BCA Hall of Fame...it's so obvious!

[Terry Ardeno]

This year, the BCA offers 3 candidates for their "Hall of Fame", Earl Strickland (The GREATEST TOURNAMENT 9 Ball Champion ever...6 World Titles, 5 U.S. Open 9 ball, etc), Allen Hopkins (One of the greatest ALL AROUND CHAMPIONS in history, World Championships in 9 ball, 14.1, 1 Pocket, etc.) ***THAT THESE 2 WERE NOT ALREADY IN THE HALL OF FAME says alot about the BCA. And their 3rd candidate was / is Maurice Daly, a good guy for pool who authored an early instructional book. HE is the best they could offer??? How about Pat Fleming who provides the wonderful Accu-Stats tapes and DVD's for those who can not afford to travel to these great tournamants but can still see and enjoy what our great sport has to offer...How about Grady Mathews, a multiple time World 1 Pocket Champion, a World Class commentator when he was affiliated with Accu-stats and a tireless pormoter of pool? How about Bennie Allen, winner of 3 World 14.1 Titles? I could go on but why? It's so obvious the BCA could care less about professional pool. Is'nt it frustrating that our so called Sanctioning body knows and cares so little about real champions.
Congratulations to Earl Strickland. He is so deserving and I'm sorry and embarrassed it to so long. Allen Hopkins, I hope you are next.

 

[JAM]

Very valid points, Terry. Though the electoral process has been discussed previously on this forum, I always found it curious that a few years back, the BCA issued a press release asking the public who they wanted to go into the Hall of Fame. They provided an e-mail address to send in your choices, to include your reasons why you thought them worthy for inclusion. I don't know what role the public's opinion played in the selection made eventually that year by the BCA. It is interesting that the BCA never did request the public's input again.

I do remember AzBilliards Main Page had a poll going with Earl's name and several other prominent pool icons. The overwhelming majority of votes were in Earl Strickland's favor, and I mean it was by a landslide, but he didn't get inducted. However, if there was a popularity award, Earl would have gotten it for sure!

Currently, the industry members who are members of the BCA send in their votes through ballots, and these ballots then go to the BCA Hall of Fame Committee, consisting of, what looks like to me, mostly pool media. So, is it the industry members who vote the candidate in, or is it the votes of the Hall of Fame Committee members?

And the burning question in my mind is: Why is there only one inductee this year?

JAM

 

[Cornerman]

And their 3rd candidate was / is Maurice Daly, a good guy for pool who authored an early instructional book. HE is the best they could offer???

IMO, Maurice Daly should have been in long before Allen and Earl. Daly's contribution as a player and an author was already world reknowned before Allen or Earl became professional players.

Fred