Pro Pool Is Exactly As It Should Be

ideologist

I don't never exaggerate
Silver Member
Humans who do something remarkably well. And they are in balance with society as things should be.

No the problem isn't that pro pool doesn't pay. It's the obscene sums of money and worship we throw at other humans doing physical skills better than everyone else.

Big noisy ignorant fools who can shoot a basketball.

Catch a football.

Hit a curve ball.

People who can entertain us in a whole variety of ways are simply overpaid and over valued.

All the trades have their superstars too. But they work for a living wage.

Not saying socialism has the answers but the situation with athlete celebrity is obscene in modern capitalism.

And it would stop if you would stop but you won't.
ok boomer

Whatever that is? I think the article real or concocted did a fairly good job of explaining it.

Of course you did
 

BeiberLvr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have long said that a dollar a week from all amateur league dues would fund a legitimate pro tour in perpetuity. And that pro tour properly produced would in turn grow the amateur base.

Players agree to pay dues for certain perks like free table time.

What's in it for the league player if a portion of their dues went to some pro tour that 99% of them would never compete in, whether to their own unwillingness or skill?
 

JB Cases

www.jbcases.com
Silver Member
Players agree to pay dues for certain perks like free table time.

What's in it for the league player if a portion of their dues went to some pro tour that 99% of them would never compete in, whether to their own unwillingness or skill?
A stable sport with a clear path from amateur to professional for anyone who wants take that path.

It doesn't need to be voluntary. No league breaks down what part of the dues are spent on marketing.
 

boogieman

It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that ping.
A stable sport with a clear path from amateur to professional for anyone who wants take that path.

It doesn't need to be voluntary. No league breaks down what part of the dues are spent on marketing.
I'm guessing the league operator would rather keep the money for their local league, or in their wallet. I'm not saying what you're saying couldn't work, but people are too short sighted for such endeavors.
 

JB Cases

www.jbcases.com
Silver Member
I'm guessing the league operator would rather keep the money for their local league, or in their wallet. I'm not saying what you're saying couldn't work, but people are too short sighted for such endeavors.
Would be a national thing, not up to the local league operators.
 

Willowbrook Wolfy

Your wushu is weak!
I don’t think half of you got JC’s point at all. I think I did. He wasn’t asking for socialism. He just stated a point that professional pool players aren’t paid like other professional athletes. Well aren’t being paid at the same tier as other professionals. The other professionals get paid win or lose also. Why are people paying $100 for a jersey that cost $1 to make. That could almost be considered theft. How about all the pizza places follow suit and start charging $200 a pizza? I think what he also meant by his comment is pool doesn’t bring in a lot of revenue, but even so it’s still a professional sport in America. Why isn’t it being televised?



*deleted*(political)👍
 
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rexus31

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Players agree to pay dues for certain perks like free table time.

What's in it for the league player if a portion of their dues went to some pro tour that 99% of them would never compete in, whether to their own unwillingness or skill?
Why would the average player know/care what the national organization did with their share of the revenue? The national org can spend/invest their revenues as they see fit. If they chose to invest $1 for every player in the organization to a pro tour, that's within their right as a business. It may take a decade or two but I think a well funded, properly organized and marketed pro tour akin to golf or tennis would certainly increase not only amateur but junior participation, which is the key. When the marketing reaches parents and they become educated pro pool players can earn over a million dollars a year, they will get their kids involved in the local junior leagues, events, etc. Realistically, only a small percentage of those juniors will evolve into professionals but it creates a "fan for life" whether that means they continue playing at the amateur level, are paying fans of the pro tour or both.
 

JC

Coos Cues
Your entire generation punted on civic responsibility and now rants about socialism. Thanks for setting us up for failure.
At least my generation has a work ethic. Have you seen the condition of your bedroom and bathroom? It's disgusting.
 

buckshotshoey

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Just need to get the dispensaries/growers on-board. You could have one hellacious good paying tour if you had some weed $$ backing it. Plus everyone would be chill and food/munchy sales would be truly epic. ;)
Its coming....

