Yep, this is where we seem to be. There are more world class players, more tournaments, and probably more tournament money around today than there was 50 years ago. It's hard to argue against that. But personally, I often times find those tournaments boring. And I don't think this thread was limited to tournament play. "Better" is subjective.
The absolute most entertaining person I have ever seen in pool, was Jack White. He put on a demonstration at my college, twice, in the 1970s. No grand stands, or anything like that. He just walked up to a table in the student union, and we all gathered around him. He told stories, and did a number of trick shots. He would play with anyone bold enough to pick up a cue, and he made them enjoy looking like a chump. He told jokes and interacted with the crowd. He would say things to his opponent like: "If you make that shot, I'll give everyone in this room $100". Someone in the crowd yelled out: "Let's see your money". So Jack pulled out a roll big enough to choke a horse. He kept us all laughing for a couple of hours. He was an absolute gem, in the pool world. A true ambassador.
I'm sure there were, and are, better pool players than Jack White, but I've never seen anyone more enjoyable to watch.
