Folks:
While the "Derby City Classic" has become synonymous with the event and is considered "legendary" in the pool circles, times do change -- like everything else. With the fact that location of the event has indeed moved out of the Derby City area, and the current state of the economy as well as the sport of pool, it might be time for a major sponsor to step up and suggest a name. Another poster here mentioned that many events are now named by the major sponsor, and certainly, most sports stadiums across the country now bear the name of a major sponsor.
While a NY'er myself, I remember the disdain I felt many years ago when 3Com Corporation bought the rights for Candlestick Park in San Francisco, and renamed it to "3Com Park." Or, closer to home, when the same thing happened to the Brendan Byrne arena -- it then became known as the "Continental Airlines arena." (Granted, Brendan Byrne didn't exactly "earn" the honor to have a stadium named after him, but what was done was done, and the park was "locked" in people's minds with his name on it.)
Back then, I thought for sure that sacrilege had been committed on both these legendary parks/areans, that "evil" commercialism had disgraced them. But these commerical entities did indeed keep these legendary parks/arenas afloat through some very tough times.
Billiards is one sport that is suffering through these times. One of the first very noticeable warning shots across the bow was the BCA's significant cut-backs on their annual event (e.g. no more BCA Hall of Fame events at the BCA show itself until further notice, as well as others I fail to mention).
It might be high-time for a major sponsor to step up and "make it their own" so-to-speak. Since Greg has been such a proud mainstay sponsor of this event, why not "do as the Romans do" in these days of naming something after your entity, and call it the "Diamond Billiards Classic" or something like that? In fact, it sort of has a nice ring to it, now that I say it a couple times to myself!
Thoughts?
-Sean
