I want to take a moment to recognize a couple of very important people on the American pool scene. They are often criticized and rarely commended for the efforts they put forth to give us pool buffs two top quality events every year. I wonder what pro pool in America would be like if they weren't around.
I'm talking about Greg Sullivan and Barry Behrman. Barry has been putting on the U.S. Open for thirty years now! And Greg has done twelve Derby City classics! Number one, it isn't easy to put together an event of this magnitude, especially when you have virtually no outside support or sponsorship. They must go it alone financially for the most part. And it ain't a cheap date, trust me on that.
Yes there have been problems, too many to count. But somehow they shoulder on and persevere, finding a way to carry on for one more year. Everyone knows Barry can be slow to pay off the substantial prize money at the Open, but pay off he does year after year. Not many people know that he operates this one at a loss every year. He has to go into his pocket to make good nearly every year. This is why the top players keep coming back. They KNOW that Barry is good for the money. To the best of my knowledge EVERY money winner of the previous 29 U.S. Opens has been paid in full! And they will be for number 30 as well. Of that I'm certain.
Greg has been reamed every which way for certain aspects of Derby City; the scheduling, the hotel expenses, the food options, the venue, even the weather! When it's all said and done he also makes little or no money for the time he puts into organizing this breath taking endeavor. Makes one wonder why he continues doing this, when he already has a very successful pool table business. Same with Barry and Q-Master, still one of the most successful poolrooms in America. No "smart" businessman would want to continue either of these ventures.
I'll tell you why Barry and Greg continue to put their time and money into these two great pool events. It is their love for the game that motivates them! Both of them truly enjoy seeing great pool played by great players, and this is why they put forth herculean efforts to create the vehicle for that to happen. I just think we should all be thankful that they haven't gotten fed up with the adversities of producing these events, and the little thanks they receive when it's all over. I wonder how many players come up to Greg or Barry and thank them afterward. They damn sure should! Anyway I just wanted to publicly acknowledge a couple of somewhat unsung pool heros. At least in my book they are. I've seen a lot of "promoters" come and go in my time. But not these two guys. They hang tough and continue to look for ways to improve their respective events. :clapping:
I'm talking about Greg Sullivan and Barry Behrman. Barry has been putting on the U.S. Open for thirty years now! And Greg has done twelve Derby City classics! Number one, it isn't easy to put together an event of this magnitude, especially when you have virtually no outside support or sponsorship. They must go it alone financially for the most part. And it ain't a cheap date, trust me on that.
Yes there have been problems, too many to count. But somehow they shoulder on and persevere, finding a way to carry on for one more year. Everyone knows Barry can be slow to pay off the substantial prize money at the Open, but pay off he does year after year. Not many people know that he operates this one at a loss every year. He has to go into his pocket to make good nearly every year. This is why the top players keep coming back. They KNOW that Barry is good for the money. To the best of my knowledge EVERY money winner of the previous 29 U.S. Opens has been paid in full! And they will be for number 30 as well. Of that I'm certain.
Greg has been reamed every which way for certain aspects of Derby City; the scheduling, the hotel expenses, the food options, the venue, even the weather! When it's all said and done he also makes little or no money for the time he puts into organizing this breath taking endeavor. Makes one wonder why he continues doing this, when he already has a very successful pool table business. Same with Barry and Q-Master, still one of the most successful poolrooms in America. No "smart" businessman would want to continue either of these ventures.
I'll tell you why Barry and Greg continue to put their time and money into these two great pool events. It is their love for the game that motivates them! Both of them truly enjoy seeing great pool played by great players, and this is why they put forth herculean efforts to create the vehicle for that to happen. I just think we should all be thankful that they haven't gotten fed up with the adversities of producing these events, and the little thanks they receive when it's all over. I wonder how many players come up to Greg or Barry and thank them afterward. They damn sure should! Anyway I just wanted to publicly acknowledge a couple of somewhat unsung pool heros. At least in my book they are. I've seen a lot of "promoters" come and go in my time. But not these two guys. They hang tough and continue to look for ways to improve their respective events. :clapping:
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