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Breaking News #32
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:: Arizona Pool Scene www.azpoolscene.com
IPT Jeopardizes 2006 US Open 9-Ball Championship and More
From: admin@billiardclub.net
In its most recent announcement of tournament dates for 2006, the International Pool Tour has scheduled a $3
million event in Reno, NV on the same dates as the previously scheduled U S Open 9-Ball Championship, pool’s
longest running and most prestigious title.
"I’m shocked and very disappointed," said Barry Behrman, US Open 9-Ball founder and promoter. "I received a call
from the IPT office on Tuesday morning notifying me of their schedule and without delay a press release went out,
leaving us absolutely no time to react or reschedule. Our fans are already calling upset and frustrated. At this time,
we’re not exactly sure what we’re going to do."
Not only has the IPT taken the US Open dates, which were released in September of 2005, it has scheduled its
largest prize money event against the U S Open 9-Ball. The IPT has left no doubt as to where it wants the attention
of the pool world to be in September 2006.
"The US Open 9-Ball Championship is about more than just money, it’s about tradition and prestige, and the IPT
just walked all over that tradition without notice," lamented Behrman, who is now scrambling to find new dates and
possibly new venues in other markets. However, moving the event somewhere other than Chesapeake, VA is
highly unlikely. "Wouldn’t it be a sad situation for this great pool tradition, for the sponsors, for the players and of
course for pool’s greatest fans in the world who attend the US Open 9-Ball Championship religiously every year, if
we were forced to cancel the event?"
With more spin than a spotted cue ball, the IPT announcement states that they "have done everything in their power
to work around other promoters’ tournaments whose schedules have been announced. The IPT also claims to
have contacted all major promoters, who have been overwhelmingly cooperative and understanding with regard to
the tournament date clashes." It appears that the authors of Natural Cures are hard at work at the IPT.
"Contrary to the IPT press release, we were not contacted in advance, we have not been given the chance to be
cooperative and we do not understand this move, which is a complete slap in the face of the US Open 9-Ball
tournament," said Barry Behrman. "The only other dates available at the Chesapeake Conference Center, where
we have held the event for the past 8 years, are Dec 22 – Jan 1. This really doesn’t leave us much choice now does
it? Thank you Mr. Trudeau."
Ironically in November 2005, the Chesapeake Conference Center offered Barry Behrman the opportunity to move
the 2006 event to October, in order to avoid the hurricane season. A decision on the new dates needed to be made
quickly. However, after easily checking several industry resources and consulting with the WPA, it was discovered
that the October dates conflicted with the Tian-Xiang Cup in Taipei that promised guaranteed prize money for top
players. As a professional courtesy to the players, Barry Behrman made the decision to hold the published
September dates for one more year, regardless of the annual threat of hurricanes.
The US Open is not the only event with previously scheduled dates that the IPT is compromising. Several events in
the WPA schedule are also in jeopardy due to the IPT 2006 schedule. They are, the Asian Tour stop #4, the World
Pool League, the Euro-Tour in the Netherlands, the WPA World 8-Ball Championship, the Super Cup in Taipei, and
the Mosconi Cup.
John Lewis, a North American director on the board of the World Pool-Billiard Association, was contacted and
added, "The WPA is a consortium of over eighty national pool federations and six continental bodies representing
the players, organizations and volunteers who can more efficiently communicate under one umbrella body to help
unify the international pool sport. We are recognized as the world governing body of the pool sport under the
structure of the International Olympic Committee. Our 2006 sports calendar has been available online for months.
We were never contacted by the IPT regarding scheduling of events prior to their release of a 2006 IPT calendar. If
the IPT intention was to provide more opportunities for the players, they have now succeeded in limiting their
opportunities - not expanding them - by conflicting with so many international events. The IPT has the potential to
very positively impact the sport; but if the IPT continues to do business in the manner they display, should the IPT
move away from pool after a couple years, there may be no structure of communication and action remaining at the
international level to continue progression of the international sport."
Unfortunately, the effects of IPT’s scheduling decisions are much more far-reaching than the US Open and the
WPA events. If the US Open is canceled, TV schedules and sponsorship contracts will be in serious jeopardy,
which means millions of pool fans worldwide will miss one of the sports crown jewels. The US Open 9-Ball
Championship has received more broadcast hours than any other pool event in history. Presently, the 2005 US
Open 9-Ball TV series is airing on regional cable networks with national distribution on satellite networks Dish and
DirecTV.
"The IPT shows great promise for the billiard industry, but they’re not scoring many points with the promoters who
have been instrumental in the sport’s survival over the past decade," commented Rob Sykora, president Billiard
Club network, the producer and distributor of the U S Open 9-Ball TV programming. "At this point we can only hope
that the IPT will make amends in some way by supporting the events that are now forced to suffer through
unwarranted changes and be more aware of existing schedules in the future. The realty is, the IPT can do whatever
it wants, because it has the resources to do so. But, that doesn’t mean we all have stand up and cheer and support
their effort. Frankly, they should issue an apology to the event promoters events they’ve just stepped on."
million event in Reno, NV on the same dates as the previously scheduled U S Open 9-Ball Championship, pool’s
longest running and most prestigious title.
