Why Not A National Tour?

[jojopiff]

I think alot of this is just what results from the real problem....people love to play pool but people don't like to watch it on TV.

This post wins.

Talk to people at the pool hall. Ask them if they caught the match between X and Y. They'll almost assuredly say "who". Most people take pool as a fun activity on a Tuesday night with their buddies but still get some of the competitive juices going. This is a perfectly acceptable way to enjoy pool for 90% of the people. The other 10% of us are the target audience and there's simply not enough of us for their to be a National Tour, or for that matter, for the top players to make a real living.

 

[Scott Lee]

I agree that Congress had a small part...but no, what killed the Camel Tour was Don Mackey suing RJ Reynolds, and winning $800K...none of which the players got any of. Overall, RJ Reynolds simply did not get the return on their investment that they expected...so they just pulled out of pro pool. :grin:

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

The Camel tour bit the dust because of the liberal left at the federal level. A law was passed restricting tobacco from sponsoring sporting events. Got the Winston cup at the same time.

 

[actionplayer]

Has anyone ever thought of a National Pro Tour? If all the purse money stayed in the U.S, more pro players could make a decent living. Promoters are going to say people want to see stars from other countries. Same promoters are saying no one is coming/paying for the live gate now...so what are they missing. Pros that live in the states like Appleton, Shaw and others could not play. They live here and make their money here, but play for their country. That ain't cool IMO. Johnnyt

Buddy hall and co who rigged the Vegas tournament
And earl from camel tour

Those two incidents scaled pool back decades
Hard to recover

 

[336Robin]

The Camel tour bit the dust because of the liberal left at the federal level. A law was passed restricting tobacco from sponsoring sporting events. Got the Winston cup at the same time.

Interesting...I called and talked to the attorney at the state level of Alcohol Law Enforcement Section in my state once re: Tournament sponsorship.

I was referred to their attorney who read the law to me and explained that tournament sponsorship is possible by an entity such as: Alcohol or Tobacco sponsors but.......it needs to come through the governing body of the sport.

This caveat or whatever you call it, makes it near impossible for pool because we have no body that involved in the amateur form.

Were a beer distributor to sponsor a pool tournament they would have to send the sponsorship check to the governing body and then that body would have to send a check to the tournament sponsor in order for it to be legal.

 

[Johnnyt]

Buddy hall and co who rigged the Vegas tournament
And earl from camel tour

Those two incidents scaled pool back decades
Hard to recover

I agree. In the Hall case, it killed casino gambling on pool forever. Legal gambling is the biggest reason snooker is so big and the players get paid 10 time more than pool players.

 

[cardiac kid]

This post wins.

Talk to people at the pool hall. Ask them if they caught the match between X and Y. They'll almost assuredly say "who". Most people take pool as a fun activity on a Tuesday night with their buddies but still get some of the competitive juices going. This is a perfectly acceptable way to enjoy pool for 90% of the people. The other 10% of us are the target audience and there's simply not enough of us for their to be a National Tour, or for that matter, for the top players to make a real living.

jojo,

Think your numbers are way off. You mean 99.9% of the pool players do it for enjoyment. The other .01% are serious.

Lyn

 

[West Point 1987]

I think the OP was asking about a "U.S.-only national tour"...as far as I know, all the defunct national tours (PBT, PBA, Camel, IPT, etc.) had non-U.S. citizens participating. I don't think that angle would do U.S. pool any good...our players need to play the best to be the best.

Some of the European tours, leagues, etc. are closed shops...no EU passport, no play. The better ones are open.