European Pool News Dominating in Pool Media Headlines

JAM · Apr 1, 2012

I'm not sure why, but it seems like every pool website I read these days, the majority of the stories are about the European pool happenings. Is it because the pool tournaments in the United States have dwindled down to a drip, or is it because none of the American pool promoters contact the pool media folks with updates and/or press releases? Whatever it is, my interest in pool is waning because of it. :frown:

Professional pool, in particular, in the United States is the veritable canary in the coal mine. Though the American canary is still alive, thanks to a headline or two created by Shane Van Boening from time to time, American pool is gasping for breath. It's now a little emaciated but still alive. Anybody who has a pool-related news item should send it to all pool news outlets, to include AzBilliards.

Look, I enjoy reading about Marcus "The Little Napoleon" Chamat and Francisco "Bustie" Bustamante just as much as the next pool enthusiast, but I would enjoy reading more about American pool in the news media. If pool in the United States is ever going to rise from its continuing drop into the abyss of a non-entity, the American pool community as a whole should work together.

And this definitely means you, BCA industry members. You need to invest more than sending a pro player from Finland to China. You need to help American professional pool by helping American professional players. Of course, nobody could afford to go to China to compete professionally, which is why the BCA gave our spot to Mika, a pro player from Finland. Wouldn't it have been nice if the BCA in its infinite wisdom could have helped an American player get there with funds instead of offering a spot in China, "Hey, by the way, pay your own way to get there," knowing the American professional pool scene is bankrupt?

Heck, I personally have donated money to a Canadian female pro trying to get to China to compete in a tournament, because she had no funds. I've donated to the BEF (Billards Education Fund) three times last year. I'm putting my money where my mouth is.

The headlines this morning praises new "European 9-ball champions," but one of them is not so new. I recognized him from the 2003 Glass City Open (GCO): Francisco Diaz. At that time, he was on the road with his pregnant wife. I often wondered how they were doing. He was a sweet kid trying to eke out a living in pool on the road, traveling from coast to coast. Looks like he's still out there giving it his all. Yes, it was nice to read about Francisco this morning.

I'd love to read about American pool too. Is it really such an non-issue these days? It looks like the European pool community is giving European pool players something to shoot for, to include informing the American pool news outlets. Is America only dominant in pool news but not pool playing? What about the American BCA? What have you done for me lately, BCA?

Here's a photo I took of Francisco Diaz at the GCO in 2003. I'm not sure why I cut out Keith's head, but it must have been a bad photo of Keith. :grin: Congratulations to Francisco who's still giving it his all.

JAM · Apr 1, 2012

Francisco Diaz had to deal with Marcus Chamat (SWE) in the final of the men’s division. Chamat had played strong throughout the whole tournament and just finished a brilliant semi-final match, not leaving a chance for his opponent. But that had changed in the final.

Whereas Diaz was as calm as ice, Chamat could not perform up to what he did in the earlier rounds. He missed balls and positions and consequently Diaz took a lead. Due to the strong play of Diaz, he never gave the advantage away anymore. Chamat was trailing from the very beginning, and while Diaz grew stronger and better, Chamat finally had to accept his defeat. The match ended 9:4 in Diaz's favor.

Source: Poikkijoki, Tahti, and Diaz wear European 9-ball crown

Looks like the European Governing Body for Pool, the European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF), is doing their part to disseminate the news for European pool players to American pool news outlets. :smile:

BCA, what have you done for me lately? :angry:

Here's Francisco on the left after defeating Marcus Chamat. He looks good. Maybe his experience of being on the road in the United States playing pool helped him dig in his heels against the veteran Chamat. Well done, Francisco. Sorry, Marcus, better luck next time.

JAM · Apr 1, 2012

Man, how strong is this?! Here's the final match already up for viewing on the Internet: Francisco Diaz vs. Marcus Chamat finals.

The way this kid is hitting 'em, we may see him in the Mosconi Cup. His name is cropping up in quite a few pool news articles lately, as he rises to the top.

