Golf more exciting than Pool?

[Mikey Town]

From a viewership standpoint, it's very simple: People like seeing other people do the seemingly impossible.

When golf is played at a professional level, it is beautiful. It seems that the pros are effortlessly hitting the ball 300-350 yards down the center of the fairway. The average Joe Blow will never know how that feels... ever.

The average Joe Blow also can't through a football with the velocity and precision as a Tom Brady or Peyton Manning. They can't hit a 95 mph fastball 400-500 ft. or freeze someone with an 80 mph curve ball. They can't Slam Dunk or make a 3-point shot with ease. All these reasons are why we watch. We can appreciate it more because we know that we have no chance to do what they are doing.

The challenge that billiards has is that, when it is played at a professional level, while beautiful, it also looks REALLY easy. All the other sports do too, but those athletes are easily doing something that the average person only dreams of doing. In pool, they are easily pocketing a ball on a pool table... that's all... or so the uneducated fan thinks.

Think about it... if you didn't know any better, you would think that you could go around the corner to the local bar, put in your quarters and make 9-10 shots in a row just like SVB, Mika, Johnny, Alex, or anyone else just did, right?

If I didn't know any better, that is how I would probably think. Hit a golf ball 350 yards though... I'm not so sure people think the same way about that.

There is no "shock and awe" effect for the average viewer. Therefore, the "entertainment value" is low. Until this changes (and I'm not sure it ever can), it will be very difficult for billiards to draw more viewers.


Mike

 

[travis13]

I am a golf course superintendent and scratch golfer. I love pool, but to many people it is just something to do to kill time, or mess around with. Golf is as addicting as anything out there, and unless you play, you just can't understand. It is the most difficult sport to play imo.

You can run a perfect rack in pool and beat anyone, but no one will ever shoot a perfect game of golf. It is a sport that will challenge you for a lifetime

 

[Card Slinger]

Maybe more people would watch pool if they put some tables out here.

 

[GMAC]

Do you play golf? I took it up about 3 years ago...and even though I love pool...golf is much more interesting to me now. Even watching it on TV is fascinating now because I know how hard it is to do what the pros are doing. And believe me...it is so much harder to get a golf ball to bounce on a green, take one hop, and then zip back towards you...the equivalent of drawing the cue ball in pool. Especially when you're 120-140 yards away from your target!

Don't get me wrong...I love pool...I want it to become as big as any other sport. I'm just explaining that I completely understand why people love golf and don't find it boring...even on TV.

Melissa

Melissa, I don't think it has anything to do with how hard golf is to play. It has to do with watching people who are household names. People watch golf to watch Tiger Woods. They either hate him or love him. They want him to win or lose, so they watch.

Watching sports on TV has little to do with the sport in most cases and has to do with us identifying with the players. Pool has few fans not because it is boring to watch, but because most people don't have a rooting interest in either player, because they have no idea who the hell is playing.

For pool to be watchable, the sport must build and promote the players just like all the other sports. This however, takes money and media cooperation. If pool was to have four majors a year and the media took the time to make the top pool players houshold names, people would watch.

Guess what? The players don't even have to be squeaky clean like everyone thinks. They just need to become real to the people watching. The players need to be someone the viewer can identify with instead of a nobody just hitting balls into a pocket.

Tiger is a cheater - so what - a reason to root against him
Michael Vick - is a convicted dog killer - so what - a reason to root against him
Phil Michelson - has a wife fighting cancer - a reason to root for him

All the media does is give us reasons to root for or against people. The main point is we have to watch to root either way and that's all the media cares about.

If pool every got an infusion of money the first order of business would be to promote the players and make them household names. Every player needs a story the public can identify with. If we could make the players popular to Americans, people would watch. This is a very difficult task when you have very little money to promote the game.

Just remember if people don't have a rooting interest they could care less. Think about it, if you are out of town and you turn on the ballgame and it isnt your team, in most cases you could care less and you just change the channel.

So, everytime someone turns on a pool match. To them, it isn't their team playing so the change the channel. If they turn on the TV and say oh that's that Jasmin girl I saw on ET last night they may just stick around and root for her or against her, the important part it they stuck around and watched.

Obviously, if all this was done to promote pool I am assuming the media outlets would also improve the production quality of the broadcast, enhancing the viewers experience.

BTW - When are you coming back to NYC me and the big dog want to play scotch doubles again?

 

[Jaden]

Actually I think you've got it a$$backwards...

From a viewership standpoint, it's very simple: People like seeing other people do the seemingly impossible.

When golf is played at a professional level, it is beautiful. It seems that the pros are effortlessly hitting the ball 300-350 yards down the center of the fairway. The average Joe Blow will never know how that feels... ever.

