(Banging my head) Danny Harriman

[sjm]

SJM,
I'm afraid my posts have been misinterpreted. I hope I have NEVER said that the luck factor in 9-ball was big enough to take an unknown amateur to a title - I totally agree with you that it could not happen, and also that it is the reason that pool (unlike poker) will never attract huge competitive fields with huge buy-ins.

My point has always been that the luck factor makes short race 9-ball a terrible way to differentiate players of a SIMILAR general ability level. Of the 50 players one could observe at any time at DCC - any one of them could reasonably win a race to 7 against the best player in the world. To me, that's a bad thing. Anyone capable of winning a race to 7 against the ghost could beat Efren any outing with some luck. A straight pool race to 500 on tight equipment is a horse of a different color.

P.S. - though I think my posts may have been misinterpreted, it fills me with a great sense of satisfaction to be considered in the cadre of critics who decry the luck factor in 9-ball and wish it was not the most commonly played game at the top professional level. Who wouldn't rather see what Efren, Earl, Buddy, or Johnny was capable of after playing straight pool for 20 years?Those guys are good.

Sorry, Willie, I was only pulling your chain. You've never suggested that the luck factor was THAT big. Still, you're the primary emphasizer of the nineball luck factor on the forum, so you came to mind immediately as I wrote my post. Forgive me, sir.

 

[Williebetmore]

Sorry, Willie, I was only pulling your chain. You've never suggested that the luck factor was THAT big. Still, you're the primary emphasizer of the nineball luck factor on the forum, so you came to mind immediately as I wrote my post. Forgive me, sir.

SJM,
If the luck factor was big enough for someone like me to win a tournament, 9-ball would be dead as a doornail (or perhaps as popular as the omni-present poker). Neither scenario seems likely. I guess I should go practice.

 

[chefjeff]

What I posted was that 'added money' comes from sponsors advertising budgets, which come from the sponsors profits, which come from their customers, who I am assuming are pool fans. I believe this was fundamentaly the argument put forward by Jeff.

I agree that the 'gate' at pool tournaments is extremely trivial, but again, I did not say anything about the paid attendance (gate), only the nebulous 'fan'. As an example, there is a Joss tour. Joss sponsors these events, and their benefit is advertising/promotion leading to brand recognition which leads to the sales of their cues. Their sales are to a lot of people who do not attend the Joss Tour events, but nonetheless contribute to the Tour funding by buying Joss cues.

Dave

I hesitate going back to baseball again, as I really am not a baseball fan. But in some ways proves my point.

Thursday night, a friend calls and ask me to attend his nephew's Senior high school baseball game later in the day. So, I go there, even though I haven't been to a hs bll game for decades. His nephew was pitching and this kid is good. So good that there were several scouts there. He'll go in the draft for maybe a million dollars next week.

Anyway, at this Senior High School baseball game, were about 1,000 (!!!) people packed into the park. I had to stand the whole game as did about half of the crowd. It cost $5 to enter, so do the math. I was amazed at the high interest level from people who were NOT parents.

Now, this kid got 15 strikeouts in the seven innings and really showed his stuff, so the crowd got a good show. Eveyone was talking about the 5 or 6 jugs (speed guns) the scouts were using. "96 miles an hour...wow!" The excitement level was high. The announcer was great and really wipped up the crowd. And the money flowed from the happy fans like wine.

My point is and has always been, that, in this example, if one lousy hs baseball game can generate that kind of interest and money, why can't the same happen for a major pool tournament? The answer, as I see it, is that pool is not promoted and marketed as well as it can be. Every tournament needs, without question, a dedicated marketing director who devotes every ounce of energy to getting fans to come and to be entertained and to pay for it all. Not simply putting flyers in a gas station, but planned, detailed, integrated, far-reaching, marketing methods designed to get some new and old faces coming through the gate.

Raising the entry fees only makes the problems worse as it reduces the amount of money the players have to make the tourney. And it merely moves the same money around to the same people. This isn't building a sport; it's locking in pool to losersville, man. Perpetual poverty...yuk!

Market, market, market... all the time to pool fans and potential fans. This is the ONLY place EVER that real money will flow. And everone of us here can help in that endeavor. One simple idea is to just have a few seats available for fans to watch league play in a bar, and maybe a score board so they know what's happening. If there's no place or no way for fans to be fans, there will never be any. This is just one simple, little idea to add to the fan base. There's a million more ideas that would help and that cost little to implement. Think of a few and go with 'em and see what happens.