Johnnyt · Apr 1, 2012

Doesn't the "A" in BCA stand for America? If so, why stake non-American players. I don't get it. Johnnyt

JAM · Apr 1, 2012

Johnnyt said:
Doesn't the "A" in BCA stand for America? If so, why stake non-American players. I don't get it. Johnnyt

The way it was explained to me about Mika getting the BCA ticket to China was that the offer was made to American players, and none of them accepted the BCA offer.

But here is how I see it. It would be like somebody coming to me and saying, "Hey, I am giving you the opporutnity to lodge at the world-famous Mystique luxury hotel in Santorini, Greece, that is usually booked up, but, oh, by the way, you have to pay your own way to get there, to and from, as well as all expenses." :embarrassed2:

Jerry Forsyth · Apr 1, 2012

Jennie,

You are correct. The EPBF has a press officer (Thomas Overbeck) who sends us three or four stories per day whenever they have an event. We are always seeking content so we are very happy to print their news. The problem, as you noted, is that there are so few events in America now. Last year we had a dozen ranking events, this year it is five. Next year, who knows?

Sponsors are more willing to step up in Europe. One of the sponsors here in Luxembourg (I am here) is a local Esso station. (Exxon in America.) But there are many more energetic and devoted fans of the game over here so this is understandable. They sponsor not to create more business but rather to promote a sport that they like to watch. And they do watch. The live stream here had a phenomenal number of viewers even though it was Pay Per View. And the players display a lot of passion for the sport as well. Here at the Euro Championships there is no prize money, only the honor of being Champion. But hundreds of players flocked here from all over Europe, paying all of their own expenses including entry fees, in order to play and to socialize with the other players. And, boy, do they socialize. They go to the hotel disco and party all night. Dancing on tables is common. They have a good time.

The players here do not rebel at supporting the organizers. They understand that the organizers have invested a lot of money in equipment like the computers that are at every table to provide the live scoring feed, the walls that separate the arena into sections, the lighting trusses, trucks and drivers to haul equipment, a large staff including referees who all have to be paid, etc and that the organizers need to make that money back and make a profit in order to continue holding events. They want the promoters to make a good living in order to continue the growth of the game.

Ralf Souquet explained to me one time that European pool players have a different mindset. They feel they owe the game a debt of gratitude and they are not always seeking a payday to play. They just want to play, improve, and enjoy themselves while they are at it. They have other things (day jobs) with which they support themselves. Johnni (sp?) Fulcher from Switzerland is a physicist at the Supercollider, for instance. But employers here are much more willing to give sportsmen like pool players the time off they need to go play pool. So they may only get six weeks of vacation, but they can take all the "personal time" off they want in order to go play pool. A much more relaxed environment here for the players all around.

It is just different in the States. Not better or worse necessarily, just different. Money is a gauge of success. In Europe, money for many is just a necessity, not something with which you measure the worth of a person. Of course, their government pensions make this a lot more possible here. I suppose my impression is that Americans live by the head and Europeans live by the heart. They seem to enjoy life more than we do. They are more relaxed. Again, I do not say this is proper for everyone or that it is a better system, it is just different.

Oh, and by the way, the EPBF (Euro equivalent of the BCA) does not pay for players to travel anywhere, either. Like the BCA, the players here are required to provide their own travel funds. It really is not the role of a governing body to provide travel money. It is their job to provide tournaments and an opportunity for the players to compete and earn money at the events that pay out purses.

But do think about this. Growing pool is a two-way street. If the BCA were to hold a National Championship like this with no prize money, how many players do you think would participate to support the game? I know, I know, the players in America cannot afford to do that. But this leaves us with a chicken and egg scenario. The sponsors are waiting for the players to act for them and show their love for the sport and the players are waiting for the sponsors to act for them and show their support for the game. We have a stalemate. I frankly have no good ideas for how we end this and get the train rolling again.

Of course, much of this is just my personal opinion, not fact. I am certain others in America who are just as close to the game as I am see the situation in a completely different light.

Best,
Jerry

Ratta · Apr 1, 2012

The spanish guys played brilliant- Especially Diaz deserved the Gold 100%. His 9-ball was excellent and almost perfect. I think he didn t miss one important shot. And in difficult situations he pulled out some real monster shots. Also Alcaide played a solid tournment.
Hats off to Espana

mair23 · Apr 1, 2012

There is no better way to say it, Jerry - perfectly written :thumbup:

Let me be the first on here to give you a big hand for your commentary at the European Championships.
If there would be more people with your enthusiasm and more commentarys with a voice like yours...................

