These two MAJOR announcements coming one day apart is really odd to me.
I feel as though Pat Fleming was kept in the dark and should not have been. But I don't know what was going on behind the scenes, either. Business is a strange animal sometimes.
I think the U.S. Open, as most of us know it, is dead, but I don't think that is such a bad thing. The business plan for the Open was always flawed with problems.
Barry Hearn has a lot of contacts and clout in his back pocket, and in this regard, I am in a wait-and-see mode. I kind of feel secure about pool's future with Barry at the helm. He has media contacts around the world and can propel pool to another level.
Let's face it. Pool has been circling the drain for decades now. The payouts today are the same as in the '70s and '80s. Gosh, I feel old saying that.
Matchroom Sport knows how to make things happen. We all love the Mosconi Cup. Every single player would give his eye-teeth to play in the Cup. If Barry Hearn can do for the Open what he has done for Mosconi Cup, we're in for some good times ahead.
I'm in his camp. I support him. I support Pat Fleming too.