Dearest Joseph -
You truly are one of a kind and your hypocrisy never ceases to amaze me. As I read your same posts over and over...ASA is the devil....when truly you mean GG and FWASA is the devil (which in all fairness you might be right about), I can't help but be reminded of a quote I learned growing up in my childhood:
"Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength."
Your insane bulldog mentality has cauterized you into a broken-record, rude juvenile prone to profanity and phallic referenced sexual innuendo. I would be willing to bet my last dollar if GG or anybody else related to ASA, contacted you soliciting money for ASA so it could expand its marketing reach or whatever other reason, your fingers would be bleeding from the expediency of your HB ASA bashing post.
You see, I too, went to college and learned during my first day at business school (although college and business school are usually 2 different entities

), the need for START-UP capital, money needed to start your business. Most legitimate businesses that succeed are founded on solid business principles with plenty of due diligence and planning done before the first day of operation is even considered. It is only my opinion, which makes this discussion neither right nor wrong, but asking coaches (customers) for capital a year and half (according to you - more like 10 years of VTD web platform to me) into business lends itself to questions about integrity.
As I have stated from the very beginning of my discussions with you, VTD could very well rename itself to MPS (Metroplex Softball). That is the reality. It always has been and always will be, unless of course us coaches fork over money so VTD can hire more people and develop a marketing plan so they can be like ASA and Premier, or even USSSA or USFA for that matter. Gee, somehow I just don't see that happening. I think VTD has a better chance of having a national tournament.....oh wait.
I do agree with you Joe about the need for fastpitch softball, in whatever grouping of letters, in our communities and ball parks. We just have differing viewpoints because my whole softball experience has been centered around the very best competition, regardless of affiliation, and yours has not. Not every team, parent, DD can or necessarily should have my same viewpoint. Up until last year, that experience was solely ASA. Now you have Premier trying to market itself and get a piece of that championship pie. The more they succeed the better the game of softball becomes. I also learned in business school while at college

, the benefits of competition vs monopolies. I just never, in my wildest dreams, see VTD competing for that same piece of pie. Truthfully, I'm not sure that is even a goal of theirs. In my final reference to my days at business school while attending college

, I learned about the principles of profitability. ALL businesses are created to be profitable. That is the end-game. Therefore, businesses, if they are going to survive, especially the new ones in today's economy, must be able to develop profit centers and ways of generating cash-flow. That is what this is all about - plain and simple.
Finally, I can't resist the urge to bring to your attention some little 'ole ASA friendly this weekend. Yes it is by invite only, further perpetuating that whole elitist attitude you despise so much. However, it does have 12 of the best teams in 14U in the entire South. There are 4 top teams from Houston and a top team from Tennessee traveling all the way to Dallas on Mother's Day weekend to play in a one-day friendly at some crappy ASA park. Each team will pay $75 entry fee and receive a 5 GG that will cost them $30 at the plate. By my business school math, that is a total investment of $225. When has VTD ever hosted an event that drew that much level of competition, much less a team outside of TX, LA, AR, OK, NM (i.e. bordering states) for that little of an investment?
In close, I will leave you with this scripture and hope you glean understanding from it's message:
"Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools." Ecclesiastes 7:9