If you are not in the mood for a long post, turn back now for it is not too late!
I just experienced six glorious days at the US Open, and I will now size it up from the vantage point of an American fan in attendance. My comments on the play itself and the surrounding social side of my week will appear in a different thread.
Harrah’s Atlantic City
The Harrah’s hotel itself was quite nice, although I was told that many queued up for hours to check in. Due to my rating as a gambler at Caesar’s properties, I was lucky to be spared this headache, permitted to stand on a much shorter line despite not having been to Harrah’s Atlantic City in over thirty-five years.
The restaurants were numerous and nice and the rooms were fine, but there was no housekeeping service (presumably a COVID safety measure), so the service level was regrettable. I didn’t get clean towels until day four! I suspect this issue will resolve itself soon.
The US Open Arena
The playing arena was in the hotel conference center. The setup over the first few days had its pluses and minuses.
On the negative side, the arena was difficult to navigate, and finding the table on which the match of interest was being contested was more difficult than it should have been. However, this was more than offset by the fact that there were some good seats available to watch any match of interest, and I often availed myself of this great opportunity. Let’s also add that the arena was clean and was always tidied up between sessions.
The biggest problem with the arena was that the air was unusually cold, and this was a problem which upset fans and players alike.
Still, despite a few problems, the experience in the tournament room was generally positive for the fans and while I’d say there are a few kinks to work out for next year, Matchroom did a creditable job in setting up and managing the arena in a fan friendly way.
The Equipment
I felt the equipment was excellent and the table specs definitely befit such a prestigious event. A US Open must be contested on tough equipment, and this one was. The equipment played quite a bit tougher than what we got at the World Pool Championships, although perhaps not quite as difficult as what we got at the World Pool Masters. Balls were neither rolling off nor skidding, so all aspects of equipment management were handled skillfully.
Watching Unstreamed Matches on Outer Tables
Let’s start with a positive. There were many volunteers present and most (perhaps even all, I just can’t say) matches had both referees and shot clock operators. I thought that this was wonderful and applaud Matchroom for providing it. This gave the event a very professional look and ensured adherence to the match schedule, no small feat when the field of participants is so huge.
Match scores were displayed on an IPAD at each table, but the player names as displayed were so small I could not read them, and that was a negative. In addition, the IPAD could only be seen by fans watching on one side of the table and not the other, and scores were rarely announced by most of the referees.
The feed of the match scores into the cuescore.com website was instantaneous and this was a big positive, making it quite easy, in theory, to remain abreast of match scores, both completed and in progress. In practice, however, most were getting just two bars on their electronic devices inside the arena and, consequently, had trouble loading the site at times, which was a source of frustration in the absence of a manual bracket in the arena.
A small negative merits mention with respect to upcoming matches listed on the cuescore.com website and that is late indication of table assignments. I recall that one evening, the table assignments for the 6:30 PM sessions remained unlisted even at 6:23 PM, I cannot say whether this was because the table assignment decisions had yet to be made or that updating of the website was delayed, but it was a bit discouraging for those hoping to grab the right seat for an upcoming match of interest.
Watching the TV Table Matches on Days 1-5
The setup of the TV arena was superb, befitting a first-rate championship event. Unfortunately, the attending fans could not get very close to the action, as the round tables with barstools were not very close to the TV arena’s perimeter. I thought that, perhaps, the fans could have been allowed to get a bit closer. That said, however, there were numerous overhead TV monitors that made viewing much more fan friendly than it otherwise would have been. Certainly, the good greatly outweighed the bad for TV table matches on Days 1-5.
I thought that the match introductions were handled skillfully and the energy level was high during player introductions.
Watching the TV Table on Day 6
Bleachers were brought in for Day 6, on which action was restricted to the two semifinals and the final. I loved the way things were set up on Day 6, and there wasn’t a bad seat in the arena. Day 6, in a word, was magnificent from a fan’s vantage point.
