Was pool better 50 years ago?
- By sjm
- Main Forum
- 184 Replies
All good. You enjoy what you enjoy.You having said that, I have very little interest in watching today's pool. When I watch it on YouTube I find myself fast forwarding just to see who wins. The idea I would be driving hundreds of miles to watch a tournament today, not a chance.
The biggest stars of fifty years ago were probably Mizerak, Sigel, Varner, Rempe and Hall. Were they more entertaining to watch than today's crop? Not to me. Were they more animated than today's crop? Not to me. It's a myth that the stars of fifty years ago were any less robotic than the stars of today. Today, despite the presence of a few superstars at the top, nobody can hold the top position for long. In 2022, FSR was player of the year. In 2023, it was Filler. In 2024, it was Gorst. In 2025, it was Yapp. Let's see if yet another player finds his way to the top in 2026. I can't wait to watch!
For me, and this pertains to every sport I watch, what I enjoy the most is watching the emergence of new talent. The unprecedented amount of new talent that is emerging today in pro pool today is leaps and bounds beyond what we saw back in the day, and it's because the whole world is playing pool now, which wasn't true fifty years ago.
Still, you must go where your tastes lead you and it is not for me to tell you what you should and should not enjoy. Thanks for your input.