Why I think pool has a tough time in the sports world.
There has always been a lot of talk about why pool is not a big money and popular sport. I have a few ideas from my experience with different types of businesses and by being involved in a few different sports throughout my life.
There are distinct differences that I see. The one thing that finally hit me after struggling with this question for years is that there really aren’t any fans of pool. Besides the few who used to play ,and or can’t play anymore, everyone who is a potential fan is a player with his or her own ambitions. This makes it very difficult for any up and coming player to be the the focus of enough fans to make any money or get enough attention to pull major money in promotion deals. Let’s face it, when you look across the table at an opponent, what is the chance that you are going to be wearing a t-shirt with his name on it?
I think the basic problem is that everyone is capable of playing pool, either physically, mentally, or cronologically. This isn’t true with sports that have diehard fans who sit outside a stadium waiting for tickets to watch the game. Even in sports like golf and tennis, most of the fans are outside of the sport and possibly have never even considered playing the game. Michael Jordan's fans were never waiting for him to sprain his ankle so they could have a chance. And, most likely, most basketball fans don't even own a basketball. This situation in pool creates for a lot of jealousy and has very much corrupted the possibilities of pool.
Why don’t industry companies invest? Mostly because they are not interested in anyone outside of the people who are already in their sphere of influence. Why put money into generating interest in the general public when they are only interested in selling to the players.
Pool is like martial arts. Every martial artist thinks that he, and his system, is the best and is not interested in anyone else being number one. That’s why both sports are so disjointed. There really aren't any national tournaments like Golf. Most players don't see tournaments as a business. They resist tournament directors making money. They see it as theft from the pot, when it is actually the reason that no one wants to do it. And once they do, they hold on to it because being number one is the only way they feel that they can survive.
People outside the sport don’t think it is interesting because they can’t tell how hard it is, kind of like chess. If you’ve never played pool, you may think that it is as easy as it looks when a pro is playing well. So, for most people, it comes down to "What’s the big deal?"
Competition for attention is extreme, and for what? So your competitor knows who you are. They're just interested in tearing you down.
You can’t charge pleople to watch pool tournaments in general because the only people who come to watch the tournaments are the people who play in them and they don’t want to pay to see people they play with. How many people do you see at a tournament who aren't playing against the players who they admire?
Yes, players buy DVD's and products from their idols, but that isn't to support the player, it is so some day they can beat them if they meet them in a tournament. Everything that the so called pool fans do is geared to going to the top.
Also, that is a reason that I have thought for a long time that it is very hard to find a good teacher, because in their mind they could be teaching the next person who wipes them out in a tournament. So you only get the general stuff.
No doubt, there are other circumstances which effect the poor situation that pool finds itself in. In other countries, pool has flourished, but I think that the American mind set, as competitors, as well as no interest in National pride when it comes to sports come into play.
Well, what do you think?
Jim
There has always been a lot of talk about why pool is not a big money and popular sport. I have a few ideas from my experience with different types of businesses and by being involved in a few different sports throughout my life.
There are distinct differences that I see. The one thing that finally hit me after struggling with this question for years is that there really aren’t any fans of pool. Besides the few who used to play ,and or can’t play anymore, everyone who is a potential fan is a player with his or her own ambitions. This makes it very difficult for any up and coming player to be the the focus of enough fans to make any money or get enough attention to pull major money in promotion deals. Let’s face it, when you look across the table at an opponent, what is the chance that you are going to be wearing a t-shirt with his name on it?
I think the basic problem is that everyone is capable of playing pool, either physically, mentally, or cronologically. This isn’t true with sports that have diehard fans who sit outside a stadium waiting for tickets to watch the game. Even in sports like golf and tennis, most of the fans are outside of the sport and possibly have never even considered playing the game. Michael Jordan's fans were never waiting for him to sprain his ankle so they could have a chance. And, most likely, most basketball fans don't even own a basketball. This situation in pool creates for a lot of jealousy and has very much corrupted the possibilities of pool.
Why don’t industry companies invest? Mostly because they are not interested in anyone outside of the people who are already in their sphere of influence. Why put money into generating interest in the general public when they are only interested in selling to the players.
Pool is like martial arts. Every martial artist thinks that he, and his system, is the best and is not interested in anyone else being number one. That’s why both sports are so disjointed. There really aren't any national tournaments like Golf. Most players don't see tournaments as a business. They resist tournament directors making money. They see it as theft from the pot, when it is actually the reason that no one wants to do it. And once they do, they hold on to it because being number one is the only way they feel that they can survive.
People outside the sport don’t think it is interesting because they can’t tell how hard it is, kind of like chess. If you’ve never played pool, you may think that it is as easy as it looks when a pro is playing well. So, for most people, it comes down to "What’s the big deal?"
Competition for attention is extreme, and for what? So your competitor knows who you are. They're just interested in tearing you down.
You can’t charge pleople to watch pool tournaments in general because the only people who come to watch the tournaments are the people who play in them and they don’t want to pay to see people they play with. How many people do you see at a tournament who aren't playing against the players who they admire?
Yes, players buy DVD's and products from their idols, but that isn't to support the player, it is so some day they can beat them if they meet them in a tournament. Everything that the so called pool fans do is geared to going to the top.
Also, that is a reason that I have thought for a long time that it is very hard to find a good teacher, because in their mind they could be teaching the next person who wipes them out in a tournament. So you only get the general stuff.
No doubt, there are other circumstances which effect the poor situation that pool finds itself in. In other countries, pool has flourished, but I think that the American mind set, as competitors, as well as no interest in National pride when it comes to sports come into play.
Well, what do you think?
Jim
