And that is where you make your mistake.
They deserve respect for their playing ability.
It's an old story. When I was a youngester - one of the best players in
the country was from this area. A great player - but a scumbag of a
human being. Criminal, drug addict, card cheat... you name it.
We all know, not all players fit this stereotype, many are fine upstanding
citizens,. But most hustle, or at least gamble and in general live a lifestyle
that is not conducive to self-support.
It is also an inconvient truth that there is just not enough intrest in pool
nor pool players for it to be a viable occupation.
How much do think the average champion Table Tennis player makes?
How about Horeseshoe pitchers, Croquet players?
Unlike what I would prefer - this is not the planet where "pro" Pool players
can expect to make a living at it.
Dale
I make a mistake because I state my opinion? Gimme a break. :grin-square:
This is a pool forum. There are many different kinds of a pool player. You have your weekend warriors or aspiring pros. Then you have your social shooters who could don't care a hill of beans about professional pool. You have league players who enjoy the socialization and competition of that once-a-week event. Then you have professional pool, which sits alone in a class by itself, and it is indeed miniscule compared to the rest of the pool-playing public.
It is kind of ironic to see thousands of threads on this forum about who's the best or CONGRATULATIONS to so-and-so the professional pool player, when so-and-so doesn't even read this forum, yet these members feel the need to give praise.
Yes, I believe on a pool forum that a professional pool player who has achieved a certain degree of success in this fractured industry deserves a modicum of respect, just for the fact that they can, indeed, play pool at a high level. That doesn't mean you have to hang off their testicles on every thread or carry their pool case for them or polish their shoes or give them pedicures. It's just a recognition that they can play some. That's all. You don't have to like them; in fact, most on this forum don't. And that's okay. To each their own.
There are a few pro players that I have lost respect for in recent times, but I still have a modicum of respect for their pool-playing capabilities strengths. Why? Because I'm a pool enthusiast. I could literally write a dissertation -- and I have -- on the ailments of pool players in the last century. Substance abuse, gambling, patrons of prostitution, dumping, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. I realize that pool is not without its flaws and warts. My eyes are wide open to this. Why do you think I have not been back on that pro pool tournament trail since July of 2006? :wink:
It is still my belief that in the year 2014, a pro-caliber pool player cannot hold down a traditional job and compete on a global scale. He can be a weekend warrior, an amateur player, league shooter, social or recreational pool player and hold down that traditional job, but not shoot professionally and compete with Filipinos, Europeans, Asians, and others around the world. Just won't happen. Sure, somebody can come on this thread and say, well, gee, if they wanted to do it, they could hold down a job and still find time to practice. Yes, one in a million, but the reality is, based on my experience of 40-plus years in this pool world, it can't happen.
The occupational hazards in pool are brutal. I know what they are, and I know which players are abusing their bodies, marriages, and professionalism, but I also know how the BCA has contributed greatly to this current state of affairs. Let's not forget that it was the BCA that gave Charlie Williams the right to be in charge of the so-called "governing body of professional pool." It went downhill after the UPA, and soon the BCA slammed the door on professional pool. Billiard
Congress of America? Are you kidding me?
