Strong opinion: Dress Codes Needed
- Thread starter DieselPete
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crazy8legs
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If you look at other better established sports, they either have a dress code or a uniform. Take professional darts for example: they wear slacks and a shirt/jersey with their own player branding. But this works because they all play in a professional darts organization. What group would that be for pool in the US (Europe does a much better job)?
And even the UFC created a dress code to be more commercially accepted, and now they're shown on ESPN.
Regardless, if you dress like a clown you will be perceived and treated like one.
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And even the UFC created a dress code to be more commercially accepted, and now they're shown on ESPN.
Regardless, if you dress like a clown you will be perceived and treated like one.
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This is the issue (as I see it) . There is no one organizing body to set and enforce the rules. Heck pool can't even come up with a standard set of rules for its games...look at all the different variations of how and where to rack the dadgum balls.
Yep they got tired of all the "Condom Depot" sponsorships on TV
. In other words, you got owned.
You can say that and I know why. When someone resorts to ad hominem it’s a sign they couldn’t handle the heat of the argument and chose to go for low blows.
I’m aware of that and in this case felt it fits. When someone starts getting all “get off my lawn”. When they start getting all “kids these days shouldn’t sag their pants”. When they say “everyone should at least wear slacks and a polo”. When they say “you should raise your expectations on what other people wear”. That really is one of those boomer value sets that is just completely blind to the fact that there are people of other walks of life that have different values. And they can’t get outside of their own worldview to embrace that there’s a time and place to present a market-friendly visual package and there is a time and place for some gunslingers to duel it out at the O.K. Corral. And there’s a time and place for hooligans to join our pool world and argue over racking in wifebeaters. Our pool world is that big and there’s no need to expect the whole of it to conform to the standards of a portion of it.
Oddly enough the shoe complaint has a little merit. The wrong shoes and the wrong floor and it is like somebody snatches your feet out from under you. You fall maybe six inches but you do it with probably eighty percent of your body weight on the contact point. Most of the time that contact point is your balls!
For some reason I can't recall I didn't have my semi-dress cowboy boots with a work sole available and I drug an old pair of dress shoes out of the closet that I hadn't worn but a couple times, probably to funerals. A floor I played on most every night with no problems but these shoes and that floor, I did the ball plant three times that night, once so hard it took me four or five minutes to resume play. After the third time I was standing very upright to play the rest of the night. I tried to play in those shoes one more time, and played cautiously after the first plant! I took those shoes off at the door when I got home and despite them being in almost as new condition I hummed them one behind the other into the garbage can with some vigor!
I do think there are plenty of good looking shoes with soles for the purpose but I had to point out the man's complaint wasn't as silly as it seems. The story maybe forty years later is funny, it wasn't funny that night. I was playing for cash and it was like waiting for someone to plant a full power kick to the testes while you are trying to play! Your feet slip when you are totally stretched out and there is no way to catch yourself.
I agree with everything else you say and also agree about wearing decent looking suitable shoes. Just had to defend the guy that isn't here to defend himself, his claim isn't without merit. I have seen many others have their feet slip out from under them over the years so I have to agree about leather soles. Those thin dress shoe leather soles can be killers.
Hu
You find one pro golfer, one time wearing a shirt that doesn't have a collar and strut around thinking you have just found Bigfoot or something. If professional pool players showed up dressed like Tiger is dressed in that photo I am certain that every single person advocating a dress code, even boomers, would be satisfied.
He didn’t show up in a tank top. The shirt is tucked in, the pants aren't cargo shorts. He's actually worn a shirt with that style collar quite a bit, including the 2019 Maaters. It's called a mock turtleneck and Tiger and the press have discussed it extensively as such. It's a far cry from a stretched out neck Tshirt.
I've had to write dress codes for people who work for me. The "must have a collar" is a dumbed down rule for people who are clueless about how to dress themselves appropriately without rules. If just telling them to dress professionally was enough and they showed up looking like Tiger everyone would be happy.
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Yet another example of the suggestion of a dress code for pros/major events being taken to extremes to justify the stance for those without a leg to stand on.
Ya, I have a pair of those slick leather soled shoes. Never tried but I could image those being quite slippery on the wrong surface, especially when new.
You say that, but we can't get people to merely agree that a clean shirt is appropriate...lol
I think this thread has turned a little. If all you want to see is a dress code for major events, I believe that's already happening.
Every big event I've played in had a dress code.
I have a pair of traditional dress shoes and they work fine. They can be a little slick but I haven't slipped yet while doing masse shots or anything like that.
Maybe it has... initially it was the professionalism of professionals, and pool as a whole putting it's best foot forward on anything note worthy that being streamed. I'm using the wide brush saying "whole", but it's a whole lot easier that listing all the events that people may tune into. The obvious caveat being the backyard streamers taking video of players out of professional context.
The Dennis/SVB match is note worthy and performed by professionals, and therefore has been the focus of much of the debate.
What's made this thread ridiculous is the twisting of the counterpoint down to the applying a dress code to some backwoods bar/grill. Which was never the point. Much like the idea that there's nothing wrong with professional NA pool 'as a whole' because some pool leagues are doing well.
Gotcha, that makes sense. I think it's worth noting that the professionals (not all of them) are the ones you need to convince. If they can be convinced that wearing their hat sideways on a stream is bad for their bottom line, they may change. If they don't care, no one else will. Let's all email Dennis.
Out of curiosity, is this a problem in Europe? Only America?
There's the thing, I don't think it's at the pro player level. I posted two pics of Dennis earlier. In one he's doing the ridiculous hat thing. In the other he's as extremely professional as you can get with the white collared shirt and black vest. In fact when I was hunting for that stupid hat pic I had to scroll through countless pics of Dennis in a golf shirt...lol.
I'm guessing that given the choice he opts for the dumb hat, or possibly he did it on a dare...lol.
I believe the reality is that pro players don't give a crap about dress code if it's worth their while to play in the first place.
The above has lead me to believe that actual problem is at the promotion level. Whether that be tournament directors, or productionists. That said, the players could always opt to wear something more professional regardless of the lack of rule.
No idea... What I can say is that I don't think it a "problem" in America. Too strong a word imo. More like a minor issue that's easily addressed with a known resolution...lol
I don't think it should be left up to the players and maybe that's the status quo and part of the problem. Streamers and event organizers have to set the standard and a minimum dress code should be required to play. Most all the larger events and the well organized regional events have dress codes. For the most part, I'd say the independent streamers do not have very high standards for the product they are producing and the lack of professionalism has a much longer reach than player dress codes. The best head to head streaming I've seen to date was TAR. Professional production, commentary and the players dressed and acted (for the most part) in a professional manner. It's a shame they're no longer in production.
Agreed... Right now it seems as though 'streamers' are just happy they get the opprotunity to stream. Can't blame them. Don't imagine it's an easy gig.
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Pool players need to look professional while they are gambling. Did you see how Djokovic and Federer were dressed when they gambled last time, in every other sport, athletes have a dress code because they don't want to look unprofessional while they are gambling
If being broadcast or in the public eye, professional players should look the part whether they are participating in a tournament or a challenge match.