Perhaps some should consider that this is entertainment, the players are entertainers, and everything they do is for entertainment purposes.
This stream or video or whatever it is would get exactly zero publicity if these guys weren't "entertaining" you.
I'm just suggesting that there is motivation for these folks to "act up" for entertainment purposes.
No, I haven't and won't watch the vid/stream/whatever.
just sayin' . . .
Entertainers??????
Can you explain to me what is entertaining about watching so called professional sportsmen argue with the ref, text and generally behave badly in almost any way possible?
For me, nothing. I want to see quality control and quality shotmaking. That is what entertains me.
These guys are NOT entertainers and they have no concept of the responsibility they have to what is, in essence, a dying game.
The stream has gotten plenty of publicity, all bad. Imagine the difference if the two players had put on a masterclass for all to see, I'd buy a copy. I won't buy a copy of this. There IS such a thing as bad publicity.
If you wish to credit these guys as intentionally "acting up" for the good of the game then I commend your faith in human nature. I fear it is misplaced.
It is no coincidence that bottom end ex snooker pros are beginning to break into pool, they as a general rule have a superior attitude during marchplay, they do not waste energy on "sharking" and as a result they stay focused.
I remember almost 20 years ago seeing Alex Higgins filing a tip during a match with Danny Fowler. The referee walked over and took the file from him. He made it clear he was not finished with the tip, the referee said "your tip needs to be ready before you come out". End of incident.
Can you imagine seeing a pro snooker player with a phone during a match?
No.
The points about the conduct of Reyes are well made.
The attitude of the promoter is almost right, he hopes if he treats people like professionals and gives them the best of conditions they will act accordingly.
What he has to do is issue a set of ground rules and invite applications from top players who will follow them. One of my first would be to ensure no-one dressed like a tramp.
To go back to the snooker analogy, the show that ignited the "snooker boom" was Pot Black. This was an invitational event. For one of the series, Alex Highins, the so called saviour and biggest draw in the game was not invited due to his behaviour. That series was just as successful as the others.
The game does not need individuals for the game to survive but many of those individuals need the game for THEM to survive. They need to grow up and recognise this.
Good luck to the promoter and anyone who does anything for our games.
