Pool America Sports Begins

For the record, I get a lot of gibberish when I go the site using my phone. just the native browser built into the phone.

Since I'm using my phone, I cannot post links, or even copy and paste the examples. Perhaps when I can get near a computer, i can give more detail.
 
good idea

Hey Jim,
Just a suggestion but why not post a 10 minute "hightlight" sample video on the front page of your site. This way people will get an idea of what your trying to sell. Az'ers may understand what your trying to do but other potential customers may not. Give them something they can click on and watch for a couple of minutes. It's a video generation.....most people aren't going to take the time to read everything you wrote on the site. I personally hope it's a big sucess.

OK, this sounds like a good idea. I will do it tonight. You can look for it later tonight. I will put the intro and one game from the middle.

Thanks
 
good idea

OK, this sounds like a good idea. I will do it tonight. You can look for it later tonight. I will put the intro and one game from the middle.

Thanks

Good idea to post some free vids until you get going. Website is also very confusing and busy. It made my head hurt...lol Keep it simple, cool idea..
 
change

Good idea to post some free vids until you get going. Website is also very confusing and busy. It made my head hurt...lol Keep it simple, cool idea..

I trimmed down the website and in about 2 hours I will post a free sample game from the match. Zion Zvi vs Earl Strickland 10-ball call shot, call safe
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IdqVPOAS5Y

Here is the free game. Game #8 between Zion Zvi and Earl Strickland. 10-Ball, call shot, call safe. This is coming direct from you tube, but it is also on the website.

Thanks,
Jim

Looks good, Jim. Very good picture quality. Is there anyway you could describe what games were played next to the match to be purchased? Some customers may lean more toward a match where, for example, a straight pool game was chosen in the mix. (That is unless a straight pool game MUST be played. I didn't get that it had to, going by the rules).
 
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Not exactly sure of your question.

Looks good, Jim. Very good picture quality. Is there anyway you could describe what games were played next to the match to be purchased? Some customers may lean more toward a match where, for example, a straight pool game was chosen in the mix. (That is unless a straight pool game MUST be played. I didn't get that it had to, going by the rules).

There were 22 games. mostly 10 ball and 9 ball in the beginning, and then the team that was behind realized that straight pool could bring them back. there was one 8 ball game. No, there is no game at this point that has to be played. I feel that, if left to the coaches, it is a real piece of strategy that can be used to their advantage. In the future, we are going to limit the number of times a team can elect to play straight pool. And the team on the hill can't elect to play anything but 10 ball, call shot, call safe. This way it is the most fair way of winning, with absolutely no luck.
 
thanks

Signed up last night. What a cool concept. I am on board, thanks.

I think it is very important that there is a good reaction for these players. For them, as well as for all of you, it has been an uphill battle all the way, with nowhere to go when you get to the top. I would like a thousand people to buy the video, and you will see the face of pool change immediately. 1,000 is a lot, but it really isn't considering how many players there are.

Everyone wants to see pool change for the better. Please, buy this video and you will see that happen.

Everyone wants a movie like the Color of Money to come along, which you will pay $10-15 for, but it won't really help players. It may spring up a few more places to play, but what good is that if it is the same old nothing coming back to the players grind. The movie people make many millions and what player do you know is riding high off the "Color of Money" train. None. Pool is used again, without anyone even noticing. Everyone from the outside comes in and uses our egos to line their pockets and gives us nothing for it. If another big movie about pool was made, every pool player would trip over each other to see it, give them your money in hopes that it will bring more interest in pool. You have to think, what for? We don't need more promotion. We need to pull together.

I think if you really think about what everyone says when they talk about making pool better, they are really saying make a bigger version of the bad system that already exists.

We really need to change the perception of pool players. Make them people to look up to, not just people who have talent, but get no respect.

It is just the way the world is. If jump rope paid $200,000 a year, just think how that world would change. It's not really going to take a gigantic coordinated effort to fix pool, it just will take the right effort, with the right goal. Make Pro players rich. Very simple. Everything else will follow.

Please, if you have an argument against this, I'd like to hear it. If there is some reason that you are not willing to buy this video under these circumstances, please tell me, I'd like to hear it.

Thanks,
Jim
 
I(snip)

Please, if you have an argument against this, I'd like to hear it. If there is some reason that you are not willing to buy this video under these circumstances, please tell me, I'd like to hear it.

Thanks,
Jim

I'm in marketing. People don't buy for "we," they buy for "me." " We" is good and all that, but each Person buys for his own satisfaction, not a group's.

If you can increase the "what's in it for me" incentive, you can get those numbers and much more.

Jeff Livingston
 
Buying for we

I think this idea sounds like a win/win for everyone involved. The "Me" and "We" should all come out ahead. For about $10 I can support my favorite player, insure that I'll be able to watch him/her compete each month and also feel good that I am giving back to this game that has brought me so much enjoyment.

The "We" is that everyone can kickstart the pool world by allowing talented players to focus on doing what they were born to do. Instead of wondering how they will get an income, we can show them how much we respect them and the future of pool.

Jim, are these events classified as "tour" events and if a player competes in a match are they considered "pro"? Do players have to pay a registration fee for a tour card each year to play?
 
I'm in marketing. People don't buy for "we," they buy for "me." " We" is good and all that, but each Person buys for his own satisfaction, not a group's.

If you can increase the "what's in it for me" incentive, you can get those numbers and much more.

Jeff Livingston

Jeff- I was thinking the same thing. Really, what do I care or how does it effect me if Tony Robles makes $100 or $100,000,000? Doesn't change my life one bit. But, if I could sit at my computer and watch a great match and maybe get a little "half time" instruction after a long days work I might do that. But, IMHO- if the asking price of $9.95 is for one match, and not a months/years memebership you are asking far too much.

