Pool is dead
- Thread starter Stew boo
- Start date
"Mama said pool leagues are the devil"
People that prefer one way of playing a sport over another usually just want to feel superior and that their way of playing something is correct, while everyone else is wrong. If i hypothetically played in just league and not tournaments, why would i hate on tournament players? It doesn't make any sense unless you just want a good ego stroking.
I agree. The place i play has leagues three times a week(two wk. nites and Sun. afternoon) and i've not seen incidents of so-called "BS". The big-tables are along side the bar-tables and i watch a game now-n-then and rarely if ever is there an issue. BTW, this room has 10 GC4's and three 9ft Diamonds and during the day you could fire a shotgun and probably not hit anybody. At night its not a whole lot better except on weekends. If it wasn't for league play they'd probably be closed.
Just because the pool league exist doesn't mean it works the way people hope or want it to.
It's like having access to government subsidized food and having access to quality gourmet food.
Both are there but how often you can afford it can be different.
The idea that league players will "save pool" is easy logic.
But really pool is saved by wealthy sponsors that can afford to unload prize money because they know the players that compete in the event are mostly worth it.
$10 from a 1000 people used by some "big shot organizer (Charlie Williams, Kevin Trudeau)" won't be spent as well as $10,000 from a big shot that calls the shots and says how the money should be used.
Read the sponsor list from tournaments. It isn't a major corporation with anonymous investors, its privately owned billiard companies.
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Now you're on to something: POOL STAMPS. Gov't subsidized pool time. That's absolute genius. "OBAMAPOOL". Man, that has ring to it huh?
Now you're on to something: POOL STAMPS. Gov't subsidized pool time. That's absolute genius. "OBAMAPOOL". Man, that has ring to it huh?
I have been warned about political content. I can't discuss this on the thread.
Yeah it would be great if some rich people decided to throw a 10k added tourney every week in a city every 50 miles in the country. That's much more feasible than a couple leagues growing the sport wiht $10 a night entry fees and realistic goals/prizes.
Sarcasm brother, relax.
Sure some random organizer will magically manage other peoples money well.
I don't care who it is, the movement of money causes problems.
Before it gets to the organizer of a major event.
The collection, storage and then the transfer of the funds leaves too many vulnerabilities.
Are you an advocate for more taxes solving problems in the community? Because that is a tax on league players.
Even if I am wrong, then the problem of how much more money is needed becomes apparent.
I don't care who it is, the movement of money causes problems.
Before it gets to the organizer of a major event.
The collection, storage and then the transfer of the funds leaves too many vulnerabilities.
Are you an advocate for more taxes solving problems in the community? Because that is a tax on league players.
Even if I am wrong, then the problem of how much more money is needed becomes apparent.
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I just realized who I have been conversing with ...i think. You are the guy who reopened that place that burnt down right ?
If so I can understand your prideful boasting somewhat. But sadly ...just like others on here besides me have stated ....you just don't get it.
We had a pool hall here once much lime you describe yours to be . Notice I stated had. No jukebox....no games....no leagues. He relied on the old timers / regulars .the girl I dated worked there and as I said before....i hung out there a lot. When I heard he was in danger of closing I talked with our apa lo and the owner and the lo agreed to hold a tri cup tournament there. The owner told me he made more money that weekend then he did in 3 months. sadly it was too little too late for him to remain open.
Gladly we have a few other pool halls around here that "get it " by welcoming leagues. One in particular has an owner that I am quite proud of and glad to call him a friend. He "gets it " by catering to any one walking through his doors and treating each and every one as a valued customer.
You will see every one from people who get a 9' table and try to figure out where the quarters go...seen it more than once the lol. To a couple of guys trying to impress their dates that night.. League players....old timers....serious gamblers. When I say he caters to every one I mean he caters to them. I have seen him cordon off the surrounding tables as to avoid any one walking by interfering 2 local serious players in a 1,000.00 gambling match. tables designated strictly for regular one pocket players....gambling and non gambling. Weekly tournaments on both the 9' and 7's . In house money leagues on both the 9's and 7's ....whichever you prefer to play in ...or both. Did I mention leagues....he has hosted bcapl before it went under....napa before it went under....tap before it went under..he has the largest apa in house division which takes up all 14 7'ers and 4 -9 'ers . many nights people off the street have to wait on a table.
What is the result of how he operates? Well he has sponsored several pros in various tournaments all across the country ....notably white diamonds in Louisiana every year along with a few out in the Midwest. Hosts pro tournaments that have been streamed by big truck.
No WA he could give back to the pool community relying on just old timers / regulars. As another poster stated.....helluva lot of league players could be considered regulars but i know you were referring to serious non league players/ gamblers.