The Judd Trump Factor
I thought that the presence of Judd Trump added a lot to this US Open and I thank Matchroom for delivering this superstar of cue sports to our national open. Judd played about as well as most of us were expecting, behaved impeccably and was gracious in every respect. Judd is a credit to his sport, and now ours.
Did Fans Get Their Money’s Worth?
My six-day event pass, which included VIP seating for Day 6, cost less than $200 including Ticketmaster processing fees and I thought it was a great entertainment value. Matchroom gave us a great pro pool product at an inexpensive price.
The Final Trophy Presentation
It really rubs this fan the right way that Matchroom shows so much respect for and honors the legacy of Barry Behrman, whose herculean efforts of yesteryear explain the very existence of this event, which is now over forty years old. After Carlo Biado's memorable victory, both Emily Frazer and Shannon (daughter of the late Barry Behrman) participated in the trophy presentation, standing alongside our new champion. I well understand that Matchroom has hit the ground running and has brought the US Open to an unprecedented level of excellence and excitement, but their choice to pay tribute to the event's history is tasteful and very much appreciated.
In Conclusion
On most levels, the US Open event was a major triumph and Matchroom really rose to the occasion in producing the event. Matchroom Pool's chief executive Emily Frazer, the ubiquitous, tireless manager of the proceedings, is one of pro pool’s greatest ever assets, and her team members were well dressed, acted with professionalism, treated fans with courtesy, and seemed to carry out their responsibilities efficiently.
I took the trouble to thank Emily for everything she and Matchroom are doing for our sport. Emily and I have met briefly before on a few occasions. I asked for just a moment of her time, but got over ten minutes of it. She seemed very happy to chat, never stopped smiling as we conversed, and thanked me for my input. You always get that cushy feeling when you chat with Emily, for she is so very committed to the continued evolution and development of the pro pool product and is always looking for new and better ways to do things. Pro pool could hardly be in better hands!
Thank you to all at Matchroom for a wonderful week of great pool. Let’s do it again soon.
I just experienced six glorious days at the US Open, and I will now size it up from the vantage point of an American fan in attendance. My comments on the play itself and the surrounding social side of my week will appear in a different thread.
Harrah’s Atlantic City
The Harrah’s hotel itself was quite nice, although I was told that many queued up for hours to check in. Due to my rating as a gambler at Caesar’s properties, I was lucky to be spared this headache, permitted to stand on a much shorter line despite not having been to Harrah’s Atlantic City in over thirty-five years.
The restaurants were numerous and nice and the rooms were fine, but there was no housekeeping service (presumably a COVID safety measure), so the service level was regrettable. I didn’t get clean towels until day four! I suspect this issue will resolve itself soon.
The US Open Arena
The playing arena was in the hotel conference center. The setup over the first few days had its pluses and minuses.
On the negative side, the arena was difficult to navigate, and finding the table on which the match of interest was being contested was more difficult than it should have been. However, this was more than offset by the fact that there were some good seats available to watch any match of interest, and I often availed myself of this great opportunity. Let’s also add that the arena was clean and was always tidied up between sessions.
The biggest problem with the arena was that the air was unusually cold, and this was a problem which upset fans and players alike.
Still, despite a few problems, the experience in the tournament room was generally positive for the fans and while I’d say there are a few kinks to work out for next year, Matchroom did a creditable job in setting up and managing the arena in a fan friendly way.
The Equipment
I felt the equipment was excellent and the table specs definitely befit such a prestigious event. A US Open must be contested on tough equipment, and this one was. The equipment played quite a bit tougher than what we got at the World Pool Championships, although perhaps not quite as difficult as what we got at the World Pool Masters. Balls were neither rolling off nor skidding, so all aspects of equipment management were handled skillfully.
Watching Unstreamed Matches on Outer Tables
Let’s start with a positive. There were many volunteers present and most (perhaps even all, I just can’t say) matches had both referees and shot clock operators. I thought that this was wonderful and applaud Matchroom for providing it. This gave the event a very professional look and ensured adherence to the match schedule, no small feat when the field of participants is so huge.
