What Does Brunswick Do For Pool?

I don't have a problem with companies that sponsor, or don't sponsor. If you sponsor someone, it is the same as putting an ad on TV. The company is hoping that the exposure gained will make them a profit. They are not doing it out of the goodness of their heart. It makes good business sense. If you spend more than is coming in, you aren't going to be in business very long. I have to believe Brunswick feels they do not need the exposure. If they choose not to "sponsor" events/people it is a business decision based on profit/loss nothing more.
It certainly has nothing to do with jobs leaving the country. That is an entirely different subject/topic.
 
... Here is an interesting excerpt from the official history of Brunswick, "Brunswick The Story of of an American Company from 1845 to 1985," by Rick Kogan ...
In case anyone is interested in this book, I just noticed this copy on Ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380291642164 There are also over 50 listings on http://used.addall.com for less than $10 with some under $1.

The book is quite well done and has a lot of interesting tidbits and some great pictures. I think it is a must for any Brunswick collector.
 
They have since sold that operation except for the rights to the name "Air Hockey" as I recall from a recent annual report.

Here is an interesting excerpt from the official history of Brunswick, "Brunswick The Story of of an American Company from 1845 to 1985," by Rick Kogan.

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Bob, thank you for posting that. I noticed a similar paragraph on the BCA website:
In 1961 the movie "The Hustler" was released and single-handedly revived the sport for a few years. The BCA began promoting the US Open 14.1 Championships in 1966, the most prestigious professional event of its time.
I've been reading early National Billiard News and Bowlers Journal mags as part of my preparations for the 50th anniversary of the first Johnston City tournament (1961-2011), and I came across some references to that 1966 US Open tournament that gave the impression that the prize fund was drastically reduced from what was advertised by the time the tournament ended. Do you know anything about that? The Jansco's were known for ALWAYS paying off 100% of what they said they would. How big a role did Brunswick play in that '66 US Open and why wasn't the prize fund up to its advertised amount? I believe I read it was advertised as $30,000 but ended up as about $7000 -- not exactly inspiring confidence...

Not to mention the fact that Jansco's had been running both their JC and Stardust events by then, with prize funds from 20G -- 33G.
 
... ended up as about $7000 ...
I have no idea what it was advertised as, but the prize list for the 1966 U.S. Open is in the 1967 edition of the BCA rule book:

Crane $2500
Balsis $1500
Murphy $1000
Moore $600
Mikula $500
Kelly $400
Diliberto $300
Verne Peterson $200
Cattrano $150
Larry Johnson $100

With high run awards, the total was $7500. The tournament had 26 players including 21 qualifiers and 5 invitees. Strangely, Lassiter was not in the event.

As for the Johnston City events, whatever the prizes were, I think it was no easy feat to get out of town with the cash.
 
I have no idea what it was advertised as, but the prize list for the 1966 U.S. Open is in the 1967 edition of the BCA rule book:

Crane $2500
Balsis $1500
Murphy $1000
Moore $600
Mikula $500
Kelly $400
Diliberto $300
Verne Peterson $200
Cattrano $150
Larry Johnson $100

With high run awards, the total was $7500. The tournament had 26 players including 21 qualifiers and 5 invitees. Strangely, Lassiter was not in the event.

As for the Johnston City events, whatever the prizes were, I think it was no easy feat to get out of town with the cash.

Tournament payouts were at the end -- what would the problem be?
 
I have no idea what it was advertised as, but the prize list for the 1966 U.S. Open is in the 1967 edition of the BCA rule book:

Crane $2500
Balsis $1500
Murphy $1000
Moore $600
Mikula $500
Kelly $400
Diliberto $300
Verne Peterson $200
Cattrano $150
Larry Johnson $100

With high run awards, the total was $7500. The tournament had 26 players including 21 qualifiers and 5 invitees. Strangely, Lassiter was not in the event.