The average Joe Blow also can't through a football with the velocity and precision as a Tom Brady or Peyton Manning. They can't hit a 95 mph fastball 400-500 ft. or freeze someone with an 80 mph curve ball. They can't Slam Dunk or make a 3-point shot with ease. All these reasons are why we watch. We can appreciate it more because we know that we have no chance to do what they are doing.

The challenge that billiards has is that, when it is played at a professional level, while beautiful, it also looks REALLY easy. All the other sports do too, but those athletes are easily doing something that the average person only dreams of doing. In pool, they are easily pocketing a ball on a pool table... that's all... or so the uneducated fan thinks.

Think about it... if you didn't know any better, you would think that you could go around the corner to the local bar, put in your quarters and make 9-10 shots in a row just like SVB, Mika, Johnny, Alex, or anyone else just did, right?

If I didn't know any better, that is how I would probably think. Hit a golf ball 350 yards though... I'm not so sure people think the same way about that.

There is no "shock and awe" effect for the average viewer. Therefore, the "entertainment value" is low. Until this changes (and I'm not sure it ever can), it will be very difficult for billiards to draw more viewers.


Mike

When pool was on TV, they edited out all of the mistakes. Without knowing any better, watchers, had NO ability to willingly suspend disbelief that they could have EVER competed with that.

When watching football, or golf, the networks show the mistakes. the bunker shots, etc... well football they show everything, but with golf they Focus on the mistakes and with sports like football and baseball and basketball, I think that the majority of fans are reliving their highschool, college days in the sport and can willingly suspend disbelief that they may have been able to that too, if not for the injury that prevented them, the pregnant girlfriend that became their wife, their choice to go into a different profession etc...

No one can do that when watching pool, atleast not the average player. The average player has maybe ran two or three balls at a time, (at THEIR ABSOLUTE best)

They can't watch someone run a three pack and convince themselves that they could've done that at any time in their life.

Pool is played at TOO high a level for the average player to have any willing suspension of disbelief while watching it. Add to that the editing out to make it more perfect than it was with past espn showings and that exacerbates that.

Jaden

p.s. Do you think that if ERAs in baseball were .930 that people would be MORE interested in watching or less? What if the average golf score were 35???

 

[travis13]

People most definitely watch golf because it is difficult. They respect the game and watch how the pros play. They watch the swing: The tempo, the grip, the stance, the plane of a players swing etc....... Many people watch for the players, but people that play the game alot (myself included) watch because we respect the game and how hard it is.

 

[jaybanthony]

Mikey - every sport "Looks" easy when you're watching being performed at a high level. Try running 100 balls consistently and let me know how easy that is. I would certainly argue that it would be easier for an average Joe to hit a golf ball 350 yds than it is to run 100 balls in pool. Hitting a ball far is a matter of accuracy and strength...not skill(IMO)...It takes skill to run 100's.

 

[Winston846]

How many pool players do you know that would do the same.

I always call fouls on myself, as do many of the other players in the league I play in.

Contrary to popular belief, there are honest players out there.

 

[travis13]

Mikey - every sport "Looks" easy when you're watching being performed at a high level. Try running 100 balls consistently and let me know how easy that is. I would certainly argue that it would be easier for an average Joe to hit a golf ball 350 yds than it is to run 100 balls in pool. Hitting a ball far is a matter of accuracy and strength...not skill(IMO)...It takes skill to run 100's.

Give me someone that has never shot pool or hit a golf ball in their life and I will promise you that 9 out of 10 would be able to run 100 balls before hitting a golf ball 350 yds

 

[Jaden]

that's funny...

I am a golf course superintendent and scratch golfer. I love pool, but to many people it is just something to do to kill time, or mess around with. Golf is as addicting as anything out there, and unless you play, you just can't understand. It is the most difficult sport to play imo.

You can run a perfect rack in pool and beat anyone, but no one will ever shoot a perfect game of golf. It is a sport that will challenge you for a lifetime

You can't run a rack of nineball and beat ANYONE... you can't run a three pack and beat anyone, and the average player can't EVER run out a single rack of nineball.

The average player will be lucky to run three balls.

We have to avoid thinking "Player" vs player. You're average player is your college student banger or your dad in the basement.

A "B" player is not an average player. A "B" player is probably in your top 90% of all players.

An "A" player is probably in the top 95%...

If we're talking about the success of the sport, you can't be referring to your average "dedicated" player or even your average league player, although if we could even get viewership from 60% of LEAGUE players, we'd be a HGE sport. You have to consider all of those recreational bangers and you have to find a reason for them to want to watch the sport.

Jaden

 

[Jaden]

that's a joke...