"I’m shocked and very disappointed," said Barry Behrman, US Open 9-Ball founder and promoter. "I received a call
from the IPT office on Tuesday morning notifying me of their schedule and without delay a press release went out,
leaving us absolutely no time to react or reschedule. Our fans are already calling upset and frustrated. At this time,
we’re not exactly sure what we’re going to do."
Not only has the IPT taken the US Open dates, which were released in September of 2005, it has scheduled its
largest prize money event against the U S Open 9-Ball. The IPT has left no doubt as to where it wants the attention
of the pool world to be in September 2006.
"The US Open 9-Ball Championship is about more than just money, it’s about tradition and prestige, and the IPT
just walked all over that tradition without notice," lamented Behrman, who is now scrambling to find new dates and
possibly new venues in other markets. However, moving the event somewhere other than Chesapeake, VA is
highly unlikely. "Wouldn’t it be a sad situation for this great pool tradition, for the sponsors, for the players and of
course for pool’s greatest fans in the world who attend the US Open 9-Ball Championship religiously every year, if
we were forced to cancel the event?"
With more spin than a spotted cue ball, the IPT announcement states that they "have done everything in their power
to work around other promoters’ tournaments whose schedules have been announced. The IPT also claims to
have contacted all major promoters, who have been overwhelmingly cooperative and understanding with regard to
the tournament date clashes." It appears that the authors of Natural Cures are hard at work at the IPT.
"Contrary to the IPT press release, we were not contacted in advance, we have not been given the chance to be
cooperative and we do not understand this move, which is a complete slap in the face of the US Open 9-Ball
tournament," said Barry Behrman. "The only other dates available at the Chesapeake Conference Center, where
we have held the event for the past 8 years, are Dec 22 – Jan 1. This really doesn’t leave us much choice now does
it? Thank you Mr. Trudeau."
Ironically in November 2005, the Chesapeake Conference Center offered Barry Behrman the opportunity to move
the 2006 event to October, in order to avoid the hurricane season. A decision on the new dates needed to be made
quickly. However, after easily checking several industry resources and consulting with the WPA, it was discovered
that the October dates conflicted with the Tian-Xiang Cup in Taipei that promised guaranteed prize money for top
players. As a professional courtesy to the players, Barry Behrman made the decision to hold the published
September dates for one more year, regardless of the annual threat of hurricanes.
The US Open is not the only event with previously scheduled dates that the IPT is compromising. Several events in
the WPA schedule are also in jeopardy due to the IPT 2006 schedule. They are, the Asian Tour stop #4, the World
Pool League, the Euro-Tour in the Netherlands, the WPA World 8-Ball Championship, the Super Cup in Taipei, and
the Mosconi Cup.
John Lewis, a North American director on the board of the World Pool-Billiard Association, was contacted and
added, "The WPA is a consortium of over eighty national pool federations and six continental bodies representing
the players, organizations and volunteers who can more efficiently communicate under one umbrella body to help
unify the international pool sport. We are recognized as the world governing body of the pool sport under the
structure of the International Olympic Committee. Our 2006 sports calendar has been available online for months.
We were never contacted by the IPT regarding scheduling of events prior to their release of a 2006 IPT calendar. If
the IPT intention was to provide more opportunities for the players, they have now succeeded in limiting their
opportunities - not expanding them - by conflicting with so many international events. The IPT has the potential to
very positively impact the sport; but if the IPT continues to do business in the manner they display, should the IPT
move away from pool after a couple years, there may be no structure of communication and action remaining at the
international level to continue progression of the international sport."
Unfortunately, the effects of IPT’s scheduling decisions are much more far-reaching than the US Open and the
WPA events. If the US Open is canceled, TV schedules and sponsorship contracts will be in serious jeopardy,
which means millions of pool fans worldwide will miss one of the sports crown jewels. The US Open 9-Ball
Championship has received more broadcast hours than any other pool event in history. Presently, the 2005 US
Open 9-Ball TV series is airing on regional cable networks with national distribution on satellite networks Dish and
DirecTV.
"The IPT shows great promise for the billiard industry, but they’re not scoring many points with the promoters who
have been instrumental in the sport’s survival over the past decade," commented Rob Sykora, president Billiard
Club network, the producer and distributor of the U S Open 9-Ball TV programming. "At this point we can only hope
that the IPT will make amends in some way by supporting the events that are now forced to suffer through
unwarranted changes and be more aware of existing schedules in the future. The realty is, the IPT can do whatever
it wants, because it has the resources to do so. But, that doesn’t mean we all have stand up and cheer and support
their effort. Frankly, they should issue an apology to the event promoters events they’ve just stepped on."