For the past several months, USATT has been methodically torn apart. All of its money has been frivolously wasted, its talented people insulted, abused and abandoned. Why? For the personal 'glory' of a tiny few? Please take a moment to find out about this pattern of abuse:
Just last month she was going all over telling people that USATT was going to host the ITTF Pro Tour Grand Finals in 2002. This goes beyond ridiculous and approaches insanity. Let me say this for the record: THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN!
USATT has yet to run a proper Pro Tour, how the heck can she not only be foolish enough to believe this fairy tale, but spread it around like a devious virus? Yes, ITTF wants USATT to succeed, they NEED USATT to succeed, but Pittman is living in a dream world to think they will lower their standards to hers. No Pro Tour Pittman has run has met the technical rules for any Pro Tour anywhere else in the world. On top of that we have NO domestic TV coverage or interest. (not to mention lack of sponsors)
Pittman has even talked about hosting a Worlds Championships in the next couple of years. She has further made claims that these events will not cost USATT any money. ITTF will pay for it all she says, so how can we lose? Both these ideas are pure fantasy!!!
The ITTF Pro Tour Grand Finals is a million dollar event. Sure ITTF will help, to a degree, but it is the responsibility of the host federation to put on the event. The past few World Championships have cost between 5 and 10 MILLION DOLLARS to run!!!!! USATT is flat broke. Do not believe for an instant that ITTF is composed of stupid people (our presidential representative not withstanding). No way they are going to commit their premier event to an association in our current condition.
Add to this that, for the first time ever, the Las Vegas Convention Center is displeased with USATT's 'value in kind' for the use of their facilities. They now want USATT to cough up substantial money for its use, otherwise, no National Championships there this year. This is a major tragedy! No president before has been faced with this ultimatum. It takes real leadership to get us to this point. Leadership in the form of Ms. Pittman is what we have. It's just leadership in the wrong direction!!!
In her January free political advertising in the USATT Magazine, she has the gall to say that people who do not accept her version of reality "seek to undermine and destabilize USATT through attempts to discredit our leaders, undermine our relationships with the USOC or ITTF, or mislead our members." Just who is misleading here, Ms. Pittman?
Ms. Pittman does not want criticism, constructive or otherwise. All she wants is "yes men" who will do exactly what she wants so she can feel good about herself. Just ask any of the exceptional people who used to devote all of their time (for free) to the cause of table tennis in the United States and now have withdrawn to the background while Pittman runs roughshod on all that would stand in her way.
As Ms. Pittman continues to squander USATT funds with frequent trips (she is in China on our dime as we write this), the actual losses for the year 2001 are still to be admitted. Inside sources put the amount at over $100,000.00. By the way, she has agreed to host the ITTF Pro Tour in Ft. Luaderdale again in 2002, throwing in an additional $10,000 MORE than last year (which lost well over $50,000).
As many of you may know, several officers of USATT Board of Directors are up for election in 2002. Among these is the USATT Treasurer. Their terms expire this Spring.
What you probably do not know is that President Pittman has manipulated the democratic process (once again) and has managed to arbitrarily extend their terms in office an additional 6 months without you, the membership, having a say so! Many of you may remember that she performed this feat for herself last year. Instead of springtime elections, we will not be able to rid ourselves of these unscrupulous people until October.
How can we, as USATT members, continue to put up with this flagrant violation of our rights?
Considering that the USATT Treasurer has yet to release financials for 2001, is anyone really surprised at the latest brazen shenanigans? We are open to your suggestions on how to respond to this newest travesty of justice.
Well, well, well, yet another financial overseer has bitten the dust. At the moment, there is no one watching Sheri and Tong and their financial dealings. Rumor has it the overseer learned a great deal about covering up financial malfeasance while on the job. How fascinating.
Oh, by the way, remember when Canupnet reported that Sheri was campaigning on USATT funds and she denied it? Well, gosh, a clandestine informant sent me this shot of her passing out her campaign literature at an event (San Diego) she used USATT funds to attend. Tsk, tsk Sheri, caught again.
Seems USATT headquarters is going to have to move again. Remember last year when they were 'booted' out of the Olympic Training Center? Well, they are packing up again. No news yet where we may end up, but I am sure that we will still be associated with USOC in some way shape or form, even if it is only via phone calls, emails and baleful looks from afar :-).