Bob
 
Jeff- I was thinking the same thing. Really, what do I care or how does it effect me if Tony Robles makes $100 or $100,000,000? Doesn't change my life one bit. But, if I could sit at my computer and watch a great match and maybe get a little "half time" instruction after a long days work I might do that. But, IMHO- if the asking price of $9.95 is for one match, and not a months/years memebership you are asking far too much.

Bob

Here's an example:

How about anyone who buys in gets in a drawing to win a chance to spend a day with Jennifer at Amsterdam Billiards and gets a chance at being one of the actors in the Sharks episodes?

Something like that is good for "me."...and we.


I'm just thinking outloud here, not advocating that exact incentive.


Jeff Livingston
 
Thanks Jeff

I'm in marketing. People don't buy for "we," they buy for "me." " We" is good and all that, but each Person buys for his own satisfaction, not a group's.

If you can increase the "what's in it for me" incentive, you can get those numbers and much more.

Jeff Livingston

There is a lot of pool in these matches that can be considered good for "Me". In fact it is probably one of the few places that you are going to be able to see multiple quality players playing against each other on a continuous basis.

On the other hand some things, such as politics, can be where you give a bit on the me,me, thing and look out for your collective better futures. All I'm saying is that pool is a dying sport and I think that you all have the power to make it something that it really has never been. It probably seems that pool is a big deal because of the addictive things to do like the internet and constant small tournaments, but when my dad played, there were probably 15 pool rooms in New York and 5 or 6 in Pittsburgh where we were from, and now there is 2 or 3 in New York and probably 1 or 2 in Pittsburgh.

There is no reason for pool other than for a night out, and that is why it is dying. There are too many other ways to spend your time now. My feeling is that City against City is a reason for existence. Players making good money is a good reason also.

But, I will defer to your expertise in marketing and believe what you are saying. It makes sense. But the reason it makes sense is why pool is dying. Players are looking out for themselves and not for each other. It seems that everyone is so afraid that they will help someone else, even though it will eventually make a better situation for them.

Jim
 
Right

Jeff- I was thinking the same thing. Really, what do I care or how does it effect me if Tony Robles makes $100 or $100,000,000? Doesn't change my life one bit. But, if I could sit at my computer and watch a great match and maybe get a little "half time" instruction after a long days work I might do that. But, IMHO- if the asking price of $9.95 is for one match, and not a months/years memebership you are asking far too much.

Bob

Bob,
I would say you are absolutely right if you have no interest in making a living playing pool. But if you would love to wake up every day knowing that you could get to a point where you only play pool and it pays your bills and more, then you are absolutely wrong. What Tony Robles makes on a City team in a Pro league could be the most important thing that has happened to pool in 50 years. The problem is that this will not come from outside. It will only come from the thousands of future pro players who could make it happen for themselves. I am offering a vehicle, but I can't drive it. It is up to you.

Thanks,
Jim
 
Great idea, would love to see it take off. Love a variety of games aswell.

The site looks pretty good to me, a couple of small points though -

- When on the front page, my firefox tab just says "Home" with no picture.
- The news stories previews cut off half way through, for example the latest news story at the moment is "FREE game from t......" the second displays as "A short video in....." Doesn't look very professional, I don't want to have to click on each one just to see the title.
- Lastly, in my opinion the logo looks terrible, and is very low res which makes it look even worse. Maybe start another thread on here to see if some AzB guys can make a better one?

My experience so far:
Open the site, think to myself it doesn't look very professional.
Can't read any of the news titles so I don't bother and go straight to VOD's.
See that the only game up costs $10. Close the site.
I then read through this forum, agree with pretty much everything everyone is saying which convinced me to buy the match (Treating it as a donation to the game I love more then to watch the match).

I am however having a technical problem, when I try and pay it says that my details don't match my card number. I am pretty sure they do though. I live in Australia.. any ideas?

Also no pay pal would put me off.

Thought I would just post my experience as an average consumer. Take it or leave it.
Good luck with it though.
 
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Ok

Great idea, would love to see it take off. Love a variety of games aswell.

The site looks pretty good to me, a couple of small points though -

- When on the front page, my firefox tab just says "Home" with no picture.
- The news stories previews cut off half way through, for example the latest news story at the moment is "FREE game from t......" the second displays as "A short video in....." Doesn't look very professional, I don't want to have to click on each one just to see the title.
- Lastly, in my opinion the logo looks terrible, and is very low res which makes it look even worse. Maybe start another thread on here to see if some AzB guys can make a better one?

My experience so far:
Open the site, think to myself it doesn't look very professional.
Can't read any of the news titles so I don't bother and go straight to VOD's.
See that the only game up costs $10. Close the site.
I then read through this forum, agree with pretty much everything everyone is saying which convinced me to buy the match (Treating it as a donation to the game I love more then to watch the match).

I am however having a technical problem, when I try and pay it says that my details don't match my card number. I am pretty sure they do though. I live in Australia.. any ideas?

Also no pay pal would put me off.

Thought I would just post my experience as an average consumer. Take it or leave it.
Good luck with it though.

That is just the way the site shows the articles. I will look into your account. I don't show that it took any money from you. I have pay pal, I just haven't connected it yet. I will hook it up tomorrow if that would make you feel more comfortable.

Thanks,
Jim
 
Yeah it hasn't taken any money off me, can't work out why it isn't working. I do a fair bit of shopping online and never have a problem. Pay pal should fix the problem, I'll have to wait till then to buy the match
 
I'm in marketing. People don't buy for "we," they buy for "me." " We" is good and all that, but each Person buys for his own satisfaction, not a group's.

If you can increase the "what's in it for me" incentive, you can get those numbers and much more.

Jeff Livingston

It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest.
~ Adam Smith

:)
 
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