I don’t think there was any money in this or actual plans to do anything in the future. Compared to the pillow fighting and kickball, pool looked cheap, amateur and out of date.
Pool returns to ESPN….
- Thread starter kling&allen
- Start date
I don’t think there was any money in this or actual plans to do anything in the future. Compared to the pillow fighting and kickball, pool looked cheap, amateur and out of date.
Video link in post #134.Some of the comments over on FaceBook are brutal.
I was going to wait until I could watch it without a subscription but I may have to break down and spend a few bucks.
Maybe. See my comment in post #134.
Ghost of OBC
Well-known member
I watched. It was hard to follow and amateurish. I'd play if I had a set of "pro cue sport league" balls.
What I don't understand is why, if you desire pool to be popular on TV in the US you don't pick the game virtually everyone plays? I hate 8 ball but I'm not so daft as to not realize it's the most played game in the US. English blackball seems ready made for a US audience, but we get the nameless successor to Bonus Ball instead...
What I don't understand is why, if you desire pool to be popular on TV in the US you don't pick the game virtually everyone plays? I hate 8 ball but I'm not so daft as to not realize it's the most played game in the US. English blackball seems ready made for a US audience, but we get the nameless successor to Bonus Ball instead...
All the events on The Ocho are coming from one facility, so I suspect an arena wasn't possible.
Thanks. Unfortunately, that only works if you subscribe to one of the paid tv/stream services.
I'm probably confused, but when I try clicking there, I am asked to "Choose Provider" from a list of about 200 including the Spencer, Iowa Municipal Utilities. Matchroom.live is my only current provider.
Ah, rats. My general internet provider was one of those services.
OK, here goes.
Summary
Air Guitar was completely unwatchable. The Auctioneers event was great, especially the way the commentators compared the auctioneers to each other, The pool was not as bad as I thought it might be, but was still pretty boring, the pillow fighting was very boring and the stein holding was intriguing and somewhat interesting but a bit repetitious.
Ranking the big five:
1. Auctioneering
2. Pool
3. Stein Holding
4. Pillow fighting
5. Air guitar
The Details
As for the pool, the pool itself wasn't bad, with Barretta and Gorst playing quite well, but Archer and Fisher weren't as good and didn't seem very excited to be there. From a personality standpoint, Barretta outshone the other three. Other than the break shots occurring between racks, the game of bonus ball is a very tough watch, and the six-pocket version of the game, while much easier to follow, is way too easy for pro level players. It was like watching the Tour de France on training wheels or, if you prefer, watching major league baseball players playing slow-pitch softball. The commentary was some of the worst I've ever heard, and the constant suggestion, offered without a shred of substantiation, that this type of pool is more accessible than conventional pool for amateur players, was comical. Finally, the presence of Michaela Tabb was a bit disturbing, for while I like seeing her getting a payday, she's one of the best referees ever and deserves a lot better than this assignment.
The auctioneering was the one good event I watched, and if there were such a competition near me, I'd consider attending.
I didn't know what stein holding would be, but it was a group each holding a liter mug full of beer in front of them for as long as possible. The winner managed to hold the stein in front of him (without bending the elbow) for over nine minutes. Well done.
Pillow fighting was awful, with two contestants in a boxing ring each having a pillow and points being awarded for each hit of one's opponent with a pillow. Hits to the head scored highest, and matches were scored on points.
Air guitar was the worst of these, with contestants trying to do their darndest to duplicate the best theatrical moves of a rock guitarist without actually holding a guitar. It would have been better if they each had a guitar but didn't play it.
I'll keep an eye out for the next Ocho Series.
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SJM, what was auctioneering? Was it several fast talking people trying to get bids on items? Were they judged on technique? Were there bidders in attendance? Thanks.
Exactly. they were judged on self-presentation, clarity, ability to make eye contact with the bidders, and a lot of other stuff pertaining to their salesmanship skills. Yes, the buyers were in attendance.
OverTheNut
Member
I quite enjoyed it. A brand new game to me so didn't know what they were doing at the start. Soon picked it up but there were a few bits where it was 'hang on - that ball gets spotted now' or whatever.
For TV it would work. A whole game can be shown live in an hour including the obligatory commercial breaks. I think they could well try out a pro/am type thing. A pro with a well known celebrity as their partner. There's plenty of athletes/actors who can play a bit of pool - having someone famous would mean that it would be easier to hype to increase the viewing figures. After all - that is all ESPN really cares about.
Good to see Michaela Tabb on TV again as well - think she was learning on the job a bit though! We'll let her off...
For TV it would work. A whole game can be shown live in an hour including the obligatory commercial breaks. I think they could well try out a pro/am type thing. A pro with a well known celebrity as their partner. There's plenty of athletes/actors who can play a bit of pool - having someone famous would mean that it would be easier to hype to increase the viewing figures. After all - that is all ESPN really cares about.
Good to see Michaela Tabb on TV again as well - think she was learning on the job a bit though! We'll let her off...
Since cornhole and axe throwing seem to work on TV, I can't deny that, but it's never going to happen. It has no significant support. Nineball(TM) on the other hand has millions of dollars behind it and a large, competent promotional staff with a record of success.
No one plays bonus ball even though it has been marketed since 1994. Here is some info on its origin:
Bonus Ball
At the risk of a severed shoeing from the regulars.. Is this completely dead now? Kind of miss it - it was very very good to watch..
forums.azbilliards.com
I didn’t watch and the outcome obviously meant nothing, but anyone halfway knowledgeable of these players could have predicted that the Gorst/Barretta team had a considerable advantage, due to the playability gap between the current Archer (20+ years past his prime) and Gorst.
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Michaela Tabb was previously a referee for Bonus Ball 9 years ago, but it can be difficult to remember the rules from such a long time period in between.
In my experience, If they were playing alt shot, the weakest player of the 4 is the determining factor, which would be JB. If alt turn, the strongest player is the determining factor, which is of course FG.
Was it alt shot or alt turn?
Alternate shot.