Match scores were displayed on an IPAD at each table, but the player names as displayed were so small I could not read them, and that was a negative. In addition, the IPAD could only be seen by fans watching on one side of the table and not the other, and scores were rarely announced by most of the referees.
The feed of the match scores into the cuescore.com website was instantaneous and this was a big positive, making it quite easy, in theory, to remain abreast of match scores, both completed and in progress. In practice, however, most were getting just two bars on their electronic devices inside the arena and, consequently, had trouble loading the site at times, which was a source of frustration in the absence of a manual bracket in the arena.
A small negative merits mention with respect to upcoming matches listed on the cuescore.com website and that is late indication of table assignments. I recall that one evening, the table assignments for the 6:30 PM sessions remained unlisted even at 6:23 PM, I cannot say whether this was because the table assignment decisions had yet to be made or that updating of the website was delayed, but it was a bit discouraging for those hoping to grab the right seat for an upcoming match of interest.
Watching the TV Table Matches on Days 1-5
The setup of the TV arena was superb, befitting a first-rate championship event. Unfortunately, the attending fans could not get very close to the action, as the round tables with barstools were not very close to the TV arena’s perimeter. I thought that, perhaps, the fans could have been allowed to get a bit closer. That said, however, there were numerous overhead TV monitors that made viewing much more fan friendly than it otherwise would have been. Certainly, the good greatly outweighed the bad for TV table matches on Days 1-5.
I thought that the match introductions were handled skillfully and the energy level was high during player introductions.
Watching the TV Table on Day 6
Bleachers were brought in for Day 6, on which action was restricted to the two semifinals and the final. I loved the way things were set up on Day 6, and there wasn’t a bad seat in the arena. Day 6, in a word, was magnificent from a fan’s vantage point.
The Judd Trump Factor
I thought that the presence of Judd Trump added a lot to this US Open and I thank Matchroom for delivering this superstar of cue sports to our national open. Judd played about as well as most of us were expecting, behaved impeccably and was gracious in every respect. Judd is a credit to his sport, and now ours.
Did Fans Get Their Money’s Worth?
My six-day event pass, which included VIP seating for Day 6, cost less than $200 including Ticketmaster processing fees and I thought it was a great entertainment value. Matchroom gave us a great pro pool product at an inexpensive price.
The Final Trophy Presentation
It really rubs this fan the right way that Matchroom shows so much respect for and honors the legacy of Barry Behrman, whose herculean efforts of yesteryear explain the very existence of this event, which is now over forty years old. After Carlo Biado's memorable victory, both Emily Frazer and Shannon (daughter of the late Barry Behrman) participated in the trophy presentation, standing alongside our new champion. I well understand that Matchroom has hit the ground running and has brought the US Open to an unprecedented level of excellence and excitement, but their choice to pay tribute to the event's history is tasteful and very much appreciated.
In Conclusion
On most levels, the US Open event was a major triumph and Matchroom really rose to the occasion in producing the event. Matchroom Pool's chief executive Emily Frazer, the ubiquitous, tireless manager of the proceedings, is one of pro pool’s greatest ever assets, and her team members were well dressed, acted with professionalism, treated fans with courtesy, and seemed to carry out their responsibilities efficiently.
I took the trouble to thank Emily for everything she and Matchroom are doing for our sport. Emily and I have met briefly before on a few occasions. I asked for just a moment of her time, but got over ten minutes of it. She seemed very happy to chat, never stopped smiling as we conversed, and thanked me for my input. You always get that cushy feeling when you chat with Emily, for she is so very committed to the continued evolution and development of the pro pool product and is always looking for new and better ways to do things. Pro pool could hardly be in better hands!
Thank you to all at Matchroom for a wonderful week of great pool. Let’s do it again soon.
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