Give me someone that has never shot pool or hit a golf ball in their life and I will promise you that 9 out of 10 would be able to run 100 balls before hitting a golf ball 350 yds

You wouldn't get 9 out of 10 to EVER run 100 balls. You'd be lucky to get 2 or 3 out of 10 to ever run 100 balls

Jaden

 

[travis13]

You can't run a rack of nineball and beat ANYONE... you can't run a three pack and beat anyone, and the average player can't EVER run out a single rack of nineball.

The average player will be lucky to run three balls.

We have to avoid thinking "Player" vs player. You're average player is your college student banger or your dad in the basement.

A "B" player is not an average player. A "B" player is probably in your top 90% of all players.

An "A" player is probably in the top 95%...

If we're talking about the success of the sport, you can't be referring to your average "dedicated" player or even your average league player, although if we could even get viewership from 60% of LEAGUE players, we'd be a HGE sport. You have to consider all of those recreational bangers and you have to find a reason for them to want to watch the sport.

Jaden

Please re-read what I said. "You can run a rack of 9-ball and beat anyone." (This statement is true, I could be having the night of my life and beat efren reyes in a game of 9-ball)

No one will ever shoot a perfect game of golf

 

[travis13]

You wouldn't get 9 out of 10 to EVER run 100 balls. You'd be lucky to get 2 or 3 out of 10 to ever run 100 balls

Jaden

Which is more than anyone would be able to hit a ball 350 yds. The longest hitters on tour rarely hit it that far on average, and if they do, the weather or course layout is the factor

 

[Jaden]

Please re-read what I said. "You can run a rack of 9-ball and beat anyone." (This statement is true, I could be having the night of my life and beat efren reyes in a game of 9-ball)

No one will ever shoot a perfect game of golf

Yeah but they can shoot a perfect hole... and the chances of an average banger running a rack of nineball against Efren are about the same as hitting a hole in one on 3 par.

Jaden

 

[trustyrusty]

Yeah but they can shoot a perfect hole... and the chances of an average banger running a rack of nineball against Efren are about the same as hitting a hole in one on 3 par.

Jaden

It's 9 ball -they don't have to run the rack, just make the 9 on the break....like the hole in one.

BTW, played a GAZILLION rounds of golf - 2 hole in ones....played a couple of hundred racks of 9 ball (hate the game) and made MANY more 9s on the break than 2.

 

[travis13]

Yeah but they can shoot a perfect hole... and the chances of an average banger running a rack of nineball against Efren are about the same as hitting a hole in one on 3 par.

Jaden

I didn't say a hole, I said a game and that is 18 holes.

 

[Jaden]

ok so you're comparing the absolute top in golf to running a single rack of nineball?

Which is more than anyone would be able to hit a ball 350 yds. The longest hitters on tour rarely hit it that far on average, and if they do, the weather or course layout is the factor

Ok then a more valid comparison would be take 10 players who have never struck a golf ball or cueball and see which, if any either hit a golf ball 350 yds, or run an 18 pack of nineball....

Which do you think will happen first there?

Jaden

This is a useless argument, becoming the best at ANY sport is just as difficult. playing ANY sport at the highest level possible is just as difficult in any sport.

Pool may be played at a closer level to perfect than any other sport, which makes it less enjoyable to watch not more. Oh, and scoring eighteen is not a perfect score in golf. It's the absolute highest score possible, but in pool there is no limit. You can keep racking racks of nineball till you die, but I doubt that anyone is going to ever run 1 billion racks of nineball nor hit the golf ball 1000 yds, well I might could hit the golf ball at a thousand yds with ten shots with a .300 winmag remington 700...lol... well, maybe 50 shots.

 

[Winston846]

Then I must be the one exception...

Give me someone that has never shot pool or hit a golf ball in their life and I will promise you that 9 out of 10 would be able to run 100 balls before hitting a golf ball 350 yds

I have never come close to running 100 balls, but my longest officially measured drive is 396 yards.

9 out of 10, huh??? You make it sound like it's easy to run 100 balls.

 

[travis13]

I have never come close to running 100 balls, but my longest officially measured drive is 396 yards.

9 out of 10, huh??? You make it sound like it's easy to run 100 balls.

396 yds in what conditions. You both are making it sound like 350yds is the easy part.

 

[GMAC]

Give me someone that has never shot pool or hit a golf ball in their life and I will promise you that 9 out of 10 would be able to run 100 balls before hitting a golf ball 350 yds

This statement couldn't be further from the truth. Hitting a golf ball far is not that hard. Play golf well is very difficult. Running a hundred balls would be more equivalent to shooting par. In which case, I may agree that running a 100 balls is easier than shooting par, but not much easier.


BTW - Just because you run a rack of 9 ball doesn't mean you played the rack perfect. The same is true in golf just because you shot par doesnt mean you shot a perfect round.