U.S. Open negative press on Billiards Digest Website

  • Thread starter Thread starter Buxton Turner
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Buxton Turner

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I have been a personal friend of Barry Behrman for over 25 years. I grew up in the Tidewater area of Virginia, but since I relocated to live her in 2000, Barry and I, have become best friends.

I know, first hand, the trials and tribulations Barry Behrman has been through since December 2000. I was at Barry’s house that fateful night when a busload of Chesapeake’s finest stormed the house as if they were looking for Tony Soprano.

During the next 2 and one half years Barry Behrman had his share of bad luck. But don’t get me wrong; Barry made his share of mistakes during this period. Like everyone else he has been and is still paying for these wrongdoings.

I am not here to sugar coat anything or to portray Barry Behrman as a saint. But let’s state some facts:

1. The U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship has a very strong 27 year history in Virginia.
2. NO ONE has done more to promote the game of pool than Barry Behrman.
3. No one, to the best of my knowledge, pays past Champions entry fee to every U.S. Open from then on.
4. After two major setbacks in 2001 and with the sale of his home, Barry Behrman proved at the U.S. Open in 2002 that everything is in place to ensure proper player payout at the 2003 U.S. Open.
5. The U.S. Open will be played September 15-21, 2003 at the Chesapeake Conference Center as advertised.

As Barry continues his legal battle to be present at this year’s Open, I will be involved with his staff to help in any way possible with the tournament.

As the 2003 U.S. Open draws closer, there is only one thing Barry needs. That is the complete 100% support of all the fans and players of the greatest pool event in the United States. These are trying times, but you can bet that Barry Behrman and the U.S. Open will both survive.

Buxton Turner
Newport News, VA
 
I agree with you on a couple of your points. I think Barry showed a lot last year in having the event without a hitch and making up payments to a number of the players.

I have always felt that Barry's trials and tribulations away from the game should have no bearing on the US Open. However, this year is going to be a real test. With the UPA coming out against the event again and Barry not being able to be "hands on" this year, the event is going to have a tough time.

I wish Barry and the tournament well. It would be a shame for our industry to lose the most prestigous title on US Soil.

Mike
 
There is only 1 U.S. Open and we should support it 110%.

:)
 
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Ruthless said:
FL,

Kind of like the way we replace ancient "tricks are for kids artists!" with video games.

There is only 1 U.S. Open and we should support it 110%. And before you're d**k beaters start typing that all I do is flame you. I have never said one thing to or about you, but have read all the stupid stuff you have called others. Also yes I do play 9-ball better than you ever have or could. Put that in you're geritol bottle for a good boost when you may need it. But leave comments about the U.S. Open to the people that really play these events.

:)
Click to expand...

i don't know which part of this post makes the least sense. this seems like a pointless flame over an innocent remark.
 
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Barry

Barry is the US Open-- he is what makes it whether he is in the building or not at any time during the event. The fans are treated very nice as he shakes hands with everyone around him and thanks them for comming- telling them if if they neeed anything -JUST ASK.

This has made me and our growing group feel welcome for eight years in a row for what has become a fun trip that I never plan to miss.

The food in the convention center prepared by chefs is the best quality that can be found (for the money) anywhere at a pool tourn. The US Open fills the entire building and they take good care of everyone.

Out of the utmost respect for Barry the founder this historically high quaity tourn, and a man that obviously has great love of people , we looking forward to a great time Sept 17- 21.

I will never listen to those that havent gotten to know and like this fine man like I have. People just dont know. We all have our own weak areas.

It will be great this year regardless any challanges that present themselves in 2003.

Thanks Barry for being a class act
& we support you all the way.

Billy R in NC
 
Ruthless,

I don't understand what your post is trying to say either. I thought the initial post was an attempt to pay some tribute to Behrman. Then you agree with him but then you tear him down for some reason that is not made clear by your post.
 
Hey,
I'm not one to take FL side as all he does is slag me off but his first comment did seem to be fairly sensible. He didn't call anyone a bozo or anything, he just stated his opinion. Hopefully he's turned over a new leaf!

I don't really know the issue so I can't comment. But I guess it doesn't matter who runs events, it is a democratic society. The players will decide which event is the best and will support it. If someone else wants to set one up and its better then it will kill the current one. The thing is the game really needs everyone to reunite and bring in sponsorship and put the game where it should be. Sadly it looks like thats a long way off?

