Jay Helfert resigned as Tourney Director at the US Open
- Thread starter bfdlad
- Start date
I hope he got CASH instead of a check or a promise from Barry... Johnnyt
Yeah hopefully.
Could be - Steelman gets offer from Barry for free entry for LIFE..........Barry announces retirement following day lol
For sure, I agree about the common sense. That said, love him or not love him, Barry Behrman added 70 large, and to effect a change for the better in this tournament from yeares gone by, he did manage to get Pat Fleming to agree to handle the funds. Pat Fleming must think enough of the Open to agree to provide this service. I have a great deal of respect for Pat Fleming, so I think this speaks volumes. I haven't heard a complaint about this yet. I'm sure if there is a money problem, we'll be the first to hear about it on AzBilliards pool forum. :grin-square:
No matter what Barry does, he will be vilified ad infinitum on this forum. Is he perfect? No. None of are. But he has managed to keep the Open in existence for 40 years. Maybe somebody on this thread can put $70,000 of their own funds into a tournament and create a U.S. Open 9-Ball Invitational, as has been suggested. I doubt we'll see that coming. I can't see anybody on this thread, with the exception of one, who might even be willing to take $70,000 of their own money and host a pool tournament.
My stance on Allen Hopkins remains the same. He was told he had a spot in the charts. A mistake was made. Barry dropped the ball. Barry tried to make thigns right with Allen by asking a local player if they wouldn't mind giving up their spot due to the circumstances. The local player was fine with that, but the TD was not. Jay did what Jay believed was right, and that is okay. It's Jay's prerogative to do what is best in his mind, and so he did.
I am 100 percent positive there is more behind the scenes that is not out here for public consumption. Again, there are four sides to the story: Barry's, Jay's, Allen's, and the truth. Our opinions and summarizations are based on supposition.
Pitter patter, pitter patter, pitter patter, pitter patter, pitter patter --> HERE. Ah, that's much better.
Yes, it was nice of Pat to handle the purse money, but let's not forget he needs the U.S. Open for the DVD's he sells all over the world. Johnny Trump
I have heard rumors the city and mayor puts up the money. Some kind of grant. Again rumors.
Kd
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Is there anything about pool tournaments that you like, Johnnyt? We know what you don't like.
There's a lot more that goes into hosting and promoting a pool tournament. Sure, the industry members pay sponor monies, as do the vendors. Then there's the gate. People on site earn a small fee for doing their thing. People don't work for free. There's the logical arrangements that require time and money. There's the TV arena stuff that needs to be set up. There's the pool tables that have to be set up and paid for, et cetera, et cetera.
If you think he didn't put any money into it -- not to mention his time -- you're wrong, dead wrong, but that's okay. It seems that it is better to find everything wrong with the Open instead of anything that may have been right.
Pat handling the money this year was great. I heard the venue was really nice. The seating in the tournament room, though there were a few short spots, was much better than last year. There was enough room between tables for the players. There was a practice room. I'd list a few more positive notes, but I have to go back to work. Lunch time is over.:grin-square:
JAM, you have yet to answer a question that several of us have asked you.
Do you think it's OK for someone to be "bought out' of their spot to accommodate the poor planning of another player, and the promoter of the tournament? As you have said, Allen incurred expenses to get there. Had to take time off. As did the gentleman that was solicited to give up his spot. So, all things being equal, is this an acceptable practice? Would it be the same if the person in question wasn't a former champion, i.e. me walking in off the street?
Do you think it's OK for someone to be "bought out' of their spot to accommodate the poor planning of another player, and the promoter of the tournament? As you have said, Allen incurred expenses to get there. Had to take time off. As did the gentleman that was solicited to give up his spot. So, all things being equal, is this an acceptable practice? Would it be the same if the person in question wasn't a former champion, i.e. me walking in off the street?
I don't reply to some members because I believe they are trolls, banned members posting, and multiple-identitied members, but you asked the question in a polite manner, so I'll reply. :smile:
Yes, I think it is okay for the local player to have been "bought out." Sh*t happens in tournaments, all tournaments. None of them ever seem to run smoothly, and there always seems to be something, some little tournament conundrum, that falls between the cracks of the rules. This local player, who lived locally, was fine with the arrangement. This was not a case of "fixing" the chart.
