The Hustler and and Color of Moneya re great movies but...

subdude1974 said:

Color of Money and Hustler are great movies but....
these two movies have done nothing for the game of pool but keep money FROM going into them. The public view on this sport is that of scorn. Noone likes to be hustled and noone is willing to pay to watch hustlers. Some of the best players in the world are not even known because that is the way they want it so they can HUSTLE people. Look at golf, game that is respected and admired by the public. Making millions of dollars for positioning a little white ball. Wait a minute, is that pool??? Yes but without the hustling. Sure there are hustlers in golf at clubs or whatever, but do you think they want any part of TIGER,Els, Vijay??? I dont think so. That is why they are rewarded, because they are the best and allow the public to view them as just that, the best at what they do. The great should come out of the closet and be seen and start to give pool a better image to the public and maybe we will see a change of opinion and also see a change in purse monies for pros. More endorsements. More everything. The more interest in a sport the money there will be in it. Common sense. Hell, I just saw they had an East versus West competition for text messaging. Text messaging!!!!! Winner took home $25,000. How many pool tournaments pay the winner that much. A couple. Aside from the winner take all tourneys. And pool tournaments are short little races that dont take long to complete. I want to see a pool tournament that lasts a week, best of 5 sets races to 11. People would see more pool and more action. But since there is no money in it, then people want to get in and out of the tournament as fast as possible to go gamble. And as far as poker goes, the best players in the world are known and they are rewarded because they make there profession interesting to the viewers. Again, THE MORE PEOPLE INTERESTED IN SOMETHING THE MORE MONEY THAT IS INVOLVED!!!

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In my opinion Poolhall Junkies is probably the only movie that could translate into helping the sport as if they made a second one continuing where the first left off.

Basically the premise in the first one could be seen as one players rise above the hustling game to become a professional player, the second movie could focus more on the professional tour and the up's and downs of a professionals life.

Although I do like The Hustler and The Color of Money, I really think that a new type of these movies is going to have to come out to really make a major difference.

Plus I really think that as far as the professional tour goes, just like poker has done (and yes I know, sacralige on a pool forum) there needs to be some appeal to the american public in the form of character and excitement. Straight Pool won't catch the public anymore, neither will 9-ball, 10-ball or 8-ball without something that will help keep the attention of the short attention spanned american public.

It can be done, it will just take a major move by all of us in the pool playing community, we are going in the right direction with the trick shot shows as that can keep the attention of some, but we need to make a push for the same kind of excitement and action in regular tournaments and push for it to be on prime time when more people will see it. I myself set my DVR to record the shows at 12, 1, 2am but would watch way more if it was on prime time.

So there is my .02 on the situation, I just hope that we can all get together and get something started, start pushing for a new movie, pushing for prime time coverage, pushing for more character and excitement in the game to bring it to tv, I am positive we can do it but it will be a long and hard fought road.

~ Ryan

I am with you guys on this one.
I am a long time pool player among other things. I am a room owner , a custom cue builder , and a lover of the game.
I have playered and been around pool since I was 7 years old. My dad got me playing and have been hooked ever since.
I do alot for the sport , like owning a room that allows all age levels to come in and enjoy the game. No age limit on my room due to no alcohol.
I build and repair custom and production cues at probly the best price around. My cue are nice enough to sit next to the big boys , but I keep the price way down so the average Joe can enjoy owning one and have that sence of pride from owning something he either designed or picked out just cause he liked it and didn't have to second morgage his house to buy it.
I have 4 girls I have been showing the right way of pool for 17 years. They are my children , but I have taught them respect of the game and they really do enjoy it.
I give lessons to all that come into my room for free. If they ask , I stop what I am doing and shoot with them and answer all the questions I can. Sometimes for hours on end.
So yes I promote the game like I created it. Love the game of pool. But I see the decline and the change of the players in the last 2 years. Even some of our local players say , hey , lower your races so the thing will go quicker , put in a poker table and I will help you set up poker tourneys and will bring lots of folks. But will not bring the same folks to play pool.
The people are changing all over. Fast food and mini marts seem to rule , no one has dinner with their families anymore , the cell phone age sux , 8 year olds have em for pete's sake.
Sounds like I am 80 years old , but I too love this sport and rack my brain to make it better. I remember the ole days when you would see green lights in the window and just had to stop and check out the action. Now , you gotta try all these promo's and gimmics to where it's like you have to trick people to like the game.
It sux , and yes we need a savior for our sport!
Just me ramblin on,
Jim

Hustling ...

goes on in every sport, everywhere, you just don't hear about it like you do Pool. The nature of the beast in Pool is money games, and that was and is how most hustlers and pros survive.