As for the Johnston City events, whatever the prizes were, I think it was no easy feat to get out of town with the cash.
The Dec 1966 Bowlers Journal reports it was in a poster as "appearing to be $30,000 guaranteed" -- needless to say disappointing the players involved.
 
More anti union rhetoric than brunwick helping pool! If it was not for unions nobody would get time and half over forty hours per week. There would be no labor relations board in your state for non union workers. No breaks at every two hours worked. Even with the corruption all through the history of unions they still accomplished more than any future generations will accomplish. Your fathers and grandfathers did all the footwork for any benefits you enjoy and possibly take for granted today. Don't disrespect them.

Now that is what I call hitting the NAIL on the HEAD :thumbup:
 
Brunswick has provided billiards with history and a foundation for many things. What more should they do? If they don't want to focus on billiards anymore, is there anything wrong with that?
 
Brunswick has provided billiards with history and a foundation for many things. What more should they do? If they don't want to focus on billiards anymore, is there anything wrong with that?

No there is nothing wrong with that, and there is nothing wrong with me as a player/fan of the game not to focus on buying a new Brunswick table. I will focus on Diamond. Johnnyt
 
What Brunswick has done for pool is provide players with the best quality playing equipment for decades and decades.

As far as tournament sponsorship goes Brunswick has provided events with tables in exchange for promotional consideration just like Diamond does. I'm thinking this has become a major part of Diamond's marketing plans and it is probably them that is offering the best deal to promoters these days so they go with Diamond. Heck, watch any of the TV stuff they replay all the time and you'll see Brunswicks as well as Olhausens and Connelleys, but not so much anymore. Why don't we get on the case of these manufacturers as well?

It just seems like along with APA and CTE bashing that knocking Brunswick is a popular pastime around here. I for one think it would be a very sad day for pool if Brunswick discontinued the billiard segment of their business. But then hey, the value of my GC4 would almost certainly go up. :grin-square:
 
Some very good points made here. I'm on my second Brunswick table and I very happy with them. My first table was 45 years old and built like a truck. I recently came across a Gold Crown III that was a one owner table in great shape. Was there a difference between the two, absolutely. Am I going to bash Brunswick for changing how they were made? No. Times change. Brunswick has done a hell of a lot for pool over the last 165 years. Now we have Diamond tables and they make a very good product. Some people like them and others prefer Brunswick. If Diamond decided to stop sponsoring tournaments or players tomorrow would the Diamond people turn against them? I don't think so. Each company has had some issues. (cushions getting hard or banking long or short to name a few). It happens. I don't see many Brunswick fans knocking Diamond about the issue, and I'm glad to see Diamond addressed it. I guess my point is: To each his own.
 
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More anti union rhetoric than brunwick helping pool! If it was not for unions nobody would get time and half over forty hours per week. There would be no labor relations board in your state for non union workers. No breaks at every two hours worked. Even with the corruption all through the history of unions they still accomplished more than any future generations will accomplish. Your fathers and grandfathers did all the footwork for any benefits you enjoy and possibly take for granted today. Don't disrespect them.

I don't give a crap what they've done ..it's what they're doing to this country now that's the problem. I'm glad the company I work for didn't let them in.
 
Newsflash-unions ruined America

All this time I thought it was politicians, bureaucrats, liberals, the ozone layer, atheists, Monica Lewinskys soiled dress, but no Trob says those dam unions have brought America to it's knees! Are all those folks on Wall Street union? Were those bankers making stupid loans union? Those terrorists flying into buildings were probably also union. Amazing! Trob, I hope you do well and keep your job and live happy ever after. Seriously. I have no beef with non union people, but live and let live. I have seen many fellows who held your same views, moaning and groaning every year, and as soon as their job was in jeopardy they ran to their union rep pleading for some kind of justice. They got it. Sometimes with back pay. God Bless America. And God Bless You Mr. Trob
 
There a lot of good points on here about Brunswick. Here is some additional food for thought on the Billiards division.

