SJM at the 2024 Derby City Classic

[maha]

it tells me those that complain want things changed to fit them only.

and if he complains about it what do all those others that come and support venues have to consider.

 

[sjm]

Not many, that was my point. It wasn’t worth it to a lot of players to come here.

The Filipino contingent used to come steal all the money.

The European contingent took over and drove the Filipinos away.

Now just 2 people…Filler and Gorst are keeping them all away.

With one of those two almost Guaranteed to win all the events at DCC…there’s not good money left for anyone else.

Oops, I left out three Polish players: Wiktor Zielinski, Konrad Juszczyszyn and Miesko Fortunski, so there were, in total, nine European Mosconi hopefuls. I think that's quite a few given that most of the Europeans don't play banks or one pocket.

Some Filipinos on hand, too, including Lee Van Corteza, Roland Garcia, Alex Pagulayan, and Roberto Gomez, but not as many as ten years ago.

Agreed that the top two have separated themselves from the pack and they'll be the ones to beat at Derby City for another decade or even longer. Reminiscent of Varner and Sigel in the 1980s.

 

[sjm]

When Shane Van Boening was the one winning all the time he didn’t bitch about the money below the finalists.

Now that he’s not doing all the winning he’s asking to spread the money around.

What’s that tell you?

Exactly. He's recently gone on record as calling nine ball boring. He never called it boring when he was mass producing titles.

 

[InsertCleverNameHere]

gees steve, you are one of the only ones that see the forest through the trees.

if in a tournament that has an outstanding group winning all the money. one option is to take much more of the money and spread it out down the line.
they did that in poker and the fields grew. along with other reasons of course. one of which the blinds went up faster(added more luck) and more amateurs could get in the money. the top pros still come.

That’s an excellent parallel imo. The derby is much closer(in its nature) to a poker tournament than your average pool tournament.

 

[InsertCleverNameHere]

Exactly. He's recently gone on record as calling nine ball boring. He never called it boring when he was mass producing titles.

Haha I guess that’s what I sound like too now that I can’t play it how I used to as well. I feel ya, SVB. BORING!

 

[sjm]

Haha I guess that’s what I sound like too now that I can’t play it how I used to as well. I feel ya, SVB. BORING!

Me, too. Winning never gets old, but losing gets tiresome. Have to feel for Shane, an all-time great, but his days of being on top at 9ball are probably behind him.

 

[InsertCleverNameHere]

Me, too. Winning never gets old, but losing gets tiresome. Have to feel for Shane, an all-time great, but his days of being on top at 9ball are probably behind him.

I’m certainly not ready to throw dirt on his grave just yet but as the years go on it ain’t getting any easier that’s for sure. Huge fan so I hope for many more titles in his future.

 

[sjm]

I’m certainly not ready to throw dirt on his grave just yet but as the years go on it ain’t getting any easier that’s for sure. Huge fan so I hope for many more titles in his future.

He is still a fine player, but not at the top of the heap. Wish him well.

 

[InsertCleverNameHere]

He is still a fine player, but not at the top of the heap. Wish him well.

Just off the top of your head do you think there are more than a dozen ahead of him? I still think he’s a contender. Today. 3-5 years from now maybe not. Only time will tell…

 

[sjm]

Just off the top of your head do you think there are more than a dozen ahead of him? I still think he’s a contender. Today. 3-5 years from now maybe not. Only time will tell…

In a 9ball race to 15, I'd take Filler, Gorst, Kaci, FSR, Yapp, Raga and Ko Ping Chung over Shane, but that means he's top eight and still one of the most elite. Hope he's got a 9ball major left in him. Not betting against him for, as you said, he's always a contender.

 

[skogstokig]

When Shane Van Boening was the one winning all the time he didn’t bitch about the money below the finalists.

Now that he’s not doing all the winning he’s asking to spread the money around.

What’s that tell you?

to be fair, i've seen quite a few players complaining on social media after the DCC. shane is just one of a group of miscontents

 

[sjm]

to be fair, i've seen quite a few players complaining on social media after the DCC. shane is just one of a group of miscontents

It's reasonable. The top pros, of late, have come upon better times. The days of travelling far to a $2,000 added event are over for many of them. They are hotter commodities than they used to be and, understandably, want to get paid more than in the past.

