Mow it yourself and get some exercise!!! Your heart can handle it!!
pro players not paid
- Thread starter billlaur
- Start date
Mow it yourself and get some exercise!!! Your heart can handle it!!
Would somebody please enlighten me on how this Behrman guy can still run the US Open? He obviously is a terrible promoter or he just isnt very good at math, because, correct me if I am wrong but he has punked players in the past and either not paid them or taken years to do so. How in the world does this guy get to run the US freakin Open? Am I allowed to have a pool tourney and call it the U.S. Open? This kind of stuff in pool never ceases to amaze me. Can you really imagine the US Open in golf or tennis being ran by a guy that doesnt pay the winners? Wow!
That's what I was thinking. Apparently you can get away with anything as long as you are a nice enough guy. Maybe he will add a little sugar on top when he pays.
I'm still curious as to which 4 were not paid. They are most likely living in America because the foreign crowd isnt going for not getting paid. If it's bottom 4 I can give him a small loan for that. If its the top 4 this is only the tip of the iceberg. I think he was forecasting more revenue generated on site to pay for his shortness. It's a recession.
Yes, I had heard a rumor that some guys were not paid last year... something about waiting for sponsorship fees or something, but I didn't want to start any rumors. Turns out it was true! Hopefully everyone gets paid with a little interest. I couldn't imagine waiting this long for a paycheck! 
Billychips - Let me give you the standard response to your questions: 'You have no idea about anything about running a pool tournament. The money that it costs to rent a convention center, pay union employees to hang the lights, bring in the tables, bleachers, pay for referees and pretty rack girls, deal with vendors unhappy with their booth location, let alone selfish pool players. And this has been done for 35 years. No one in pool has done more for the American pool player simply out of the love of the sport. This is not done to turn a profit. Sponsors give less or pull out. If you think you could do better, I would like to see you try'
I am still lost in what the WPA does. If they are going to sanction an event, especially one that has been around 35 years, they should ask for a P&L from the previous year. Then if the promoter can't figure out that they cannot afford to add $85K, maybe the WPA could advise them as such.
I for one would love to see the P&L for this event (including the pool room increase in sales from say the week before as a comparision). Was this the first year for internet PPV. I can imagine they banked pretty good just on that.
And yes, interest should be paid.
p.s. Still looking for someone to mow my lawn. Payment terms negotiable.
Pretty funny stuff. My response would be that I couldn't do any worse of a job then what is being done. Seriously, how could any promoter mess it up any worse than not paying the players? Isn't that the first thing that they should get right? If he isnt very good at math, I have an idea for him. BUY a CALCULATOR!!! They do amazing things. It just literally blows my mind that this "prestigous" pool tournament is in the hands of either a crook or a terrible businessman. Say what you want, but you have to pick one of the above. If I ran my businesses the way the U.S Open is ran, I would be broke or in jail. Sorry isnt good enough. Oh well, back to the grind.
I worked for a guy when I was younger that paid the employees (2 people) a little late every now and then. I was pissed off all summer long about it because it seemed I really really needed the money whenever he had to pay us late. Well when the summer ended and the job stopped, he gave me $2500 extra right before school started back up. That eased the pain of waiting.
The point is you never know peoples financial situations and these guys who are unpaid, may be close to busted or are busted. Who knows the damage that could have been avoided if they would have been paid on time. All I can say is if I incurred any type of additional damages because I didnt get paid money in a timely manner, Mr. Barry is getting served!
The point is you never know peoples financial situations and these guys who are unpaid, may be close to busted or are busted. Who knows the damage that could have been avoided if they would have been paid on time. All I can say is if I incurred any type of additional damages because I didnt get paid money in a timely manner, Mr. Barry is getting served!
What I don't understand about all of these tournaments is how in the hell can you have a tournament and NOT HAVE the funds available to pay out beforehand?
That is EXACTLY like someone shooting an air barrel. If they get enough sponsors, ticket sales, ppv sales, etc... then the players get paid. If not, oh well, they are just gonna have to wait because I lost that air barrel.
It's just like someone shooting an air barrel in the action room for $50, only on a much larger scale.
I propose that Mr. Behrman needs to post the funds via paypal to a reputable third party next year or he gets no action and will be repremanded to the bad action list.
That is EXACTLY like someone shooting an air barrel. If they get enough sponsors, ticket sales, ppv sales, etc... then the players get paid. If not, oh well, they are just gonna have to wait because I lost that air barrel.
It's just like someone shooting an air barrel in the action room for $50, only on a much larger scale.
I propose that Mr. Behrman needs to post the funds via paypal to a reputable third party next year or he gets no action and will be repremanded to the bad action list.
I'm willing to bet that him admitting to this "mistake" had more to do with damage control and maybe even a plea for more sponsorship for next year than good character.
I will give him credit for having built what is arguably one of the most prestigious titles in men's pool but make no mistake, the press release went out for his own good, not the players.
I usually don't let myself get involved or comment on many things like this because I respect most promoters a great deal and know it's a tough job. But this is one promoter that I make an exception for
A players organization cannot dictate terms to promoters until pool tournaments are a proven money making activity. Until then they must take what they can get... when they can get it.
If there were 100 Barry Behrmans running tournaments around the country all year the top professional players would be much richer. They know that. That's why they're not all on here bashing Barry.