I would not label this as "acceptable practice," though. This was an unfortunate incident, which was not Jay's fault, was not Allen's fault, and was not anybody's fault other than Barry neglected to ensure the names on the chart were accurate. He dropped the ball.
Hey, I remember when Kid Delicious did not get a spot to compete in the World Pool Championship because Charlie Williams' UPA organization stated that they couldn't get a hold of him because they didn't have his phone number. Meanwhile, in 2004, this was Danny's best year on the tournament trail. He was winning everything, left and right, and was ranked, I think, number 5, subject to check, on the UPA member list. Was this fair? Heck no, but sh*t happens in the pool world. You just hope it never happens again in the end.
What end are you referring to?
For you personally, the end of the apocalypse. Which end, we don't know.
Jeff Livingston
Nothing fair about your statement.
I will answer for myself. In an open tournament I think it's perfectly fine for any player to sell his spot as long as there is not a waiting list to get in. If there is a waiting list then players could offer up their spots to the highest bidders.
I think that the tournament promoter should have the right to fill all the spots in the tournament until the end of the first round.
I must have missed it as to why Allen couldn't have been given Jeremy Jones' spot?
You sir are totally unethical, immoral, have no integrity and are the reason why pool is the way it is today and will always continue to be!!!!!! Well that is what most apparently think round these parts. I happen to agree with you, except do to the previous champion stipulation would have put the precious champion in front of those on the waiting list.
Lmao. Is someone paying you? Are you Barry?
Everything Jay said is logical, makes sense, and was done professionally. Your argument is that you think he didn't look into the matter and do his "research"? He was apparently being "combative" because he gave a direct and straightforward answer to a situation that required no "research"? He didn't treat Barry like he was 5, and prolong the situation by saying he would "look into it", when his coarse of action was perfectly clear?
You're saying his decision to not let Allen in the tournament was correct, but because he was too straightforward and not "smart" enough to figure out how to get a 5 year old to make decisions for himself, he's still in the wrong?
I want some of whatever you're smoking.
Your statement in the first paragraph...it happens a lot in those big bar table tournaments that sell out.
I would have to consider Allen as the FIRST alternate in this spot and it should have been a priority to rectify this screw up. A PRIORITY
The idiots in charge of running this tournament (all of them) should have a duty to make sure the chart is full which means Jeremy Jones spot should have gone to the first person on the alternates list which actually should have been Allen but since he got taken care of then it should have went back to this Steelman guy and if he really didn't want to play then you go to the next alternate and so on till it's filled.
Otherwise...why accept money from alternates and put them on a list????
My feeling is no one is blameless in this, not Jay, not Pat, not Barry. Goddam drama queens over nothing. Good candidates for Jersey Shore or the Kardashians or any of that other crap.
And I want add that you fill it even if the draw was already done. If there is a spot then the first alternate gets it and so on.
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Very strange, on my above post it is showing up on board as " precious champion " and every time I go into to edit it its reading " previous champion" - just as I originally typed it?????
Actually Jay was very vocal about Barrys misadventures in a negative way a couple of years.
They have a long relationship and Jay kept giving Barry chances.
That's what friends do .
He supported him until it was obvious he was not going to make things right , then Jay was very vocal about his misdoings.
Last year Barry seemed to try to do better and this year with the help of Pat it seemed like it would all go pretty much as intended , so Jay took another chance , I would probably have done the same.
The problem is, Barry can't keep himself from self destruction , and in the process he tends to make everyone else miserable.
It amazes me that the difference of the US Open being a crown jewel in American pool history and being a black eye on pool and a constant source of ridicule, is that Barry doesn't pay the people he owes money to, in a timely fashion, and that he can't keep his alter ego in the closet for a week, without letting it come out and show it's ass.
Pretty sad really.
It seems so far that the money portion is taken care of thanks to Pat Fleming , now they need to let Barry do everything up until the week before the Open , then he has to be sent to an island somewhere that doesn't even have phone service.
Antarctica ive heard is nice this time of year
This is true.