Also, it appears that President Pittman has been a busy little beaver! Just personally burning up USATT funds at a pace never before even conceived of! While we may not have enough money to train our juniors, fund trips for our elite players, or create the long promised regional training centers, there appears to be plenty of money to send Sheri gallivanting all over the world to exotic locations. And are we, USATT, paying for her recent globe trotting male traveling companion? Sure, these long trips on the road get lonely, and far be it from us to question what one does on these excursions (frankly, from a reporters standpoint, those details are best left unresearched), we just want to make sure USATT is not funding it!
Let's see, The Orient, the Middle East, and the Winter Olympics all in a few weeks. Perhaps she is researching bringing Table Tennis up to the importance level of Curling! How about 11 point games on ice??
Anybody seen the figures on how much we lost in 2001 yet?
We read with some interest the cryptic announcement that USATT has selected "Ray B. Essick as its Executive Director. He will assume duties at their headquarters in Colorado Springs on March 19, 2002". What we could not find in this press release was any mention at all of Dwight Johnson.
For those of you that are new to Sheri Pittmans's revolving door policy of Executive Directors, Dwight was our previous Executive Director. He was the second in a row hand picked by Ms. Pittman. He followed Ben, who followed Linda, who followed Kevin...... you get the idea. Dwight did not even last a year. This means that the life span of a Pittman selection in this position is shortening. Rumor has it that there is already a pool in place as to the exact date of Ray's departure.
Thank you Dwight, for all of the input you provided to Canupnet in your capacity as Executive Director of USATT. Whatever your current or future positions may be, we wish you the best of luck.
Ray, we also wish you the best of luck in financing Ms. Pittman's world travels and exotic lifestyle. If, in some small way, you manage to funnel money down through her intentional legalese and ridiculous bureaucracy to reach the actual sport, we would all be greatly appreciative. Best do that on the sly though, else our president will find more "appropriate uses" for any funds you bring in.
What actually did occur, and what are the ramifications of this suspension? Can we say MAJOR? First, let us remind you that this is an election year. As a matter of fact, the elections are SUPPOSED to be taking place right now. After all, the incumbents terms have expired. However, political manipulation being what it is in this administration, all the incumbents up for election magically were given 6 months extensions to their terms. How was this done, you ask? Simple, they voted the extensions for themselves! (with President Pittman's strong backing of course, all of them being part of her regime') So, these elections will not occur until 6 months from now.
What does this have to do with the suspended player? A lot. It seems that the player's father (and coach/advisor) is a member of the USATT Board of Directors and one of Sheri's key supporters! Not only that, he is standing for re-election! We are speaking of Barney(s) Reed. Yes, Barney the Father is a USATT VP and Barney J. the son is the same player that was involved in the huge controversy in his match with Fan YiYang at the North American Teams. A match it turns out that he should never have been playing because he had already tested positive for performance enhancing drugs by the USADA (the organization charged with keeping sport free of drugs and fair to all).
Reed tested positive for a type of steroid (basically) that greatly enhances an athletes performance. One has but to look at Reed's performances and rating over the last 8 years. He has consistently maintained ~2450 rating since 1994. Suddenly, after taking these enhancing drugs, he jumped to 2700+ in the span of about 4 months. During this time he won the Macy Block Open, a feat he never came close to accomplishing before. Reed is suspended INTERNATIONALLY for 2 years from the time of the positive test. All of his matches since the test are forfeit.
This means that he must repay all of the improperly earned prize money and forfeit all titles, rating points and matches illegally earned. As a reporter and an editor, I am supposed to remain aloof from the charectors in this story. However, I think I have some personal perspective to add here. Barney J. Reed is pretty much a good guy. Yes, he has given officials grief in the past, (including this one on more than one occassion) but truth be told, he has a good heart. That said, he has a major flaw in his performance, an anchor around his neck he refuses to shed. This flaw is taking advice from the wrong people/person.
My personal belief is that he sought advice from his advisor on whether to persue this course of action, this "shortcut to athletic success" and did as he was advised. His father has more than once made incorrect judgements regarding his son, and this one may very well have ended whatever career his son had. Barney J. had many lucrative contracts from sponsors advertising their table tennis products. Is it a stretch to believe that family shared in these financial benefits?
Sponsors, however, want to sponsor winners. No matter how strong the political influence may be to force the use of family members onto a sponsor, bottom line, in the long run, they had better win, or no more gravy train. Barney J. had not been winning. Anyone wish to join me in the conclusion that he succombed to the pressure and heeded the advice to cheat to succeed so that others might continue to benefit from him?
