Turning Stone not being on TV has nothing to do with dress code. As far as sponsors not caring about a colored shirt, what Tiger was wearing was golf attire. Sponsors do care about what you wear. If you had any, you would understand.
Strong opinion: Dress Codes Needed
- Thread starter DieselPete
- Start date
Turning Stone not being on TV has nothing to do with dress code. As far as sponsors not caring about a colored shirt, what Tiger was wearing was golf attire. Sponsors do care about what you wear. If you had any, you would understand.
What is disingenuous is whining about collared shirts, and then crawfishing back when you see a pro golfer in a pro event without one. I don't have a problem with any dress code a promoter wants to include. I just think it is crazy that casual players on a forum, worry so much about what another grown man is wearing to his job. A man who is one of the very best in the world at what he does. A man who likely lives like a millionaire in his home country.
Yet some on here judge him because he doesn't meet their standard of professionalism.
Yet some on here judge him because he doesn't meet their standard of professionalism.
I think the point people are trying to make is not to grow the pool industry as a whole but to grow PROFESSIONAL POOL. Until there is a sanctioning body that gives a crap, this won't happen. Regardless of what you are saying, it starts with image. Sponsors are constantly on the hunt for new avenues to promote their product. If said sponsor was researching pool as that avenue and a majority of what they uncover are seemingly unprofessional, poorly dressed players who may or may not be drunk, inciting verbal and physical altercation over a rack, it would be a hard pass for investment. On the flip side, if a potential sponsor sees a Matchroom broadcast or an Accu Stats production where the players are nicely dressed, acting professional and the commentary is professional, that product may be appealing and marketable. The point is, if Matchroom and Accu Stats can hold higher standards, why can't we make those standards the norm across the board? Is it really going to turn off the league banger because players are wearing slacks and a polo and the image is professional? It hasn't seemed to hurt cornhole.
As for the gambling stigma, read up on the history of the PGA. Before the golfers got organized, golf had a very poor image. "Pro" golfers made their living hustling on the links traveling from course to course for the next sucker. Sound familiar? So yes, golf is exactly what pool could be.
The Tiger analogy is weak at best. Let's see, slacks, belt, tucked in shirt and nice shoes: exactly how pro pool players should dress. I'm sure if he was violating the PGA dress code he would have been asked to change.
I never said they didn't care what you wear. So tell me what "pool attire" is. I'll wait. Who is to say that Dennis wearing a T shirt and Jeans is not exactly what his sponsors ok'd? Why is it any of our concern?
The point I think you are missing is that there is no standard dress code for pool players, no organizing body to enforce it, and the professional players themselves don't seem to be overly concerned about it based on the way they dress. If the players, who are directly affected by it aren't concerned, why is it worth 9 pages on a pool forum?
And that is exactly why pro pool will not grow in America, which is the primary concern over these 10 pages. Nobody gives a shit or is smart enough to understand they need to band together to determine standards that are marketable, abide by them and hold one another accountable to the standards. That's the starting point.
Agree 100%
Depends on the product. I could definitely see a line of Tapout or Venum pool clothes
Who is we? Professional pool growing will have minimal effect on me.
The best cornhole player in the world made less than 30k last year.
Have you played golf lately? There are golf hustlers trying to get the nuts on every course. I don't know if I have ever played a round where there wasn't money, even if a dollar per hole, involved. And the beer cart girl is the most popular person in the county.
The Tiger analogy was simply to show that a collar on your shirt does not make you professionally attired. I think this horse has been beat to death, resurrected, and then shot. I'm out. Good luck and have a great day!
My brother and I went on a weekend project to help a cousin install a new computer network in a doctors office complex. A weekend project with nobody else there, or so my cousin thought! We dressed as we would normally dress to visit my cousin, pocket t-shirts and jeans. Not ragged or dirty but definitely casual!
The lead doctor that owned the building showed up Saturday morning while we were hard at it. Apparently Red had laid it on little thick about our skills and certifications. Two guys with longish hair and beards in our clothes didn't fit the doctor's idea of highly trained and skilled professionals. We would have dressed the part through the week but after confirming that Red was the only one we would see or that would see us, we dressed for that. The doctor got Red on the side, "Are those really the guys from New Orleans?" A couple hours later he was leaving the building and stopped by. He couldn't help asking again. Mike and I overheard him this time. "Yes sir, we are the pro's from Dover!"
This was in Pensacola Florida where things tend to be casual but the doctor still would not have bought all new computers and a new network if we would have tried to sell it to him as we were dressed for a private weekend. If you want people to treat you with respect you have to look like you deserve it.
Hu
General term referring to the overall community.
Gotta start somewhere. They are on national TV. The earnings will increase.
Missing the point entirely. You don't see the top players in the world contributing to that behavior now, but they used to. Hence, golf is what pool could be when it grows up.
The fact is, he's nicely dressed. The mock turtle neck is technically a collar if you want to split hairs. Otherwise, the PGA wouldn't have allowed it because, well, you know, they have standards.
Agreed... taking the counterpoint to the absolute extreme to justify their stance.
Might also notice in that pic that Tiger is wearing black slacks and also god forbid a matching belt. Oh the inhumanity...
I know it exists but have never been exposed to it honestly. Maybe if there was some type of youth league in my area, a place in my area that had it available to play, or maybe even main stream televised in my region it would have been on my radar.
Yes, you can say that my interest in improving the game is self serving. I wouldn't mind not being initially treated like a social pariah because I enjoy playing pool. If by "audience" you mean casual observers, then yes I think it's improtant. That audience could be potential players, sponsors, and possibly parents that may decide if pool is a game that want their children playing. Does the person who's never going to watch pool again care what players are wearing...?..., probably not, but I shouldn't speak for them. Will how "professionals" conduct themselves while performing their "profession" weigh on the mind of the parent or potential sponsor if they are consider what to allow their kid to play and/or invest their money. 100% yes it will, and don't hesitate speaking for them.
