Originally Posted by
CallMeChip
This may be TL;DR. But it's personally important because I really do enjoy this forum.
I really liked SBR... when I first joined. It was fun, jokes a plenty, great writeups for games, awesome contests, it just all around was enjoyable to comb the forums and read the threads, and especially seeing SBR help people out who had lost money or got an unfair deal somehow from a book. It's like they were doing exactly what they set out to do with this company. Back then (almost 2 years ago) I would have given them an A.
Now I just voted them a C. Since then, posters leaving, the content of recent posting, the amount of classlessness, and predominantly the whole BI fiasco has imploded their credibility in my honest opinion. It wasn't just the loss of player funds or knowledge of a failing book without warning, it was the manner in which it was handled. They say all the evidence was out there, we're not denying anything, but they removed the player sheet that was linked... twice. That seems like trying to hide something to me... The response basically was, "It happened, get over it, if you don't wanna be in our tourneys, contests, etc.. then fine, we don't care, other people will take your place". That was a horrible response to this situation. Damage control is a foreign concept apparently.
The one aspect of this whole thing that I think is irreversible is the response from SBR_John about the status of finding answers for the community. John was asked about giving names of those involved and some specifics and responded that he's not at liberty to do that because his employees have families and kids to worry about and that he was documented as having been held at gunpoint by dealing with some of the people in this industry. I fully understand his concern for the well being of others, and even though I don't know him personally, he has always come across as a bright guy, nice guy on this forum. But the fact that a company claims to be a watchdog or voice for the players, but is scared of the entities they are watching and dealing with? That's a total contradiction in terms. It makes zero sense. The honest truth I've realized is that anyone claiming to be a "watchdog" for offshore gambling, is selling a completely false sense of security because you can't monitor entities that can intimidate you into changing your actions or convictions. I've had a gun pulled on me twice in my life and I almost shit my pants both times, I completely froze. It's one of the scariest things that can happen to a human being. I am not saying be tougher or have balls or any of that bullshit. I am saying don't tout your company as being able to mediate in an industry where mediation is a virtual impossibility replaced by tangible greed, theft, dishonesty, and intimidation.
John mentioned that players, "should only play at A or better yet A+ rated books if they don't want something like this to happen". If that's the case why not just advertise for only A or A+ rated books. Let the other books fend for themselves until they've established the credibility to earn an A or A+ rating, while you give your community only tried and true methods of wagering with a better likelihood of getting paid out and not having money stolen.
I do like this forum, even with all the recent problems, I can still come get a chuckle and discuss sports and things that I love, but as far as spending another dime to get into contests or touted books, or trusting any amount of my actual money to SBR, I just can't do it. If that means staying out of great contests, then I guess I'll just have to relegate myself to forum discussion and point playing, which in my eyes isn't necessarily a terrible thing.
SBR is a great website and fun place to interact with people, but it's viability as an industry affiliate or watchdog has ended imho. Just my two cents.
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SBR_John voted A
