool organizations must be transparent instead of conducting business behind the curtain. That's the biggest problem I see today with pool organizations.
The IPT was the best thing to happen to pool in the entire world. Unfortunately, the business plan was not sound enough to sustain the tour. After tens of millions of dollars were paid out by the IPT, pool ain't in any better shape today than it was then. Some pool players benefitted, though. David Matlock must have enjoyed that $30,000 he won in Vegas for a down payment on his house, and I think I can state pretty confidently that every singe one of those BCA Hall of Famers that received $30,000 just for showing up in Orlando in December 2005 at the King of the Hill tournament appreciate the IPT's efforts to make pool a sport.
Like everything else in the pool world, it is the pool public and not the players that have such a low opinion about pool as a sport. This forum is a good example of that.
JAM