No worries... The internet has no borders. My apologies for not being able to converse in your native language. If anything you have a great excuse. There's tons of posters here that don't have any excuse...lol
Yes you are right... at least 100 other bigger reasons. That's why this debate is ridiculous. Such a minor and easy thing to cross off the list. So simple, and so easy to correct it shouldn't even be a topic.
Although the APA may be on your side inregards to the growth of the game. I wonder if all those pool room owners (pre covid) that had to shut down would also be...?
I don't know the numbers, and frankly I really don't care. This isn't about rope'ing in the adult guy who wants to have a couple of drinks with his buddies while doing something out of the house. This is about rope'ing in that guy when he's a kid and his parents decide what he can and cannot do. This about the novel idea of non-pool sponsorship for events/players. This type of sponsorship is common place for other games.
You already told me there's nothing wrong with the game, so consider me convinced. However at this point, even though everything is perfectly fine, I'm wondering if the grass could be greener.
MurrayNevada
Well-known member
I'm a Boomer so my opinions no longer mean much but I have always found it just as easy to put on clean and neat clothes as it is to put on sloppy or soiled clothes. I don't understand the controversy.
I never told you any such thing. I merely posed the question that if the actual people who make their living off of the game, who pay their bills and support their loved ones... If THEY are not all worried about it, why are you?
You answered (I think) that you were tired of the look you got when you told people you were a pool player because of pool's reputation. That is a perfectly legit reason and I agree 100%.
If you say you have a kid and you want professional pool to be a well paying, respected option for him to pursue as a career. Again, that makes perfect sense to me.
If the argument is, "well I play pool, I like pool, therefore pool should be as big as golf and the players should dress how I want them to", that is the position I don't understand.
I love pool, but it ain't going to affect me one bit if pool never gets on espn and the top players make millions a year, so therefore I don't worry about it and I certainly wouldn't disparage someone out there grinding away trying to make a living.
If pool gets on ESPN and top players make millions because of increased viewers and sponsorship because more people are interested , my assumption is that it will make it easier to fill teams and we'll have more teams competing at my local billiard establishment, maybe even on multiple nights for various 8,9,10 and 1PKT games.
All positives for me.
All positives for me.
I think the last paragraph of your comment sums up a good portion of this thread. There are those, like yourself, that don't worry about if pool gets big or not. And that is perfectly fine. As long as you enjoy the game, that is what matters. However there are people that would love to see Pool get bigger and be similar to golf. And that is fine too. For that to happen there needs to be organization and the pros need to have a professional image. The average person playing in a pool room doesn't need to have dress pants and a polo while playing. Before I got sponsors I was that t-shirt and jeans/shorts guy. Now that I have sponsors, I don't ever walk into a pool room without one of my polos that has the sponsor logos on them, whether I am playing league or just running a weekly tournament. That sets me apart.
Lol... no that's not my stance. I just want the game respected by casual observers and for the best players to be make better than an ok living. I highly doubt you'll find a single player that wouldn't prefer to put some more coin in their pockets.
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Agreed. Me and some buddies are working on some pool stuff and planning a tournament and I brought this up yesterday and we decided to have some sort of dress code. It's not finalized yet but it won't involve t-shirts. Reason - because we want sponsors and if we tell them the people will be presentable and must follow a code of ethics we're hoping to get more players (EDIT: and advertiser's - which was my point).
I would play in that just to support if it were close to me.
I never knew how much of a chore it was to wear nice pants, a belt and a collared shirt. I thought you guys were all boomers? I have a picture of my uncles, when they were young in the early 60s. They wore ties and suits to a mountain hike! I guess times have changed quite a bit since then. Pool is pretty much doomed anyway, everyone in the game seems to be short sighted and only in it for themselves. They can't even be bothered to dress like an adult so maybe the promoter can have some sponsors for an event. It's too much work for them. "Oooh, I can't wear black pants and collared shirts, it's too constrictive". One guy on here claimed he couldn't wear dress shoes because he would slip all the time. I don't even know what to say to whiny bs like that. I just imagine him walking around in an office landscape, constantly falling over and slipping like a cat in those special cat shoes.
I dont' understand what possible kind of job a person can have, where they don't require you to at least look half way presentable? Or that can be done by someone so lazy and inconsiderate they can't be bothered to put clothes on their body, covering their butt. Even garbage men wear uniforms. Yet, people show up to the pool hall reeking and looking like their clothes went halfway through a wood chipper with their butts hanging out for all to see.
The game is going down the drain, and there is precious little anyone can do about it. You can't throw money at people like this, it's just a complete waste. I often wonder why I even play this game, when I have to deal with people like this all the time. It seems less and less worth it. Sure wear whatever you want to the pool hall, as long as the owner is fine with it, but if some guy is putting up money and work to put together an event, show some damn respect and wear clothes like a civilized human being.
I dont' understand what possible kind of job a person can have, where they don't require you to at least look half way presentable? Or that can be done by someone so lazy and inconsiderate they can't be bothered to put clothes on their body, covering their butt. Even garbage men wear uniforms. Yet, people show up to the pool hall reeking and looking like their clothes went halfway through a wood chipper with their butts hanging out for all to see.
The game is going down the drain, and there is precious little anyone can do about it. You can't throw money at people like this, it's just a complete waste. I often wonder why I even play this game, when I have to deal with people like this all the time. It seems less and less worth it. Sure wear whatever you want to the pool hall, as long as the owner is fine with it, but if some guy is putting up money and work to put together an event, show some damn respect and wear clothes like a civilized human being.
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