Bowling & Billiards Business - Sales are only 12% of the companies total revenue, but accounts for 31% of their employees. I would call that giving back. I was also told by someone within the business that billiards only accounts for .5-1% of the companies total revenue. Most of their revenue in this division comes from the 100+ bowling centers and bowling sales. Hard to argue why they don't put much focus on that part of the company.

As far as sponsoring, there are a number of players out there that ruined sponsorship for the rest that play professionally. It just takes a few bad apples to ruin sponsorship for the rest, That is what happened in my opinion.

Tom
 
This shit would all run a lot smoother if we could just get rid of people.

HR, by education.

Now gimme a hug, you're fired!
I am an economist by education. You all bring up a lot of good points. Just left out

EPA standards
Child labor laws
Minimum wage laws
Tax exemptions and tax shelters
Transportation cost

Its a tidalwave of factors working against usa workers!

Then add technological innovations in the form of computers, robotics eating away at the demand for labor and the macro economic outlook is very bleek.

Technical legal research jobs are oversees now due to the internet eliminating the barriers to employment based on distance.

The increase in productivity is so strong the demand for labor is diminishing to a point where employment is becoming a thing of the past in so many industries!

Kid dynomite

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk
 
There a lot of good points on here about Brunswick. Here is some additional food for thought on the Billiards division.

Bowling & Billiards Business - Sales are only 12% of the companies total revenue, but accounts for 31% of their employees. I would call that giving back. I was also told by someone within the business that billiards only accounts for .5-1% of the companies total revenue. Most of their revenue in this division comes from the 100+ bowling centers and bowling sales. Hard to argue why they don't put much focus on that part of the company.

As far as sponsoring, there are a number of players out there that ruined sponsorship for the rest that play professionally. It just takes a few bad apples to ruin sponsorship for the rest, That is what happened in my opinion.

Tom

Not that it has anything to do with the OP, but what % of the 31% work in the US? Johnnyt
 
Not that it has anything to do with the OP, but what % of the 31% work in the US? Johnnyt

Not sure of the percentage, but they are a global company. The same argument can be said for employees of that country. Citizens in other countries by billiard equipment too, not just Americans.
 
All this time I thought it was politicians, bureaucrats, liberals, the ozone layer, atheists, Monica Lewinskys soiled dress, but no Trob says those dam unions have brought America to it's knees! Are all those folks on Wall Street union? Were those bankers making stupid loans union? Those terrorists flying into buildings were probably also union. Amazing! Trob, I hope you do well and keep your job and live happy ever after. Seriously. I have no beef with non union people, but live and let live. I have seen many fellows who held your same views, moaning and groaning every year, and as soon as their job was in jeopardy they ran to their union rep pleading for some kind of justice. They got it. Sometimes with back pay. God Bless America. And God Bless You Mr. Trob

In a way you are right Mr. Wiggles. Is is all those things and more. The denomenating factor in all that you mentioned is "people"! The people are the problem ultimately.

The very idea of Unions is valid. What Unions do for the people is valid. What the Union "idea" incapsulates is valid. The people in the unions, the government, Wall Street, Banking, ect.ect. are the problem. It used to be that you earned every dollar you made and you were proud of the work you did and the money you earned. Whatever amount that it was, it was earned never the less and you made do with what you had. HONEST days work for an HONEST days pay! Not anymore.
I worked at a Nuclear plant in Michigan for a month a few years back. I am Non-Union however most workers there at that time were Union from Detroit and the surrounding areas. I talked with one of them one night and in passing he told me he was an electricians apprentice making 45 dollars an hour. Mind you I am not making this much, but the cost of living here in Va. isnt quite like Detroit. A Sunday night rolls around and out of the blue the Plant Manager makes a surprize tour of the Plant. Low and behold what does he find but 22.... I'll repeat 22 Union workers including this electricians apprentice sleeping on the job. Sleeping now while making double time at 90 an hour. They were escorted of site promptly and I later found out that the next day they were somewhere else working making as much money or more. The Union took great care of these individuals as it should but what does this say about the work ethic. My company will put me in the street for this quicker then you can blink however, IMO rightly so.
In California working at a Nuclear Plant with a complete Unionized working staff. We were the only Non-Union group there out of hundreds. They were getting ready to strike we heard. I talked with one of them briefly one night and asked why. He tells me with a straight face they wanted more money and will get it without striking. I asked how? He says well the Nuclear Plant doesnt want to shut down unexpectedly and lose a mill a day so we will get the money. Essentially holding this company hostage. This thinking has run ramped in our generation and is just wrong. Wrong on so many levels and basically imo a very big reason why these jobs are leaving this country.

