Jay Helfert resigned as Tourney Director at the US Open
- Thread starter bfdlad
- Start date
I have always had a great deal of respect for Jay Helfert, and after this fiasco, I have a ton more...
Jennie; you are correct that I've only heard what Jay had to say (and Allen Jr) but, still, I think you missed my point, somewhat.
I, too, think highly of Allen and what he's done for pool. I've missed just 1 SBE in the last 11 or 12 yrs and will hopefully be there again this spring. It's a great event.
With that said, please know that my main beef with what we do know is that Jay was hired to be TD to run the competition side of this event as he sees fit (including fairness) and whether it was simply an oversight by Barry or not to enter Allen's name before the draw, the fact is, it didn't get done. Putting him in after the draw, Jay felt, was unfair and he said so to Barry & Allen. He actually told Allen no you can't play.
If you feel Jay's account is accurate and despite Jay's stated objection, Allen went ahead and played, then how could one feel Allen's participation was in good form?
Maybe there is some inside story still to come that will clarify this.
best,
brian kc
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NYC cue dude
Banned
Spill it NYC Cue Dude
You've never been one to keep to yourself Is Scott the Shot wagering on matches? Is he the book as well? Is he acting as a ref as well, or just the announcer?
You've never been one to keep to yourself Is Scott the Shot wagering on matches? Is he the book as well? Is he acting as a ref as well, or just the announcer?
Make it happen, JAM. Turn the Wildman loose and put fire to the heels
of that disgusting piece of shit Barry B.
Everyone (especially the players) need to stop enabling that vermin year
after year. I want him to know and feel the pain of rejection. So many
players have been screwed by him. It's way past time for judgement day.
I keep hearing about how prestigious this event is, but let us not forget
about all of the negative things that rear their head each year. Barry B.
is an ugly stain on everything which is good about our sport. He must be
drummed out of any connection with future tournaments if we are ever
to regain respect and recognition as an honest sport.
Sometimes we must step away from situations like this in order to put
our house in order and rebuild what was once a truly honorable event.
Howard
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NYC cue dude
Banned
Spill it NYC Cue Dude
What's the rush? Aren't you just a little bit curious as to read all the posts that are forthcoming to defend the reputation of the honorable Scott Smith? How this is slanderous? How this would be unprecedented?
Well, I guess it would be fair to say that you have formed your opinion in this thread based on what Jay has written, and that is okay. I am not slighting anything Jay has written.
But what I am saying is that there are three parties in this matter. As the saying goes, there's three sides to the story, but in this case, I guess there are four sides to the story: Jay's, Barry's, Allen's, and the truth.
The only side of the story we have on this thread is Jay's. I am not discounting what Jay has stated.
It is a little disheartening, though, to read mean-spirited words spewed at Fran Crimi, Allen Hopkins, and others on this thread, only because they bring to the fore another school of thought that may vary from what Jay has written. You, Brian, did not do this, but others have. It is disrespectful and unnecessary.
Thanks for explaining your thoughts. I appreciate your opinion.
Every year the WPA make concessions to Barry in an effort to keep pool alive in the USA. I the past he has had ranking points granted on condition that he reaches a certain number of entries. These targets were were not met but a higher tariff still applied.
They have also accepted lower guarantees of added money to able the event to go ahead as a ranking. But still the promoter shits on them. They would certainly not condone what has transpired this week.
I won't criticise Jay for voting with his feet. But if I had been the TD then I would have explained the circumstances to Lee and asked him if he minded playing a preliminary match against Allen. He would have his entry fee refunded but would have to pay it again if he won (reached the last 128).
There would be no pressure on him to say YES and if he said NO then we would make the same offer to any other player to take it up. This way would have allowed both Lee and Allen to participate and also to help Barry get through what was obviously a very embarrassing situation which crop up as 'senior moments' at his age. This way there would have been no villains or villainesses(sorry Fran!)
Perhaps Lee would respond and say whether this would been a solution that he preferred.
