WPA Bans 245 Players
- Thread starter Bob Jewett
- Start date
A reasonable question, but don't forget that there are countless very capable Asian players among the unbanned who do not play Heyball.
The advantage of banning and reseting the points list allows lower tier players to advance when they would not have.
This benefits players for the WCBS Championships. The WCBS could be angling to get more attention to promote the different games and help players that abide by WPA protocols.
How each federation and player makes their own decisions will be interesting to hear.
those 245 and a bunch of others just have to put up a 5000 buyin tournament and will have over a million dollar payout and make the two other jokers squirm.
and set it up so most all the players have some kind of reasonable chance to at least get in the money.
and set it up so most all the players have some kind of reasonable chance to at least get in the money.
Good old pool room tactics. Everybody just swaps money and everybody comes out behind. I remember I was there when the "black" book was tallied up in my pool room, all the debts of the year were settled and mostly everyone broke even. All that noise, matchmaking, playing and nothing to show for it. Without fresh money, outside money, coming in, pool is going straight into the shitter. Zero sum games eventually makes everyone losers, even though it may not appear that way short term. The idea is to make pool, and it's top talent winners.
The way forward is with Matchroom. WPA is just flailing its arms and legs around, but it's on its back. WPA was backed into a corner and will probably have to uphold the ban or risk instantly losing control. Matchroom will, if they're smart make an elegant sidestep around it, make some new tournaments and new alliances with the Chinese. WPA gets to feel important for the short time it has left, players get paid. This is a war, and the first shots have been fired. The WPA is weaker now and is going to lose, but it still has its hooks into a lot of things, and can make this very difficult and costly for the players.
Flakeandrun
Well-known member
Well said imo.
MR going to go jump in on that Saudi and Chinese coin in a bigger way soon. Dialing up the cheap markets of SEA first to show there's viewers in the millions for the game.
How about Matchroom puts up a bunch of money and puts on the Matchroom King of the Banned Championship. Winner gets a big pile
of money and a huge trophy celebrating being banned. Minimum payment is all expenses paid and the 500 euro fine if the banned player wants to pay it over he has 500. But only the banned players allowed. You could do a nice production with human interest stories about the banned players. Stories on the history of the ban. You could put together a great show. Maybe like the WSOP where it is on many hours over the course of weeks.
Pedestrian
Registered
Who is left to play ? Time for the players to organize. If sanctioning bodies can do this...so can they.
Flakeandrun
Well-known member
Take it to the combat pit. Last man standing takes the cake.
Agreed. Matchroom is the organization that has shown vision and the ability to grow the sport globally more than anybody else. WPA, not without some cards to play here, will make a fuss and probably secure at least a few desired results but will likely have to un-ban the 245 somewhere down the road. Although time can gradually change it, they will not, in the short-term, be able to produce fields that will be viewed as truly world class, and if things proceed in that direction, the sponsors with deep pockets will go elsewhere to get some bang for their marketing buck.
Predator's two unsanctioned events coming up in Puerto Rico will serve as a reminder to WPA that an elite sponsor can operate outside the WPA umbrella if it so desires. If WPA affiliation doesn't give Predator access to the world's most elite players, Predator may take more steps in this direction, as unsanctioned, independent events will give them access to whatever players they wish.
We'll see how it plays out.
A world governing organization doesn't mean Jack Schitt if the players are playing for pennies. And if Matchroom stops paying good prize funds, the players jump ship. Simple Simon. This is nothing more or less than the WPA getting called out by a competing organization for not growing the game, and now the WPA is in panic mode, because thir profit center is blowing up, literally overnight.Well, I suggest you try the same, only this time imagine there is no official bodies for pool and billiard games everywhere, and pool (well, nineball, as there is no other pool game existing for Matchroom) is only provided by Matchroom. Hopefully you are well informed on how things are run in other parts of the world, like Asia and Europe (I'm afraid BCA is not a good example, as they have almost never been responsible for pro game in the US).
As to your question, I might be doing that for the same reason there are more than enough pro-MR posters hereBut I have a feeling I see a wider perspective, so I kinda feel obliged to warn those from being blind, and offer an alternative view.
Believe me, if there is no WPA for professional pool and only Matchroom remains with their pro tour, pool will die. As soon as current pros get too old to strike shovel on a cow's arse. Before that, okay, we gonna see a dozen of them competing on a tour against some local wannabes.
The WPA has been sitting on it's arse for decades, milking promoters for easy dollars, and than money well is drying up, and they are having a "Come to Jesus" moment, and not liking it.
The Predator explicitly "non WPA sanctioned"...
If one follows the letter of the WPA law, wouldn't playing in these events also be cause for the WPA to ban a player? It was my understanding that if an event has above xyz prize purse and/or money added, it must be WPA sanctioned.
If one follows the letter of the WPA law, wouldn't playing in these events also be cause for the WPA to ban a player? It was my understanding that if an event has above xyz prize purse and/or money added, it must be WPA sanctioned.
I don't think the population in Asia and the greater pool popularity in Asia has anything to do with it. That was true 30 years ago, 20 years ago, 10 years ago, and today. No one was fighting to stage international pool tournaments in Asia that I can recall those prior years.
The Philippines had the San Migel tour in the early 2000's that folded after a couple seasons (which was more national, not international). Japan had a couple Open international events each year. That's about all I remember that made it to the AZB news section.
The Philippines had the San Migel tour in the early 2000's that folded after a couple seasons (which was more national, not international). Japan had a couple Open international events each year. That's about all I remember that made it to the AZB news section.
that's not really comparable. the heyball tour alone have a combined prize fund of like 4 million USD. that adds up to a decent chunk of gold in the WPA coffers. if MR challenges the authority of WPA in asia, others might do the same, maybe even JOY. so it's quite understandable from a strategic and financial standpoint that WPA felt the need to stem the tide.
Japan still has them. I went to one about 5 years ago best I can recall. Was very good. There’s lots of pool in Japan, lots.
There are actually three non-sanctioned events, though one involves just Biado, Filler and Gorst.
Strange days.