Perfect Game: A blessing and a curse?

       
       


Wow. That is some accusation. I read the article you referred to and I don't see PG as being anywhere close to that in any sense of the definition. There is no redistribution of wealth, there is no use of land purely to gain profit, there is no use of social or government institutions in order to further an agenda. This accusation is WAY off base.

PG does not even come close to having a monopoly on the college recruiting game.  There are plenty of other avenues available to pursue your dreams. Those avenues cost money as well though. Travel costs to go to colleges and cost of camps. No one does anything for free. The way I see it is PG simply provided a venue for those looking to move to the next level and those looking for players wanting to move on to the next level to get together. There's much more to it than that, in terms of compiling information, but that's essentially all it is. No one HAS to do it this way. It is simply an option.

It is certainly NOT "rent-seeking".

The entire industry between the players and the schools is, in part, rent seeking, and PG is a part of that industry. It's also true that the industry is not entirely rent seeking, and at the margins, at least, there is a class of player that has benefited (net of the cost), but I suspect that if one summed all the benefits to all the participants (players, coaches, schools, travel orgs, etc), that the players are far from the biggest winners versus the status quo ante.

You can bring food and drink into Turner Field (though upon checking not into the AAA park in Gwinnett), which, given LPs location, may be part of the issue (if the locals are the ones who are the most vocal about the policy).

 

Though I don't really think that parallel is exact. A better comparison would be to the local HS parks and other competing venues, which are far more open about outside food/drink, especially for the players (I've never been at another venue that prevented players from bringing in coolers, for example).

No one is forcing anyone to take a player to a PG event.  No one is forcing anyone to take a team to an event.  There have been countless positive posts on PG on this site from members who where thankful for the opportunities Jerry created for their sons.  PG is offering substantial opportunities to these young men that they would not have in their local towns, tournaments, TB experiences.  Sure there have been some negatives but few and far in between.  So, we are now to be critical of him for making a profit?  College recruitment is an industry and there is a demand for PG's services.  He has a right to make a profit.  He has clearly and consistently stated over the years that he can't control all of the various venues.  He and his organization do their best.  He has constantly and consistently stated over the years that he tries to fill the events with quality program coaches and he does.  Unfortunately the other consistent thing is that parents who's sons have not fared well come onto this site to assess blame instead of take responsibility. 

 

Per my child, I took care of her recruitment.  I wish I had had some of the services PG offers. 

 

BTW, lionsbaseball, how do you know it was the water that made your son sick?  It just as well could have been a reaction to the stress of the tournament and playing while trying to get recruited. 

 

Edited to add:

 

I forgot the complaints about the food, water, costs.  Sure I'd be hacked off at the parking.  However, my wife and I had to pay $8 each day to get into a local 12U tournament to watch my daughter coach.  Not only that, the food cost was outrageous.  So, we had choices to make as to whether we would spend our money there.  Been that way since TB began. 

Rent Seeking?  Never heard of it.

This just keeps getting more and more out of hand.

Please, Just report all that to the proper authorities.  

I personally could care less about coolers, that simply is something beyond our control.

 

To be honest our own people were bitching about concession issues.  Other than the price those hot dogs I had were excellent.  I think our guys were upset over the price of drinks.

 

There are two things going on here. The issue of Lake Point and the complaints about Perfect Game.  I just wonder how many out there would have spent the money it took to build LP?  What about the economic impact it has in that county?   I would never have guessed there would be so many complaints about something so obviously good for the community and for amateur baseball.  Some people even make it sound dirty.  Sorry, I just don't get it.

 

I even understand some of the complaints about parking, coolers, water, etc., but now we are into Rent Seeking, fraud, and who knows what else.  Can't we just play baseball?

To the extent this might be true, there's a similar undercurrent of rejecting minority opinions with the assumption that they're just sour grapes whether or not that assumption is well founded.

"rent seeking" is the use of the political system to get a bigger "share" of a same size pie.  There is no choice in the "rent seeking" once the political system is set (laws changed).

 

The word is often used in conjunction with a rail against profits and capitalism, usually from someone with a socialist bent.  Often from an uninformed individual who most likely missed economics class. Follow IO's posts.  I also hope PG stays out of posting with trolls.

 

Going to PG is a choice, not rent seeking.  

 

My "hopes and dreams" are that they close this thread and PG stays on to post real information.

You have to understand, especially given the stuff going on here, that LP and PG are not looked at as separate entities by the typical consumer, right? Whether or not PG has any control over LP policies at the baseball facility, PG is going to be connected with those policies in the minds of the consumers (and, in fact, is connected with those policies, I've overheard plenty of conversations on the ground this summer, including from PG employees).

You should probably write the registrar at Northwestern and ask them to revoke my degree.

 

Not that I'd take issue with the socialst-bent characterization.

That is really funny.

       
       
Did I miss something?  Where did he go?

The complaints are coming from the same people.  This issue was discussed last year in a very long discussion such as this. So to be fair, the rules set forth have been explained. But even after a new update as to why for certain things, the same people continue to complain. As busfan said, this is about water and food and no scoreboard and a parking fee.  Bring on some real issues.

 

BTW, you are getting weird.

He hasn't participated in this topic....now mention one word about stats and he will post asap!

 The kids belly ache might of been caused by the conversation in the car on the way to the ball park!

PG, a couple months ago I suspended myself from this site for a one week period.  I let people get under my skin.  I could sit and talk baseball from the time I wake up til I go to sleep if I had someone to do it with   I don't mind a good debate.  Actually love it.  But when people go beyond the point of spirited debate to the point of being just plain insulting and rude its unfortunate.  I hate when this happens.  This site is so much fun.  I sincerely hope you stick with us.  I love reading your posts and you bring a lot to the table.  Right now might be frustrating but remember there are far more of us who look forward to hearing from you! 

To all others:  I have not been to a PG event of any kind.  I have of course had players who have attended.  If my son gets to where he would need to be (I don't want to be called aside and given a refund lol!) we will absolutely go to PG.  I am in fact begging our organization to send us down there spring 2016.  Maybe once I go I may see or experience some things that I feel need changing.  If that were to happen I would send a polite PM to PG and share my experience.  This is this man's life work.  A dream come true.  I am guessing by this point he has probably already made enough money.  This is a passion for him.  Something he obviously has put his heart and soul into.  Now I know he is a big boy.  But although even he may not like me saying this...  all people have feelings.  Why are people so comfortable ripping this man's heart out by slamming his life's work?  I am as cheap as they come.  When we do go to something PG I guarantee I will not enjoy writing the check.  But at the same time if you want what virtually everyone in baseball america considers the premium baseball experience then you have to pay the premium price.  How about next time we have a PG complaint we politely PM him?  Lets just be a little nicer and enjoy this great site!

This thread has gone too far down the same road as the last LakePoint thread I closed.

 

If you think it's expensive to watch your kids play baseball at LP, be thankful you don't have a daughter whose chorus gets to sing with symphonies. Any idea what it costs to see your kid be a face in a huge crowd of singers on stage at Carnegie Hall?  And I don't think they would have let me bring in a bottle of water, either.

 

Whatever activities your kids pursue, if they perform at private facilities that required huge capital investments, you will pay dearly to watch them, and the facility operators will try to recoup their costs through gate fees, parking, concessions, and any other revenue streams they can extract from their captive audience. It's not just baseball. It's not just LP. And it's sure not just PG.  If you want nice stuff, someone has to pay for it.

 

This thread is closed, and we're not going to resume threads along the same line of complaints for a very long time.