Players

02/01/2026

02/01/2026

Officially Closed.....FOR NOW!!!

Tough day for sure, but the keys have officially been handed over.

It is really cool, and very sad at the same time, when your customers are still pulling in the parking lot, stop, roll down their windows and say, "We already miss this bar". Or the customers that were still coming to our doors, trying to get in, only for us to say we have been evicted. That is when you know you left a little footprint in people's heart.

To everyone that has stepped into Players over the past 3 1/2 years, thank you. We hope that when you left that you had a good time and a cold beer. We weren't fancy. We didn't sell drinks that had smoke coming out of them, or fruit that you have never heard of! We sold beer, vodka, whiskey, and tequila. We had TV's and a thumping jukebox. We were a bar anyone can come in and have a good time at. We were, and still are, Players.

To the dj's, bands, past staff, current staff, cleaning staff (Kirk), and everyone that helped make us what we are, thank you. We had great performers such as, Muddy Ruckus , Doug Brundies, MD Moncada, and countless more. Anakin BMack Presley, love you brother. Thank you for the support and having our back.

To my early morning breakfast/coffee/cleaning crew. Kirk, Denise (sometimes), Tom Jarrett, and Joe Manly, it truly made me smile when I would come in and see you guys sitting at the bar, telling stories, and telling lies. You guys, and gal (sometimes), are what makes us closing the hardest. You were home at Players, and you always will be. The band will be back together soon, we promise you that.

Lastly, we want to thank Joe Manley. Peter Lank brought you to us. So to you Peter, thank you. To you Joe, thank you. You joined us after being open for a few months. We were struggling badly during the day prior to you joining our team. You brought down so many great people, and helped us turn the corner early on, when we desperately needed it. Joe, you were not an employee, you were and are, family. You taught me many thinks in the past 3 years. You entertained us with your stories, with your personality, and with your heart. You protected Players as if it were your own. You looked after the staff, you looked after us, and you looked after the bar. For that we thank you. Joe, you are the best thing that came from our 11th Street location. You are simply....Joe Manley. Thank you.

Jeff & Lonni

Keep checking back on our page for updates on our new location. We are looking, and we hope to have something in the next few months.

01/25/2026

Go see our good friends at Kelso's. The place that does it right. Great owner. Beautiful place.

This decides it. Who’s going to the Super Bowl? 🏈 Drop your picks in the comments 👇

01/24/2026

The last of our family that is gone. 12/01/2023 @ 9:51 PM. I love you son.

01/24/2026

Casey Krager

01/23/2026

Join me and Mikayla Honeycutt for our final shift together‼️‼️, as we celebrate an unforgettable journey at Players in the village. Although we'll be closing our doors after this weekend, I'm filled with gratitude for the incredible memories we've made here. I'm thrilled to cherish the moments we've shared 🥺, and I look forward to our last hurrah! Catch me at 8, and don't miss Bestie, who's starting at 6 - let's make it a night to remember!

🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳

01/23/2026

Megan McCubbin Sometimes words aren't good enough to explain who people are. Sometimes words, however eloquently spoken, will still not describe the true character of someone. Megan is that person. Words don't do you justice girl, you were simply one of a kind, an amazing person, and a better mom.

Megan passed on 8/24/2024. Megan worked at Players and was easily a crowd favorite. Never without a smile on her face, she would tell you a joke, listen to your story, or she would just sit back and be a friend. Megan was more than beautiful, she was charming, energetic, and funny. Her personality, smile, and charm were unparalleled. If she is in your cicrle, your having fun, that was guaranteed. She was also widely popular with the Players staff as well. If you needed a shift covered, Megan had your back. If you needed something, Megan would go get it for you. Megan was just Megan. Every good quality you look for in a person, Megan had them all.

Talking to her outside of work she would tell you all about her family and more importantly, her kids. There is nothing more beautiful than watching a mom's face when she talks about her kids. The pride in her voice and the glee in her eyes said everything. Oh how she loved her kids. Megan was born to be a mom, a role that she strived in and a role model to so many. I love to watch how close Megan and her family are. Its a special bond that not all families have. They all have fun together and love together.

Megan could have worked anywhere, so it made us especially proud when she started at Players. Megan, thank you for the memories. Thank you for Las Vegas. Thank you for your smile. Thank you for being a friend to so many. More importantly, thank you for being a good and proud mom.

Your family, they are leading just the way you would have. Your memory will never fade and your sister, well she miss you. She misses you a lot. She reminds us often how beautiful you were as a person, and she reminds us how much she misses you. We got Kayla McCubbin we will ALWAYS be there for you.

When your family walks through our doors, so do you Megan. We love, miss, and honor your memory.

Find Tom and grab him a beer. Mark is probably looking for a Busch Light and Brian wants the remote to watch the Cardinals game. Let everyone know we think about them daily, and Megan, thank you for who you were. Your spirit and your soul will live forever......

8/24/2024

01/23/2026

There is no good way to start this post, and there definitely is no good way to end it. But, this guy, without question, is a legend of the Quad Cities. Tom Balunis do I need to write more? The man, the myth, the Tommy Boy.

Tom never met a stranger, and if he did, they wouldn't be a stranger for long. The single most generous human being I have ever met. Tom would buy you a beer, and borrow money from someone to pay for it. If your day was bad, and Tom walked in, suddenly it got better. Tom was an athlete. Tom was an extremely successful salesman. Tom was a great dad. Tom was everything you would look for in a person.

From our opening days at Rivals, Tom was there. "Rivals after Dark". It was a thing. It was real. It was Tom's creation. A Bears fan and a Cubs fan, there was never a time either team want going to win the world series or the Superbowl. There was nothing better than having a beer, talking to Tom about sports
Tommy, I love you, we all love you.

February 20, 2024 is a day that will forever be remembered. Getting the text that nobody would believe. Disbelief, sadness, and a weird feeling that hit our souls, a bad dream....."Tom's gone"....We all thought about your kids. Oh, how you were so proud of them. Everyone knew your kids. The rye smile, the chin up, and the gleam when you talked about them.....you were/are, a proud dad.

My friend, our friend, everyone's friend. Tommy, tell our heavenly friends we all say hello. Buy them a beer, we got you when we see you again. RIP Tom...

01/21/2026

Remembering people that we lost as friends and patrons over the past 3 1/2 years at Players makes closing the doors that much harder. We wish that it wasn't happening, not because of anger, but because the friends that we made during our time meant so much to all of us. We will miss drinking with family and friends, just like we miss Brian Ripple

Brian was a great person, and a better person to have sitting at your bar, especially if the Cardinals were on. I am sad that I didn't know him well outside of Players, but I couldn't be happier that I met this larger than life dude when we opened our doors. Brian could make you laugh with the greatest of ease. Brian would hold my attention when we talked about things that we viewed as "serious". We talked politics, we talked business, we talked about our careers and our families, but he seemed to always get the conversation back to the St. Louis Cardinals. Talking sports with Brian was intense, informative, and for me, generally a losing battle. Brian was the one guy that would walk thru our doors, and immediately everything changed. We knew when he was there and if we needed help, Brian would take care of us. Reflecting on his page, it was easy to see why he was so well liked. We miss you Brian, we wish for comfort to all of your friends and family.

When your birth date, and your end date are the same, I think thats one of the biggest, Brian will do it his way, moments of all time. You are missed. You were a great person, friend, and patron. Brian Ripple, we wish your family and friends the best, and hope they have started to find peace.. May your memory forever live on., as ot willl at Players. May you rest in peace. Your legacy lives on. RIP friend.