Billiards Promoter Joe Kerr Passes Away

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Billiards Promoter Joe Kerr Passes Away
Longtime friend, player, and promoter of billiards, Joe “Joker” Kerr passed away Sunday, July 6, 2008, succumbing to myasthenia gravis. Kerr was born March 25, 1945, in Akron, OH, and lived all his life in that area, attending Archbishop Hoban High School and the University of Akron. For 15 years he was the store manager for Carlton Clothes and then became regional manager for Nelson Stag Shops.
In 1978 Kerr became a member of the Men’s Professional Billiards Association (MPBA) and won several titles, including the 1983 Detroit Open and the 1985 Genesis Classic Championship. Two years later he founded Joker Promotions, directing and promoting professional pool events all over the world. When, in 1988, he was elected executive director/secretary treasurer of the MPBA, he began representing the top 1,000 players in the world.
One of the biggest honors of his life came to Kerr in 2000 when he was inducted into the Canton Sports Hall of Fame as a promoter and player. Kerr also worked as a writer for several industry publications, including On the Snap. Additionally, he was the house pro at both the infamous Starcher’s and Diamond Billiards in Akron.
Kerr is survived by his parents, his two children, and his three grandsons.
Mike Janis of the Viking Cue 9-Ball Tour said, “Joe ‘Joker’ Kerr, was a dear friend of mine as well as our sport. Joe made a huge contribution to our sport with his professional tournament direction, promotional skills, and wonderful personality. He was a pleasure to be around and will be dearly missed by all he who knew him.

“In 1996 Joe Kerr received the only lifetime honorary membership the Viking Tour has ever issued. Over the years Joe and I stayed in constant contact, and he was always willing to help out with whatever he could. I will deeply miss my conversations with Joe and wish I had more time to spend with him.”
Family and friends can visit Adams-Mason Memorial Chapel at 791 East Market Street, Akron, OH, from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 9, with a memorial service at 7 p.m. Memorials may be made in the name of Joseph Kerr to the Ohio Chapter of the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation, 2907 Lincoln Way E Unit B, Massillon, OH 44646.

DELTA-13 to be Used at Upcoming Junior Billiard Championships

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DELTA-13 to be Used at Upcoming Junior Billiard Championships
Executive Billiards, the maker of DELTA-13 “The True Triangle,” has donated 27 original prototype racks to the Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) to use in their upcoming 2008 BEF Junior Nationals ACUI Collegiate 9-Ball Championships. This year’s events will be held at the University of Arizona in Tucson July 8-13.
The BEF’s purpose to “further a standard of excellence and leadership within the billiard community” falls right in line with the Executive Billiards business principles. “We are very proud to be a part of these juniors’ events. They are just as important as the professional ones. Today’s juniors are tomorrow’s leaders,” said Samm Diep, marketing director for Executive Billiards.
“The BEF is excited to have Executive Billiards on board as one of our event sponsors. We have one hundred and eighty participants this year, and I’m sure they will look forward to trying out this new innovative rack,” said Laura Smith, president of the BEF.
To learn more about the Billiard Education Foundation and their future events, visit BilliardEducation.org. Ask for the DELTA-13 rack at your favorite billiard supply store, visit DELTA-13.com, or call 866.915.2058.

Free Download of July/August Billiard Magazine

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Free Download of July/August Billiard Magazine
register here (/registration/register.html).

Junior Billiards Stars Head for Arizona

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Junior Billiards Stars Head for Arizona
2008 BEF Junior Nationals ACUI Collegiate 9-Ball Championships Head to the University of Arizona, Tucson
The most prestigious junior collegiate pool tournaments in North America, the Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) Junior Nationals and the Association of College Unions International (ACUI) Collegiate 9-Ball Championships will be held at the University of Arizona, in Tucson, AZ. The Student Union Memorial Center (SUMC) will host this event July 8th – 13th, 2008. ACUI competition will be held July 8th- 10th, while the junior festivities will commence on Thursday, July 10th and continue through Sunday, July 13th.
The SUMC Billiards and Games Room features 16 professional size pool tables and will be the stage to an expected 180 young athletes competing for academic scholarships, prizes and an invitation to represent the United States at the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) Junior World Championships. Junior contestants earned their right to participate by winning a BEF recognized qualifier or were nominated through their local junior pool league. Collegiate players were invited to participate through their success at an ACUI regional tournament.
Juniors will travel from 30 different states to compete in this year’s event and over 30 colleges will be represented by billiard athletes. For a complete list of junior players, visit BilliardEducation.org
The Billiard Education Foundation is a 501(c) (3) non-profit charitable organization committed to furthering the standard of excellence and leadership within the billiard community by engaging in activities related to the education and cultural advancement of tomorrow’s leaders. For more information, visit www.BilliardEducation.org (http://www.billiardeducation.org/) or contact Laura Smith at 303.926.1039 or LauraSmith[at]BilliardEducation.org
The Association of College Unions International supports its members in the development of community through education, advocacy, and the delivery of services. For more information, visit ACUI.org.

Brandon Shuffles Through the Billiards Field

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Brandon Shuffles Through the Billiard Field
Fifth Annual Burt Kellerman Memorial Tournament / Englewood, CO
by Samm Diep
On the hot summer weekend of June 21-22 in Englewood, CO, the Fifth Annual Burt Kellerman Memorial Tournament took place. Burt Kellerman “Mr. Red, White, and Blue” passed away seven years ago, and since then, his friends Ron Ferrendelli, Peter Emily, and Michael Smith have raised and added thousands of dollars for this tournament in his honor. “He was very patriotic. He was such a pool collector and a lover of all things that were pool,” stated Ferrendelli.
The first four tournaments were held at Shakespeare’s, and since their closing they found the perfect new home at Table Steaks South. The $4,000-added, race-to-7, 9-ball event has been known to attract the finest players from across the country, and this year was no different. The full 64-player field traveled from all parts of Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, and even Virginia for their shot at the prize.
WPBA professional Anna Kostanian, coming off a recent third-place showing in Charlotte, wowed spectators with her big stroke and huge break. That is, until she met her match in Dave Gomez, who went on to finish fifth. Big gun Mark Haddad also took an early exit just before the cash when he was tag-teamed by the Colorado Springs Smith brothers—Nate on the A side (who tied for ninth) and Nick on the B side (who tied for fifth).
Meanwhile, Brandon Shuff from Virginia was making his way through the winners’ bracket, taking down local champs Tony Piazza and Danny Medina in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds. Piazza ultimately prevailed for a rematch with Shuff in the finals in a single match race-to-11 showdown. In the end, Shuff proved he didn’t travel 1,500 miles to come in second place. Final score: 11-9.
Results:
1st Brandon Shuff
2nd Tony Piazza
3rd Danny Medina
4th Bill Skinner