History of Derby City
- Thread starter Jerry Forsyth
- Start date
Great interview Jerry. The Derby City Classic is my absolute favorite pool event ever! I would not miss it for the world. It has inspired my playing, I have met many, many new friends, and get to re-connect with old friends every year.
I would encourage anyone who has never been to go and experience this event first hand. And I encourage those who have gone in the past to come back. The DCC has so much to offer to pool enthusiasts.
And most of all, play in an event. Get in there and mix it up with the best in the world. You won't be disappointed you did!
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That was very cool. Totally agree with him regarding his philosophy on 10 foot tables for the pros. Also, it was interesting to hear about what happened with the Executive West that resulted in the move to the Harrah's property. I know a lot of people miss the old place, but it seems like the move was inevitable/unavoidable.
I had heard that Greg lost money the first few years.
I did smile to myself as I read the article that he ONLY lost 32K in the second and ONLY 18K in the third.
Once again, someone who is stuck $100K and still believes and puts his money where his mouth is.
Kudos, I dont know if I could have done it.
Ken
I did smile to myself as I read the article that he ONLY lost 32K in the second and ONLY 18K in the third.
Once again, someone who is stuck $100K and still believes and puts his money where his mouth is.
Kudos, I dont know if I could have done it.
Ken
That was directly what he lost on the tournaments, but he goes on to say he made money on table sales and promoting his brand that to a large degree offset the tournament losses. It was sort of a push. I think after the second tournament he saw there wast no where to go but up with every tournament a learning experience. Many business lose money in the beginning as they get their footing, but if the business plan is sound and you have faith you move forward making the proper adjustments as needed. He saw the bigger picture and had a vision.I had heard that Greg lost money the first few years.
I did smile to myself as I read the article that he ONLY lost 32K in the second and ONLY 18K in the third.
Once again, someone who is stuck $100K and still believes and puts his money where his mouth is.
Kudos, I dont know if I could have done it.
Ken
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I had never really thought about it before reading what Greg said regarding table sales and the DCC as a way to promote his brand, but it's pretty ingenious. Around the time the DCC started was about the same time Brunswick started to not focus as much on their billiards business. Greg knew market share was up for grabs and hosting one of if not the premiere pool tournament in the United States would allow him to build and expose his brand. If you look at the ever growing prevalence of Diamond tables in the years since it was obvious it was a success. This is especially true considering how long and how deeply Brunswick dominated the market.
TheCueHunter
Banned
Cool story and interview...I love the Derby, been and Played in each one....And in following my tradition, I will use a DIFFERENT cue this year. 14 years and 14 different cues:grin-square:
Look forward to seeing some of my buddies there
Look forward to seeing some of my buddies there
TheCueHunter
Banned
LOL, I didnt get a Showman christmas card?? Actually a Mottey that has never been seen in public. Its a full splice EBONY, "sneaky" looking with ivory joint, ivory ringwork and 2 shafts. Modified slimmer butt by JMW. Plays GREAT...Until I lose then its on the F%$#ING chopping block:thumbup:
great article. This will be my 8th dcc to play in the last 9 years. Always looking forward to it.
Jerry Forsyth
Well-known member
Greg is a very impressive guy. Many of the innovations he has brought to pool tables are "common sense" to him but were never done until he came along. Now manufacturers like Brunswick are copying his ideas.
Before Greg pool tables had metal on the top rail that damaged cue sticks and interfered with proper bridging. Gold crowns had metal corner castings, ashtrays, and scoring counters on the rails. Those are now all gone as Greg showed the world how sacred the top (his words) of a pool table should be. And pockets are now flush instead of sticking up above the rail.
His innovative and 'pool purist' mind has led to the improvement of the product from all manufacturers. The cloth and ball sets he helped design for Simonis and Aramith are still the standards today.
We have a much more in-depth interview with Greg coming up soon that talks about his entire life. His is a rags-to-riches American dream story. He grew up in the housing projects and drove away from here the other day in a Mercedes. And not only did he not have a lot of help along the way (though there are notable exceptions), he kept getting pounded on the entire road and yet persevered.
Greg Sullivan deserves a hug from everyone who has ever held a cue. He has endeavored to make pool a sport instead of a game via standardization and quality of product. And he never gives up.
Before Greg pool tables had metal on the top rail that damaged cue sticks and interfered with proper bridging. Gold crowns had metal corner castings, ashtrays, and scoring counters on the rails. Those are now all gone as Greg showed the world how sacred the top (his words) of a pool table should be. And pockets are now flush instead of sticking up above the rail.
His innovative and 'pool purist' mind has led to the improvement of the product from all manufacturers. The cloth and ball sets he helped design for Simonis and Aramith are still the standards today.
We have a much more in-depth interview with Greg coming up soon that talks about his entire life. His is a rags-to-riches American dream story. He grew up in the housing projects and drove away from here the other day in a Mercedes. And not only did he not have a lot of help along the way (though there are notable exceptions), he kept getting pounded on the entire road and yet persevered.
Greg Sullivan deserves a hug from everyone who has ever held a cue. He has endeavored to make pool a sport instead of a game via standardization and quality of product. And he never gives up.
Jerry is that your house that you live in on your avatar?
If it is or not, that place is awesom, minds me of The Last Fronttier.
Btw nice thread!
Great interview, thanks for posting it. Looking forward to next week at DCC!