All of the players that faced
Barney since July 2001 are effected, their ratings are effected, their
pocket books are effected and their lives are effected. This is not
just about Barney. Here is a partial list of those this impacts:
Brian Pace
Kassam, Faazil
Peter-Paul, Pradeeban
Csaba, Bence
Shao Yu
Xiao Han
David Zhuang
Hazinski, Mark
Seemiller, Daniel Robert
Ekun, Abass
Burnside, Rich
O'Neill, Sean
Jain, Ashu
Le, Tuan Dai
Samari, Ramin R.
Moseley, Kibibi Ione
Lynch, Jared
Miranda, Rudy X.
Peluchova, Renata
Banh, Tawny
Samari, Ramin R.
Dinh, Tri H.
Jafar-Ali, Shuja
Koshimoto, Hiroshi
Osmanoff, Gary
Shur, Michael
Samkoff, Rhoda
Fernandez, David
David, Paul
Henry, Michael
Mayzlin, Alex
Chen, Robert
Fan, Yi Yang
Varga, Zoltan
Lonergan, Sean Michael
Bispham, Anson
Ruiz, Luis E
Ramdeen, David
Colon, Abner
Grujic, Slobodan
Caillaud, Philipp
Cretu, Razvan
Javadian, Hrach
Barney J. Reed has made Table Tennis history in being the first player ever banned for intentionally using performance enhancing drugs to win. Shame on Barney, and shame on those that pushed him to do it. When election time rolls around, give long hard thought to who you want making decisions in our behalf.
We read with some interest the cryptic announcement that USATT has selected "Ray B. Essick as its Executive Director. He will assume duties at their headquarters in Colorado Springs on March 19, 2002".
We then read with some additional interest the equally cryptic announcement that, "Ray B. Essick tendered his resignation as Executive Director of USA Table Tennis effective Monday, May 6, 2002" What can we say? Ray Essick is an upright quality guy. One major question is why he would have associated himself with this completely disfunctional, power mad regime in the first place! (Unofficially, Canupnet has awarded Chris as the pool winner.)
I am quite sure Sheri will have some more major league double speak she will want you to buy on this one. Deep rumor has it she has called an emergency USATT board meeting that will occur in the next few days.
Anybody seen the figures on how
much we lost in 2001 yet?
I hope everyone is up for some humor!
USATT has publicly announced a $27 surplus for 2001. OK, OK, OK, you can all stop laughing now. Let's see. We go from $300k in the bank to $85k (theoretically uncommitted) in the bank. How do we diffuse this fiasco? Simple, proclaim a surplus! Worked for AOL, MCI/Worldcom, Johnson & Johnson, and Enron didn't it? (yes, Virginia, there IS a USATT/Enron financial connection)
The tragic thing about this is that they are down to $85k BEFORE the US Open. Anybody notice the little ditty about not paying the volunteer's stipends at the Open? Oh, did they forget to tell them in the mail out soliciting volunteer workers, and only mention it to the umpires? Ooooops, guess the cat's out of the bag now!
Here is the (unincluded)
text the volunteer solicitation letter conveniently left out:
"Special
Note: Based on audit and accounting recommendations, travel subsidy and
hospitality payments will NOT be available at the tournament. The total
amount to be reimbursed will be distributed to you upon your return home
after the completion and submission of the appropriate expense report forms.
Please plan to bring with you a sufficient amount of money for food, etc.,
during your stay in Fort Lauderdale."
WAIT! Didn't said audit
say we had a surplus? OK, OK, you may all resume laughing (or crying
as the case may be).
Entries for US Open/Pro Tour drop for third year in a row. While USATT has upped the prize money from $75,000 in 2000, to $92,000 in 2001, and now to $122,000 in 2002, the number of participants continues to decline. From 1100 in 2000, to 949 in 2001, and now to 872 in 2002.
This is a 38% increase in prize money at the same time we see a 26% decrease in participation. While USATT continues to raise entry fees and souvenir prices to exorbitant levels (T-shirts are now $20.00, they used to be FREE to participants), how long can we fund such a deficit event? This does not take an erstwhile math major to figure out.
The Pittman regime' claims that USATT is now headed in the right direction. HUH? Declining funds, declining participation, and the inability to keep a quality E.D., are you as confused about this information spin as we are? Sheri's solution? Don't fix the Open, give it away. Tsk, tsk.