35 years ago in Houston, while working at a Pool room and going to college, I used to take $200-$500 off a guy a week that was a golf hustler. He worked the doctors, lawyers, oilmen, and the jet set on the golf course, making $3,000 to $5,000 a week. That was all he did. He knew he couldn't beat me in Pool, and just considered it money spent for lessons.

Pool does not have the organizational structure needed to become a major sport interest. Look how much soccer thrives in our country now, even though we prefer football a lot more. Why? Because they established leagues for the youth, semi-pro leagues, and got pro teams into mid sized cities.

Pool has to have stepping stones of organizational structure for it to be successful, from the kids, to the local and national leagues, to the semi-pro level, to the pro level, and international competition. Having
High School and Collegiate teams would help get it into the Olympics.

How many pros in other sports get to compete in a tournament not designated especially for pros? The semi-pro level in Pool needs a clear definiton and restrictions put on semi-pro level tournaments. Although we all enjoy watching the pros, to be in a tournament, and have 3-4 pros drop in and take off the tournament and all the calcutta money is too common an occurence in Pool.

Just a thought, but unless you guys can hatch a plan to go to Sprint, T-Mobil, Coors Beer, or anyone else at the corp level...that'll show them in 100,000 of thousands of sales that they'll benefit from sponsoring "Professional Pool" then you're barking up the wrong tree when it comes to all your blaming reasons as to why pool has never gotten off the ground. Any sport that you "DON"T" have to qualify in "FIRST" to play in a so called pro event is a joke, because then you let in just anyone. Hell, who wouldn't like to play 72 holes with "Tiger" by just paying an entry fee to play, what would that do to the game of golf? "Text messaging"????? Don't you have to have a cell phone to do that? And don't that come with a monthly bill?...Great idea on who ever thought of that one...LOL But, I guess you could just keep on blaming the lack of growth of pool on just about everything else you want to, or maybe just eliminate all other sports and games all together, then everyone would just have to play pool...wouldn'nt they? Did you know that bass fishing tournaments pays more than playing pool does?

Glen

imo pool hall junkes was a terrible movie. i was sick when i saw it. i worked in the movie industry at the time and for years i heard of this "pool" movie staring christopher walken. for any1 that used to watch in living color (HATED IT.) cw was in it for all of 10 mins

the hustler and the color of money were excelent movies. the color of money was rated one of the top 10 worst sequels in in movie history. it truely touches on "hustlin" and what being a road player is.

also for anyone that owned a room in the 80's when the color of money came out there was a huge spark in the pool community esp in my area. philly

Pool has had it's lousy reputation long before the movies...it is the movies that have provided a resurgence of interest in our sport. I wish a pool movie would come out...pool is dying! After the Color of money in the late 80's the poolrooms were packed~!

poolhall maven said:

Pool has had it's lousy reputation long before the movies...it is the movies that have provided a resurgence of interest in our sport. I wish a pool movie would come out...pool is dying! After the Color of money in the late 80's the poolrooms were packed~!

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well said. pool is a scumbag sport. no one wants to play everyone wants to steal. gold is way harder than pool but that is an excelent paying sport. i dont get it. ppl like k.t. and the IPT dont help either promising the world and backing out and conning ppl. i knew that was a joke thats y i didnt even try to qualify. i know a few big names who feel the same way

what is gold?

9 Ball By Main Street Productions Starring Jennifer Barretta

9-Ball" The Movie - "WPBA MEMBER JENNIFER BARRETTA TO STAR IN UPCOMING FILM "9-BALL" -- Jennifer Barretta has been cast to star in the new movie "9-Ball" directed by Anthony Palma of Main Street Productions, who also wrote the screenplay and will produce. Barretta says: "I'm absolutely thrilled to have been cast as Gail! Our lives have many similarities which will authenticate my portrayal of her." "9-Ball" is about a young, up and coming female pool player (Gail) who breaks away from hustling pool in the back rooms of bars under the manipulation of her exploitative uncle, to follow her dream of becoming the Women's 9 Ball Champion of the World.....

http://www.mainstreetproductions.com/9ball.htm

Well stated SUBDUDE. I hope this new movie is in good taste. It is one of the oldest sports around. It used to be a rich man's game. I think it's up to us all to give a little and pray for some back.
Jim

subdude1974 said:

the pool rooms may have been full of people playing pool after these movies came out, but they were full of people trying to hustle people or learn how to hustle. and yes there are people who gamble at every sport. but, there are differences between gamblers and hustlers. hustlers have no morals, ethics or conscience. gamblers are people that thrive on competition and play for stakes. i dont see gambling as being the problem, it is the HUSTLING that is the problem. gamble all you want. no problem here. there is a new image we must portray to the public to increase the games awareness, purses and respect for the sport.

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well said however as stated before people would rather steal than play. even before the movies. i am having the same discussion in another thread about poker and pool.