Good luck to whoever's got the balls to stand up and put on big events as long as they aren't creaming too much off for themselves.

Craig
 
I disagreed with you on one thing Larry, namely how to perform a long draw shot. For this you started name calling etc. You mention above that you should allow people to have their own opinion and disagree. If you had followed your own request then you wouldn't upset half the board all the time. However I note that your responses seem to be much structured and dare I say it, mature now. You have eliminated the silly name calling which can only help you regain some respect.

This site is a billiards site, as far as I know not just 9 ball or just for Americans?

I consider myself more of a pool player than a snooker player, although I do have a strong snooker background(I was the first kid in the UK to play snooker as a government sponsored youth training scheme when I left school)

I strongly disgree with your analogy that snooker and pool are as closely related as tennis and badmington. If this was the case the snooker players wouldn't be able to compete, eg get to the WPC semi's with no 9 ball experience? Also most the top women players come from a snooker background, the reason they changed sports is because unlike the mens game there is more money in womens 9 ball than womens snooker.

I think that most people that play both games will see that snooker is a much more difficult game, I guess this stands to reason considering its a larger table and much smaller pockets. Before I get anyone upset I'm talking very generally here, of course there are lots of things that differ and many things that make 9 ball unique and indeed more difficult than snooker in certain areas. However I do believe that if snooker went "tits up" (excuse my french :-) tomorrow and there was no money in it anymore you would find that anyone of the snooker pro's could turn his hand to 9 ball.

I can understand why this irks pure pool players but I'm afraid its a fact which has been proven over recent years by the performance of some of the snooker players that have dabbled in 9 ball. I think 9 ball lends itself to snooker players, the tatics are similar in that good safety will create a frame winning opportunity, but the rewards for a fould in 9 ball eg ball in hand is much greater than snooker. Also having to run out 9 balls on a smaller table with bigger pockets is always going to be easier. I don't think it does 9 ball any favours when a snooker player enters its premier event of the year and makes the semi finals! I'm sure there are analogies in other sports but badmiongton and tennis isn't one of them, everyone knows a badmington player is never going to make the wimbledon semi's!

For example, I used to play UK 8 ball a lot when it was a very tatical game. There was at least 4 top 64 snooker players in my town and none of them would play me for money. Why? because even though the table was smaller and potting was easier there was enough of a difference between the two games as to make it unlikely they would have won. But I'm not saying you should turn 9 ball into the boring as hell game that killed uk 8 ball and will prevent it from ever making much of an impact. But in its current form its always going to be easy for a good snooker player to make an impact in the major events.
 
Fast Larry, I think you'd be hard pressed to find any event as well conducted and as popular as Barry's events. I agree that he's had his problems, but what promoter would continue doing an event after he'd lost money 2-3 events in a row. In 2001, when Barry's problems with payouts began, he was faced with a difficult choice, to continue the event with smaller payouts, or to cancel after all the players and fans had spent bucks just to get there. Don't start with the 'money was guaranteed' thing. I think we can all agree on that one, and he's spent the better part of the last 2 years trying to live that down, and correct it for the future.

I assume you've attended a US Open in the past and seen how much money it takes to do everything Barry does? I think anyone who's been there would appreciate the massive amounts of time and money that go into that production.

I can't imagine another US Open venue that would attract the player and fan base that he's built in Chesapeake.

Of course, this is all - -- - - - - just my opinion, with no insults meant to anyone.
AndyG
 
I am looking forward to the US OPEN this year. Brady will be there anyway and am sure he will be helping out quite a bit.

Laura
 
Hi Larry, I wholeheartedly agree with your statement about the players getting on or off.

I think the older players who have all been around when Barry's event was the only bright star in the pool universe will continue to support him. He's been there, year after year, for 27 years, battling with outrageous demands from whatever alphabet soup players organization was 'in power' at the time, and still managed to put on a 1st class event.

I just think the US Open in Chesapeake, run by Barry, is a tradition and a piece of pool history that the sport cannot afford to lose.

AndyG
 
Buxton,
Thanks for your post of support for Barry and the Open. Naturally, the thread would become a boxing match between personalities--- completely off thread...

See you at the open.

Billy & Sonny
 
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