So…. what’s new?
My Lord what a week it has been!! Big announcements, partner changes and large contract offers make this time of the year exciting for all cornhole nerds (me included) and this off-season has been no joke. Let’s take a closer look at the news from around the ACL.
As reported on the Big Asp Cornhole Podcast, the most recent development that we have come across is the news of Jordan Camba being suspended for one year from the ACL. More will come of the story I’m sure, however inside sources close to situation tell me the following:
It has been determined that Jordan Camba had been falsifying stats during multiple events over the course of the season. Specifically, evidence showed the boosting of his stats in in an effort to better his PPR. Several of these infractions (more than three I have been told) are evidenced in the form of live streaming. At least one part of this saga is linked to an instance where a score was entered incorrectly several times by Camba during a match in March, which was also captured on film. The fact that he was finishing far lower (20 spots or more) below his PPR ranking in multiple tournaments only strengthens the case against him here.
I stated in our podcast episode that I found it difficult to believe that the ACL would take such drastic measures for a simple one time “mistake”.
Why does this even matter you ask???? Well the ACL has partnered with Draft Kings to bring a gambling aspect into the game. Any inkling of a score manipulation could directly affect a player’s PPR (which is often what we are betting on in Draft kings).
The real question I propose is…will Camba be the only one? ACL pros were sent a memo at the beginning of the season outlining the type of punishment for EXACTLY this type of infraction. It goes as follows:
-1st offense $1000 fine
-2nd offense, additional $1000 fine
-3rd offense is a season suspension
As we learn more about the situation we will fill you in as always.
Cheyenne Renner is rumored (since confirmed) to have signed with AllCornhole. Remember them? The Gamechanger guys?? Yeah, well I get the sense they aren’t huge fans of the little guys stealing some of their dominance. Maybe Renner was part of the Ultra vs AllCornhole “control dots” settlement (kidding!). But seriously though…..Now Trey Ryder (on Twitter) alluded to AllCornhole making a potential splash by mixing up teams. This is hypothetical….but with the news of Jordan Camba breaking, that leaves James Baldwin as an option. A Renner /Baldwin pairing would certainly be interesting….and seems almost likely at this point
Trey Burchfield goes full Lebron and announced his new Doubles partner…Alex Rawls. While this may have seemed lackluster to some, especially those predicting a Robot-Blind Squirrel marriage, this move just made sense. Trey signed a big contract with Lucky (rumored to be 100k) and felt comfortable with his surefire weapons of cornhole destruction. I mean can you argue with him after a season where he lead the ACL in 4B% and was second in overall PPR?? When you’re the world champ…you get what you want. Now it’s easy to overlook Rawls…people will automatically assume he will play Robin to Trey’s Batman…but that simply won’t be the case all the time. Rawls is an extremely polished player and I’d argue I’d the CLOSEST thing to Burchfield in the league going into next year (in terms of play style). Now the big question…will they go into this season as THE favorite?? That is to be determined and discussed in an upcoming article.
TC boards (who?? Stay with me) comes out of left field and lands 4 studs. Josh Groce, Jason Rubin, Jordan Power and AJ Sims are 4 very recognizable names in the game. TC boards has an excellent lineup of bags and feel they can compete with the best of the best. Signing players like these takes more than Money. It takes trust and belief in a companies product. Cody Rodenberger has put together quite a squad…and it won’t be long until TC boards is a common name in the bag world. As a shameless plug, check out the most recent episode of the Big Asp Cornhole podcast (Episode 83) to hear a full review of the bag lineup)
Justin Stranger and Matthew Morton have new partners. Two of the more recognizable names in cornhole will be throwing with new partners next year. Justin, coming off a very solid season with Tony Smith, will now be playing with James Washington. While the two could not be any more different in appearance…I actually think this makes sense. I’ve said several times, I think Justin needs someone older than him…He is a bright kid and talented, but his shot selection can be questionable at times. A guy like Washington will hold him accountable and James is just a reliable professional with excellent skills on the board. Will they win a National? I’m not ready to predict that….but you can’t count it out. Not to be overshadowed, Matthew Morton also switched it up, moving on from longtime partner Brad Powers. I always kind of questioned that pair, but two seasons ago they made it work really well…problem is the field is LOADED now. Morton will be playing with “Kid Wonder” Eian Cripps. I wouldn’t have ever put these two together in my head, but maybe this is a change Matthew needs. He will now be the clear Alpha in his tandem, and playing with someone young and exciting might spark some life into the quiet, crazy talented Morton
Money talks as some of the top pros in the league are being offered big time money. As stated previously, I’ve heard Trey signed 100k deal with Lucky. I’ve also heard big numbers (around 85K) being thrown at players like a Erick Davis. Is this the best move for bag companies to go all in on player sponsorships? I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer here…but damn does it make the future s hell of a lot more exciting!!!
ACO royalty has its sights on a new Kingdom. The Halbert clan, Tanner and Katherine, are making a big move over to the ACL (hear their reasons for the move in a bonus episode of the Big Asp Cornhole Podcast). I for one am crazy excited. Tanner is one of THE best players in the world (former Advanced ACL World champ) and this move just makes the field that much deeper. Katherine announced a new role with the ACL and it seems they are ready to rock. Not only do we get Tanner and Katherine, but it is rumored that Tanner is bringing doubles partner, cornhole legend, Eric “EZ” Zocklein to the party (listen in to this bonus episode to find out all the details). This will be fun to watch
Now we wait until the rest of the players announce. Guys like Frank Modlin (I love his selection, but I won’t spoil the fun for them), Ryan Windsor and Ryan Smith are all names who could win championships if their choices pan out!
As always, I hope you throw it straight and it’s nothing but four baggers from here on out. Later
-Sean
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