Wow! You are a weird guy Glen!
Not obsessing. I am trying to tell you that you are not a very social person.
Let me tell you a little about your business plan. But, let me precursor it with the fact that I want you to succeed. I really do. Revolutionize the pool industry. You have my support. Every step of the way I will congratulate you on goals and a job well done.
In the halls I frequent the bar box players are generally scared as shit to play on a 9’ table. Now these are not opinions. They are facts. My primary hall as with most halls I have been into these days, have a mixture of tables. Almost 50/50. I enjoy playing a bar box. Do I consider it “serious” pool. Hmmmm....sorta, maybe. It doesn’t attract the same level of player. However they are fun. You play with fun people. Generally they don’t take it as serious as the players that are playing 9’ tables in tournaments or action matches or even slapping a few balls around with the pool buddies. I consider a bar box a a gateway drug into the bigger tables. My rooms have league nights the same nights as the tournaments. As well as the bigger nights like Friday and Saturday. I know for a fact that the league nights pay the entire overhead of such rooms. They don’t make much off the league itself. They make a majority of the money off the drinking. The second is the food.
I know the players in these rooms. Many of them. Not all. A couple transition to the big tables and occasionally play the tournaments. They generally don’t do well but they try. Reason being is because it takes a different type of focus to play a 9’ table well. The shots are much longer and you generally need a decent stroke to get around. On a 7’ table you don’t necessarily need a good stroke to win a game or enjoy yourself. Whereas the same players on a 9’ table is an exercise in frustration. You can take your wife, girlfriend or other casual friend and have them join you at the leagues. They can play, drink, eat and have some fun. That’s what they generally want. Wether it’s one night a week or several nights. Most don’t take it too serious. These are things that keep the rooms open. Very few make the jump to the big tables.
That’s problem #1 for the growth of pool as we know it. When I say as we know it I mean serious pool with action. Even if that action was a $1-$2 ring game. You can’t twist there arms hard enough. Not even on the 7’. That’s not what they are there for. I am there. I see it. I know it. That’s why I say you need to spend serious time in the rooms to get this.
The serious pool halls. The player rooms you won’t see 5” heels and a mini skirt playing pool. That’s because those rooms do not feel safe or appropriate for couples or more importantly a group of young girls. Pool is a social game!
Look at what Freezers has done. They cleaned the image up. Made it a place where you can enjoy yourself as a young adult while still promoting a serious game. Scott has the right idea. It will work him.
Now I have said it before and I will say it again. IT’S THE PLAYERS THAT ARE DETERMINING THE CURRENT STATE OF POOL!
Look at the match between Alex and Tony the past few days.
Now I am going to try and say this with as much respect as I can regarding this. I know it won’t come off correctly but, it will be real.
Tony’s attire looks like he will be slinging dope after the game.
Alex, with his tilted to the side hat and then on day 3 wearing the mask.
Now I respect and appreciate both of these players to the hilt! BUT, YOU WILL NEVER GET ANY NETWORK TO AIR THESE MATCHES! Unless you privatize it. Which is exactly why matches are being streamed these days! Now I am not saying go back to the tux days but who in hell is going to respect the game when this is the way it is presented to the viewing public? There isn’t a chance in hell that any legitimate entity will touch that with a 5000’ pole. Not going to happen. This doesn’t take into the account that the best matches and the ones most are interested in are matches that are gambled upon. Both purse and side bets. Pool has been that sort of game since it’s inception. But, times have changed. In order to bring real legitimacy to the sport you have to clean this image up.
I can only see this happening one way and one way only. That is to offer payouts so large that it requires the players themselves to change. I am not talking 40k payouts for first. That doesn’t tickle the audience you are trying to reach. I am talking $1,250,000.00 for first. Then you have something that the players will respect. You can dictate the dress code, the manor and sell that back to an ESPN or better yet a Billiards channel. And that my friend will not happen with glue money unless every time someone buys an iPad they also have to purchase a quart of RKC glue.
You don’t understand the production costs. They are huge. I know. I am in that business. Just to pull up a production facility to do as an example a 5 camera shoot (add another 1 or 2 wireless handheld cameras for interviews which is something people also want to see) and the labor etc for a 4K shoot is over a million. The only way you pay those types of production costs are with big name sponsors or some very, very deep pockets.
So I will tell you right now you are way, way out of your league and the expectations are from an old school perspective.
Times have changed and pool didn’t change with them. This is what you are left with. Anything you do with glue money is only to preserve its current state and maybe just maybe be a launching pad for something to happen in a decade or two if he sport survives long enough to make that transition as something that is marketable.
Ladies and Gentlemen, at this moment pool is in such bad shape we are really playing for the fun of it.
Read it and weep but this is the state of affairs and it’s the reality of the situation.
Now you want to do this. I get it and like I said I support it. However since you personally are trying to promote this then you have got to stop being such a dick. Not everyone has your knowledge of what the correct pocket angle should be on a 4 1/8 pocket. But, damn Glen cut everyone here some slack. They do try to add to this forum and maybe not all is useful or correct but they are trying. Even if wrong you have to start somewhere. I am no mechanic (I hate the term...sounds like someone with greasy hands working on my table) I work on my own table because if I screw it up then it’s only my time and the cost of materials. Whereas if I pay someone to do it it is all of the above and I would be upset and do it myself anyways. I think many feel that way. So STOP knocking everyone. If your business plan where to work and it got recognized by anyone that could make the dream we speak of happen and they looked at your posts I can assure you that the only way they would do it was if you were not involved. You are too course and aggressive and do not represent the type of individual that a serious entity would want to be involved with. It’s too volatile. I don’t have any skin in this game other thank love the game, want to see it be the best it can be and be a part of that in my small way.
You on the other hand need to clean up your act if you have any hopes of making this fly.
So to respond to you’re initial response....I am not obsessing in any way over you, what you are, what you do or don’t do. I am trying to drag you back into this planetary orbit so that you can stop abusing your colleagues and do something much more productive other than piss off 20 people per thread.
Now I am going to Vegas tomorrow to celebrate my sons 21st birthday (I rounded of his age by a week or so. Guess that makes me a liar) so don’t screw up my mojo. I want it to be a nice trip and hopefully with any luck come back with more than I went with.
Odds are already against me. I won’t be playing pool that’s for sure although I may swim in one weather permitting.
End of line
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