Why not resurrect PBT?

hang-the-9

hang-the-9

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
All the new nation-wide rankings, tours, UPA, IPT, etc.. is a bit fragmented. When ESPN and Camel and others had interest and ability to work with billiards, the only thing I remember seeing is PBT. Who owned/controlled that and why not bring it back as the single umbrella for pro pool in the US?
 
hang-the-9 said:
All the new nation-wide rankings, tours, UPA, IPT, etc.. is a bit fragmented. When ESPN and Camel and others had interest and ability to work with billiards, the only thing I remember seeing is PBT. Who owned/controlled that and why not bring it back as the single umbrella for pro pool in the US?
Click to expand...

A little history lesson on why the PBT failed...

Don Mackey made the deal with Camel.

Camel (RJ Reynolds Tobacco co.) had two gentlman, Wayne Robertson and Larry Kiger who were tasked with marketing our game and our players to their target audience - users and potential users of tobacco products.

Halfway through the first year, RJ Reynolds decided that the PRO players and the PRO tour would not provide a return on their current investment - however - league pool (amateur pool) was played in taverns and bars and pool halls... they could market their tobacco products to people in amateur pool much more easily.

Mackey knew that Camel was going to drop the Camel Tour at some point - so... behind the back of RJ reynolds he set up a meeting with rival tobacco company Phillip-Morris.

Well, he didn't cover his tracks very well, and the Camel tour was shut down soon after.

Mackey took RJ Reynolds to court and was eventually awarded a sum of $886,000 by a jury in the courtroom of Judge William Osteen in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Here the text from May 16, 2000 newsclipping....

Jury Sides With Billiards Tour

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) -- A federal jury found that R.J. Reynolds

Tobacco Co. hustled a professional billiards organization with
sponsorship promises, but then backed out of contracts to support the
group's pool tournaments.

The jury awarded Pro Billiards Tour Association Inc. $886,000 in
damages on Monday. The nation's second biggest tobacco company has not decided if it will appeal.

The association had accused the maker of Winston, Camel and Salem
cigarettes in the suit of fraud, unfair trade practices and breach of
contract.

Judge William Osteen dismissed the tour's claims of fraud and
unfair trade practices, but allowed the case to proceed on the claim
that the tobacco company left the billiards group financially ruined
when it promised to sponsor it in 1997 and then backed out at the last
minute.

The jury awarded the damages to make up for lost income and debt
incurred during 1996 and 1997, the years the jury found Reynolds did
not fulfill its contract.

Tour commissioner Don Mackey said the verdict will enable the tour
to stage pool tournaments again in 2001. It hasn't held a tournament
since 1997.

R.J. Reynolds officials believed that evidence presented during the
trial showed that the company was "honorable and lawful in its
dealings" with the tour, said Jack W. Henson, the company's senior
counsel.

Mack Sperling, one of the tour's attorneys, said RJR agreed to pay
the pool association $500,000 in 1996 to help defray its expenses, but
the company paid only $80,000. The financially strapped tour that year
bounced checks to players and owed money to hotels that hosted
tournaments, according to testimony.

In 1997, Reynolds again promised to sponsor PBTA tournaments, but
then backtracked and unveiled its own Camel Pro Billiards tournaments.
RJR took over tournaments previously run by the PBTA, solicited players
who had played for the association and hired the PBTA's tournament
manager.

Andrew Copenhaver, a Reynolds' attorney, argued that the company
neither made a long-term financial commitment to the pool association
nor did it promise to pay the association $500,000 in 1996.



I don't think reviving the PBT would be such a great idea, given their tumultuous history.
 
Thanks for the background of the PBT ending. I thought it was due to the cig and other "sin" sponsors being forced to stop advertising on TV and in places were minors could attend.

However, the PBT was the strongest tour and player organization, and lasted more than one season. Bringing back the logo and name may not be a bad thing.
 
The PBT was a fiasco

I thought CJ Wiley's tour would succeed it nicely but we all know how that turned out also
 
Who can forget CJ's tour (even though I can't remember the name of it)? With the promise of $1 million for putting up a 10 pack....and then Strickland pulls it off during one of the first events!

Did he ever get paid for that? I remember reading that the tour had to take the insurance company to court over it.
 
Blackjack said:
A little history lesson on why the PBT failed...

Don Mackey made the deal with Camel.

Camel (RJ Reynolds Tobacco co.) had two gentlman, Wayne Robertson and Larry Kiger who were tasked with marketing our game and our players to their target audience - users and potential users of tobacco products.

Halfway through the first year, RJ Reynolds decided that the PRO players and the PRO tour would not provide a return on their current investment - however - league pool (amateur pool) was played in taverns and bars and pool halls... they could market their tobacco products to people in amateur pool much more easily.

Mackey knew that Camel was going to drop the Camel Tour at some point - so... behind the back of RJ reynolds he set up a meeting with rival tobacco company Phillip-Morris.

Well, he didn't cover his tracks very well, and the Camel tour was shut down soon after.

Mackey took RJ Reynolds to court and was eventually awarded a sum of $886,000 by a jury in the courtroom of Judge William Osteen in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Here the text from May 16, 2000 newsclipping....

Jury Sides With Billiards Tour

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) -- A federal jury found that R.J. Reynolds

Tobacco Co. hustled a professional billiards organization with
sponsorship promises, but then backed out of contracts to support the
group's pool tournaments.

The jury awarded Pro Billiards Tour Association Inc. $886,000 in
damages on Monday. The nation's second biggest tobacco company has not decided if it will appeal.

The association had accused the maker of Winston, Camel and Salem
cigarettes in the suit of fraud, unfair trade practices and breach of
contract.

