So do porn stars.Which life is easy?
What is all this constant danger?
They all look to be enjoying themselves when I see them.
So do porn stars.Which life is easy?
What is all this constant danger?
They all look to be enjoying themselves when I see them.
That sounds great, until you have to pay the rent. Or put food on the table for a family of four.Do what you love and you'll never 'work' a day.
Watching the recent Turning Stone event, looks like about 90% or more of the seats are always empty. No different than a lot of streams I've watched where you can see the seating. I'm not sure there is a fix for that.Pool for the casual sports watcher is as exciting as watching paint dry.
Basketball,Football,Soccer,Baseball,Golf,Auto racing and others are all more interesting because the general public understands whats going on,not so much with pool.
I watch pool played at a high level and pay no attention to great shots being made, all top level players can do that I watch how they handle the cue ball that's the part that interests me and the casual viewer has no clue of the skill it takes to move the rock.
We are on the same page. I deleted a second line from the post you quoted:That sounds great, until you have to pay the rent. Or put food on the table for a family of four.
Let's face it, money makes the world go around. And there just isn't much money in professional pool. At least, not for the players.
I don't know what the answer is, but I wish good luck to all of the pool players who want to give it a shot.
With the additional streams provided by UpState Al. I imagine viewer attendance will drop further. Why spectate live when you can see what's happening on every table when it's convenient.Watching the recent Turning Stone event, looks like about 90% or more of the seats are always empty. No different than a lot of streams I've watched where you can see the seating. I'm not sure there is a fix for that.
Maybe more misunderstood than broke.Wisdom is the key. If a young man wants to dedicate himself to any endeavor, he must be willing to thoroughly and honestly evaluate reality. The results are fairly uniform: pool can't pay its players enough. That's the reality. Like my Dad used to say, "Son, stop beating your head up against City Hall."
We all love pool or we wouldn't be here. At the same time, we can not deny reality. I admire folks who are willing to chase their dreams. Sadly, dreams won't feed them. And if pool can't feed them, how will it feed their wives and kids? How will it pay for a home or a car?
Pool is an intellectual and physical activity best played with friends. It has proved beyond doubt that it can't financially support its players. It can hardly support the behind-the-lines, day-to-day grunts who keep the wheels turning. Sadly, it looks like the only people who make money in the pool world are guys who successfully sell the dream to us poor dreamers.
I agree with this post and was going to post something similar. Even though trapshooting is a very expensive sport the vast majority of top shooters have full time jobs. One of the best shooter Dave Shaeffer is a plumber. The best current shooter Pat Lamont is a full time engineer and cannot participate in all the events he would like to ... I know him personally and talked to him about this. A lot of the top shooters work in the industry as sales people or gunsmiths. People have to be realistic about their ability before deciding to become full-time pros.Nice post but I think you overstate how poorly professional players are viewed. I think there has been slow but remarkable improvement in this department over the past decade. Many players have figured out how to properly market and present themselves, and with very positive results. This is a great thing for professional pool!
One dramatic problem many 2nd or 3rd tier pros now have is -- the numbers DO NOT lie! You cannot be a pro with a 720 Fargo Rating and ignore this reality any longer. These players can't live in denial, and neither can their potential sponsors or backers. It's one thing to be an up and coming player with a rising FR in the low 700s. It's an entirely different thing to be a player in your mid 30s with such a rating. If these players want to continue on with pool, they need to rethink their approach. Most likely moving towards a more club-pro type mindset.
I think a major reason that professional pool has not achieved the same level of success as professional golf and tennis and Formula One is that it does not generally appeal to rich people. Not sure how to fix this.
Do people actually make a living playing darts?The World Darts Championship recently concluded at the Alexandra Palace in London. The champion, Michael Smith, took home $500,000 for his win. The place was packed, beer flowed, and the crowd was boisterous. I have a hard time believing pool can't reach that level.
Yup seen that a number of times,and the few there are mostly old people.Watching the recent Turning Stone event, looks like about 90% or more of the seats are always empty. No different than a lot of streams I've watched where you can see the seating. I'm not sure there is a fix for that.
Hate to say but I've noticed the same. I've been there a couple times, I'd of been one of the old peopleYup seen that a number of times,and the few there are mostly old people.
