Glass City Open Is Back

Tom Gearhart 419-360-4214
GlassCityOpen@gmail.com
The Glass City Open is Back!
But Now It’s a Whole New Ball Game
TOLEDO, OH – September 21, 2010 – The Glass City Open, Toledo’s namesake pool championship is back, but it’s different. The event is now a 5-player Open Team 8-Ball Triple Elimination Tournament, limited to 64 Men’s teams and 24 Ladies teams. They will compete for $40,000 in prize money at the Ramada Hotel and Conference Center Thanksgiving weekend, November 26-28, 2010.

Click the image above or here for the tournament flyer.

“Anyone can play; pros, amateurs, shortstops…they’re all welcome,” says Tom Gearhart, Promoter and Tournament Director, who, along with his Glass City Open partner Tom Elder, resurrected the event.

Believing so much in its success, the two Toms and their sponsors are guaranteeing $15,000 added to the tournament.

“We will guarantee $12,000 added to the men’s event with $10,000 guaranteed for first place and we will also guarantee $3,000 added to the ladies event with $2,500 guaranteed for first place,” Gearhart said. “Plus, we will pay down approximately 25% of the field in both divisions.”

“Our philosophy is simple,” comments Gearhart, “make it fun, make it affordable, add in some guaranteed money, give each team three losses before they’re out, have a great venue, bring in a couple of pros for exhibitions and entertainment, let the tournament players play on the best bar tables in the world, Diamond Smart Tables, and put in an action room for some great matchups and you have the makings for a fun-filled weekend playing pool! Now, get your best team together and let’s get it on!”

Each 5-Player Team will get an attractive All-Inclusive tournament package for only $199 per player, that includes: Entry Fee into the Tournament, Two Deluxe Hotel Rooms for Two Nights (Friday-Saturday) at the host Ramada Hotel and Conference Center, five Glass City Open Tournament T-Shirts, 25-Raffle tickets to win cues and other prizes, an All-You-Can-Eat Saturday breakfast buffet for the whole team and guaranteed Added Prize Money of $15,000. Plus, mini-tournaments, a comedy act and more. Teams can secure their position in the event with a $250 deposit that is refundable until November 1, 2010.

As an added bonus, Billiard Club Network will produce the final 4 matches on Championship Sunday for Cable TV broadcast in Toledo on the Buckeye Cable Sports Network (BCSN) and other BCn regional affiliates. Live streaming is still to be determined, however ondemand viewing at BilliardClub.net and BCn’s YouTube channel will allow Teams to show their talents worldwide.

Tom Gearhart is an experienced veteran in the tournament scene, having promoted and operated more than 100 pro and amateur events in the past 30 years. And although he has been out the pool world for the past 4 years, he has maintained a thumb on its pulse and admittedly claims that the economy and lack of fun team tournaments are the big factors in resurrecting the Glass City Open.

“I’ve wanted to bring something new and exciting to team tournaments for a long time and believe that the time is now. Besides, I never really left the pool world, I just had to do something to make a living,” says Gearhart, who is currently the Director of Operations for Seagate For Your Home, a $5million a year home improvement company in Toledo, owned by Tom Elder, his GCO partner.

Billiard Club Network has signed on as TV producer and promotional partner of the event and will assist in the registrations until the GlassCityOpen.com web site is completed. Team Registration is Open, active and limited.

Team check-in will be 4:30 PM on Friday, November 26th with a mandatory Team Captain’s Meeting at 5:30 PM. Mini-Tournaments will begin Thursday, November 25, Thanksgiving evening.