In this regard, it sure would be swell if there was a way to marry up talented players and emotion. I think if mainstream American were to hear a brief background bio of the player, it might be inviting to hold their attention and give them a thirst to learn more.
This is exactly what pro pool needs.( right after a proper tour is organized)
It would cost a little more than simply filming matches, but as anyone can see by the vast number of reality TV shows out there, a good production and marketing crew can turn even the most mundane of jobs into an interesting bit to watch when they delve into the peoples personality, rather than simply dwelling on the job itself. Duck Dynasty, Gold Rush, Pawn Stars, Filthy Riches, etc etc....are all examples of this.
I was watching some Olympic coverage one day when an event came on that I had never heard of : downhill slalom snowboarding. Who knew? Anyway, it was time for the final medal run for those left in rankings, but rather than just showing their attempts at a medal and calling it a day, they showed a ten minute "back story" segment about one of the contenders.
It was an American kid who, in the process of trying to qualify for the American team, could never seem to place higher than 5th, so they ultimately dropped him from the team, which understandably was a huge let down considering how much time and effort that one puts into getting into the Olympics at all.
But the story didn't end there. The kid had fallen in love with a Russian girl, who also happened to compete in the same event. So he ends up moving to Russia, getting married, and eventually qualifying for the Russian team to compete in the event he had spent so much time training for in the u.s.
The tables had indeed turned and now he was competing against his former team mates. Quite the ironic twist.
Long story short, the kid makes his final run and wins the gold. His new wife takes a medal as well...and it was the first husband wife medalist combo on record.
My point is this:
Ten minutes prior, I had no idea who this kid was, and couldn't have cared less about his personal struggles. But when the back story was over, I was on the edge of my seat rooting for him to win. And all it took was ten minutes to give me a reason to get behind him. Hell, he wasn't even an American anymore but I wanted him to get gold and tell his former coach " how do you like me now?? "
Ten minutes and I was totally emotionally invested in the outcome. That's all it took, and they didn't teach me a dam thing about learning how to snowboard - it was all about the kid and what he went thru to get there, and what his win would mean.
Pool fans needs this kind of connection, and emotion, and they won't get it watching the basic streamed match. The production and marketing of PEOPLE needs to move to the forefront of professional pool or else the fans simply don't care who wins....its just two guys playing a game.