If there were 100 Barry Behrmans running tournaments around the country all year the top professional players would be much richer. They know that. That's why they're not all on here bashing Barry.
Amen,
And, 99% of the posters on AZ are just venting a personal opinion. In the grand scheme of things in the pool world.. that doesn't mean much.
Barry Behrman has been a successful promoter for 40+ years and has a proven record of payouts. Only twice has he not provided 100% payouts and one was because of the impact of 911 tragedy.
World class players and fans are the final judges of this latest non-payment issue. If it is of a serious enough matter, the players will not attend and the fans will not purchase tickets and the vendors will not purchase booth spaces. The sponsors will not support the event either.
No players, no fans, no sponsors, no vendors, NO EVENT.
My prediction is that the 2010 US Open 9 Ball event will be held as scheduled with little or no impact because of this announcement.
No matter what is said here today on this forum. The Open will happen.
And, 99% of the posters on AZ are just venting a personal opinion. In the grand scheme of things in the pool world.. that doesn't mean much.
Barry Behrman has been a successful promoter for 40+ years and has a proven record of payouts. Only twice has he not provided 100% payouts and one was because of the impact of 911 tragedy.
World class players and fans are the final judges of this latest non-payment issue. If it is of a serious enough matter, the players will not attend and the fans will not purchase tickets and the vendors will not purchase booth spaces. The sponsors will not support the event either.
No players, no fans, no sponsors, no vendors, NO EVENT.
My prediction is that the 2010 US Open 9 Ball event will be held as scheduled with little or no impact because of this announcement.
No matter what is said here today on this forum. The Open will happen.
It's happened more than twice...at least the past 3 years I have had players personally tell me that their checks have bounced.
As long as this is a BCA ranking event, players will participate. I'm not arguing that this isn't a good tournament, I said that building the longevity and prestige of an event like this IS commendable. I just don't understand how no one holds ANY promoters accountable for paying players, and that's not exclusive to Barry.
9/11 Happened in 2001. That was almost a decade ago. Players not getting paid by this guy is the norm at the US Open. You are right the event will continue to take place but it in no ways makes it ok that this guy doesnt pay the players on time. As for him being a successful promoter for over 40 years, all I can say is success is relative. If most businesses were ran the way he runs this tournament, they would be broke or in cuffs.
Sorry Cris,
When the players do not get paid when promised and their only recourse is complain to their friends, that is a SAD state of affairs. I would have to agree that this is not a good practice. I sure hope the checks were made good as quick as possible.
Bad book keeping is no excuse for bad check writing.
Maybe if the WPA and the BCA pull their influence from this tournament, it will not be as successful this year as in the past.
When the players do not get paid when promised and their only recourse is complain to their friends, that is a SAD state of affairs. I would have to agree that this is not a good practice. I sure hope the checks were made good as quick as possible.
Bad book keeping is no excuse for bad check writing.
Maybe if the WPA and the BCA pull their influence from this tournament, it will not be as successful this year as in the past.
I'm willing to bet that him admitting to this "mistake" had more to do with damage control and maybe even a plea for more sponsorship for next year than good character.
I will give him credit for having built what is arguably one of the most prestigious titles in men's pool but make no mistake, the press release went out for his own good, not the players.
I usually don't let myself get involved or comment on many things like this because I respect most promoters a great deal and know it's a tough job. But this is one promoter that I make an exception for
And what are your feelings towards the Galveston crew or JR Calvert's previous business practices? Or the promoters of the World 10 Ball that haven't paid?
Bouncing a check is a felony where I live.
Billychips - what is more amazing is, if you hold something for 35 years, how could you miscalculate by almost 40% (Barry is going to reduce the event from $85K added to $50k added next year).
Shouldnt there be something special about a tournament called "The U.S. Open." I think I might have a tournament next year and call it the U.S. Open. It will be my first one and it might really suck but I GUARANTEE I will be able to say that at least all of the players got paid. I'm being serious, does anyone know if just any schmuck can have a pro pool tournament and promote it as the U.S. Open?
Well put, start a tournament on air.
Yeah call it the U.S. Open. Then take all the entry fee's and go to Hawaii.
When it is time for the payouts, give everyone an empty envelope.
Kind of like what is going on now.
I guess there are no other pool enthusiast willing to partially stake this event? He probably paid himself first, I worked at a place that did that, took out the expected profit and told us to build the project with what was left.
Yeah call it the U.S. Open. Then take all the entry fee's and go to Hawaii.
When it is time for the payouts, give everyone an empty envelope.
Kind of like what is going on now.
I guess there are no other pool enthusiast willing to partially stake this event? He probably paid himself first, I worked at a place that did that, took out the expected profit and told us to build the project with what was left.
After 3 decades
after 3 decades of running this event, he should have a really good idea what he can add from past P&L's statements. Due to the revenue, they are required by the IRS.
Pay a 1/4 of the field at most. Billy let me know when your U.S. Open is going to be and where. I will stake Watchez.
after 3 decades of running this event, he should have a really good idea what he can add from past P&L's statements. Due to the revenue, they are required by the IRS.
Pay a 1/4 of the field at most. Billy let me know when your U.S. Open is going to be and where. I will stake Watchez.