Once this begins to happen consistently and often enough, the money problems begin to disappear. And I'll say it again, everyone of us can help in this endeavor, everyday, with everyone we meet and talk to.

Jeff Livingston

 

[chefjeff]

Golf gets its money from the fans?? Horse racing gets its money from the fans??
(snip).

Yes.

Jeff Livingston

 

[drivermaker]

Yes.

Jeff Livingston

Correct...And very wealthy corporate sponsors who aren't afraid to spend.

 

[chefjeff]

Correct...And very wealthy corporate sponsors who aren't afraid to spend.

Sponsors who are hoping the fans buy some of their stuff...enough to make it worth their while, anyway.

Jeff Livingston

 

[drivermaker]

Sponsors who are hoping the fans buy some of their stuff...enough to make it worth their while, anyway.

Jeff Livingston

Correct again....at the Doral tournament in Miami this year Ford was the primary sponsor and all models of new Fords were parked along the walkways and entrances throughout the grounds that you could inspect closely just saying...."BUY ME...BUY ME". And as good as the cars looked, it's hard NOT to give Ford a strong consideration when the desire to purchase comes around again.

 

[JustPlay]

I hesitate going back to baseball again, as I really am not a baseball fan. But in some ways proves my point.

...........
My point is and has always been, that, in this example, if one lousy hs baseball game can generate that kind of interest and money, why can't the same happen for a major pool tournament? The answer, as I see it, is that pool is not promoted and marketed as well as it can be. Every tournament needs, without question, a dedicated marketing director who devotes every ounce of energy to getting fans to come and to be entertained and to pay for it all. Not simply putting flyers in a gas station, but planned, detailed, integrated, far-reaching, marketing methods designed to get some new and old faces coming through the gate.

Raising the entry fees only makes the problems worse as it reduces the amount of money the players have to make the tourney. And it merely moves the same money around to the same people. This isn't building a sport; it's locking in pool to losersville, man. Perpetual poverty...yuk!

Market, market, market... all the time to pool fans and potential fans. This is the ONLY place EVER that real money will flow. And everone of us here can help in that endeavor. One simple idea is to just have a few seats available for fans to watch league play in a bar, and maybe a score board so they know what's happening. If there's no place or no way for fans to be fans, there will never be any. This is just one simple, little idea to add to the fan base. There's a million more ideas that would help and that cost little to implement. Think of a few and go with 'em and see what happens.

Jeff Livingston

Jeff,

I and many others agree that big tournaments and some smaller ones have to do a much better job of marketing and advertising. I have never seen an ad on tv or in print marketing the US Open, unless I was watching espn and it was during a commercial while I was watching Trick Shot Magic. But to pools dismay, it will not happen anytime soon. Nor will there be any big dollars involved. Without the small tours such as the Viking tour and the Joss tour and the Florida tours. Mens "professional" pool is viturally absent in the US. And those tours don't generate enough interest to potential sponsors including potential fan support. There are only a handful of "pro" tournaments and are limited to a select group of invited people.

Jeff, why do not like having higher entry fees? Poker players pay 10's of thousands of dollars to play and they show up in the hundreds to play knowing full well that only 10% of the field is going to get paid and the other 90% is not. The World Poker Tour creates a NEW millionaire each month. There is nobody I have ever seen play professional pool become a millionaire from it over the last 30 years. I would think Efren Reyes is the closest or maybe he is.

Danny Harriman's situation is just another example of why professional pool has failed here in the US. Just wait till the top players like Archer, Strickland and Morris don't get paid...

 

[chefjeff]

Jeff,

I and many others agree that big tournaments and some smaller ones have to do a much better job of marketing and advertising. I have never seen an ad on tv or in print marketing the US Open, unless I was watching espn and it was during a commercial while I was watching Trick Shot Magic. But to pools dismay, it will not happen anytime soon. Nor will there be any big dollars involved. Without the small tours such as the Viking tour and the Joss tour and the Florida tours. Mens "professional" pool is viturally absent in the US. And those tours don't generate enough interest to potential sponsors including potential fan support. There are only a handful of "pro" tournaments and are limited to a select group of invited people.

