I’ve been attending the trade show for many years. Over that span, I’ve seen attendance (both in terms of vendors and attendees) drop precipitously. It’s safe to say that it’s on life support and will die if something doesn’t change soon. It’ll be very interesting to see how the show in Chicago goes next year.
The organization has changed a lot over the past decade or so. The previous CEO (Ducoff) was a bit weak. His replacement (Rob Johnson) is strong, but the organization- such as it is, isn’t. Irony, anyone?
As others in this thread have rightly suggested, the Billiards Congress of America exists to serve its members first and foremost. Promotion of the sport, in-and-of-itself, as noble as it sounds, is not its prime directive. One could argue that there is a tangential promotional effect to be gained (for the industry as a whole) if the directive is met. But promoting the sport of pool specifically is not its mandate.
Man, if I had a dime for every time someone said, “We need an organization that helps the pros of our sport”! I’ve spoken to more than a handful of well-intention entrepreneurial-types who've wanted to try over the years. But, they eventually throw up their hands and ask, “What’s the point?”
An unfortunate reality that few want to admit about pool is that amateurs care little about pros and pros care NOTHING about amateurs (unless they’ve got cash in their pocket)! You might say that it’s a reverse symbiotic relationship- one in which neither benefits from the existence of the other. In that unhealthy regard, pool professionals could learn a LOT from professionals from other sports.
Most (operative word obviously- I know there are exceptions) pros in pool have always (and probably always will) promoted themselves to the exclusion and detriment of the whole. Everyone is looking for an angle, or someone with deep pockets (hello Mr. Trudeau) to be the savior. The sad reality; the former never pans out and the later eventually wises up.
To those (particularly within this thread) who lament that the BCA doesn’t do enough to support professional pool, I say this: No one expects the AA to help people who aren’t ready to be helped. And no one should expect the BCA to bend over backward promoting people who refuse to cooperate with those footing the bill, who won’t abide by a set of “standards of conduct” (like no gambling in public), and who just happen to participate in a TV-unfriendly sport. Especially when the only things to be gained are frustration, potential lawsuits, and empty bank accounts.
Is there someone (or something) out there that can corral cats? Perhaps. But they’d better have pockets as deep as Trudeau's, the character of a saint, the patience of Job, and the best lawyers in town...
(Note to anyone who actually read through all of the above drivel: I didn’t have time to proof, so please don’t hammer me over grammar and/or spelling.)