.........pool would be in a way better shape :thumbup:

It was a pleasure for me to read this, and to hear you talking as a co-commtenary, you were awesome.

Eric"h" ----- loves good pool and good commentary

JAM · Apr 1, 2012

Jerry Forsyth said:
Jennie,

You are correct. The EPBF has a press officer (Thomas Overbeck) who sends us three or four stories per day whenever they have an event. We are always seeking content so we are very happy to print their news. The problem, as you noted, is that there are so few events in America now. Last year we had a dozen ranking events, this year it is five. Next year, who knows?

Sponsors are more willing to step up in Europe. One of the sponsors here in Luxembourg (I am here) is a local Esso station. (Exxon in America.) But there are many more energetic and devoted fans of the game over here so this is understandable. They sponsor not to create more business but rather to promote a sport that they like to watch. And they do watch. The live stream here had a phenomenal number of viewers even though it was Pay Per View. And the players display a lot of passion for the sport as well. Here at the Euro Championships there is no prize money, only the honor of being Champion. But hundreds of players flocked here from all over Europe, paying all of their own expenses including entry fees, in order to play and to socialize with the other players. And, boy, do they socialize. They go to the hotel disco and party all night. Dancing on tables is common. They have a good time.

The players here do not rebel at supporting the organizers. They understand that the organizers have invested a lot of money in equipment like the computers that are at every table to provide the live scoring feed, the walls that separate the arena into sections, the lighting trusses, trucks and drivers to haul equipment, a large staff including referees who all have to be paid, etc and that the organizers need to make that money back and make a profit in order to continue holding events. They want the promoters to make a good living in order to continue the growth of the game.

Ralf Souquet explained to me one time that European pool players have a different mindset. They feel they owe the game a debt of gratitude and they are not always seeking a payday to play. They just want to play, improve, and enjoy themselves while they are at it. They have other things (day jobs) with which they support themselves. Johnni (sp?) Fulcher from Switzerland is a physicist at the Supercollider, for instance. But employers here are much more willing to give sportsmen like pool players the time off they need to go play pool. So they may only get six weeks of vacation, but they can take all the "personal time" off they want in order to go play pool. A much more relaxed environment here for the players all around.

It is just different in the States. Not better or worse necessarily, just different. Money is a gauge of success. In Europe, money for many is just a necessity, not something with which you measure the worth of a person. Of course, their government pensions make this a lot more possible here. I suppose my impression is that Americans live by the head and Europeans live by the heart. They seem to enjoy life more than we do. They are more relaxed. Again, I do not say this is proper for everyone or that it is a better system, it is just different.

Oh, and by the way, the EPBF (Euro equivalent of the BCA) does not pay for players to travel anywhere, either. Like the BCA, the players here are required to provide their own travel funds. It really is not the role of a governing body to provide travel money. It is their job to provide tournaments and an opportunity for the players to compete and earn money at the events that pay out purses.

But do think about this. Growing pool is a two-way street. If the BCA were to hold a National Championship like this with no prize money, how many players do you think would participate to support the game? I know, I know, the players in America cannot afford to do that. But this leaves us with a chicken and egg scenario. The sponsors are waiting for the players to act for them and show their love for the sport and the players are waiting for the sponsors to act for them and show their support for the game. We have a stalemate. I frankly have no good ideas for how we end this and get the train rolling again.

Of course, much of this is just my personal opinion, not fact. I am certain others in America who are just as close to the game as I am see the situation in a completely different light.

Best,
Jerry

Thank you for the well-written explanation about the European pool culture and American pool culture. You bring up a lot of good points for sure. There are deep divides in the United States compared to Europe. I agree.

Though the European *and* American pro players are not compensated by their governing bodies to play pool, representing their country, I hope you are being compensated for your expenses to commentate at the Vienna European tournament.

