First event of the year

Wow have I been depressed. No holding back, I can admit, I've been really depressed. I worked so hard these last couple months, just to come to the first WPBA and have the worst finish in my career. I went two and out. I lost 9-8, and 9-8, just dogged my brains out. To be fair, I have been traveling waaaay too much internationally and coast to coast. Jet lag really affected me. I also have been changing certain aspect of my game to give me more consistency but it just wasn't solid enough yet. I beleive in continuing to improve and I believe in what I'm working on but it takes time and I just don't have enough patience sometimes. So days later, and lots of rest in bed, I'm back in action. I'm starting to work out at the gym again tomorrow. I'll start practicing hard again as well. I feel your support out there and I don't want to let you down. I'll keep working, keep improving, and keep on smiling. I love you guys!

Game Upgrade: Jeanette Lee Gets Spotlight in Revamped BilliardsDigest.com

As part of its 30th anniversary celebration, Billiards Digest will unveil its redesigned, revamped and enhanced website on Wednesday, April 2 — featuring new sections for tips and instruction, videos from the greatest matches of the last 30 years, and greater exposure for its popular "Dear Jeanette" advice column penned by pool superstar Jeanette Lee.

"Jeanette’s column is one of the staples of our magazine, so we knew we wanted to make it a centerpiece of our redesigned Web site," said Mason King, managing editor of Billiards Digest.

In the column, Lee dispenses wit and wisdom on a wide range of topics relating to pool, including poolhall romances, table etiquette, and instruction tips. Lee will be one of the featured columnists on the redesigned site’s home page, and the subsection devoted to the column will include archives with every monthly entry since February 2004.

In addition, Lee is the subject of BD’s cover story in the April issue, which will be featured prominently during the new site’s first month online.

Other upgrades to the restyled site — www.billiardsdigest.com — will include:

• A new section devoted to tips and instruction, featuring Tony Robles’ "BD House Pro" column and major coaching features on topics like breaking and staying in stroke.


• A new section devoted to the magazine’s video features — "PoolDawg Stroke of Genius" and "30 Over 30" — presenting great moments from the video archives of Accu-Stats Video Productions, ESPN, WPBA, Matchroom Sport, and Billiards International.


• "Web Gems," a rotating collection of the best billiard videos found on the Internet.


• Monthly columns by esteemed "Tips & Shafts" writer George Fels and BD Publisher Mike Panozzo.


• An archive of articles on pool history, equipment care, and more.


• Daily news reports in the Headstring News column.


• A regular "news and views" blog by Mason King, managing editor.

The restyled site also will give greater exposure to its Forums section, providing links to the most active threads on the Cue Chalk Board forum directly from the billiardsdigest.com home page.

"We have a very passionate forums community; they’re really the heart of the site," King said. "We wanted to give them as much exposure as possible and broaden the conversation even further."

Billiards Digest celebrates its 30th anniversary this year — the inspiration for the "30 Over 30" video feature, sponsored by Predator Cues. Every month in the magazine and on the website, BD’s editors will count down the greatest 30 tournament-final matches of the last 30 years, including video from most of the sets. The April issue covers matches 21-19. The top two matches will be revealed in the December issue.

The "PoolDawg Stroke of Genius" feature also debuted this year in print and on the Web. Sponsored by PoolDawg.com, the monthly feature highlights the most incredible pool shots in history, accompanied by video provided by Accu-Stats.com.

"We’ve had an overwhelming response to these features from readers and visitors to the site, and we’re excited to make them an integral part of BD’s new Web home," King said.

The revamped site will retain all of its usual features, including the "PoolDawg/BD Power Index," R.A. Dyer’s popular "Untold Stories" column, the "Pool on TV" calendar, and tournament listings.