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Well, I guess it would be fair to say that you have formed your opinion in this thread based on what Jay has written, and that is okay. I am not slighting anything Jay has written.
But what I am saying is that there are three parties in this matter. As the saying goes, there's three sides to the story, but in this case, I guess there are four sides to the story: Jay's, Barry's, Allen's, and the truth.
The only side of the story we have on this thread is Jay's. I am not discounting what Jay has stated.
It is a little disheartening, though, to read mean-spirited words spewed at Fran Crimi, Allen Hopkins, and others on this thread, only because they bring to the fore another school of thought that may vary from what Jay has written. You, Brian, did not do this, but others have. It is disrespectful and unnecessary.
Thanks for explaining your thoughts. I appreciate your opinion.
I agree. Unfortunately, Barry's side of the story is hard to believe. That's his own doing due to past mistakes.
In Europe, they got bookmakers all over the place at pool tournaments, making lines, the whole deal -- and way more than one bookmaker. Who cares if there's a little wager going on at the Open? Some people enjoy gambling when they're sweating pool. 85 to 90 percent enjoy it and like the action. They don't want to sit back and watch paint dry, as the robots from Europe play mum pool.
In Saudi Arabia, they got live horse racing but not paramutual windows. It's all bookmaking on all floors.
If you don't like gambling, so be it, but for the people who do enjoy the gambling, let them have their fun. A lot of the people are trying to get off the nut at the Open, not sitting behind a computer at home, trying to take pool down, every sentence that is written on a pool forum.
In Saudi Arabia, they got live horse racing but not paramutual windows. It's all bookmaking on all floors.
If you don't like gambling, so be it, but for the people who do enjoy the gambling, let them have their fun. A lot of the people are trying to get off the nut at the Open, not sitting behind a computer at home, trying to take pool down, every sentence that is written on a pool forum.
NYC Cue Dude was insinuating that Scott is taking bets, making bets and he has authority within the tournament to potentially change the outcome of matches by making calls or rulings. It would be similar to an umpire working a World Series game and making wagers on it as well.
It has nothing to do with approving or disapproving with gambling in general.
......carry on.
At the end of this all the only guy who really did nothing wrong whatsoever and followed his ethics and morals to a tee was Jay.
He is also the guy who got screwed over more than any of the other actors in this play. He lost his income he would have earned in the event, he lost money and time spent traveling across the country only to end up leaving the event early. And now he has to deal with the fallout from an event where he did nothing more then what he, and most other people think was the "right thing to do".
Barry is still in the US Open getting drunk making slurred speeches and blurting out public sexually suggestive comments about females working for him at the event on the open mic for everyone to hear.
Allen got to play in the event for free and be part of the party and generally has not taken a huge amount of the blame on this, which has mostly been placed predominately on Barry's shoulders.
Jay? He is sitting at home when he was "supposed" to be at the US Open directing the tournament after supporting it and hyping it for months and supporting Barry and doing his best to put his own name on the line to give the players a sense of security in committing to play in the event.
This awesome US Open would not be the awesome US Open it is without Jay having done so much to support it and support Barry despite all of the BS. Jay took heavy heat on this forum for months due to his support for Barry from many people on this forum who felt Barry had proven his character long before now. Jay gave him the benefit of the doubt, he had faith and supported Barry and Barry shit all over him.
Jay got screwed in this. If Allen cannot even see that and wants to give him a call and grind him into the ground even further under his boot heel, cripe man... try to see it from Jay's side for a second Allen? Step into his shoes and see how sunny the sky is atm.
I don't believe Scott is making calls on questionable hits, et cetera. He's announcing the matches, putting up the signs over the tables, et cetera.
But, FWIW, pool ain't the World Series. We are a small fractured industry with professional players who compete with the average Joe in tournaments with ranking points. Where can you play baseball in the MLB with the pros? It doesn't happen.
Pool has always had a gambling element. Those who try to dismantle it are fighting a losing battle -- all in my opinion, of course.
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