U.S. OPEN 2026, Frisco, Texas, August 25-30

[Cornerman]

Has pool ever been on LIVE TV in the US? I only remember matches being shown after the fact, but maybe I’m forgetting (since I’m in Canada and can’t watch). The only live mainstream TV I remember was Matchroom World Championships in early 2000s so maybe that was available in the US?

Yes, a few times.

Brunswick doubles championship in the 80’s. No surprise, Sigel won with Ewa (Mataya) Laurance over Loreejon and Hopkins.

PBT Championship - Earl crushed Efren in the finals. Lots of empty air time, so fortunately they had Mike Massey doing trick shots. Earl had beaten George Breedlove in the west side finals earlier.

 

[Scrunge19]

FSR doesn’t have the volume of wins you would expect from a hall of famer but the quality of his victories is obviously top shelf. Kind of like a Brooks Koepka who performs best in the toughest situations and can seem mediocre otherwise.

FSR’s only win since 2024 listed on Wikipedia was the Little Monster Men's International Ten-ball Open. By contrast Filler has 13 wins listed in that time period including 2x DCC and the UK Open.

If people think Jayson Shaw is a hall of famer, then FSR is certainly destined for the hall. He has a much stronger resume than Jayson.

 

[Lowell]

If people think Jayson Shaw is a hall of famer, then FSR is certainly destined for the hall. He has a much stronger resume than Jayson.

He's still young enough too that he will likely win at least one more big WNT or Predator event.

 

[Kris_b1104]

Can anyone recall a better crowd for a Finals than this? Besides the Mosconi Cup, it's nice to see so many fans at a legit pool tournament. I'd say they added to the enjoyment and entertainment factor, especially during the SVB/Filler/Fedor matches. It made the US Open feel like a big deal, more than it already is. The players deserve to be in the spotlight.

 

[garczar]

who came in second??? some guy guy named Johnnie Cameltoe?? BTW folks: FOOTBALL drives ESPN's bus this time of year. Nice having pool on ESPN again but i have ZERO illusion/delusion that its that important to the home office.

 

[Badpenguin]

Interesting to hear that. I remember JL Chang was notorious for hitting well after the 00 showed, and I had wondered about I want to say that Stu told me the rule. Someone needs to correct me if that is no longer the case.

I only recall seeing this application of the shot clock rule in accu-stats events (Pat Fleming), not WPA. And I with they would all do this. It is influencing the outcome too much to throw in beeps, or especially officials on the sidelines calling out 10 or 5.

 

[Lowell]

These events are definitely more entertaining with a loud, enthused crowd.

 

[Badpenguin]

Shane just totally out of it right now. Fedor running over him.

Let's see if he can get his head back in the game. 7-4 Fedor from 0-4 down.

Shane can't play like Shane after 5 or 6pm. Unfortunately you can't perform like a 20-something at 40-something. At least, not without chemical help.

 

[skogstokig]

Can anyone recall a better crowd for a Finals than this? Besides the Mosconi Cup, it's nice to see so many fans at a legit pool tournament. I'd say they added to the enjoyment and entertainment factor, especially during the SVB/Filler/Fedor matches. It made the US Open feel like a big deal, more than it already is. The players deserve to be in the spotlight.

manila WC 2006-2007.. cardiff is borderline. but this was magnificent. way better than atlantic city (from a stream viewers perspective).

 

[skogstokig]

Screw ESPN, I had this recorded as I was going to be out for a while, of course ESPN switched it to another channel 3/4 the way through... now I had to read about how it ended here. (which I'm thankful you guys do a pretty good job covering the tournament, thanks all). This isn't the first time ESPN has done this! Why can't they put the other programming on a different channel!

a question, how old is the ESPN cable watching demographic? i'm not american but the sports cable channels here have become the domain of boomers that don't understand streaming services. i watch football, snooker, pool all on streaming services. less ads and i can watch on demand. literally no downside

is it likely that young fans will become more interested in pool because of cable tv?

 

[skogstokig]

2x US Open 9ball titles
1x World 9ball title
1 x World Cup of Pool (w/ Alcaide)
1x World 8ball title
1x DCC 9ball
1x World Junior 9ball title
3x Mosconi Cup titles (66.7% match win rate)

I'd say he qualifies. He just did it in a much shorter span of time rather than throughout his tenured career.

no doubt in my mind that he should be in the HOF when he becomes eligible

 

[Lowell]

a question, how old is the ESPN cable watching demographic? i'm not american but the sports cable channels here have become the domain of boomers that don't understand streaming services. i watch football, snooker, pool all on streaming services. less ads and i can watch on demand. literally no downside

is it likely that young fans will become more interested in pool because of cable tv?

