Tournament Directors and Players Dress Code Idea

[CreeDo]

I don't think a "carrot" approach will get players to obey a dress code.
You need a "stick".

Like a prize for best-dressed... a lot of guys will think
"Well I'm in no danger of winning that so I won't even try".
Then you end up with a lot of players still looking like slobs
because their nicest clothes are dockers and not a tux with vest.

But you can disguise a stick to look like a carrot.
"$15 discount on your entry fee if you show up meeting all dress code requirements.!"

Which is really a $15 penalty on those who refuse to get with the program.

 

[krupa]

Pools problems / issues lie much DEEPER than that of a dress code.
Sort out many of the issues and a dress code of some description will fall into place :thumbup:

I think most of pool's problems revolve around the lack of money in the sport. The reason there is a lack of money is because the general public doesn't give the sport any money in terms of ticket sales, merchandise, pay-per-view etc.

One (of many) reasons why the public doesn't give money to the sport is because they don't know anything about it and the reason for that is that it gets zero coverage in mainstream media... even local newspapers. Even searching Google news for tournament results is futile (search Google news for "2013 mosconi cup" and you get 4 results.). One reason for the complete lack of coverage is because of the negative image of pool players.

A dress code would help to perpetuate a positive image of pool that would help (though certainly not solve) pool's problems.

Think global, act local.

Just to pound on this a little bit more. A lot of people don't get healthier because they think they need to make massive changes to their diet and/or exercise. Massive changes are hard to stick with. The truth is, making small changes is easy and leads to more small changes, which leads to much bigger results. But people won't make those small changes because the payoff is too far off in the future and unless you're paying a lot of attention, you don't necessarily even see them.

 

[PINKLADY]

....I simply am not convinced that a pool player in for example a suit, sells better that a pool player in jeans?

especially if he/she's looking HOT in those jeans....

let me go back to Mosconi, where there was a dress code/uniforms. and let me add, that i had a newbie GF w/ us, who knew NOTHING about her BF's pool, etc. (yea, i know) so i had to make it interesting for her in the stands.

Team USA had double pleated dress slacks & cotton polos.
Team Euro had flat front fitted dress slacks & stretchy microfiber across their chests & biceps polos.

whose asses, do you think we were looking at?

(FYI, Boyes won the competition)

 

[Bella Don't Cry]

I don't think a "carrot" approach will get players to obey a dress code.
You need a "stick".

Like a prize for best-dressed... a lot of guys will think
"Well I'm in no danger of winning that so I won't even try".
Then you end up with a lot of players still looking like slobs
because their nicest clothes are dockers and not a tux with vest.

But you can disguise a stick to look like a carrot.
"$15 discount on your entry fee if you show up meeting all dress code requirements.!"

Which is really a $15 penalty on those who refuse to get with the program.

Again - this is an idea. However, what differences is it making to the game?
To potentially alienate individuals because of their 'free will' to dress how they please is dangerous.

STILL NOT SURE what a dress code should or could look like?
www.confused.com

 

[PINKLADY]

Again - this is an idea. However, what differences is it making to the game?
To potentially alienate individuals because of their 'free will' to dress how they please is dangerous.

STILL NOT SURE what a dress code should or could look like?
www.confused.com

Bella, you know i'm gonna have to get in on this, cause YOU started it w/ SEX....


picture this -

my man, is playing in fitted designer jeans & polo & strutting around the table.
his opponent, (who is overweight) leans over for a shot....
....and we all get a shot of his crack!

or picture this - (let's go both ways)

two women playing.
1 in tight jeans, size 4 & 34C.
1 in skirt suit, size 4 & 38D.
going down on a shot.
(i know - i just lost all-llll of the men's attention)
and that's my point.

 

[boogeyman]

Seems like a lot of posters here have a problem with tournaments that are streamed not enforcing dress codes. Personally I don't have a preference for dress codes however i do love the game and want to contribute where i can.

If you're one of those who cares about dress codes then perhaps you can contribute by adding $$ to an event for the Best Dressed or even have a small prize whether it be a gift card or some pool related prize.

Or perhaps Tournament Directors can work a deal with one of the many pool apparel companies to provide T-shirts/POLOS that have the tour/tournaments name with various advertisements on them. Not only will it promote the event but who wouldn't want to wear a polo and look professional like you're sponsored. I'm certain it'll get more than one use.