On the other hand, the European-based players who, as a group, are more professional about honing and maintaining their skills than the Americans., travel all over Europe to compete in Euro-tour events offering very little money and spend a lot of money to travel overseas to compete. They understand that competing as often as possible is what they need and, as a group, their international results would seem to validate that their philosophy has worked.

The fact that some of the top guys have a sense of entitlement is OK by me, in view of the times. For the first time, they can decide whether each event is worth the time and money they have to invest.

In SVB's case, he earned $16,000 for winning the 2012 Derby City 9ball. Since then, the Derby City 9ball field size has grown dramatically, yet Filler earned the same $16,000 for winning the 2024 edition. Something looks wrong, so it would seem the players have a legitimate beef here.

 

[maha]

should be at least double. they are getting screwed if the host is doubling his profits. payouts need to be commensurate with the profits.
otherwise someone else will step in or the players will and should step out.
most can get a job as a bus driver and make more than they are making now. and that isnt right. any top of the sport person is supposed to make a major amount of money.

 

[skogstokig]

It's reasonable. The top pros, of late, have come upon better times. The days of travelling far to a $2,000 added event are over for many of them. They are hotter commodities than they used to be and, understandably, want to get paid more than in the past.

On the other hand, the European-based players who, as a group, are more professional about honing and maintaining their skills than the Americans., travel all over Europe to compete in Euro-tour events offering very little money and spend a lot of money to travel overseas to compete. They understand that competing as often as possible is what they need and, as a group, their international results would seem to validate that their philosophy has worked.

The fact that some of the top guys have a sense of entitlement is OK by me, in view of the times. For the first time, they can decide whether each event is worth the time and money they have to invest.

In SVB's case, he earned $16,000 for winning the 2012 Derby City 9ball. Since then, the Derby City 9ball field size has grown dramatically, yet Filler earned the same $16,000 for winning the 2024 edition. Something looks wrong, so it would seem the players have a legitimate beef here.

yes, it's weird that the number of entrants has gone up, and with that increased entry fee $$ and buyback $$, but prize money is stagnant. where is it going? paying deeper?

 

[sjm]

yes, it's weird that the number of entrants has gone up, and with that increased entry fee $$ and buyback $$, but prize money is stagnant. where is it going? paying deeper?

I doubt they are paying deeper. I can't recall any event in pool history that increased prize money at the lower end of the payout while leaving the top prizes unchanged,

 

[jalapus logan]

...any top of the sport person is supposed to make a major amount of money.

This is only true of "major" sports and pool is barely a minor one. I'd like to see the top pool pros make ten times the current DCC payout, but I'm surely not going to be the one to start writing the checks. If one could show me the path to promoting high payout events profitably, then I'll step right up, walk across the water's surface and become the savior of pooldom. Until then, I'll keep my day job, play pool recreationally, and root the pros onward from afar.

Cheers and best of luck to one and all,

Neil (who lives just over an hour from the DCC but did not attend the event)

 

[sjm]

This is only true of "major" sports and pool is barely a minor one. I'd like to see the top pool pros make ten times the current DCC payout, but I'm surely not going to be the one to start writing the checks. If one could show me the path to promoting high payout events profitably, then I'll step right up, walk across the water's surface and become the savior of pooldom. Until then, I'll keep my day job, play pool recreationally, and root the pros onward from afar.

Cheers and best of luck to one and all,

Neil (who lives just over an hour from the DCC but did not attend the event)

Yes, we're minor, but we'd like to be less minor.

 

[sjm]

You should submit these great tournament reports to Billiards Digest to publish. I bet the magazine (and its readers) would be interested.

Generous words, Dave, for which I thank you, but my pool family is here at AZ Billiards, a forum which, I'd guess, the majority of BD subscribers read.

 

[sjm]

A logical conclusion to this thread is to take note that Diamond is taking action to help us all rebound from the scheduling nightmare of the last two years.

Here's a link to a thread on the subject.

Upcoming changes for Derby City Classic 2025

Who knows? Maybe my streak of missing the 9ball final at Derby City will end at two!

 

[Garo 7]

Speaking of Derby City, who is this kid on the table behind Shane at the 2025 Mini-Derb? I am sure someone here knows. He is so young, yet seems a really strong player. He certainly keeps strong company.