Jeff, why do not like having higher entry fees? Poker players pay 10's of thousands of dollars to play and they show up in the hundreds to play knowing full well that only 10% of the field is going to get paid and the other 90% is not. The World Poker Tour creates a NEW millionaire each month. There is nobody I have ever seen play professional pool become a millionaire from it over the last 30 years. I would think Efren Reyes is the closest or maybe he is.

Danny Harriman's situation is just another example of why professional pool has failed here in the US. Just wait till the top players like Archer, Strickland and Morris don't get paid...

When I speak of marketing, I'm talking about from the ground up. I don't care if you're having a basement tournament with a bunch of friends, it, too, has to be marketed properly or it will fail. Sometimes it just takes a little bit here and there to make a big difference.

Ads in the major media for the US Open would be spending money foolishly. Pool isn't ready for that yet. Something more local and specific would be better, imho. I am not knocking what the promoters have been doing....not at all. I'm simply suggesting that a lot of players and fans can each do just a little bit and this adds up to make the message better heard. And I'm suggesting that every pro creates a marketing campaigne for him/herself that puts them more in the limelight. And I'm suggesting that every league pool team ask their bar to make availble some space for friends and wives to come and watch. etc. etc. There's probably a thousand ideas that could be had for little or nothing, so why not try if the downside is low and the upside is high?

Why did the hs baseball game make around $10,000 gross? It wasn't advertised anywhere that I saw. It wasn't even mentioned in the local paper. It was packed because of word of mouth.

The reason this thread and similar threads always dry up right about here is that people think marketing is some difficult, magical process that they can't do. Bull. It is merely getting a message to someone in a way that adds value to all involved. It's not rocket surgery, but mostly small, consistent efforts towards a simple goal, repeated over and over.

Jeff Livingston

 

[JAM]

When I speak of marketing, I'm talking about from the ground up. I don't care if you're having a basement tournament with a bunch of friends, it, too, has to be marketed properly or it will fail. Sometimes it just takes a little bit here and there to make a big difference.

Ads in the major media for the US Open would be spending money foolishly. Pool isn't ready for that yet. Something more local and specific would be better, imho. I am not knocking what the promoters have been doing....not at all. I'm simply suggesting that a lot of players and fans can each do just a little bit and this adds up to make the message better heard. And I'm suggesting that every pro creates a marketing campaigne for him/herself that puts them more in the limelight. And I'm suggesting that every league pool team ask their bar to make availble some space for friends and wives to come and watch. etc. etc. There's probably a thousand ideas that could be had for little or nothing, so why not try if the downside is low and the upside is high?

Why did the hs baseball game make around $10,000 gross? It wasn't advertised anywhere that I saw. It wasn't even mentioned in the local paper. It was packed because of word of mouth.

The reason this thread and similar threads always dry up right about here is that people think marketing is some difficult, magical process that they can't do. Bull. It is merely getting a message to someone in a way that adds value to all involved. It's not rocket surgery, but mostly small, consistent efforts towards a simple goal, repeated over and over.

Jeff Livingston

Jeff, at every single U.S. Open I have had the privilege of attending, there has been a strong presence of the local media. They are always on site at the Chesapeake Conference Center with a camera man providing coverage for the local news media, print and broadcast.

Here is a picture of U.S. Open Promoter Barry Berhman and Tournament Director Scott Smith doing their thing with ESPN Radio during a U.S. Open at the Chesapeake Conference Center in Virginia.

The media presence at the U.S. Open has always been there, from what I can ascertain. However, if you've got a state of emergency going on such at 9/11 or a major hurricane hitting the shores of Virginia while the tournament is in progress, it does put a damper on the turnout, no matter how much you advertise through the media.

JAM

 

[chefjeff]

Jeff, at every single U.S. Open I have had the privilege of attending, there has been a strong presence of the local media. They are always on site at the Chesapeake Conference Center with a camera man providing coverage for the local news media, print and broadcast.

Here is a picture of U.S. Open Promoter Barry Berhman and Tournament Director Scott Smith doing their thing with ESPN Radio during a U.S. Open at the Chesapeake Conference Center in Virginia.

The media presence at the U.S. Open has always been there, from what I can ascertain. However, if you've got a state of emergency going on such at 9/11 or a major hurricane hitting the shores of Virginia while the tournament is in progress, it does put a damper on the turnout, no matter how much you advertise through the media.

JAM

I'm so happy to see that, JAM. Again, I want to say that I'm not knocking what's being done. In fact, I'm praising it. I'm simply suggesting that each of us can do a little which can collectively make a lot of difference. And I'm suggesting that players, promoters, fans, et al, realize that all monies come from marketing our wonderful product, not just from being able to pot the 9. How about let's trade some table time for some phone time?

