ESPN and Billiards

Rocky247

Rocky247

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Just a thought. Everytime i go to the ESPN site for scores etc and hit the "other sports tab" I see laCrosse Womens BB, Poker and a host of other non main sports. Why isn't Billiards up there?

http://espn.go.com/
 
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A much bigger problem (as if we don't have enough already) for our sport, beyond any perceived negative image, is the simple fact that many media outlets don't consider pool to be a sport. Yeah it's true, sad to say, that even sports editors of major newspapers will often totally overlook pool (or billiards) saying it's not really a sport. Try educating these guys sometimes, it's futile!

This same media will give credence to poker, which is certainly not a sport and completely overlook pool, which most definitely requires hand/eye co-ordination. I never have been able to figure this out and have been fighting this battle as a promoter all my life. Of course I'm talking about the American media here. In Asian countries, they are glad to cover pool, as they give extensive coverage to all games with sticks and balls. Major pool tournaments over there are well covered by the media, thus the players are well known, even reaching celebrity status. Players like Mika and Ralf are famous athletes in the Philippines and Taiwan, and recognized wherever they go.
 
Rocky247 said:
Just a thought. Everytime i go to the ESPN site for scores etc and hit the "other sports tab" I see laCrosse Womens BB, Poker and a host of other non main sports. Why isn't Billiards up there?
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Who lobbies ESPN to put pool information there, and regularly and reliably sends results to post? All of those other sports have organizations with a strong vested interest in seeing their information posted where their fans can find it. What pool organization is interested in doing that?
 
jwpretd said:
Who lobbies ESPN to put pool information there, and regularly and reliably sends results to post? All of those other sports have organizations with a strong vested interest in seeing their information posted where their fans can find it. What pool organization is interested in doing that?
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This is an important topic for that proposed caucus that Mark Griffin is talking about. Pool needs PR, no question about that!
 
Everyone is overlooking the obvious. ESPN is all about $$$ and pool/pool demographics doesn't bring enough to the table. It's not about educating media outlets or lobbying pool as a sport.

In this matter of $$$ and pool on American tv, the media and sponsors are far more well informed about pool's feasibility than anyone here. They've done their homework and the verdict is that there's not enough in it for them to put money into pool. The arithmetic is simple. Why is everyone banging their head over it.

Poker is not a sport, it is a recreation, but everyone plays it, and it brings viewers, and if it brings viewers the sponsors will follow. The contradiction within pool itself is no more evident than in the personage of Jeanette Lee, really THE ONLY pool celeb in America. In her, ESPN is willing to give her the keys to the sports lounge while everyone else sits in the lobby. JEANETTE brought recognition, and here's the funny part,,,,Jeanette brought recognition ONLY to herself, because pool is so unpopular she doesn't have enough star power to carry it.
 
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In 2002, I contacted via e-mail, letter, and telephone every news media outlet in my area -- TV, print, and radio.

I wanted them to cover a pro tournament being held in Maryland. Every single one of them, with no exception, told me the exact same thing as Jay said: "Pool is not a sport." I think I still have the e-mail from the Sports Department at NBC News.

It would be nice if something could persuade the media that pool is a sport. Even with the multi-million-dollar pool tournaments put on by Trudeau, who seems to be the punching bag for some today, there was almost no mention of this in the media. I think I heard one sentence on ESPN news about Thorsten winning the tournament in Vegas, but that was it. There was no visual.

With all the efforts made to get the media involved, there seems to be a stop sign to getting pool noticed.

If there was a PR person for pool, somebody who had experience in this area, maybe it would help, but as all things, it costs money. Who's going to foot the bill?
 
This is kinda off topic, but ESPN need some commentators bad. These people they have may be professional players, but they don't have the gift of the gab like real commentators. There boring, take the World Series guys for example they feed off each other and keep it exciting. Also nobody wants to watch an hour of Trick shots either, including me.
 
So here is the deal!
It is now my mission in life to follow-up on this and see what I can do. I will report back.
IN THE MEAN TIME!!
Please go to ESPN and create an account,its free and no obligation to do anything.The more players behind me the better. Also if anyone is computer savvy then yes a Petition drive would be nice. Also I think its time for the Pro's and the BCA to step-up and defend there "SPORT"! This project is going to take awhile and yes its Pro Bono work but what the hell!!



Thank you for contacting ESPN Customer Care. We will respond to your email promptly. If your issue requires immediate attention, please contact us at 888-549-3776. We are open 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. ET, seven days a week.

Thank You,
ESPN Customer Care
 
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Rocky247 said:
Just a thought. Everytime i go to the ESPN site for scores etc and hit the "other sports tab" I see laCrosse Womens BB, Poker and a host of other non main sports. Why isn't Billiards up there?

http://espn.go.com/
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ok, brace... here comes the worst in me..... i was just watching womens figure skating.... i mean it was great. no kidding. why? i mean if they were in jeans and a sweater i would have tuned out in a second. i gave them ratings and i dont know a thing about skating.... i loved it and will watch again with great relish.

now, i see certain players... i only know the name of maybe one.... gae young kim.... well, i think if she were to dress like an ice skater wed be in business (not like them but showing same amount of skin). there are a couple other ones too.... asian ones, i dont know their names, haha. but i mean really.... is there some NECESSITY that requires skaters to show skin, or was there just a smart guy at some point that found an excuse? i guess there are similar examples all over.... womens volleyball, gymnastics, tennis, etc... maybe they NEED this attire, or maybe it is arguable?
 
