Jay Helfert resigned as Tourney Director at the US Open

[wrldpro]

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.

Yes I agree.Scott is extra busy as is everybody else since Jay is not around. I have not seen a single time where Scott has made a decision on a good hit or anything else except for announcing the matches and filling in the board. It's hard to believe any person would throw something out there that Scott would do something crooked.Grow up everyone.This is why we all are struggling so hard to make pool successful again.

 

[Celtic]

I am going to request that the AzBilliards moderators close this thread. I don't know if they will, but I am going to request it. It is not helping anybody to have this fester with supposition.

It is 100% wrong to close a thread as a method of silencing a debate about an issue when you do not take the majority opinion.

The discussion on this thread has been civil and fact based and it is "very" relevant to pool as a profession and a spectator sport.

 

[JAM]

Yes I agree.Scott is extra busy as is everybody else since Jay is not around. I have not seen a single time where Scott has made a decision on a good hit or anything else except for announcing the matches and filling in the board. It's hard to believe any person would throw something out there that Scott would do something crooked.Grow up everyone.This is why we all are struggling so hard to make pool successful again.

Thank you. It is hard to read some of the supposition statements.

 

[NYC cue dude]

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.

Sorry if I wasnt clear. Let there be no ambiguity. It's happening. It's a stone cold fact. Now, as an announcer, it isn't AS problematic. Which is what Scott was hired to do. Because of THE serious, ethically challenged road Barry decided to travel down, Jay is no longer there. The bookmaking became a huge problem when Scott became the Tournament Director. And yes, he's responsible for the last word on every call, should he desire.

 

[btown]

Who cares?

Sorry if I wasnt clear. Let there be no ambiguity. It's happening. It's a stone cold fact. Now, as an announcer, it isn't AS problematic. Which is what Scott was hired to do. Because of THE serious, ethically challenged road Barry decided to travel down, Jay is no longer there. The bookmaking became a huge problem when Scott became the Tournament Director. And yes, he's responsible for the last word on every call, should he desire.

I think this is a non-issue.. Not like "scott" planned it this way.

If you don't want to bet don't... Like stirring the pot don't you?

 

[JAM]

It is 100% wrong to close a thread as a method of silencing a debate about an issue when you do not take the majority opinion.

The discussion on this thread has been civil and fact based and it is "very" relevant to pool as a profession and a spectator sport.

This thread has not been respectful. Read it again. Read the disparaging remarks against Fran and Allen, for example. It is uncalled for. If anyone thinks those remarks are civil, I question their definition of what's civil.

 

[Allen Hopkins Sr]

Response to jay Helfert

This is my first time on AZ Billiards thanks Mike for helping me get signed up. I will be available from now on to anwser any questions.

I am sorry Jay abandoned the US Open. Barry said my name was on the list and Jay says it was not that is between them. I was asked to come play and told Barry I was coming for sure because I am going to start playing pool again seriously. I got here Thursday night two days ahead of the start of the tournament. I been at the pool room playing pool and getting in stroke. I did not check any charts on line because in the 40 years I been coming here to play it was always barry calling me and confirming I'm in which he did. Jay called me and told me I wasn't in the tournament and I said no hard feelings it's up to Barry now because I know he wants me to play. Whatever he wants to to do is fine with me..Barry said to me I want you in the tournament playing and he was going to fix it and I said okay. I called Jay last night because he had said something that was not true in his first post and I wanted him to correct it. About some back room deal between me and Barry and that was not true. He also said it is my fault that he lost his job because I played and I shouldn't have well Barry wanted me to play and it is his tournament. I did what the promoter asked me to and played I don't feel I was wrong.I will not lie to make it seem okay. I think Jay and Barry have to work it out between them I would like to play these last years I have left to be able to still play decent. Please if anyone would like to talk to me my number is 609-226-5146 or respon on here thank you.I

 

[Celtic]

This thread has not been respectful. Read it again. Read the disparaging remarks against Fran and Allen, for example. It is uncalled for. If anyone thinks those remarks are civil, I question their definition of what's civil.