ESPN is widely played at bars/restaurants, so it's still valuable in exposing to the public vs. something like WNT TV which only existing pool fans subscribe to.

 

[westcoast]

Has pool ever been on LIVE TV in the US? I only remember matches being shown after the fact, but maybe I’m forgetting (since I’m in Canada and can’t watch). The only live mainstream TV I remember was Matchroom World Championships in early 2000s so maybe that was available in the US?

yes, the US Open 9 ball did air live many years ago- not certain of the exact year, but it has happened before

 

[skogstokig]

ESPN is widely played at bars/restaurants, so it's still valuable in exposing to the public vs. something like WNT TV which only existing pool fans subscribe to.

good point

 

[JusticeNJ]

a question, how old is the ESPN cable watching demographic? i'm not american but the sports cable channels here have become the domain of boomers that don't understand streaming services. i watch football, snooker, pool all on streaming services. less ads and i can watch on demand. literally no downside

is it likely that young fans will become more interested in pool because of cable tv?

I doubt it. Most young folks don't have cable. They have an app and a subscription lik eyou said. They aren't browsing TV out of boredom anymore. They know what they want to watch ahead of time, and tune in just for that event.

Like for me, I only subscribe to HBO to watch the Giro D'Italia and any other Italian one-day races or the odd stage race, then I pause the subscription. Same with Peacock for the Tour and Vuelta and whatever other ASO races are being streamed by NBC or the olympics, then subscription gets paused until I want to watch something else.

None of my friends have just basic cable anymore. My parents do, but they are boomers.

 

[sneakynito]

Shane can't play like Shane after 5 or 6pm. Unfortunately you can't perform like a 20-something at 40-something. At least, not without chemical help.

Speaking of - anyone know what Capito was inhaling in his match? Obviously nothing illicit since he was doing it on live tv but when he was on the hill i noticed he pulled out a chapstick looking thing and took a whiff in each nostril. Also saw he's sponsored by "buzzup" which i couldn't find anything on. Was wondering if it was some kind of caffeine or nicotine thing.

 

[Badpenguin]

WNT JACK: The sport itself, how far it's grown in the years, you've known the sport and you've loved to play. How important is it to see the sport grow?

JOE ROGAN: Well, it's my favorite game. So, for me, it's very personal. I've loved pool forever, and I think it's one of those things that if people played it, they would appreciate it more.

Joe Rogan would be great if he had just stuck to sports. Unfortunately, he didn't. Some people actually value the US Constitution, and loved the US, before it was turned over to a bunch of grifters with zero respect for the law, for the Constitution, who protect sexual predators and pedophiles. Maybe if Joe hadn't become a mouthpiece for those people I wouldn't mind hearing him commentate about pool.

Like those grifters like to say, just because you have freedom of speech doesn't mean you don't pay consequences for it. The consequences for it in my case is I consider him a piece of S who is a traitor to his own country and I don't want to hear him, ever.

This is probably why he shouldn't be commentating on pool, in spite of what all of the tone deaf people say about ah shucks he is great for the sport. He is too divisive to people without their head in the sand.

 

[skor]

Interesting. I've never been to an event in any country without security and crowd control,

Yeah but not armed cops in uniform…
Just looks bad, especially when broadcast on TV

 

[Badpenguin]

Speaking of - anyone know what Capito was inhaling in his match? Obviously nothing illicit since he was doing it on live tv but when he was on the hill i noticed he pulled out a chapstick looking thing and took a whiff in each nostril. Also saw he's sponsored by "buzzup" which i couldn't find anything on. Was wondering if it was some kind of caffeine or nicotine thing.

Whatever it was, it didn't work, lol.

 

[heresy]

Joe Rogan would be great if he had just stuck to sports. Unfortunately, he didn't. Some people actually value the US Constitution, and loved the US, before it was turned over to a bunch of grifters with zero respect for the law, for the Constitution, who protect sexual predators and pedophiles. Maybe if Joe hadn't become a mouthpiece for those people I wouldn't mind hearing him commentate about pool.

Like those grifters like to say, just because you have freedom of speech doesn't mean you don't pay consequences for it. The consequences for it in my case is I consider him a piece of S who is a traitor to his own country and I don't want to hear him, ever.

This is probably why he shouldn't be commentating on pool, in spite of what all of the tone deaf people say about ah shucks he is great for the sport. He is too divisive to people without their head in the sand.

Completely agree with this. We want to grow the sport and polarizing figures like Rogan aren't the way.

Matchroom mistook having a huge audience for being an effective bridge to a new audience. 9 Ball is back on ESPN and they picked the most divisive cultural ambassador they could find.