Look I get it... I do... the Union saves the individual from having to walk a plank 100 feet above ground with no safety harness because supervisor Dick over there will get Wan over to do it for half the money and no push back. I get that the Union gets a much needed break after hanging on a fall line for 6 hours straight painting the outside of a 22 story building. I get it.
What the Union also does is get 50 grand a year to a person sweeping floors and cleaning the bathrooms at your local Post Office. I'll ask anyone here if you owned your own business would you pay someone 50k to sweep and clean urinals? No need for your answer I know what it would be. That kind of thing is ludicris and piles on to a allready growing problem which we see in not just the Unions but in Government spending as well. If the floor sweeper is making 50k what the hell is the supervisor making? I guarantee it's to much for what he does or is qualified to do.

IMO this isn't HONEST work for HONEST pay is it? Is it HONEST pay to make 35 to 45 doallrs an hour to put 4 screws in holes on an assembly line all day? If you say yes then your clearly part of the problem.
HONEST WORK for HONEST PAY is something this generation hasn't bought into and from the looks of it never will, and that is the sadest part of this whole problem. Is it Human Nature these days to expect what is not derserved? It sure seems like it to me.


edit: I apologize for hijacking the thread btw
 
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Thats what they call, Hide and Seek for 1K a week.

Funny that you mentioned the post office. Canada Post employees can finish their routes whether they are carriers or on truck deliveries early, go home and get paid for the remainder of the day while watching TV.
Now, who wouldn't love to have a job like that. The Postal Union is pretty powerful and you have to be complete idiot to even have a grievance filed against you. And if by chance you do, the Union rep will take care of you in a minute.
The end result after years of abuse. Combining letter deliveries with truck deliveries. One person doing the job of two. Less employees, and the ones that are, fewer are watching TV on the company dime.
And there has been talk re privatizing certain areas of the delivery system. End result, less over paid employees. And you should hear these guys complain. Most of the jobs are three banana jobs and exactly what would these guys be qualified to do if they were ever laid off? Maybe be a courier driver for minimum wage. There are only certain ways that management can go after the unions, that example is one way and it seems that much to the dismay of the workers, its working.
Get the drift?

Unarguably, unions were and still are good for the employees. But, for anyone that can come back with an argument of the virtues of unions, I can tell you a story of plant closures in my city that were the end result of unionized workers walking the picket line for months, holding the companies hostage until their demands were met, only to have management move operations to a different city and centralizing the plant with others.
 
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My 2 cents for what its worth.
Brunswick does not have to give anything back. If they wanted to advertise they could as someone already pointed out.
Pool is not getting rarer but larger all over the world.
Turn on your tv set and every sit com every drama and a lot of commercials there are pool tables. look at this forum and we have a ton of people on it every day. I don't worry about pool losing. it just has turned into more of a home sport.
As for unions, they were great in their beginnings but now they have overstayed their usefulness. We now have laws for wages and treating employees so unions really should be obsolete.
Pool will go on forever with or without Brunswick but they are the initial ones who started it in this country. For that we owe them our gratitude.
 
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