Player banned from US Open & Q-Masters
- Thread starter Schmohawk
- Start date
This is what I heard so don't pin me down and don't take below story to serious.....
That player was Mika Immonen, he was still waiting for some prizemoney from 2001. He went to Barry during the final asking for the money and he reacted mad. After the final he went again to Barry and he kicked him out of the venue. Mika sad down on the sidewalk. But he even wanted to have him of the sidewalk. Don't think Mika will be back next year and that remaining prizemoney will be a long story.......
That player was Mika Immonen, he was still waiting for some prizemoney from 2001. He went to Barry during the final asking for the money and he reacted mad. After the final he went again to Barry and he kicked him out of the venue. Mika sad down on the sidewalk. But he even wanted to have him of the sidewalk. Don't think Mika will be back next year and that remaining prizemoney will be a long story.......
Barry Berhmens son, Brady posts on AZB's forums. It is fact that Barry has testified to that some US Open players not being paid (some or all) winnings after the tournament. Between all that went on between 2000-2002 he said he has lost alot of money on the US open and the Masters tournament those years. He has an article in Billiards Digest comming out this month and sheds some light on it. The above mentioned reasons, is partly why Charlie Williams will not support the US Open along with The UPA.
berry said:
The incident did happen pretty much as described except it started over this years check. Mika had to ask 3 or 4 times. Barry would say-just wait until I do 'A' then Mika would come back and it was -"just wait til i finish 'B' then it was 'C' and after around 'D' things got heated. Mika then asked for "the money you owe me too" and then he got the boot.
A friend of mine had some direct dealings with Barry and he called him a "Procrastination Manipulator". I had never heard the term but It is pretty self-explanatory I think.
I'm sorry to hear this about the Open. This is know as "The Most Prestigious Tournament" ??? I can understand Mika getting upset and wanting his money after Corey's clinic against him. A Pool player should not have to wait til the end of a tournament to get his money, Everyone's time is very valuable to them. If I lose out of a tourny.....I might just want to get my little bit of money and go directly home to spend my time with my new daughter. This kind of stuff would not be acceptable in any other professional sport. They should have all the checks already made out in the convention center vault and have somebody there to fill in the player's name and take a quick picture and that person should actually THANK THE POOL PLAYER FOR COMING AND PLAYING. Don't forget....It's the Pool players that draw the spectators....not the event. This is a sad story because Mika is known as being a gentleman as a pool player. Just another reason I keep my fingers crossed for the UPA.
Schmohawk said:
I am not going to stick up for barry. But didn't he have set times for people to get paid. Atleast that is what i was told by 3 other players. they waited until the appointed time and went into the office across from the entrance to the tournament room and got paid without any problems at all. So why could'nt mike wait until the right time to ask. Just before the finals is a pretty busy time for them all down there. I spent 5 days there and had a blast. and this is the only incident i have heard of like this........................mike
Drake said:
Much like when Earl Strickland asked the UPA president for his tournament winnings after a UPA tournament. Earl wasn't very happy when he was told to wait several days to get paid because he wanted to leave and go home. Most people know what happened next.
Jose Parica had to wait for three tournaments to transpire until he got paid in Philadelphia, with a post-dated check from the UPA president.
If Mika had walked up to Barry and said "F*** you give me my money", than I would understand him getting the boot. But perhaps Mika had to go somewhere, maybe he had a plane to catch, and he asked Barry three or four times and Barry blew up? Maybe Barry was in the wrong, maybe Mika was in the wrong, but none of us know the whole situation. So before any of us jump to conclusions and say "Barry is a jerk" lets find out the real story first. If Barry does owe Mika money from tournaments a few years ago, then perhaps Barry should have handled it in a more professional manner- but, you never know.
O
onepocketchump
Guest
This is insane. Mika should now be the poster child for the UPA's cause. I see a poster with him sitting outside the convention center on the curb, dejected with his case laying beside him and Barry in the background speeding away in his Corvette with an evil grin.
Do any of you believe that a professional pool player who is regarded by all as nice and courteous, a world champion and US Open runner-up, should be treated like that?
Where does it end? When do the excuses stop from Barry? Seriously. In Mike Geffen's article Barry is painted as a man who is reformed and trying to make amends. Does this sound like he is making amends?
Whether or not Mika was in the right to ask Barry for the prize money is irrelevant. It is certainly Mika's right to ask. If Barry says that the prize money will be disbursed at x-time then that's it. However if Barry tells Mika that he'll do it right after this thing or that thing then he puts Mika in the position of following him around like a puppy. Real nice way to treat the players.
As for the money that Barry owes to Mika that is just despicable. Barry ought to acknowledge it, be respectful and at make a token payment. It is particularly despicable in light of Mike Geffen's article which opens with Barry begging the dealership not to sell a new Corvette that he wanted, with Barry telling the dealership that he would definitely be there to buy it. And the article ends with Barry not buying the Corvette. Just another broken promise to someone who took a man at his word.
I hope Barry responds to this. He has come in here and pleaded his case with us - the fans. I would like him to come in here and tell us what he is going to do to make amends to one of the greatest players alive today.
Pool Fan - John Barton
Do any of you believe that a professional pool player who is regarded by all as nice and courteous, a world champion and US Open runner-up, should be treated like that?
Where does it end? When do the excuses stop from Barry? Seriously. In Mike Geffen's article Barry is painted as a man who is reformed and trying to make amends. Does this sound like he is making amends?
Whether or not Mika was in the right to ask Barry for the prize money is irrelevant. It is certainly Mika's right to ask. If Barry says that the prize money will be disbursed at x-time then that's it. However if Barry tells Mika that he'll do it right after this thing or that thing then he puts Mika in the position of following him around like a puppy. Real nice way to treat the players.
As for the money that Barry owes to Mika that is just despicable. Barry ought to acknowledge it, be respectful and at make a token payment. It is particularly despicable in light of Mike Geffen's article which opens with Barry begging the dealership not to sell a new Corvette that he wanted, with Barry telling the dealership that he would definitely be there to buy it. And the article ends with Barry not buying the Corvette. Just another broken promise to someone who took a man at his word.
I hope Barry responds to this. He has come in here and pleaded his case with us - the fans. I would like him to come in here and tell us what he is going to do to make amends to one of the greatest players alive today.
Pool Fan - John Barton
onepocketchump said:
This year's Open seemed to be quite successful from what I could see. It would be rather sporting of Barry to begin to pay off the prize money that was not paid in 2001. Even 10% would at least show good faith.