Much has been said about the UPA sanctioned Desert ShootOut, held in Arizona in April. Players traveled from across the country only to find, at the end of the event, that the funds weren't there. $36,000 in checks was written, and distributed, to Johnny Archer, Mika Immonen, John Schmidt, Mike Davis, Charlie Bryant, and Jay Helfert. The checks bounced. The promoter, who's intentions were good but got in a little over his head, was now in trouble. Writing bad checks is a felony. The promoter would go to jail.
In stepped Mark Griffin. Mark proposed that he would bail out the promoter, and the players, by purchasing several pool tables owned by the promoter. This would allow the tables to stay in their present location where many local tournaments are held.
The players loved it. The promoter sighed with relief. Griffin, again, had put his money where his mouth is.
"This is just the sort of thing that I was talking about. The players are so vulnerable. Not even their own professional association can protect them. The promoter is, basically, a nice guy and he loves pool. He shouldn't be incarcerated for his naivety on the realities of promoting pro events."
Griffin, recently, had expressed his views on the state of the pro player's affairs. Not only had he criticized, he had offered a solution. He would generate $200,000+ in added money for pro events in 2009, and a proposal that could provide economic security for the player's future.
Player's have responded. Mark's request for emails has proved positive. Posts on web forums have shown nothing but support for Griffin. Many, unprompted, mentioned his unblemished character.
On reflection, Mark has realized, "Players are grateful and the industry has shown great interest, too. Currently, we are researching locations for our events. If everything works out, the first tournament could actually happen as soon as September, or October, of this year.
Griffin sees this as a time for everyone to be patient though, information on the overall plan will be available in the coming weeks.
ATTENTION Pros and Top Players - Male and Female. So that you can be kept in the loop, please forward your contact info to markg@playbca.com. Please put PROS in the subject line of your email or you may end up in the spam folder. Also, include your phone number. You can call Mark, directly, at 702-719-7665.