If you're trying to cut cost just charge a little extra entry fee (not to profit but just to break even). At least everyone gets to take home more than just an experience and doesn't totally feel like dead money. lol

Just trying to be about it and not just complaining about it. -Calvin

We need more enforcement of the dress code rules.
Last time I checked, there was a dress code at any of the various companies in the world.
A dress code is simply another facet of the work place.
If a pool player can't respect that then he or she should simply play in another event in which he or she can feel more "comfortable."

Anyone remember the Jean Balukas imbroglio a few years ago?
It doesn't matter your skill level, you must play by the same rules as everyone else.

Pool players should NOT be provided an incentive to follow rules: They should simply follow them. End of story.

 

[Bella Don't Cry]

Bella, you know i'm gonna have to get in on this, cause YOU started it w/ SEX....


picture this -

my man, is playing in fitted designer jeans & polo & strutting around the table.
his opponent, (who is overweight) leans over for a shot....
....and we all get a shot of his crack!

or picture this - (let's go both ways)

two women playing.
1 in tight jeans, size 4 & 34C.
1 in skirt suit, size 4 & 38D.
going down on a shot.
(i know - i just lost all-llll of the men's attention)
and that's my point.

Here are examples (i hope, never added images before) of some extremely sexy men who ply their trade in sport and make some serious money from it....

Which one of these takes your fancy?

Image? What image? :thumbup:

 

[ceodynamo]

dress code

I personally don't want to play someone who's pants are falling down and you can see there ass crack. I don't want to play someone who has bad hygiene and smells of horrible B.O.

I don't want to play someone who is wearing a "tank top" "White Beader" type shirt that is sleeve less and you can see tons of hairy arm pits and smell the B.O. coming right out from under it or see chuncks of deordorant hanging from arm pit hair that look like dingleberries.

I also don't want to play someone who's pants have massive tears in them so I can see there underwear and possibly stained under wear at that.

Its not about making our sport "BETTER" its about respecting your self and the people around you. If you think a collared shirt is to much to ask and pants with no holes or tears and pants that fit than all i can say is you are selfish and have no respect for your self or others.

I

 

[Bella Don't Cry]

My point being is that when I watch this sport. As a man my attention span is 100% as I'm only interested in the result of which player is best. Not how they look...

And yes I have contradicted myself. But THAT IS MY POINT!

A Dress code of:
None offence to the audience e.g. no racism / sexism (which someone else posted), makes more sense. :thumbup:

 

[cleary]

A simple dress code such as dockers and a collared shirt would go a long way towards raising the respectability of the sport.

I'd love for you to explain why you think this. Sure, for a major professional tournament, I can see that. But for a local $50 entry tournament, I'd like to know how that would affect the respect of pool.

 

[krupa]

I'd love for you to explain why you think this. Sure, for a major professional tournament, I can see that. But for a local $50 entry tournament, I'd like to know how that would affect the respect of pool.

I actually don't know that it would. I was mostly thinking of bigger events like DCC.

However, most non-pool playing people have a pretty low image of poolrooms. The stereotypes of dark, smokey rooms with a line of people waiting to rob you blind persists in the American psyche. So if I owned a poolroom and was hosting that $50 local tournament, wouldn't it benefit me by presenting a positive image to the public? If I got more customers wouldn't that benefit the existing customers because I would be able to stay open and there would be more players to participate in that $50 tourney?

As I said before in one of my other rambling posts, small changes can have big results if given some time.

I'm just going off the top of my head here... I could be full of shit (and I usually am.)

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

I completely agree but at this stage it's a chicken-and-egg problem.

Where's the money to pay 'em like professionals? More people need to pay for streams, tickets to tournaments, etc.
When are more people going to pay for more streams, tickets, etc? When they care.
When will they care? When pool players stop being thought of as "fat old men" and get more exposure in mainstream media.

It is not a Chicken & Egg thing, it is about MONEY. Tell some Pool Players they HAVE to Dress like within a reasonable dress code, and you will meet resistance because they have zero reason to. No money at Rinbows End!