Jeff Livingston

 

[onepocketchump]

Dave,
He is assisting his dad with the US Open, and the US Open has agreed to the UPA sanctioning guidelines for this year's event.

While in Jacksonville, I had the opportunity to discuss a non-payment issue with Mika Immonen that dates back to September 2001 (2001 US Open). It should be noted that Mika is owed twice as much money as Danny Harriman ($5000). Mika has been very private and very professional in his response to this situation. Mika will either play in the US Open or he will quietly refrain from attending. There is nothing to gain trying to battle each other publicly and turn the situation into a war. Mika understands that, and I have great respect for his professionalism. I have agreed to assist Mika in the same way I have agreed to assist Danny Harriman. The issue still remains that these players are owed money that is far too long past due for payment. Assigning blame and trying to create a stir in the billiard media is wasted energy. The energy needs to be redirected towards a workable solution that will get these players paid in full.

Um, it is despicable that you use Mika as an example of how players "should" handle these issues. The UPA shoudl NOT sanction the US OPEN until each player is paid in full from PAST events that the UPA DID sanction. Not only that, Mika Immonen AND Danny Harriman both deserve a VERY public apology from Barry Behrman and the UPA for the mistreatment at their hands. If I were Mika Immonen I would NEVER play in another Barry Behrman US Open again considering how he was PUBLICLY trashed by Barry at the US Open for daring to ask for the money owed to him.

John

 

[Blackjack]

Um, it is despicable that you use Mika as an example of how players "should" handle these issues. The UPA shoudl NOT sanction the US OPEN until each player is paid in full from PAST events that the UPA DID sanction. Not only that, Mika Immonen AND Danny Harriman both deserve a VERY public apology from Barry Behrman and the UPA for the mistreatment at their hands. If I were Mika Immonen I would NEVER play in another Barry Behrman US Open again considering how he was PUBLICLY trashed by Barry at the US Open for daring to ask for the money owed to him.

John

Despicable? Mika has chosen to keep this situation between he and Barry Behrman private. All Mika wants to hear from Barry is, "Here's the money I owe you." Mika takes a business approach rather than turning it into an opportunity to get personal. I used the comparison to show a contrast as I believe the posts made by Brady and Danny were counterproductive to settling this issue.

 

[onepocketchump]

Mika did a lot more than "bug" Barry.
He got quite nasty with Barry, especially after Mika suffered his second loss and was out of the tournament. He was totally unprofessional and I have lost a lot of respect for that man.

Mika Immonen is one of the finest human beings AND one of the best players on the fucking planet. For him too lose his cool with Barry for money that has been owed to him for three years is TOTALLY understandable. How would ANY of you like to be playing in a tournament where the promoter is running around like Donald Trump while you are still owed money by that promoter? If you don't think that weighs on you WHILE you are playing then you have never played the game seriously. Players should NOT have to get unprofessional to get some kind of response or resolution. The one who has been and continues to be unprofessional is Barry Behrman.

ONE LAST TIME - "Guaranteed" means that the money is posted and will be paid out. That's it. Anything else is fraud. Mika and Danny should press charges. Advertising a payout based on performance and taking money to participate forms a contract between the promoter and the players. The promoter is in breach of contract. I don't know what the UPA has done to resolve this but to date it has been impotent and ineffective.

John

John

 

[onepocketchump]

Despicable? Mika has chosen to keep this situation between he and Barry Behrman private. All Mika wants to hear from Barry is, "Here's the money I owe you." Mika takes a business approach rather than turning it into an opportunity to get personal. I used the comparison to show a contrast as I believe the posts made by Brady and Danny were counterproductive to settling this issue.

Private? Just because Mika has not posted on this forum does not mean he has kept it private. According to many who were present Mika was quite public about what Barry owes him and Barry was quite public in his treatment of Mika. I am not saying that Mika was unprofessional, I am saying that using him is a bad example. Going public on this and other forums is EXACTLY what will lead to a resolution.

I, as a FAN will NEVER, EVER purchase a ticket or a pay-per-view match until such time as I see that all players are getting paid knowing what I know now through this public forum. I have, in the past, paid for tickets, US Open Videos, pay-per-view broadcasts, extra cable channels expressly to get pool, and US Open clothing at the events. Now, I will withhold my $ for events that have NO payment issues and NO mistreatment issues such as the Derby City Classic.