I am not going to read the entire thread over again, maybe when I am old and retired and have nothing better to do I will come back to read it while Bruce sings "Glory Days" on a loop on my antique CD player.

I have not seen anything disparaging posted about Fran, she came onto this thread and was very aggressive in her own posting style and defense of Allen and she received the same level of passion in return in the debate, that is reasonable.

Allen is directly related to this event, he is not a bystander, he is a key player in the event so he "is" going to be discussed. The only things said about him are his own actions and choices he made in this exact situation, htat is latterly all most people have questioned, if that alone is enough to seem "disparaging" than it seems to imply those actions themselves were perhaps questionable.

NYC Cue Dude? Yeah... personally I would be deleting those posts ASAP because unless he has actually "proof" of what he speaks he "can" actually be sued for libel and without actual cold hard proof (which does not include "a guy told me this" or "I once saw this, but have no pictures or video or anything to support what I saw") he would lose. This is not slander, which is spoken, this is digitally produced written word on a public forum and it is libel and as long as it remains on this forum it can become a big problem for NYC Cue Dude.

 

[lfigueroa]

My guess is that in a couple of pages JAM is going to need a Xanax or two.

Lou Figueroa
or three

 

[JAM]

My guess is that in a couple of pages JAM is going to need a Xanax or two.

Lou Figueroa

Whatcha talkin' 'bout, Willis?

 

[BRussell]

This is my first time on AZ Billiards thanks Mike for helping me get signed up. I will be available from now on to anwser any questions.

I am sorry Jay abandoned the US Open. Barry said my name was on the list and Jay says it was not that is between them. I was asked to come play and told Barry I was coming for sure because I am going to start playing pool again seriously. I got here Thursday night two days ahead of the start of the tournament. I been at the pool room playing pool and getting in stroke. I did not check any charts on line because in the 40 years I been coming here to play it was always barry calling me and confirming I'm in which he did. Jay called me and told me I wasn't in the tournament and I said no hard feelings it's up to Barry now because I know he wants me to play. Whatever he wants to to do is fine with me..Barry said to me I want you in the tournament playing and he was going to fix it and I said okay. I called Jay last night because he had said something that was not true in his first post and I wanted him to correct it. About some back room deal between me and Barry and that was not true. He also said it is my fault that he lost his job because I played and I shouldn't have well Barry wanted me to play and it is his tournament. I did what the promoter asked me to and played I don't feel I was wrong.I will not lie to make it seem okay. I think Jay and Barry have to work it out between them I would like to play these last years I have left to be able to still play decent. Please if anyone would like to talk to me my number is 609-226-5146 or respon on here thank you.I

Thanks Allen for answering questions and for what you've done for pool. It sucks that Barry told you that you were in when you weren't.

Question: Did you consider not playing, because someone else would have to be taken off the brackets to let you play?

And are you involved in giving Barry a plaque?

 

[Celtic]

This is my first time on AZ Billiards thanks Mike for helping me get signed up. I will be available from now on to anwser any questions.

I am sorry Jay abandoned the US Open. Barry said my name was on the list and Jay says it was not that is between them. I was asked to come play and told Barry I was coming for sure because I am going to start playing pool again seriously. I got here Thursday night two days ahead of the start of the tournament. I been at the pool room playing pool and getting in stroke. I did not check any charts on line because in the 40 years I been coming here to play it was always barry calling me and confirming I'm in which he did. Jay called me and told me I wasn't in the tournament and I said no hard feelings it's up to Barry now because I know he wants me to play. Whatever he wants to to do is fine with me..Barry said to me I want you in the tournament playing and he was going to fix it and I said okay. I called Jay last night because he had said something that was not true in his first post and I wanted him to correct it. About some back room deal between me and Barry and that was not true. He also said it is my fault that he lost his job because I played and I shouldn't have well Barry wanted me to play and it is his tournament. I did what the promoter asked me to and played I don't feel I was wrong.I will not lie to make it seem okay. I think Jay and Barry have to work it out between them I would like to play these last years I have left to be able to still play decent. Please if anyone would like to talk to me my number is 609-226-5146 or respon on here thank you.I

For what it is worth Allen I and most other people here probably fall more on Justin's viewpoint. Barry put you and Jay both in a tough position. If you have played every single year previously and did the same thing you always did to get into the event than Barry screwed up royally by not contacting the proper people to ensure you were in the roster as an invited playing champion.