Tell some Pool Players they are REQUIRED TO DRESS in a Reasonable Dress Code because there is major Sponsorship money being added to a Tournament Pay out, and the MONEY is Guaranteed. You could be deal with something that motivates people to.

Get out of Flip Flops, Dirty Cloths, Ripped Jeans, and Short, and DRESS in accordance with a dress code as there is now money in Pro Pool.

Second problem is where to get, or how to get Corporation that sell Consumer Products like those sponsoring NASCAR TEAMS to could up money to Sponsor Pool.

Tough sell as most Pool Player don;t have a great image, the amateur player that are the target audience of advertising don’t have the BEST AVERAGE CREDIT SCORES as a group, thus o too much expendable income verses a NBA, NFL,MLB, PGA, or NASCAR, etc. Fans.

Corporate bean counters who control the purse strings & write the checks, know the demographics of the Average Pool Player, and that image & average credit score needs to be increased before you will see Corporate America lining up to Sponsor Amateur, or Pro Pool. IMHO

It don;t matter how much Beer Pool Player buy, or what brand,. Advertising Dollar, and Sponsorship Dollars, are to the BEAN COUNTER, something they want a big return on.

Not just thawing money at something to be good citizens, it is about Investment, and Return on Investment.

 

[watchez]

A prize for doing what you are suppose to do --- gee, America is great.

Watchez is the teacher

 

[CreeDo]

Again - this is an idea. However, what differences is it making to the game?
To potentially alienate individuals because of their 'free will' to dress how they please is dangerous.
STILL NOT SURE what a dress code should or could look like?

A fairly simple start is, no shorts, sweats, or warmups, and button down shirts or polo-type shirts.

I honestly never minded jeans, the point is not really
"let's look like we're going out for a date with a girl who makes twice my salary",
it's more like "let's not look like we're going to play ultimate frisbee".
Don't have to impress anyone, just want to avoid looking slobbish.

As for free will, the entire world is filled with situations where your free will has to take a backseat.
Even to go out and have fun, you have rules to follow. So what's dangerous about it?
Players might not come? They're already not coming, because there's not much money or incentive.

So what differences does it make? Well the HOPE is that it makes the game look
more like a sport for professionals, and not a casual pastime for bar people.
Parents feel more comfortable letting their kid enter a tournament where everyone looks
more like an office worker than a bar fly.

Sponsors occasionally (very rarely) have an opportunity to chip in to pay for either a tournament
or a specific player. The specific players need to be prepared on the off chance a rep from
predator (or pepsi, or even joe's market) sees them.

Lastly, if I were to advertise on a stream, I'd rather it feel professional. I know it's not TV,
but if you can make it look almost like TV, I'd feel more comfortable paying to advertise.
But if it looks like bob joe filming his buddies at the pool hall with a webcam, forget it.

 

[krupa]

On American Billiard Radio, Mark Cantrill made a good comment about this. He was talking to Mark Kendall (the guitarist for Great White) who said that before they became famous they always put on the best show they could even if they were playing in a small, dive bar because you never know who's going to be watching.

 

[briankenobi]

A fairly simple start is, no shorts, sweats, or warmups, and button down shirts or polo-type shirts.

I honestly never minded jeans, the point is not really
"let's look like we're going out for a date with a girl who makes twice my salary",
it's more like "let's not look like we're going to play ultimate frisbee".
Don't have to impress anyone, just want to avoid looking slobbish.

As for free will, the entire world is filled with situations where your free will has to take a backseat.
Even to go out and have fun, you have rules to follow. So what's dangerous about it?
Players might not come? They're already not coming, because there's not much money or incentive.

So what differences does it make? Well the HOPE is that it makes the game look
more like a sport for professionals, and not a casual pastime for bar people.
Parents feel more comfortable letting their kid enter a tournament where everyone looks
more like an office worker than a bar fly.

Sponsors occasionally (very rarely) have an opportunity to chip in to pay for either a tournament
or a specific player. The specific players need to be prepared on the off chance a rep from
predator (or pepsi, or even joe's market) sees them.

Lastly, if I were to advertise on a stream, I'd rather it feel professional. I know it's not TV,
but if you can make it look almost like TV, I'd feel more comfortable paying to advertise.
But if it looks like bob joe filming his buddies at the pool hall with a webcam, forget it.

Couldn't agree more.