Rocky247 said:
So here is the deal!
It is now my mission in life to follow-up on this and see what I can do. I will report back.
IN THE MEAN TIME!!
Please go to ESPN and create an account,its free and no obligation to do anything.The more players behind me the better. Also if anyone is computer savvy then yes a Petition drive would be nice. Also I think its time for the Pro's and the BCA to step-up and defend there "SPORT"! This project is going to take awhile and yes its Pro Bono work but what the hell!!



Thank you for contacting ESPN Customer Care. We will respond to your email promptly. If your issue requires immediate attention, please contact us at 888-549-3776. We are open 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. ET, seven days a week.

Thank You,
ESPN Customer Care
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AzBilliards is definitely cyclical with its subject matters and content. :D

I created a thread about this exact same topic many years ago, posting up the ESPN contact info and asking all AzBilliards members to follow through and express themselves.

A few members posted on the thread, saying they would do so. Nothing came of it. :frown:

Pouring all that IPT money into pool, the multi-million-dollar tournaments, did not seem to effect a change for the better with ESPN and the media.

Women and men competed in the IPT, and though sex sells in some sports, the emphasis of this venue was talent and skill sets.

In the end, money didn't seem to matter, so I am at a loss as to what will work, but this thread has brought in some interesting topics.

Here is the venue at the IPT's Vegas tournament. Read the sign above the Hustlin' clothing line booth: "Pool is now a sport." Check out the red carpet below, what the IPT was attempting to do.
 

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Squinty42 said:
Also nobody wants to watch an hour of Trick shots either, including me.
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Maybe not too many of us want to watch trick shots, but the average Joe would much rather watch it then a regular pool match. Why do you think it is shown on ESPN quite often?
 
It won't be long before China gets pool into the olympics. There training there army of pool players now. If they say pool is a sport, pool is a sport.
 
JAM said:
AzBilliards is definitely cyclical with its subject matters and content. :D

I created a thread about this exact same topic many years ago, posting up the ESPN contact info and asking all AzBilliards members to follow through and express themselves.

A few members posted on the thread, saying they would do so. Nothing came of it. :frown:

Pouring all that IPT money into pool, the multi-million-dollar tournaments, did not seem to effect a change for the better with ESPN and the media.

Women and men competed in the IPT, and though sex sells in some sports, the emphasis of this venue was talent and skill sets.

In the end, money didn't seem to matter, so I am at a loss as to what will work, but this thread has brought in some interesting topics.

Here is the venue at the IPT's Vegas tournament. Read the sign above the Hustlin' clothing line booth: "Pool is now a sport." Check out the red carpet below, what the IPT was attempting to do.
Click to expand...

"Pool is now a sport" posted directly above the "Hustling booth" ...........just a little irony? :rolleyes:
 
javi2 said:
"Pool is now a sport" posted directly above the "Hustling booth" ...........just a little irony? :rolleyes:
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It was a sport for a brief moment in time -- at least to the pool players competing in those events. :p

I love that Hustlin' clothing guy. His clothing line is a hit at every pool event I have ever attended. If it helps to promote pool, it's a good thing. ;)
 
Ahh... ping pong is considered a sport isn't??? Requires using a wooden instrument to strike a ball for an anticipated result. Kinda like tennis and golf. Could probably include Crochet too but I don't know if that's considered a “sport” either.

Now let's take it up a notch and try a sport that requires using a wooden instrument (with a diameter about the size of the jumbo pencil grade school kids use) to strike a much larger diameter ball, to strike another ball for an anticipated result.

All the examples require the participant to be on his feet for what could be hours and hours, while maintining eye-hand-coordination, focus, determination, and the proper consistent form with the wooden instrument used.

IMHO billiards needs it's own single governing body to organize and promote the sport. I don't feel having separate entities for men and women like the NBA is the right direction. You could still have “women-only” events & tournaments. But it may be better to put forward one unified show-of-force, and one unified source of income/revenue. For TV coverage it's all about the money and viewer response.

However, could you imagine if pool followed the lead set by the PGA and LPGA? Compare how many “strokes” a golfer plays in a 3-4 hour 18-hole round to how many “strokes” a good billiard player will execute in a 3-4 hour session. It would be great to see the media coverage and money that's in golf in pool too.

(I used to love watching pool Saturday afternoons on The Wide World of Sports when I was a kid. It was always a treat.)
 
LAlouie said:
Everyone is overlooking the obvious. ESPN is all about $$$ and pool/pool demographics doesn't bring enough to the table. It's not about educating media outlets or lobbying pool as a sport.

In this matter of $$$ and pool on American tv, the media and sponsors are far more well informed about pool's feasibility than anyone here. They've done their homework and the verdict is that there's not enough in it for them to put money into pool. The arithmetic is simple. Why is everyone banging their head over it.

Poker is not a sport, it is a recreation, but everyone plays it, and it brings viewers, and if it brings viewers the sponsors will follow. The contradiction within pool itself is no more evident than in the personage of Jeanette Lee, really THE ONLY pool celeb in America. In her, ESPN is willing to give her the keys to the sports lounge while everyone else sits in the lobby. JEANETTE brought recognition, and here's the funny part,,,,Jeanette brought recognition ONLY to herself, because pool is so unpopular she doesn't have enough star power to carry it.
Click to expand...

You nailed it.
 
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