Jay though, you have to at least admit he was put into a no-win situation with this. He was obviously not privy to a private phone call between you and Barry, and Barry did not follow through with due diligence to ensure everything was all set with you in the event. Barry owns the event, this is his baby, he absolutely had the responsibility to make sure everything was set up properly for you and he failed you and that failure put BOTH you and Jay in a tough situation.

You yourself run your own successful events. When the brackets have already been drawn and the players have already been shown those brackets do you think it is right that a player can now buy a spot from a player? What stops a good player from waiting to see a draw then offering to buy an entry with a little bit of cash on the side to buy their way into a soft bracket? How fair is it to "Pete the Shortstop" who paid to enter the event who drew "Joe Plumber" who suddenly sees "Joe Plumber's" name has been crossed out and in his place is "World Class Hustler"? Pete had a good draw, but Joe sold his spot and now Pete has to play someone else. Do you think that is OK?

Jay was put into a brutal position that is no different from the above. He could have ignored it, he could have went along with it, but that choice "would" have been wrong. The only "right" choice he had when you got in after the bracket was already drawn was to quit as the tournament director. Do you see that clearly at the least?

 

[BasementDweller]

I think there's a difference between acting with integrity and desperately wanting to be viewed as if you have it. One of those qualities is very honorable. The other just comes across as self righteous.

I'm really not sure how I would grade Jay's actions in this matter although I do have high regard for him.

Sometimes people draw lines in the sand that they think they would NEVER cross but later find out that there are actually scenarios where they would. Can anybody think of such a scenario in this case where you would allow the tournament promoter to change the brackets after they have been drawn up? Where do you draw the line? What if a name was spelled wrong? What if someone mistakenly put down someone else's name on the board? What if someone's only dream in life was to get to play in just one U.S. Open and this was their last chance and they came all this way only to find out that although they thought they were in the tournament -- they are not. Now go home and die. What if.....what if.....

Taking a stand on this issue appears to be going a bit overboard to me.

Basically, I don't think this issue was really that big of deal. I bet if the tournament promoter had a stellar reputation we would have never heard a word of this.

Trying to spread some of the blame to Allen Hopkins is a joke either way you view it.

 

[JAM]

I think there's a difference between acting with integrity and desperately wanting to be viewed as if you have it. One of those qualities is very honorable. The other just comes across as self righteous.

I'm really not sure how I would grade Jay's actions in this matter although I do have high regard for him.

Sometimes people draw lines in the sand that they think they would NEVER cross but later find out that there are actually scenarios where they would. Can anybody think of such a scenario in this case where you would allow the tournament promoter to change the brackets after they have been drawn up? Where do you draw the line? What if a name was spelled wrong? What if someone mistakenly put down someone else's name on the board? What if someone's only dream in life was to get to play in just one U.S. Open and this was their last chance and they came all this way only to find out that although they thought they were in the tournament -- they are not. Now go home and die. What if.....what if.....

Taking a stand on this issue appears to be going a bit overboard to me.

Basically, I don't think this issue was really that big of deal. I bet if the tournament promoter had a stellar reputation we would have never heard a word of this.

Trying to spread some of the blame to Allen Hopkins is a joke either way you view it.

Best post in this thread!

 

[Kickin' Chicken]

I think there's a difference between acting with integrity and desperately wanting to be viewed as if you have it. One of those qualities is very honorable. The other just comes across as self righteous.

I'm really not sure how I would grade Jay's actions in this matter although I do have high regard for him.

