2022 APEX Wisconsin Open
- Thread starter 8cree
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It is actually a modified spot shot that is a tougher version, with the 10 ball going on the same spot that it would be on in a 10 ball rack. If the players are tied after four modified spot shots each, then it gets tougher yet because it moves from ball in hand behind the second diamond to ball in hand behind the first diamond and then effectively becomes sudden death. Try you some of that under pressure and see how you do.
Here are some of the arguments on the other side of the coin:
The modified spot shot shootout puts the players under a lot more pressure a lot more of the time than they would ever see under the old format, and more pressure adds excitement which is always a good thing, plus it helps to "separate the men from the boys" and better determine who the better player is.
The talk is one thing, but where do the crowds end up every time? At the modified spot shot shoot outs, that's where. Everybody wants to see them, and at some point you have to go by the old motto of actions speak louder than words. They may be saying one thing, but their actions tell another story. And then what do you most often hear being talked about? The spot shot shoot outs. Did you see that spot shot shoot out between so and so and so and so, it went 6-6 and then so and so dogged it. Heck, as you go through youtube matches, I bet there is a pretty good chance that you skip straight to the spot shot shootout on some of them. But you don't like them right? Or is is just that you don't want to like them, but that your actions are speaking louder than words? The spot shot shootouts add an intense edge of your seat excitement, often, that you very rarely get from traditional formats. Excitement is generally very good for a sport in attracting and retaining viewers.
At the end of the day if something brings in more viewers than it loses, it was a success (more fans is better than less fans), and if it can bring in some non playing viewers it is a bigger success yet because it is cracking a brand new (and substantially bigger) market. Time will tell how it all shakes out but at least they aren't following the same formula that is guaranteed to be a failure like most others before them did and so they have given themselves (and the sport) a chance.
People who care about the game wouldn't do the same things that have been proven to be a failure and that will get pool nowhere. People that care about the game will try new things to see if that broadens the appeal of pool even if it has to come at the expense of losing a few of the purists who can't handle any change. With many decades of data to back it up, we already know without question what will not work, and that is all the things we have spent decades doing. What we don't yet know is what will work, and there is only one way to find out, and that is to try new things, with no area of the sport being off limits to being updated because we need to find out what gives the sport the best chance.
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Sorry, but the logical end of the "people want it" argument would be spot shot tournaments. The only upside to that would be lots of entries, and not as much dead money as you might think.
I don't think so. I think there is a balance between the things that keep the drama high and actually discriminating based on overall skill the way people expect. I think they're pretty close to the right mix now. If there were too many upsets such that, say, Fargo Ratings were only a weak predictor of who gets to the final rounds, the shootouts become less appealing.
Fair enough, everybody is entitled to their own personal preferences.
Keep in mind though that a big portion of what forms our personal preferences is simply what we are exposed to and used to (for example, fans from every other sport on earth would think it was the stupidest thing ever for the person/team who scored to retain offensive possession, yet pool players tend to feel the exact opposite and think alternating possession after scoring is dumb because scorer retaining possession is the way it was always done in pool and is just what they are used to). Since it is the case that our preferences are largely formed by what we have been exposed to and are used to, we often don't really know how we are going to ultimately feel about something new until we allow ourselves to fully get used to it too. With that knowledge in mind we should try to keep an open mind and maybe wait a bit to see how we end up feeling about something rather than going with the knee jerk reaction of how we initially felt when we know that quite often changes.
I think we all have to agree that it would be idiocy not to make changes though, as there is substantial data that the way pool has been done for decades is never going to work. The only real debate is in what changes to try first. If given enough chance to see if they will work, the results of said changes will prove one way or the other whether any particular changes were good ones or not.
I think we would also have to agree that whether we personally like particular changes or not, if they are what is best for pool then that is of course what pool should do.
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The shootouts are a childish gimmick playing to the lowest common denominator...simpleton fans.
Consider that if that were true, it would make it the very clear and obvious right choice because it would be the most appealing to the most people. It is like you are trying to argue for the other side.
Also consider that for something like this, anybody not trying to appeal to the widest audience is probably an idiot.
Doing what brings the most benefit or appeals to the most people won't always be what best suits the purists, but it is almost always what best suits the sport. So the dilemma, do what is best for the sport, or do what is best for Joe_Jaguar?
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Spot shot shootouts are bullshit. Why not lag and then play sudden death. Don't make a ball on the break and leave your opponent a shot. Too bad. Get a lucky roll and leave him safe. Good for you. Make a ball and run out. That's fine too. One game for the cheese is the best part of pool. Spot shots died with straight pool 40 years ago.
You didn't give this much thought, huh? Or obviously read anything. The answer to the need for change is because many decades of history show that only you, me, and about three other people wanted to watch that sh!t, that's why. I know you don't like that fact, but it is still the fact none the less. Anybody that doesn't see that is somebody whose bias doesn't allow them to see realities they don't like.
Maybe the modified spot shot shootout won't be the answer, but then again have a bit of patience and give it some time, it has only been tried for a year and your same ole same ole has been tried for 50 years and yet you still want to give it longer to see if it works lol. Ever hear that cliche definition of insanity, because that sure fits it.
Time will tell if this is the change that ends up working or not, but anybody suggesting we go back to doing the same failed things we have been doing for half a century should just be laughed at. Hysterically. Five year olds have more sense.
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