Pool in the Olympics?

One point none of the previous posts have mentioned. Who is going to be the US Olympic Commitees sanctioning body? UPA, BCAPL, CSI, APA, VNEA, BCA, ACS et al? Someone has to determine which players will represent the US. You can bet each one is going to go for the others throat when and if billiards becomes an Olympic sport. That is where the money is. Someone mentioned the National Olympic Commitee pays for travel for the athletes. That also includes appropriate clothing, training facilities and other expenses. You can bet it would be all out war! Perhaps Mark Griffin can jump in here with more insight.

Lyn
 
I can see pool being in the Olympics eventually. The explosion of billiards through Asia is really going to help it along and actually make it the deciding factor.

I'd imagine that 3c and snooker will make it first. If table tennis and curling can make it I say put in billiards.

The only major drawback I see to this is that I wouldn't be able to see Mosconi, Greenleaf, Lassiter and a slew of other old timers play. The greatest plus would be seeing qualifying matches to be in the Olympics.
 
Another deal which I don't know about since I am not a money player is who will really go for it. While I am not a money player I just can't see myself passing up the Olympics for any money game out there. Money games will be there afterwards, but a gold medal is a priceless accomplishment.

*edit* Not only is a gold medal priceless, but it will also provide you with more money games than you can shake a stick at.
 
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Tokyo-dave said:
I for one wouldn't want to see it become an Olympic sport simply because we wouldn't end up with the best player in the world with a gold medal around his/her neck. I don't know what the payout is, but I'm pretty sure you have to finish at least in the top four in any overseas major event in order to recover airfare, meals, rooms, ect. Does anybody really think that any of the top ranked pros would be willing to put up so much money for an event with absolutely no chance of a monetary return?
If billiards became an Olympic sport, you'd end up with a bunch of shortstops and teenagers playing for the gold, and the guy/girl at the top of the podium would be far from one of the best players in the world.
dave
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I don't think this is true. If pool was in the Olympics I am sure that many of the top players would play just for the honor of playing in it--not to mention the type of TV exposure they would get. The World Games in coming up next month & (just like the Olympics) it does not pay out prize money. Yet we still have many of the top U.S. players attending (Allison, Shane & Jeanette, I'm not sure who else).

That type of thinking is exactly why the sport is where it is right now...too many players and people in the industry thinking that everyone owes them something and won't participate in something unless they are getting paid enough for it. It's shortsightedness.

Shane & I have talked about this a lot because the World Games falls in a VERY busy time of year for him and he has 4 overseas trips planned in the next 2 months so that's a huge strain on him. It's hard to justify shelling out $3K-$5K to go to Taiwain for a week with no prize money but, all-in-all, he felt it was a good thing to do because 1)it's really easy to find a sponsor for an event of this magnitude and 2)the exposure is incredible.

The World Games is a event put on by the Olympic Committee and features sports that are not yet included in the Olympics. This year there will be 31 sports with 99 countries represented and over 4500 athletes. I believe Pool and Carom are the two "billiard sports" that they will have.
www.worldgames2009.com
 
CrisDeLaGarza said:
The World Games is a event put on by the Olympic Committee and features sports that are not yet included in the Olympics.
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Hi Cris,

Can you tell me who determined which players will represent the United States in these games? The link you offered dead ends.

Incidentally, you must have played very well indeed in Vegas. Your opponent for the hot seat is a regular competitor here in Rochester. I highly respect her game. Congratulations:clapping:!

Lyn
 
CrisDeLaGarza said:
I don't think this is true. If pool was in the Olympics I am sure that many of the top players would play just for the honor of playing in it--not to mention the type of TV exposure they would get. The World Games in coming up next month & (just like the Olympics) it does not pay out prize money. Yet we still have many of the top U.S. players attending (Allison, Shane & Jeanette, I'm not sure who else).

That type of thinking is exactly why the sport is where it is right now...too many players and people in the industry thinking that everyone owes them something and won't participate in something unless they are getting paid enough for it. It's shortsightedness.

Shane & I have talked about this a lot because the World Games falls in a VERY busy time of year for him and he has 4 overseas trips planned in the next 2 months so that's a huge strain on him. It's hard to justify shelling out $3K-$5K to go to Taiwain for a week with no prize money but, all-in-all, he felt it was a good thing to do because 1)it's really easy to find a sponsor for an event of this magnitude and 2)the exposure is incredible.

The World Games is a event put on by the Olympic Committee and features sports that are not yet included in the Olympics. This year there will be 31 sports with 99 countries represented and over 4500 athletes. I believe Pool and Carom are the two "billiard sports" that they will have.
www.worldgames2009.com
Click to expand...

Correct link to the World Games is: http://www.worldgames2009.tw/wg2009/eng/index.php

Please read this other link concerning Billiards at the Olympics:
http://www.billiard-wcbs.org/History.htm

Link to Billiards (Precision Sports) at World Games 2009 website:
http://www.worldgames2009.tw/wg2009/eng/sports.php?sn=20
 
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All this added info makes me happy I randomly thought to bring this dusty old post back to the top. lol
 
cardiac kid said:
Hi Cris,

Can you tell me who determined which players will represent the United States in these games? The link you offered dead ends.

Incidentally, you must have played very well indeed in Vegas. Your opponent for the hot seat is a regular competitor here in Rochester. I highly respect her game. Congratulations:clapping:!

Lyn
Click to expand...

Juegabillar, Thanks for the link correction, I was just going by memory which was obviously a bad one :)

I don't know for sure how they are chosen but I believe it's done by rankings and I think two male and two female players were chosen. Usually the tournaments contacts the WPBA and Jerry and they will go down the list contacting players based on their rankings to attend. When a top player declines their offer then they go down to the next one. I know that's how it works with the guys anyway, maybe Melissa or someone from the WPBA can clarify on how the women were chosen.
 
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