PG Staff,
I'm not sure we disagree about anything here. I think I didn't make myself clear.
Please let me clarify a few points:
1. My comments were intended to address the very narrow question of whether it is a good idea to pay a premium price to play for an organization that will field six or seven or more teams that a) are chiefly populated by players who believe they aren't getting adequate exposure, b) haven't established a reputation by playing together, and c) have a high likelihood of posting a losing record in pool play.
2. I wasn't comparing your tournament to the lottery. I was comparing buying a lottery ticket to paying a big fee to play on one of these teams and hoping it will draw coaches/scouts even if the team doesn't perform well. If everybody on the team is motivated by the desire to get attention they previously have not drawn--and who else would pay such a high fee?--this strategy seems to leave way too much to chance. As the father of a below-the-radar guy, I prefer the strategy of building a long-term relationship with a respected local coach who will get to know his players, teach them to play together, choose the right time and manner to showcase each individual, and stick with them until he finds the right match for each. It's cheaper and more likely to be successful.
3. I also didn't say scouts/coaches just hang around the complex. I said they need a reason to go to the remote fields. Last summer, we showed up at a remote field and found it swarming with guys wearing polo shirts emblazoned with major conference school logos. Unfortunately, they were there to see a stud pitch in the game before ours. But they certainly do get out and about to see the players and teams that interest them. A team made up of unknown players--regardless of the talent level of the individuals--that isn't winning is less likely to give the coaches a reason to come see it.
4. I also acknowledge that PG events (See? I'm trainable. Didn't call it East Cobb.) create the ideal conditions in which serendipity can happen. My son got a lot of calls from coaches, including from the school where he eventually signed, who had almost certainly been drawn to his game by the reputation of our opponent.
Does that clear things up?