Bummin It

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In the next match, Ben and Jeff managed to pullout the three game victory and move out of 17th and into 13th and got a nice little kick in the pants money-wise as well. Next up was the team of Casey Jennings and Mark Williams. Koski & Minc had the victory and a 9th place in their hands but still found a way to lose and settled for a solid 13th place. Considering they had come out of the qualifier, this was a very successful tournament for this young team and they were feeling good about their overall performance.

By this time it was already late Saturday and our other mutual friend Aaron Wachtfogel was playing the night session, so we decided to stave off the grueling drive for one more day and enjoy what was left. Koski, Minc, Bob-O, Dave and myself joined Mark Williams at a nearby eatery and watering hole called the Yardhouse for some pre-game revelry before heading back to the event site to watch Aaron play under the lights.

It was an entertaining match and an entertaining time as well which we parlayed into an evening at the players party at McDuffy's. For some reason we were the only AVP people in attendance, but that didn't take away from our good time. The next morning we regrouped and the three of us packed into the Sonata once again and sped across the desert back to the safety of our own small beach communities.

For the team of Ben Koski and Jeff Minc this matched their best finish thus far of the season, and it was all accomplished by playing an extra three matches in the blazing heat of the qualifier. It likely will save them from having to play in the qualifier this weekend in Hermosa Beach as well as netting them $1,700, or $850 each.

That's the fun part of the story.

Now lets take a look back at all of the expenses that Ben Koski incurred for playing in the Glendale Open:

Hotel = $285 total (my share was $72)
Rental Car = $165 total (my share $41)

Total winnings = $850

Grand Total Expenses = $382

That's $468 in pocket for 4 days work.

So there you have it. I was proven wrong. Ben made money on the weekend and it was not bad, really. He walked with several hundred dollars for four days of work, not bad by any measure. Also, within his expenditures were a few creature comforts such as an extra night stay and even a beer-cuzzi. But treating yourself even on a small level after a long tournament is par for the course.

Then again, there are other factors as well, such as that 13th place money was not guaranteed by any means. For Ben to hone his skills to the point that he would even have a chance at placing 13th he has to workout about 40 hours a week if you include playing time and gym time. This cuts into his ability to work a full-time job that would help him have a stable paycheck instead of the iffy paydays provided by AVP results. Meaning that he is forced to shack-up with a nice older couple … his parents … who let him live there rent free.

Now consider what other sports pay out. The typical PGA event pays an astounding $121,000 for a 12th-place finish, while your average 12th singles finish on the ATP Tour is $550. Even professional bowling, the PBA, awards a cool $2,650 for a 12th.

Now let's look at the majors. The NFL minimum salary is $285,000, while Major League Baseball pays its rookies $375,000. The NBA ups the ante to $418,000 minimum, but NHL has the best minimum payout at $450,000.

This is making me depressed. It makes me wonder what the winnings are for bocce ball or horseshoe tournaments.

Ultimately, there is a much higher cost to playing in these AVP events. But in the end, it doesn't really matter. They are richer for the experience, and I truly admire these athletes that will sacrifice their own creature comforts for a shot at making money playing a sport they love. I know I sure couldn't do it. Well, maybe if I picked up a big guy like Fuerbes, then I guarantee you I'd be getting fifths.

Blake hangs his hat on the fact he's a $50 career winner in three seasons worth of AVP qualifiers. But he did star in college at UC Santa Barbara.

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Jeff calls the shot as Ben goes high on Larry Witt.

Photo: Frank Kaiser

Koski goes with an Incredible Hulk block on Canyon Ceman in Glendale.

Photo by Frank Kaiser