Thank you so much for putting up the links for that interview. Barry Hearn really has a great head on his shoulders I think, I just wish we had some one like that in America getting a Pro Pool Tour going here. That interview was really interesting.
Just went to match room sport web site and it starts off with:
"Creating characters in the sporting arena for over twenty-five years"
That's it in a nut shell, people tune in to see the character they like, or love to hate either way it's a win win situation
for the sport.
I think it was Howard Cosell that said "It doesn't matter if they are talking good or bad about you as long as their talking about you"
That made sense then and that still makes sense today. But it seems in pool they the powers that be were always trying to make the players to sanitized (squeaky clean in image) something becomes fake and not believable when you try to make something, something that it's not and people see right through this and you end up with nothing to sell, period. You can have a Ralph Souquet type player as one of a bunch, but you can't have a bunch of R.S. type players. He's a great player and a gentleman and I don't take anything away from him, nor am I trying to put him down here!
Yes the first wave are, "The gambling's the problem guys", then you get the second wave those are, "The pool will never get anywhere guys"
What dismays me are the people that continually harp on the gambling associated with pool as to being the root of all evil, and what brings pool to it's knees repeatedly, this is a croc of ... , it's the pitiful way that it's been promoted all these years that does that in my opinion.
There are casinos all over the world, and casinos popping up all over the states. Every time you turn around, you hear on the news that they are voting to grant a new casino license somewhere, if people were so against it this wouldn't be happening. So for foc sakes quit grasping at straws and trying to blame this over and over as the reason why they have been failing miserably at promoting this great sport. Is it just easier for you "gambling's the problem guys", than trying to think of anything else as the possible problem? Really?
I have come to find both these groups as short sighted, small minded, and frankly it's these people with that type of thinking that helps to hold this great game back. How many years can one espouse the same things over and over as they watch pool continue to decline. As a player when somethings not working you change something, you don't just do it the same way or think the same way and hope for different results.
I can't wait for these trolls to come on this thread and say how pool will never get anywhere! Hey if they keep doing what they have been doing, they'll keep getting the results they have been getting. There for you can keep patting yourselves on your collective backs and announcing to the world how brilliant you are. Believe me it's always such a pleasure to view your vision less air of superiority when you state this so proudly, I find it quit amusing and yet sad.
Actually I wrote something about not trying to whitewash the characters and gambling part of American pool just last week in a thread. But to use that even embellish upon it, I think that people here in the states have been going at this *ss backward for years and apparently so would Mr. Hearn from what he said in part two of his interview. (link in OP) Create stars not cookie cutter one dimensional robots that won't hold any ones attention. Very interesting again Thank You for posting this!
America has a history and culture of romanticizing and hero worshiping the slightly less than honorable and the very dishonorable characters of our past and present it's always been that way and always will be. This has worked in the promoting of individuals before why try to sweep this under the rug and change the image of pool? It has never worked and never will this colorful past that pool has had and does have is a plus if used correctly.
People are flat out interested in things that they've heard a little about, but don't really know about, and/or will never get the chance to experience in their own lives. Pool should use and embrace something that none of the other sports have. That thing they've always tried to sweep under the rug so to speak, with little to no results to show for it, is pools checkered past and present. If you like or agree with what I have said please comment, and if you don't well I'm sure I won't have to ask you to comment. LOL
Anyway this it seems is how the powers that be have been trying to portray the professional pool player forever, with dismal results at best, I would say. I am sure that there will be people who just won't be able to type fast enough to tell me what a jerk I am, how wrong I am and what ever else, but I really could care less have at it.
Just in your rush to bash me or what I've said, don't forget to point out where they've (the powers that be) have done such a good job, and/or how their on the right track now (good luck with that endeavor) to get a professional pool tour going and get this sport on TV where it belongs.
We all have a love for this game that's why we're on here!
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What does Hearn have to do with the PBA? (Professional Bowlers Ass) I don't think so. That's owned by two guys from Micro Soft who bought it from the five founding members, who ran and controlled it for years. After the purchase is when the money (prize funds) went up. In the U.S. I mean don't know about over there.
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