A Disappointing Outcome for Player Choice in Northwest Indiana @ Griffith Billiards

First, we would like to thank everyone who has signed and supported this petition. Your support demonstrates that many players care deeply about fairness, professionalism, and having options when it comes to organized pool leagues.

We would like to provide an update regarding recent events involving the Ultimate Pool League (UPL) in Northwest Indiana.

Several weeks ago, the ownership of Griffith Billiards and the Northwest Indiana Ultimate Pool League reached an agreement to bring UPL league play to Griffith Billiards. The UPL leadership worked hard to recruit players and build participation, successfully filling the upstairs area of the pool hall with league members who were excited to play a different format of pool.

Many local players welcomed the addition of UPL because it provides another competitive option within the billiards community. Different leagues offer different experiences, rules, and formats, and many players enjoy participating in more than one league.

Unfortunately, after the announcement that UPL would be operating at Griffith Billiards, tensions began to develop between supporters of different league organizations. Many players who joined UPL had previous experiences with other leagues and were excited about having an alternative option available to them.
It is important to note that any comments made by individual players on their personal social media accounts were their own opinions and were not directed or encouraged by UPL leadership. In fact, UPL representatives frequently attempted to keep the focus on pool and encouraged members to avoid personal disputes and unnecessary drama.

Recently, a meeting was held involving representatives of Griffith Billiards, representatives of the Ultimate Pool League, and representatives of the Illiana APA. Following those discussions, Griffith Billiards ultimately decided not to continue hosting UPL league play at their facility due to the APA league operator threatening to remove his teams out of Griffith Billiards. On the specific given night, the UPL brought in nearly 100 players and the Iliana APA only had about 8 to 10 players tops. In fact, The Illiana APA did not even have a league night planned until they learned that another league would be playing on Thursdays at Griffith Billiards.

This decision has disappointed many players who were looking forward to participating in the Ultimate Pool League at Griffith Billiards. Many members of the local pool community believe that multiple league organizations should be able to coexist peacefully and that players should have the freedom to choose whichever format they enjoy without conflict or pressure.

At the heart of this issue is a simple principle: player choice.

No single league owns the game of pool. Players should have opportunities to participate in different leagues, different formats, and different competitive environments. Healthy competition between organizations can benefit players by creating more opportunities, better experiences, and greater innovation within the sport.

While this particular outcome was disappointing for many UPL supporters, we remain committed to advocating for fairness, professionalism, and the right of players to choose how and where they participate in the game they love.
If you would like to respectfully share your thoughts regarding player choice and league competition within Northwest Indiana, you may contact the organizations involved through their publicly available business channels.

Griffith Billiards
116 S. Broad Street
Griffith, IN 46319
Phone: (219) 934-7665

Illiana APA
3833 Towle Avenue
Hammond, IN 46327
Phone: (708) 745-8244

If you choose to reach out, we encourage everyone to remain respectful and professional. The goal is not to attack individuals, but to express support for player choice, healthy competition, and the ability for multiple league organizations to coexist within the Northwest Indiana billiards community.

Thank you again for your continued support of this petition and for standing up for fairness, professionalism, and opportunities for all pool players. :::