Pro Billiards Tour Association (PBTA) Commissioner Don
Mackey "is trying to hold together the pieces of a fringe
professional sport struggling to survive and find
stability," according to Robert Farley of the ST. PETERSBURG
TIMES. The PBTA's future "could hinge on the outcome" of a
recently filed a federal lawsuit against RJR's Camel, which
sponsored the '96 tour and parted ways with the PBTA in '97
to start its own tour. Mackey said that while the PBTA had
secured free tournament space at Las Vegas casinos by
guaranteeing a large number of room rentals, Camel "insisted
the tournaments be staged at expensive and much larger
convention centers and arenas." In addition, Camel "failed
to promote the events as promised." Mackey contends that
Camel "reneged on promises to reimburse the PBTA for losses
sustained during the 1996 tour and also on its promise to
sponsor the 1997 tour." Camel started its own tour, and
Mackey said Camel "intended all along to steal its trade
secrets." But RJR spokesperson Seth Moskowitz said of the
suit, "In our opinion, the suit is without merit. We intend
to defend ourselves, and we believe we will prevail." With
no PBTA Tour in '97 or '98, Mackey told players "to make
their money where they could. For the most part, that is
with the Camel-run tournaments." But now, the PBTA "is
trying to reinvent itself" and hopes to take the tour public
by selling shares representing about 20% ownership in the
tour. The PBTA also "hopes to secure a major sponsor and
develop and enhance other revenue sources such as licensing
and merchandise sales" (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 6/7).
