To be fair, the dead money is still a huge portion of the revenue for the event.
SJM Final Thoughts on the 2023 US Open
- Thread starter sjm
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Maybe I'm being too generous to go as low as 750, but I'll stand by my opinion that the bulk of the bile generated was over the course of the first few days. Which although did involve higher fargo rated players, but players still adapting regardless of their rating.
I'm not a stat guy so I can't argue the numbers. I do know that by the time the 5th day rolled around. The constant droning about the tight pockets dulled to a foot note. Yes players missed, and were more likely to. Goes without saying. However I did see some aggressive play, and I'd wager some of the losses were driven more by a bad day of breaking off more so than misses. Skylar vs Shaw comes to mind.
I definitely wouldn't go any further, and if anything would alter the pocket facings to make them a hair more forgiving.
The dead money, as a group, make tournaments better. They add to the buildup and excitement surrounding an event. With the rarest of exception, they conduct themselves admirably, giving the top professionals the respect they have earned. Yes, they are the sideshow, but their presence adds to most occasions.
Yes, for the US Open it is currently around $100k if you consider half the field to be in that category. That is only a third of the prize money. There is also the expense of staging the event and producing the broadcast. I think that could easily be $500k. The very large majority of the income is from broadcast rights. Without that, the event doesn't happen.
(#96 finish gets you $1000 or a little more than your entry back.)
Yes, I think it generates a great deal of buzz. "Hey, did you hear that Joe is going to play in the US Open? Gotta watch." Practically, getting rid of the bottom half would greatly reduce staging effort. They could get by with 16 tables, for example. Fewer staff and fewer days of hotel expenses. I see the large field as at least partly a favor from Matchroom for the bottom half of the field -- they get to be part of the event.
Yes, but it's a two-way street. The dead money players offer the hotel nights to the event producer that make the business model work. Until further notice, event producers need the dead money and vice versa, so each benefits from the presence of the other,
The day could possibly come when the event economics work with or without the dead money players, but I hope that, even then, the fields stay large.
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By the way, I forgot to mention something that made the US Open 9-ball memorable for me and that is the Onboard Matchroom logo clothing.
I bought a navy blue sweatshirt with the "Nineball" logo and a cap with the same logo. The quality is high and the price is reasonable. I recommend purchasing these items to all who like pool-related sportswear.
I bought a navy blue sweatshirt with the "Nineball" logo and a cap with the same logo. The quality is high and the price is reasonable. I recommend purchasing these items to all who like pool-related sportswear.
Chris Reinhold at 747 made a nice run at it. Chris and a few other “dead money” players have a desire to improve and play the best in the world in their quest to improve. To cut them off doesn’t do the pool world any service.
Yes, I watched some of Chris' play up close. He had a nice showing at the US Open. Tough to think of a two-time Mosconi player as an up an comer, though. He's a nice young man and I wish him well.
Chris managed to get Omar Al Shaheen to give him either the 7, or the 8 ball at Derby (I think it was this year?), and I forget whether they were playing 10 ball or 9 ball.. Whatever it was, Omar was in a dead trap, and got his nuts shot in. Chris is knocking on the door, and if he can figure a few things out, we might see him take a huge leap in his game.
My home Diamond Pro-Am table had 4.25" corner pockets and played damn tough once the cloth was broke in a little bit. Many top players (especially Filipinos) came through there and practiced all day in preparation for upcoming tournaments. Lesser players who played at my home had just as much trouble running out a rack of 9-Ball as I did. The very best players who played there were probably Dennis and Shane. I would just sit there in awe as they ran out impossible racks of Ten Ball. IMO 4" corners are a little bit over the top. Ernesto used to set them up in poolrooms out this way and they were almost unplayable for the average player. I will say this though, the pros found a way to navigate them fairly well. I guess the way the pocket is cut has a lot to do with how well they play.
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As usual, Jay, we are on the same page here. There are, as we've seen, a few who shoot straight enough to handle such pockets, but I can't convince myself that, from a viewer's entertainment point of view, pool on 4" pockets is best.
If your able to hit an object ball just off the long rail, and either draw or follow whitey 5 rails.
These pockets are not too small.
''The cue ball 5 railer sets the bar/par on pocket size IMHO.''
If this is not possible, then the pockets are too small.
These pockets are not too small.
''The cue ball 5 railer sets the bar/par on pocket size IMHO.''
If this is not possible, then the pockets are too small.
That is pool - or anything, for stakes. Herd mentality dictates the stakes have precedence. What happens then is banal, predictable play. I don't think that need be the case and as the players evolve, it won't be.
No it doesn't...., but.... pick your poison. Dead money players (the bulk of which) clogging up the stream tables in the earlier rounds, or shorten the field and have only top tier players shooting at 4" pockets for your viewing enjoyment.
I want the big field and the dead money. I also want 4" pockets in "majors". I can come to terms with what that means during the first few days of a major tourney. Some cannot....
i would think, if prize money increases, that the dead money portion will shrink and qualifiers will be needed anyway
I play on 4 1/8 on a regular basis, so no big deal. Bring it on, 4” pockets
4'' corners with wider side pockets.
Not enough chatter on how tough those side pockets at the open were. Saw more missed balls directed at the sides then I did the corners.