Judge William Osteen dismissed the tour's claims of fraud and
unfair trade practices, but allowed the case to proceed on the claim
that the tobacco company left the billiards group financially ruined
when it promised to sponsor it in 1997 and then backed out at the last
minute.

The jury awarded the damages to make up for lost income and debt
incurred during 1996 and 1997, the years the jury found Reynolds did
not fulfill its contract.

Tour commissioner Don Mackey said the verdict will enable the tour
to stage pool tournaments again in 2001. It hasn't held a tournament
since 1997.

R.J. Reynolds officials believed that evidence presented during the
trial showed that the company was "honorable and lawful in its
dealings" with the tour, said Jack W. Henson, the company's senior
counsel.

Mack Sperling, one of the tour's attorneys, said RJR agreed to pay
the pool association $500,000 in 1996 to help defray its expenses, but
the company paid only $80,000. The financially strapped tour that year
bounced checks to players and owed money to hotels that hosted
tournaments, according to testimony.

In 1997, Reynolds again promised to sponsor PBTA tournaments, but
then backtracked and unveiled its own Camel Pro Billiards tournaments.
RJR took over tournaments previously run by the PBTA, solicited players
who had played for the association and hired the PBTA's tournament
manager.

Andrew Copenhaver, a Reynolds' attorney, argued that the company
neither made a long-term financial commitment to the pool association
nor did it promise to pay the association $500,000 in 1996.



I don't think reviving the PBT would be such a great idea, given their tumultuous history.
Click to expand...

Mackey got his hands on that money and promptly split. He never again tried to produce or promote a pool tournament. Basically he took the money and vanished. All the players who had stock in his World Team Billiards, never got a nickel. All the players who got stiffed by Mackey on the last five events staged by the PBT, also never got a nickel.

Another great choice of leaders by the players. They got bambozzled big time by this clown. I knew the first year that he was a carpetbagger, but they wouldn't listen to me. He would hold 8-10 hour brain washing sessions at every tournament. He was as big as a football lineman and a bully to boot. He once threatened me with bodily harm, and I picked up a fork and told him to change his tone with me. I really wanted to stick it in his eye, and I think he knew that. He never raised his voice to me again.
 
[QUOTE, and I picked up a fork and told him to change his tone with me. I really wanted to stick it in his eye, and I think he knew that. He never raised his voice to me again.[/QUOTE]


Hi 'Fork poker',


That is funny and I have not finished laughing Jay.
After the brainwashing speeches few times he asked me how the speech was.I told him that they were fantastic.But one time I told him that players expect you to walk the talk and they want to see the things happen and will ask you Where is the beef?
 
Last edited:
jay helfert said:
Mackey got his hands on that money and promptly split. He never again tried to produce or promote a pool tournament. Basically he took the money and vanished. All the players who had stock in his World Team Billiards, never got a nickel. All the players who got stiffed by Mackey on the last five events staged by the PBT, also never got a nickel.

Another great choice of leaders by the players. They got bambozzled big time by this clown. I knew the first year that he was a carpetbagger, but they wouldn't listen to me. He would hold 8-10 hour brain washing sessions at every tournament. He was as big as a football lineman and a bully to boot. He once threatened me with bodily harm, and I picked up a fork and told him to change his tone with me. I really wanted to stick it in his eye, and I think he knew that. He never raised his voice to me again.
Click to expand...

I can relate. I had my run in with him too. The one who backed the big POS down that just cracked me up was Nck Varner. All 130 pounds of him. I near passed out laughing at that incident.
 
Don Mackey

Buddy Hall used to do the funniest imitation of Mackey you ever saw. He would act like he was walking over a series of bridges and every time he crossed one he would turn around and throw a lit match on it. I guess you had to be there but I still laugh when I think about it.

I was sitting beside Mackey in New Orleans in 1996 (maybe 1997) when the players came up asking for their prize money and he told them he had left the checkbook at the office. He told all of them that he would pay them at the next event. At that event the players were told they would get paid at the next event as the PBT was waiting on a check. They did not get paid for any of the three events but they all had to cover their travel expenses. Mackey pulled probably the greatest rip-off in all of pol history.

I was also at the court sessions. When the PBT won Mackey gathered all the players together on the court house steps and told them they would split the dough the next day. The next day he was gone and the players got shafted again.

I am still amazed that no one took any action, legal or otherwise, against Mackey. I understand he is now selling real estate in Florida.
 
Jerry Forsyth said:
Buddy Hall used to do the funniest imitation of Mackey you ever saw. He would act like he was walking over a series of bridges and every time he crossed one he would turn around and throw a lit match on it. I guess you had to be there but I still laugh when I think about it.

I was sitting beside Mackey in New Orleans in 1996 (maybe 1997) when the players came up asking for their prize money and he told them he had left the checkbook at the office. He told all of them that he would pay them at the next event. At that event the players were told they would get paid at the next event as the PBT was waiting on a check. They did not get paid for any of the three events but they all had to cover their travel expenses. Mackey pulled probably the greatest rip-off in all of pol history.

I was also at the court sessions. When the PBT won Mackey gathered all the players together on the court house steps and told them they would split the dough the next day. The next day he was gone and the players got shafted again.

I am still amazed that no one took any action, legal or otherwise, against Mackey. I understand he is now selling real estate in Florida.
Click to expand...

You may well be right and not to argue by any means but, I heard he opened a used car lot in Florida.

Some of those guys ought to go see him and take some of those cars on a test ride. THat would be hilarious. I'd love to see that big fat POS cry like a baby.
 
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