On a related note, we now see where USATT is unable to fund our Paralympic Team to the World Championships. They have taken to begging for donations like street urchins on a NY street corner. "Please give us money so that we may run the business of table tennis in the US. We promise not to buy wine with it, or spend it on frivolous trips and concealed donations to foreign organizations for our own personal gain", they say.
Why not a labor day TV marathon to benefit table tennis? "Some day we could find a cure for managerial and fiscal incompetence" could be their slogan! They could have some comedian (Like USATT Treasurer Tong Lee perhaps, most of what he says is already ludicrous) to harangue the audience with jokes like, "USATT had a surplus last year", or "We have righted the ship", or the ever popular, "Re-elect me, I know what I am doing, I am good for the sport". Donations would just pour in! I can see west coast USATT VPs opening their checkbooks to pay for his campaign now.
One wonders how those disabled athletes that voted for Pittman and crew, or those high profile paralympic officials that gave her campaign statements to use in the last election, feel about her slashing the USATT disabled budget for 2002 to (literally) ZERO dollars? We say, 'make a pact with the devil, and it will always come back to get you'.
By the way, it appears that USATT VP George Braithwaite has stated that USATT is in a "financial crisis situation". Kudos to George for having the guts to defy the 'everything is just fine' Pittman line and finally admit the obvious. We now know that Ray Essick was a pretty sharp guy and recognized immediately that things were not fine at USATT. Finally, one courageous member of the Board has stepped forward and spilled the beans. We just wait for the other shoe now. Can it be far behind?
We also can expect that once
the line breaks, and the real information comes out, Pittman will claim
that she wanted to divulge the information the whole time, but others held
her back. LOL
CONGRATULATIONS TO GRADY GORDON!
Dr. Grady Gordon has become
the latest USATT umpire to achieve ITTF International Umpire!!
UPDATE August 15, 2002
USATT announces that in addition
to Grady, the following umpires have also achieved IU rank!
Joseph C.H. Lee, Bel Air,
MD
Roman Tinyszin, East Hartford, CT
Several members of the Pittman Administration have repeatedly stated publicly that information on Canupnet is incorrect. More than one has called our writers and informants outright liars. It is very interesting to read an independent website that corroborates a great deal of the information in our articles as factual.
There is also new and additional information revealed. We strongly urge reading of this site. Apparently, USATT membership has gotten the real message and folks have stepped forward to champion positive change! http://lrose.crystalcanyon.net/election Go to the "Voter's Guide".
On a more sour note, Fran Boardman,
USATT Ratings Diva, and touted by Pittman as a savior to the system, has
announced her resignation, adding her name to an already huge list.
USATT still has no Executive Director, in direct violation of its corporate
bylaws.
As USATT continues its near death spiral, it becomes more and more difficult to post these news bits. While it is true that USATT is celebrating its 27th year in Las Vegas, things are nowhere near what they once were. We are dealing with a shadow of the former glory of USATT.
It is a positive note that we are in Vegas at all. With sponsors ongoing disappointment in return on investment in the last few years, the US National Championship's very existence this year was in doubt. We are having one, but it is being drastically scaled back.
Most notable is that the tournament has been significantly limited in its scope. Where once it took the entire week from Monday through Sunday to handle the requirements of the event, this is no longer the case. Executive decisions (and those of a "rubber stamp" Board of Directors) were made that have long reaching effects.
Due strictly to financial concerns, the National Championships now only runs from Wednesday through Saturday. This is hardly more than the time allowed for a 4 event Pro Tour. In order to squeeze the Championships into this time frame, events had to be eliminated.
What is interesting is what events were chosen for the chopping block. Shockingly, but unfortunately predictably, junior events were deemed expendable. Canupnet feels this is a short sighted decision and has expressed the feeling that this is sacrificing the future for the now. Perhaps the current administration feels that there is no future.....
Other indications of financial difficulties show up on the entry form. Several of the events have prize money that has been donated by outside sources because USATT did not have the funds to put any up for the winners. How sad.
On the same thought, looking at the increased entry fees, it now becomes ludicrous when one compares entry costs to potential for earning prize money. If you are a female entering our National Championships, you must be ONE OF THE TOP 8 WOMEN IN THE COUNTRY IN ORDER TO EARN ENOUGH MONEY TO COVER YOUR ENTRY FEES!!! This is a disgusting situation.
If you are an elite player that manages to finish 3rd in the U2400 event (an astonishing feat, as this is the second highest event in the National Championships of Table Tennis in the United States), you win the huge sum of $50! Yup, that's right, train all of your life to get to the brink of greatness, and that's your reward. By the way, the entry fee if this is the only event you enter, is $75. Of course this does not count airfare, room, food, coach, etc., etc., etc.