While negativity is generally counterproductive I certainly believe that "the squeaky wheel gets the grease" and that this and other forums are the place to be the squeaky wheel. Truth will ALWAYS come out on these boards because there are too many of us who do know the inner workings of the game and who can call bullshit on whatever is posted.

Barry has used the internet forums to plead his case to the public. He should know that it cuts both ways. The same goes for the UPA.

John

 

[Blackjack]

Private? Just because Mika has not posted on this forum does not mean he has kept it private. According to many who were present Mika was quite public about what Barry owes him and Barry was quite public in his treatment of Mika. I am not saying that Mika was unprofessional, I am saying that using him is a bad example. Going public on this and other forums is EXACTLY what will lead to a resolution.

I, as a FAN will NEVER, EVER purchase a ticket or a pay-per-view match until such time as I see that all players are getting paid knowing what I know now through this public forum. I have, in the past, paid for tickets, US Open Videos, pay-per-view broadcasts, extra cable channels expressly to get pool, and US Open clothing at the events. Now, I will withhold my $ for events that have NO payment issues and NO mistreatment issues such as the Derby City Classic.

While negativity is generally counterproductive I certainly believe that "the squeaky wheel gets the grease" and that this and other forums are the place to be the squeaky wheel. Truth will ALWAYS come out on these boards because there are too many of us who do know the inner workings of the game and who can call bullshit on whatever is posted.

Barry has used the internet forums to plead his case to the public. He should know that it cuts both ways. The same goes for the UPA.

John

And my response is that not supporting the event will trickle down and eventually hurt the players, as is evident by this situation. The players depend upon the promoters who in turn depend upon fan support. The new UPA sanctioning guidelines have ensured that the added money is there prior to sanctioning. The UPA did not sanction the 2001 US Open (where Mika was not paid in full) so they have absolutely nothing to do with that issue.

 

[King Kong]

And my response is that not supporting the event will trickle down and eventually hurt the players, as is evident by this situation. The players depend upon the promoters who in turn depend upon fan support. The new UPA sanctioning guidelines have ensured that the added money is there prior to sanctioning. The UPA did not sanction the 2001 US Open (where Mika was not paid in full) so they have absolutely nothing to do with that issue.

Your last statement of Sanctioning is one I have posted on before of the US Open in 2005. The UPA rule in the past was the added money be placed in escrow with an attorney. I have asked on numerous occassions for someone to "SHOW ME THE MONEY" and they will not list where and with whom the escrow money resides.

The UPA is a Limitied Liability Company. or LLC and has limited resources or items that can be attacked if someone is not paid. So, you can not go after any of the UPA Board or Directors individually to recoop any harm that is done. So, corrective action has not occurred. Your asssumption that all money is going to be paid is wishful thinking at best. Becuase, no one is willing to "SHOW ME THE MONEY" by providing info on the escrow account and an attorney holding it.

As far as the Boycott of the Open I am obviously not alone in my feelings as numerous others have agreed with my sentiment and are Boycotting. I am additionally looking for vendors that are pulling support and state they are pulling support or boycotting as well. The loss of fans in attendance resulting from this matter maybe bad for business that week and a sign of support by numerous vendors would be great PR for their business and indicate they are honest and share the same values as those that are boycotting because what happened is not the amercan way. This can be corrected an spun differently, if they take care of these matters. The choice is the OPENS and always has been. Get a loan from Blackjack that said he offered or whom ever, work a second job & etc. But take care of it, its been 3 years!

Addtionally, I always speak of the OPEN and never anyone individually. The OPEN has been in my opinion, a family run business. So, i have not distinquished between the events, years or promoters. The Open needs to handle its business. These are my humble opinions

Kong

 

[JAM]

I do agree that the squeaky wheel will get greased, as Onepocketchump states. The incident in which Mika Immonen did not get paid at the U.S. Open happened quite a long time ago. Danny Harriman has taken a double hit, sad to say, and was not paid for his finish at several tournaments where he was due monies, not just one. It's almost like getting hit by lightning twice!

It needs to be stated, once again, that both of these players incurred huge expenses relating to participating in the high-profile events. The 8-days-long U.S. Open in particular with the $500 entry fee and lodging is very expensive. Imagine doling out $2,000 to $2,500 to play in the U.S. Open, coming into the money, and then not getting paid.

