Disc Golf Players Union

I am curious as to why the Top Players in the world havent organized a Players Union to push for higher entry fees which could result in Higher Payouts. Im not speaking of the AM division, but of the true professional, the guys who believe that regardless of how much the entry fee is they will be able to recoup there money.
Higher payouts also result in more interest from a spectator level. With poker as an example, i honestly couldnt care less that Doyle Brunson won the World Series with a ten two off suit if it was for 1500 bucks, but when he won 1 million dollars with those rags, your darn right i want to see that televised and watch the other players expression as his million dollars was taken from him.
At the same time, people new to the sport or who havent heard about it, arnt going to be to interested in watching a bunch of althletes throwing frisbees in the woods at little metal objects, but if there was 20 or 30 thousand dollars on the line, i think people would be much more interested to see if Klimo cna hit that 40 footer on hole 17 to tie it up going into 18.
Money creates a sense of Drama to a spectator, money also attracts more money. If i remember correctly there was a thread on here acouple of months ago about trying to get ESPN to tape an event, there response was there isnt enough money in the sport to generate interest to a veiwer, Higher payouts and youve solved that problem.

Pro Tour

180 Players
4 Events on 4 Premier Courses ( West Coast, Mid West, South, North East)
$1000 Entry Fee Per Event
4 Rounds Per Event
2 rounds before cut, top 72 players advance to the weekend
All 72 Players that make the cut Cash
First Place will always Reviece no less then $20,000
72nd place will receive no less then $1000

I think this is a formula that could work if the top players in the world could either generate the entry fee themselves or push for there sponsors to cover it. With a Players Union in place pressure could be put on the PDGA to treat pro players like Pros and give them an oppurtunity to pursue disc golf as an athletic career. Every sport that is of any significance has a players union that negotiates money matters with the governing organization so the players can play, and have a viable income.
Bottom line, the more money, the more corporate interest, the more corporate interst the more they are going to want advertising exposure for the sport, the more exposure the larger our sport becomes. ect ect ect.

[Bill]

First to say it-- Not a terrible idea...

[Chuck Kennedy]

Gotta have leverage and so far even the top pros have virtually none.

[Barber Shop]

not bad, but I dont see these events filling up to 180 players anytime soon. But who knows I could be wrong. There are a lot of gamblers around.

[Rock Out With My Roc Out]

Second to say it-Great Idea! (While you're at it can we get a "high stakes poker" type skins game with the elite pros where they can put up some of thier new union winnings so we can see some gut wrenching rounds for some serious green! I'll tune in every time!!!)

[Jared Person]

Hi Chuck,
I knew you would be one of the first to comment!!
OK hypathetically i have managed to organize 180 top pros, there all in agreement that money needs to be made, they have all paid there entry fees into all four events that we have organized as a Union. All of these events are scheduled at the same time as NT's, and they are chosing to play the new tour over the PDGA's established national tour. The reason: they can hypathetically make 80'000 with a sweep of the new tour by only playing four events. If no top pros showed upth an NT were would the PDGA be, left with only an AM division A tier. I think that would be leverage enough to get the PDGA interested in taking a union seriously.

Chuck Kennedy said:

Gotta have leverage and so far even the top pros have virtually none.

[eric beich]

can I borrow some money ?

[Chuck Kennedy]

You're missing some key things. First, there aren't 180 pros who truly think of themselves as pros in the sense to make a living. You won't get more than 10 players to pop $1000 dollar entry fee. Sponsors only provide entry fees to the very top players and only for PDGA sanctioned events. I know for a fact that a sponsored player tried to set up a $1000 entry fee event thinking he could at least get the two main sponsors to pay the entry fees for their 4-5 top guys. The sponsors said no and I believe most of the players bailed on the idea of paying their own fees.

[Donny Olow]

Does sound interesting though !!!!

[Jared Person]

Hi Chuck,
I could not agree more with the last part of your statement. I dont have any beef with the PDGA, except by definition that is not what it is. There are maybe 3 guys who made a living last year without any other supplemental income. Which essentially means that 3 people are professionals...(i dont really know exactly how many actually didnt work and only played, but it cant be many).
As far as the amount of players that would be willing to participate...it will be difficult to tell. Really you would have to ask how much money are you spending travelling to 15-20 events per year to maybe make 15,000. With gas and travel and hotels, and food, im sure it adds up rather fast. I can almost garuntee Geoff Bennet would be more then happy to only have to spend 4,000 plus expenses to go to only 4 events and ptentially make more then he made all the last 2 years. (Then again maybe not, he truly has a love for the game). But seriously if touring pros sat down and analyzed there expenses its not out of the question that they would see the benifit in only playing 4 premier events for 1000 buck a pop then 15-20 at 100. (and not making enough to recoup there expenses). Nikko and i have been brain storming on this the last couple of weeks. Its a change i think could realistically change the way we look at the tour.

Chuck Kennedy said:

You're missing some key things. First, there aren't 180 pros who truly think of themselves as pros in the sense to make a living. You won't get more than 10 players to pop $1000 dollar entry fee. Sponsors only provide entry fees to the very top players and only for PDGA sanctioned events. I know for a fact that a sponsored player tried to set up a $1000 entry fee event thinking he could at least get the two main sponsors to pay the entry fees for their 4-5 top guys. The sponsors said no and I believe most of the players bailed paying their own fees.

Perhaps it's not well known but there are many movers and shakers who would be glad if the pros went off and did their own thing and left the Ams to the PDGA. Of course, the problem is the Professional in the name. This alone has probably prevented a more focused advancement of the sport overall in terms by having fewer goals and not being split between serving what many would see as several goals in conflict between am versus pro activities.

[Disc Player Sports]

Where does the money come from to run 'such' events?
When TDs work basically for nothing?
And an all volunteer base, doing everything else.
Go to maceman.net and read his comments.
Get a clue.
Why would a disc golfer put up 1k for a tournament, when most can hardly afford showing up?
Look at the current pro list, they don't have the money.

[Donny Olow]

Sounds like Corporate Media Sponsorship is Needed !!!!!

[Disc Player Sports]

What corporate sponsorship?
Going to beg for it?
What does the corporation that just laid off 20,000 or so want to do with disc golf?
Some of you guys just don't get...
Maybe disc golf needs a bailout or a 4 million dollar bathroom.
It is amazing how some don't see the big picture.
Disc golf is growing, but not the way some 'wish' it to happen.

I do convention work part time.
The PGA Show is in Orlando this week, that's (Professional Golf Association)
Do you know how many millions are being pulled out this week in corporate 'no shows?'
Too many. Big corporations are cutting back. Get it.
Out of the company I work for it employed 30+, down to 9 this year.
What was the biggest payout last year at the "worlds?" Not enough.....