Sometimes people draw lines in the sand that they think they would NEVER cross but later find out that there are actually scenarios where they would. Can anybody think of such a scenario in this case where you would allow the tournament promoter to change the brackets after they have been drawn up? Where do you draw the line? What if a name was spelled wrong? What if someone mistakenly put down someone else's name on the board? What if someone's only dream in life was to get to play in just one U.S. Open and this was their last chance and they came all this way only to find out that although they thought they were in the tournament -- they are not. Now go home and die. What if.....what if.....

Taking a stand on this issue appears to be going a bit overboard to me.

Basically, I don't think this issue was really that big of deal. I bet if the tournament promoter had a stellar reputation we would have never heard a word of this.

Trying to spread some of the blame to Allen Hopkins is a joke either way you view it.

What you wrote above highlighted in blue, sounds about right to me.

If the promoter had a stellar rep, Jay would likely be there right now directing the tourney.

imo

best,
brian kc

 

[UGETTHE6]

Probably the other stuff was always going on. But the money was such an overpowering issue, no one noticed.

I'd say we are making improvements. Best improvement would be for Barry to go away completely, and Pat take over the entire event.

I agree completely, I was blocked on US Opens FB page for publicly speaking out against BB and this crap show he keeps putting on. I was shocked to hear Pat get involved with the likes of BB, putting his credibility on the line for someone like BB. Legally speaking what BB has done in the past is actually a crime, but like many involved in this sport, the law doesn't matter, only the pennies they can win on a table.

 

[JB Cases]

Jay, thanks for the book. Look forward to it. If you need to relive some stress take your favorite JB Case out and play some.

 

[lfigueroa]

I think there's a difference between acting with integrity and desperately wanting to be viewed as if you have it. One of those qualities is very honorable. The other just comes across as self righteous.

I'm really not sure how I would grade Jay's actions in this matter although I do have high regard for him.

Sometimes people draw lines in the sand that they think they would NEVER cross but later find out that there are actually scenarios where they would. Can anybody think of such a scenario in this case where you would allow the tournament promoter to change the brackets after they have been drawn up? Where do you draw the line? What if a name was spelled wrong? What if someone mistakenly put down someone else's name on the board? What if someone's only dream in life was to get to play in just one U.S. Open and this was their last chance and they came all this way only to find out that although they thought they were in the tournament -- they are not. Now go home and die. What if.....what if.....

Taking a stand on this issue appears to be going a bit overboard to me.

Basically, I don't think this issue was really that big of deal. I bet if the tournament promoter had a stellar reputation we would have never heard a word of this.

Trying to spread some of the blame to Allen Hopkins is a joke either way you view it.

A couple of thoughts: I think you have to take the situation in context.

BB was being abusive to Jay, sending him profane texts ordering him to do something against will and his principles as a long time TD. I believe that most of us, after receiving a few mofo texts would tell BB to go piss up a rope. I also believe that if you have done a particular job for a long time and feel you know the right way to do it -- and have a sense of integrity and honor about it and your reputation in that regard -- you draw a line. And I think that's what Jay did.

And Hopkins, after having had the situation explained to him by Jay, should have walked and never played. Instead he went along with the promoter altering the chart. Don't know why but as soon as he did that, it's on him too.

Lou Figueroa

 

[couldnthinkof01]

Allen you understand what a waiting list is right? Barry didnt enter you in the event and you never checked the list. You are a professional, no? Please take some responsibility. It is a joke for any professional to say " well i just did what i always do why should i have to make sure im on the list?"

Why, its your job, treat it as such. And to try to buy your way in past the waiting list to just jump in. Can anyone do this in your tournaments?

Maybe im wrong, wouldnt be the first time. I would just love to see some professionalism.

 

[Johnnyt]

Out of my 60+ years of playing pool, I have only two signed pictures of great players that are great for the game. Danny D. and Allen Hopkins. Both are my pool hero's. I never played Danny D., but I did play Allen in Cherry Hill, NJ, I believe it was, back in the early 1970's. He beat me for a bit over $300 (imagine that tLOL). Allen is a totally nice guy and a pleasure to be around.

Allen, I believe you should NOT have played in that tournament. John "JT" Terrell