I also happen to agree wholeheartedly with Onepocketchump's assessment in his closing paragraph: "Barry has used the internet forums to plead his case to the public. He should know that it cuts both ways. The same goes for the UPA."

Of course, Barry and Brady Behrman must realize this tragic set of circumstances relating to the players not getting paid was going to rear its ugly head. If it had happened to me, I would be quite a squeaky wheel, more so than Danny and Mika.

Although it is admirable that the UPA is attempting to step up to the plate and represent its current member and ex-member, as the case may be with Danny, the UPA could have and should have provided membership benefits to its members years ago when this occurred, not just in recent times. As a membership organization who is also the "men's governing body of professional pool," representation should be one of the perks of joining the UPA, aside from receiving ranking points and yellow Dragon patches.

Very recently, within the last month, I spoke to the UPA pro bono lawyer at a local tourney here in the D.C. area. I informed him that Danny Harriman wanted to contact him. He was unaware at that time of why Danny was seeking contact of the UPA's counsel. Hopefully, the parties involved are now working towards a remedy to end this whole mess.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Previous U.S. Open winners are granted a free $500 entry fee to participate in all future U.S. Opens. There are some previous champions who do not attend. Reed Pierce, as an example, attended the 2002 U.S. Open, but I don't remember seeing him at any of the Opens since that time. I would think it was be a great good-faith effort on the U.S. Open promoter's part to grant Mika and Danny a free $500 entry fee to all upcoming U.S. Opens. It would at least be one way, an effort if you will, to pay some of the monies owed to these two players, Mika Immonen and Danny Harriman.

JMHO, FWIW!

JAM

 

[vapoolplayer]

Very recently, within the last month, I spoke to the UPA pro bono lawyer at a local tourney here in the D.C. area. I informed him that Danny Harriman wanted to contact him. He was unaware at that time of why Danny was seeking contact of the UPA's counsel. Hopefully, the parties involved are now working towards a remedy to end this whole mess.


JAM

i'd just like to know why everytime something comes up......the UPA doesn't know about it??????

i know its not the lawyers fault, but someone should have mentioned it to him.

i remember a while back when the UPA had a tourney, it was the same time as a season finalie or something that effect of a regional tour. someone said that they asked charlie why they did that, and charlie said he didn't know about their tourney.....

if you are the "governing body of mens' pro pool" then should it be YOUR business to know just about everything going on it pool???

i mean, come on, there is no excuse for the UPA always being so unaware of shit going on the billiards world.

VAP

 

[JustPlay]

When I speak of marketing, I'm talking about from the ground up. I don't care if you're having a basement tournament with a bunch of friends, it, too, has to be marketed properly or it will fail. Sometimes it just takes a little bit here and there to make a big difference.

Ads in the major media for the US Open would be spending money foolishly. Pool isn't ready for that yet. Something more local and specific would be better, imho. I am not knocking what the promoters have been doing....not at all. I'm simply suggesting that a lot of players and fans can each do just a little bit and this adds up to make the message better heard. And I'm suggesting that every pro creates a marketing campaigne for him/herself that puts them more in the limelight. And I'm suggesting that every league pool team ask their bar to make availble some space for friends and wives to come and watch. etc. etc. There's probably a thousand ideas that could be had for little or nothing, so why not try if the downside is low and the upside is high?
..........
Why did the hs baseball game make around $10,000 gross? It wasn't advertised anywhere that I saw. It wasn't even mentioned in the local paper. It was packed because of word of mouth.

Jeff Livingston

Jeff,
Please don't confuse some parents support for there adolesent sons ball game to what suppose to be top notch professional entertainment. As far as mens professional pool is concerned- This is as good as it well get, period.

The US Open supposed to be the greatest tournament in the US and should have been a catalyst to major sponsorship, large fan support and large player field. But it, like many great things in pool has just leveled off and has back slided.. One step forward - 3 steps back for mens professional pool.

Jeff, please think on a bigger scale for mens professional pool. We don't more space in a smokey bar so our wives and friends can sit with the local drunks.

The US open is one of two major tournaments left in the US to which anyone can compete the other is the DCC. And right now the US Open is very fragile and weak in that its recovery from set backs takes years to recover from. The entire state of mens pool is weak and fragile and like the US open in a few more years it may not exist altogether. At this point in time as great as the US Open use to be it is hanging on by a thread.....