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ideologist

I don't never exaggerate
Silver Member
At least my generation has a work ethic. Have you seen the condition of your bedroom and bathroom? It's disgusting.
Except this workforce puts in more hours and higher productivity than ever. Your "work ethic" nonsense is just tired. Go back to your shanty and quit complain about people having fun with sports.
 

skogstokig

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Just need to get the dispensaries/growers on-board. You could have one hellacious good paying tour if you had some weed $$ backing it. Plus everyone would be chill and food/munchy sales would be truly epic. ;)

i don't think that's such a bad idea actually. definitely not as bad as mr trudeau's ponzi scheme. might collide with the WPA anti-doping thing but players don't have to be users.
 

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
Why would the average player know/care what the national organization did with their share of the revenue? The national org can spend/invest their revenues as they see fit. If they chose to invest $1 for every player in the organization to a pro tour, that's within their right as a business. It may take a decade or two but I think a well funded, properly organized and marketed pro tour akin to golf or tennis would certainly increase not only amateur but junior participation, which is the key. When the marketing reaches parents and they become educated pro pool players can earn over a million dollars a year, they will get their kids involved in the local junior leagues, events, etc. Realistically, only a small percentage of those juniors will evolve into professionals but it creates a "fan for life" whether that means they continue playing at the amateur level, are paying fans of the pro tour or both.
Amen to that. Let's preface this post by saying that it pertains to American pool only.

At least in America, it would be very hard to argue that the amateur league systems are the breeding ground for pro players in the first place.

If a national league organization in America opts to invest in pro pool, fine, but why would they? The pros add virtually nothing to enhance the world of American amateur pool, and this was true even when there were major pro tours in the United States. I'm not convinced that the complete disappearance of pro pool would affect the world of American amateur pool at all.

Pool players are, far too often, negative role models. In the other "individual" sports, like bowling, golf and tennis, things are different. In those other sports, you don't get things like Jeremy Jones challenging Earl Strickland to a fight during a Bonus Ball event, or Billy Thorpe drowning us in profanities while threatening Robb Saez in a streamed match. You don't get things like Dennis Hatch refusing to shake Josh Filler's hand after a Mosconi match in 2017 despite Johan Ruijsink practically begging him to do so. You don't get Jimmy Mataya showing up rip roaring drunk to a match at the ?2006? WPA World 14.1 Championships. You don't get Earl Strickland going after Hunter Lombardo at the American 14.1 Championships, earning an ejection from the event. Pool players are not role models for the amateurs, nor do they do anything that tends to add any value for the amateurs.

Matchroom and a few others are taking their best shot at monetizing pool and they are making some progress, but in the long run, only a good product can be sold, and pro pool players have, far too often, devalued the pro pool product through deviant behavior and a genral failure to support the efforts of those production companies that invest in their sport.

In Marketing 101, one learns that good product development is usually a prerequisite to selling something effectively. In pro pool, the players often forget that they have a large part to play in the development of that product, but in so forgetting, they have done a lot of damage to the public image of those that play pool for a living.

The delusional in our sport believe that pro pool is a high quality and highly marketable product that pool event producers and promoters have, inexplicably, been unable to sell. The sad truth, however, is that the product itself needs improvement, and while some event producers and promoters understand this, until the players join them in their attempt to grow the pro pool product, there is a limit to how far pro pool can go as a sport.
 
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tomatoshooter

Well-known member
Pool players are, far too often, negative role models. In the other "individual" sports, like bowling, golf and tennis things are different.
I've seen a few tennis players be somewhat less than tactful when expressing their lack of confidence in a judge's call, but you are right, it seems more common and tolerated in pool. I'm not a fan of it, but there seem to be plenty of shows on TV, like most of the custom car shows, that seem to primarily focus on drama and conflict. Maybe we should be thankful that that's not the representation we're getting on TV. No family will see that and put a pool table in the game room.

The sad truth, however, is that the product itself needs improvement

I think the game is wonderful but if by "product" you mean the entirety of the culture, you are probably right. There's always some good insight in your posts.
 
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