People probably get tired of me saying this, since I’ve said it several times every year since the early 2000s. But the annual Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame Banquet is the best night of the year in pool. And, to me, no other event comes close.

Of course, the 2024 banquet, held in Orlando on the night before the start of the Mosconi Cup, had special meaning for me. And I have to admit, it was quite different viewing it from the perspective of an inductee rather than as the event’s emcee, which I’ve had the honor of doing for the previous 14 years.

It was a grand night, for sure. With well over 300 guests, it was the largest BCA Hall of Fame banquet this century. And that came as no surprise, with nearly 3,000 pool fans from all over the U.S. and Europe in town for the Mosconi Cup, and with U.S. pool legend Shane Van Boening being the Greatest Player inductee.

The annual Hall of Fame banquet is more than simply an opportunity to see people get plaques and green jackets. It gives attendees a close look at the rich history of the sport. It offers perspective on a sport that spans more than 100 years in the U.S. The evening always starts with a video history of Hall of Fame inductees since the BCA started inducting players and impactors 57 years ago. Sprinkled in are video highlights from various acceptance speeches, from Minnesota Fats in 1984, to Eddie Taylor, Barry Hearn and Allison Fisher. Just watching the images go by … Welker Cochran, Ralph Greenleaf, Willie Mosconi, Jimmy Caras, Steve Mizerak, Jean Balukas … never fails to send a chill down my spine. And I love the fact that in a sport with more than 125 years of champions, the BCA Hall of Fame has fewer than 100 members. I’ve always said I think halls of fame should be really difficult to get into, particularly in the Greatest Players category. Sports are littered with great players. But a hall of fame should be reserved for the greatest of the greats. The generational players.

This year’s banquet included two Meritorious Service inductees; myself (still trying to process that) and the late Mark Griffin. Meritorious Service is a tricky category. No non-player gets involved in a sport with aspirations of making a hall of fame. I can honestly say I never, ever gave that even the slightest thought. I just love this sport, this industry, and my job. That has always been enough for me.

It’s different for players. I believe all elite athletes at least think about reaching a level that makes them immortal. They all want to be remembered. And there are benchmarks and a checklist of sorts that players can look at to see if they measure up. So, when they get elected, it’s something that strikes them differently than they would have expected. I’ve had the pleasure of breaking the election news to many of the inductees, and they always seem at a bit of a loss as to what to say.

In Orlando, the attendees were treated to an incredibly articulate and powerful speech from CueSports International CEO Ozzy Reynolds, accepting on Mark Griffin’s behalf. It was a great opportunity for Reynolds to put Mark’s lifelong love of the sport and industry into perspective, and he nailed it, reminding people of the many areas of the sport and industry which “have Mark’s fingerprints all over them.”

Still, in the end, sports halls of fame are primarily about the greatest athletes. So, it was no surprise that the highlight of the evening was Shane’s acceptance speech. And it offered the perfect example of what I mean when I say the banquet is the best night of the year.

What the Hall of Fame banquet offers is the opportunity to hear the sport’s greatest players in a way they’ve never been heard before. Once the banquet approaches, I believe they start to realize what a singular moment this is. It’s not an interview about their winning a title. It’s their opportunity to share their thoughts on a lifetime in the sport. And it’s always special.

I spoke to Shane often in the days leading up to the banquet. And when he told me he thought his speech would be 15 minutes or so, I was astounded. When was the last time anyone heard Shane talk for 15 minutes about anything, much less himself?

But there he was, smiling, resting his elbow casually on the podium while he spoke, rolling on for nearly an hour. He spoke about his initial reaction to receiving the news of his election, a foregone conclusion that couldn’t have surprised him in the least. Yet, he admitted to sitting in his boat on his favorite lake in South Dakota, and suddenly becoming very reflective. He thought about all the years of practice, tournaments, matches and travel that has gone into his road to the Hall of Fame. I’m sure it was overwhelming when looked at from that perspective.

Shane laughed and joked. He told a host of road and tournament stories that had attendees on the edge of their seats, wanting more even 50 minutes in. In a poignant moment, he also took time to carefully remember all the people who had impacted his life and career who are no longer with him, citing the dates of each friend’s death.

In short, it was Shane as even his closest friends had never seen him. That’s the opportunity that the Hall of Fame banquet gives players. An opportunity they never really get anywhere else. An opportunity to open up and share secrets.

And that’s what makes the annual BCA Hall of Fame Banquet the best night of the year in pool.