Not trying to tell you how to run your business or how to voice your personal opinion but expressing your self in a condescending way on here towards the lowly league players or others on here who disagree with your opinion makes you sound like an elitist asshole.....not saying you are one ...just comes across that way. :grin-square:
Btw.....i sincerely hope your room prospers as we do not need to lose any more rooms than we have over the years.
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If you want to say Im an elitist asshole...I''m okay with that.
I, along with other lifelong players, resurrected pool literally from ashes. We have a room full of old timers and regulars everyday. I actually did something to keep pool what it should be locally....not just talk about it. I didn't do it to get rich. All done for the love of the game. People notice when people are genuine and put up an honest product, well enough do. We offer Play All Day for 8 bucks and 7 if in by 2pm weekdays.
Here as in other areas in upstate NY the APA pulled players from rooms because the league ops were going to lose their market. Literally forbidding players from playing out of rooms they had, because they would lose money. This happened in Syracuse, Binghampton and Utica. In each of those areas players responded by making their own rooms or one just setup in a bowling alley. Sure we are all on a smaller scale, but again getting rich has nothing to do with it. Now me taking a quarter mil out of the local market means they can see if league is enough to survive on....not the other way around.
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Sounds like you offer fair pricing, therefore driving players to you instead of to a $7 an hour type joint that can barely keep players there even with league. That sounds like the route of your success, probably along with taking care of the tables, as i am guessing you do well just by your comment. If i had a choice between my current joint that i love, which is $7 an hour aside from specials, and a place like yours where its $7-10 all day, every day, i would be at your place five times a week, instead of the three, maybe four days i play at my current joint during special hours and league nights.
Exactly, loyal repeat business.
The dynamics broght by the leagues, in particular APA, has caused a lot of issues. So when you want to talk about the death of pool, then it needs to be discussed.
There are different parts of pool.
I think the pool is dead phrase is too general.
The Olympics is every four years. Those athletes train hard and sacrifice a lot.
That type of pool is pro tournaments.
Then there are the local events which happen more frequently because players can't organize themselves to compete against each other.
In big cities those tournaments are often and frequent. However in smaller towns those events may happen far less.
What is dead about pool is mainstream interest. It is portrayed in media but not in a favorable light. It is also not written about in mainstream publications.
Billiard is a niche sport that is not included in general news. The general interest from non-billiard players is dead.
As for prize events, those are alive and so are leagues. Pool rooms survive but the competition and profits from them are not as high.
With prize money lacking and travel expenses high, the competition to win a pro event is fierce. But not so fierce that people take performance enhancing drugs, cheat, whack other people's knees before a competition or try to bite other people's ears off. I think surviving jet lag is a major skill for pro pool players, living comfortably in strange hotel rooms and eating on the go foods are other things pro poolers must get used to.
Its at a civil level.
I think the pool is dead phrase is too general.
The Olympics is every four years. Those athletes train hard and sacrifice a lot.
That type of pool is pro tournaments.
Then there are the local events which happen more frequently because players can't organize themselves to compete against each other.
In big cities those tournaments are often and frequent. However in smaller towns those events may happen far less.
What is dead about pool is mainstream interest. It is portrayed in media but not in a favorable light. It is also not written about in mainstream publications.
Billiard is a niche sport that is not included in general news. The general interest from non-billiard players is dead.
As for prize events, those are alive and so are leagues. Pool rooms survive but the competition and profits from them are not as high.
With prize money lacking and travel expenses high, the competition to win a pro event is fierce. But not so fierce that people take performance enhancing drugs, cheat, whack other people's knees before a competition or try to bite other people's ears off. I think surviving jet lag is a major skill for pro pool players, living comfortably in strange hotel rooms and eating on the go foods are other things pro poolers must get used to.
Its at a civil level.
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I get where you are coming from to an extent but isn't people playing pool really the only thing thats going to save pool? No matter how people enjoy doing it we shouldn't shame them because they don't do it the way we do it. I just don't see a banger being comfortable going into your place and knocking balls around if they face ridicule. That being said, I wish there were more places like yours that charged a flat rate play all day price. That would certainly make the game more accessible to most but sadly I think most places wouldn't be able to afford their rent without league participation. Its cool that you can but I think you are the exception not the rule.
IMO the last time pool was getting major sponsorship was during the
Camel Series pro tour.. they were putting up pretty decent money,
publicity was good, and most of the major players were involved.
Then Mackay killed the golden goose, making demands of RJ
Reynolds (Camel), not paying the players, etc. Joe Camel
pulled his pool sponsorship, and that was that.
I don't think any major sponsor will touch pool now... $.02
Camel Series pro tour.. they were putting up pretty decent money,
publicity was good, and most of the major players were involved.
Then Mackay killed the golden goose, making demands of RJ
Reynolds (Camel), not paying the players, etc. Joe Camel
pulled his pool sponsorship, and that was that.
I don't think any major sponsor will touch pool now... $.02
With Hearn and Matchroom getting involved that may all change. Let's hope.