There used to be an U2600 and an U2500 event. These gave those players at the top of our game the ability to compete in top matches in our premier tournament. USATT having no money, cut those events. This makes it almost impossible for players rated from 2400 to 2600 to have any chance to compete in Las Vegas. They are too good for the U2400 and not good enough to compete in the Men's Open. As a point of reference, 15 of the top 25 players in the US are under 2600 rating.
Imagine if you are rising star Mark Hazinski rated 2575. First they eliminated your High School National Championship event, then they eliminated the U2600 event. What are you to do? You have little choice, and little reward. Certainly, you have little motivation to continue on with a sport that is offering you so little in return. Thank goodness for our sport that Mark has influences that are not tied to USATT. But that is just one example.
Another indication of our downward spiral is the desperate lack of qualified umpires. Where once we had a waiting list and accepted only the best for our National Championships, this year's entry form has a chilling note on page 7: "For the first time in more than 20 years, USATT is asking players who are umpires to volunteer to umpire at our Nationals."
Sheri Pittman and company have
decided that the National Championships are to be used to fund her preposterous,
grandiose schemes and not to showcase the sport and the top players in
our country. Fortunately, there is a long term solution. USATT
is having an election as we write this. While no one involved with
publishing Canupnet has yet received their ballots, we urge those of you
that are being allowed to vote, to vote to save our sport. Make
your voice heard, it may be the last chance you ever get to do so.
Hopes for saving Table Tennis in the US have been dashed. Membership has dropped to a horrendous point (USATT claims only 6,618 voting members, a significant drop in participation). Of those that are members, only a paltry number chose to have their voices heard (only 943 votes were tallied in one contest).
No money, no members, no leadership, no future, and a shamefully gross display of apathy.
No one seems to care, so this
column will come to an end.
POST MORTEM:
"I have submitted my resignation to USA Table Tennis effective November 1, 2002."
Margaret Smith
Director of Operations
USA Table Tennis
operations@usatt.org
(Known) Free Personal Vacations for Ms. Pittman paid for entirely by table tennis funds
| Location & Duration | Official USATT Reason |
| 2 weeks in the Netherlands | 3 day ITTF BGM |
| 1 week in Winnipeg | NONE (went to watch Pan Am Games) |
| 3 weeks in Australia | NONE (went to watch Olympics) |
| 2 weeks in China | NONE (went to watch junior exhibitions) |
| 1 week in New York | NONE (went to watch Olympic Trials) |
| 1 week in Toronto | Beg ITTF for money & watch some TT |
| 2 weeks in Las Vegas | 2 - 1 day USATT BOD meetings |
| 2 weeks in Maylasia | 3 day ITTF BGM |
| 2 weeks in Colorado | Financially "Straighten out" USATT |
| 3 weeks in Maryland | NONE (went to NA Teams) |
| 2 weeks in Florida | NONE (went to watch US Opens) |
| 1 week in Southern California |
NONE (wanted to watch Team
Trials)
canceled due to political pressure |
| 2 weeks in Japan | 3 day ITTF BGM |
| 1 week in Florida | NONE (went to US Open to campaign on our dime) |
| 1 weekend in California | Brief morning meeting with NA Tour Sponsor
Real reason to campaign at local tournament
|
| 1 weekend in New York |
NONE (went to pay back a political debt)
|
| 1 weekend in Colorado | USATT BOD meeting |
| 1 week in Las Vegas |
NONE (went to watch National Championships)
|
| 1 week in China | Brief EB meeting
(went to watch Pro Tour Grand Finals)
|
| 1 week in Egypt |
NONE (went to watch Pro Tour)
|
| 1 weekend in Salt Lake City |
NONE (went to watch Olympics)
|
| 1 week in Croatia | ITTF AGM |
| 1 weekend in Boston | NONE |
| 1 week in Canada | Attended a Conference |
| 1 weekend in Colorado Springs | BOD meeting |
| 1 week in Florida |
NONE (went to watch Pro Tour)
|
| 1 week in Virginia |
NONE (went to watch Jr Olympics)
|
With USATT's loss of $170-180,000.00 in 2000 (and the potential bankruptcy of the organization if this is allowed to continue), we are at a critical point in our history.
The question looms large. How do we stop this bleeding?
It is up to you now. Do you care enough to save USATT? If so, how?
