Matchroom: last chance for gas!

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Stu raises a fine point, that low participation rates by USA pros in WPA events result in our skewed perspective on the importance of a worldwide administrator for the top level of the game we enjoy.

It is a shame we don't use every spot afforded to US.

$
 

336Robin

Multiverse Operative
Silver Member
Stu,
I'll admit my ignorance on the part of what the WPA does. It's easy not to recognize what the rest of the world of pool might already know and or benefit from. All most of us see is that Pool has devolved over the years and become slimier and slimier and we need some sort of remedy from that. If the Matchroom and WPA involvement brings about a cleaner image for Pool I can't see a thing wrong with it.My hope would be this gets some steam. At some point someone has to make a buck and in so doing hopefully things will get progressively better. Since American Pool was abandoned in part by the BCA to become a trade organization, I expect some folks haven't forgotten that.



How do you figure, Robin? Though they do not fund the prize pool, WPA has responsibilities when it sanctions events. which are too numerous to list here, but some of the more obvious are:

1) WPA manages the world pool calendar. Did you know that when you get an event sanctioned, you get date protection from other events being sanctioned during that same time period? That's an enormous advantage from a marketing standpoint and it protects you from someone else trying to tempt the top players into playing in a competing event.

2) WPA has rules for entry that tend to obstruct those who wish to block diversified entry. It's member countries are all guaranteed invitations for its players, and that's important as WPA sanctioned events form the basis for a player's world ranking. The best players need to have equal access to a top world ranking, and WPA tries to ensure that they do.

3) WPA must collect and maintain results for use in the world rankings.

4) WPA must oversee potential substance abuse in its events.

Here on the AZB forum, WPA bashing is all too common, and there's no doubt that, in part, it is because Americans have so rarely played in WPA sanctioned events in recent years. This, no doubt, has made WPA less important to American players than others.

... but things are on the move. In the last six months alone, the addition of a) the Players Championship in Las Vegas, b) the International 9-ball in Chesapeake and the c) World 10-ball Championship in Las Vegas, to the American pool calendar will greatly change the level of American participation in WPA sanctioned events. Three new WPA sanctioned events in America is something we should all understand is a positive step forward.
 
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336Robin

Multiverse Operative
Silver Member
Are there still empty spots and how many?


Stu raises a fine point, that low participation rates by USA pros in WPA events result in our skewed perspective on the importance of a worldwide administrator for the top level of the game we enjoy.

It is a shame we don't use every spot afforded to US.

$
 

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
Are there still empty spots and how many?

Not sure I understand the question, but, in recent years, when WPA has filled its fields its more significant overseas events such as a) the WPA World 9-ball championship, b) the All-Japan Championships, and c) the China Open, the US has, with few exceptions, sent fewer players than its allotted invitations.
 

jrctherake

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Not sure I understand the question, but, in recent years, when WPA has filled its fields its more significant overseas events such as a) the WPA World 9-ball championship, b) the All-Japan Championships, and c) the China Open, the US has, with few exceptions, sent fewer players than its allotted invitations.

We send fewer and on average, less competitive players (at times) because we are like a 2A school trying to compete with a 5A school.

Ontop of that, our "average" teenager has never touched a table, much less know anything about the games and heaven forbid, know any history on the sport.

Whereas, in some places, pool/billiards are given as options as a "study".

Just imagine how many more top-flight players the USA would produce if we had at least some way of getting kids involved in the sport during the school year....

I know it'll probably NEVER HAPPEN....and it will not as long as pool is looked at as:

A second class hobby for the underprivileged........ it's just not true though. But, that's the way most look at pool "in general".

Can Matchroom CHANGE that?

That's what I'm hoping can take place.

I would love to see pool offered in high school and colleges as a norm.

After that, well, I see no reason why we wouldn't have multiple Shane's at one time.

Imagine that, a team of Shane's playing at their best?
 
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