Thanks for the interesting thoughts. I probably have formed my opinion about how some view the pool players from reading the disparaging words written by some. I realize not everybody thinks this way.Nice post but I think you overstate how poorly professional players are viewed. I think there has been slow but remarkable improvement in this department over the past decade. Many players have figured out how to properly market and present themselves, and with very positive results. This is a great thing for professional pool!
One dramatic problem many 2nd or 3rd tier pros now have is -- the numbers DO NOT lie! You cannot be a pro with a 720 Fargo Rating and ignore this reality any longer. These players can't live in denial, and neither can their potential sponsors or backers. It's one thing to be an up and coming player with a rising FR in the low 700s. It's an entirely different thing to be a player in your mid 30s with such a rating. If these players want to continue on with pool, they need to rethink their approach. Most likely moving towards a more club-pro type mindset.
Hey, I resemble that remark! Hahahaha!Yup seen that a number of times,and the few there are mostly old people.
Well said. Most pros, even elite ones, whether in Europe or elsewhere, cannot afford to get ranking points by Matchroom because they cannot afford to attend the multi-day tournaments.Great post that effectively encapsulates the issue of the day.
Even though things are improving, pool's catch-22 is that the typical aspiring pro player still can't afford to play in the biggest events and if they skip those events, their pedigrees won't develop in full.
Even in the case of Matchroom, our sport's gold standard, entry fees are trending downward and prize money is trending up, but as nice as that might sound, Matchroom does not stage "show up and you get to play" events.
Only higher ranked players are assured invitations, and demand for participation in Matchroom events is so high that for everyone but ranked players, entry is an online free for all. Even in large-field events, Matchroom fields tend to fill up in a matter of hours, and hundreds miss out.
Hence, there appears to be a second Catch-22. How can one become a high enough ranked player to be assured Matchroom invitations if they can't afford to attend all the Matchroom majors, most of which are in Europe? In 2023, Matchroom has begun to address this. In 2023, there are 30 events all over the world that will award Matchroom ranking points. Hence, a worthy pro can build up their ranking on their home soil, thereby qualifying for invitations to all the Matchroom majors and possibly even Matchroom Invitationals.
Prize money will grow as revenue grows. As we saw with the IPT and again with Bonus Ball, if a pool venture pays out prizes that are irreconcilable with revenue, it will fold.
America does, as you suggest, need to rally around its most promising players by helping them with participation costs and by offering resources for training. As we know, some countries (such as Poland) are already offering this kind of support and their players are reaping the rewards.
I was watching one of the tournament of champions at Mohegan back in the 90s on ESPN. Pretty sure it was the finals and Tony Ellin missed a pretty easy shot to run out for the win, maybe the ball skidded, don't know. That was the difference between the 50k and nothing. I remember thinking, glad I have a day job with a salary, that's too much stress.Thanks for the interesting thoughts. I probably have formed my opinion about how some view the pool players from reading the disparaging words written by some. I realize not everybody thinks this way.
Even with Matchroom and Predator's efforts to form a tour around the world, most people cannot afford to go to all of the events because of the cost. This includes elite players, Hall of Famers, and aspiring pros who just might be good enough to reach the winner's circle. But the can't afford to attend Matchroom and/or Predator tournaments in, say, Poland and then China and then Puerto Rico and then England and then Germany and then the United States within a 6-month span, therein because of expenses, therein lies the problem.
For American players, in particular, I think we have more regional competitions that are more affordable, but if the American player wants to gain ranking points but can't afford to attend events overseas on a regular basis, they can never get ahead. Some may quit competing professionally and get a job and/or go back to school, and that's probably the best direction for them if they want to live a comfortable lifestyle.
As a railbird, I can afford to attend tournaments around the world, if I wanted to, but when the tournament is over, I return home and can make ends meet. I have a job. I have a bank account. I have a home. I have a car. For the aspiring pool pro, unless they have, again, a stakehorse, sponsor, family, or rich spouse, it's a whole nother world and lifestyle between tournaments.
I've never been a fan of the ratings, and I kind of think people who value ratings are results pickers. There just might be some pool players out there who are not ranked at all yet can keep up with the best of 'em. Derby City Classic always has a few surprises in that department.
Gee, Officer Krupke, we're very upset;Maybe more misunderstood than broke.