Recognizing that many European players are paid a stipend by their government to represent their country, it does afford these European pool players incentive to compete in tournaments that have no money payouts. Granted, it's just a bone without much meat on it, but it beats what the American pros get, which is a blank.

Therein lies one difference in the two cultures, as you so eloquently pointed out. :smile:

As an American commentator, Jerry, I have listened to you at quite a few international events over the last decade or so, going to Europe, Qatar, Philippines, Calgary, et cetera. In this regard, you are an excellent representative for the United States pool. I hope someday I will be able to root for "USA, All the Way" at an international event, but with American players turning down opportunities to play overseas because they're broke or can't afford it, I don't see this happening. It's quite sad, really.

If the BCA would recognize this disparity by helping professional pool thrive in the United States, it might give the American pro players a boost. If they had a ranking tournament, like the BCA Open, which really was an invitational, and limit it to AMERICAN-ONLY competitors, this could be a step in the right direction. I never did understand why the BCA would invite European players to a BCA invitational tournament, limiting HALF of the entire 64-player field to Europeans. I wonder of the so-called European governing body of professional pool, EPBF, would do that for Americans, reserve half of its field for American pros. I think we all know the answer to that one.

If the BCA wants to remove itself from professional pool, then they should not be the representative entity for American pool to the WPA. In fact, nobody should. Let professional pool die. This would be better than watching it suffer, much like a flopping fish out of water gasping for its last breath. Quite frankly, it's embarrassing.

thebaby · Apr 1, 2012

On a different note.

Jam, you mention there are other area's where you can catch the latest news on our sport. I would love to see somebody give the pool world direction in this area. I myself know of only two places to be able to connect on what's happening out there concerning the sport i've loved all my life. AZBILLIARDS,and ONEPOCKET.ORG. Can somebody please start a post on all the different links or publications out there for everybody to be able to see. Every state has news about something going on in the pool world. Just my thought.

www.playthegameclothing.com
Designed By A Player, Worn By Players....

JAM · Apr 1, 2012

thebaby said:
Jam, you mention there are other area's where you can catch the latest news on our sport. I would love to see somebody give the pool world direction in this area. I myself know of only two places to be able to connect on what's happening out there concerning the sport i've loved all my life. AZBILLIARDS,and ONEPOCKET.ORG. Can somebody please start a post on all the different links or publications out there for everybody to be able to see. Every state has news about something going on in the pool world. Just my thought.

www.playthegameclothing.com
Designed By A Player, Worn By Players....

Oh, man, there's a lot of websites that show the news.

For one, the British website Pro9.co.uk is really cool with interesting articles as well as a forum: http://www.pro9.co.uk/html/

JAM · Apr 1, 2012

Here's another one: http://touch-magazine.net/

thebaby · Apr 1, 2012

That's a start.........

Thank-you Jam, for your quick response. You know i've known kieth for many years, we've ran into each other many times in the past. I play out of Hardtimes in sacramento,ca. Iv'e been playing this game all my life,it's been good to me. Iv'e always wanted to meet you . Iv'e read alot of your posts here and there. Have to say enjoyed 99.9 % of them. I just thought after reading yours and jerry posts, that the more information out there the better.I have no idea how to go about it. Me and my wife started a clothing line,just cuz we didn't feel what was out there was doing this sport any good. Our line is spreading fast. Our line is clean and simple. We want to cater to all genders and age groups, hoping we are doing our part for the game that so many people enjoy here in the U.S. On A side note. We donate a percentage of all sales to a non-profit organization that is commited to helping others in time of need. Take care Jam.

www.playthegameclothing.com
Designed By A Player, Worn By Players......

maldito · Apr 3, 2012

The EPC that made headlines is done evry year in Europe - each country sends in their
best players and as far as I know each country foots the bill for their respective players that are choosen to go.. Thereis no prize $$$ only gold,silver,bronze medals but is is very intens and pressure oriented as you are playing for your country. It is newsworthy in the Billiard community.

Btw - so what day job does Ralf Souquet have ???

mair23 · Apr 4, 2012

maldito said:
The EPC that made headlines is done evry year in Europe - each country sends in their
best players and as far as I know each country foots the bill for their respective players that are choosen to go.. Thereis no prize $$$ only gold,silver,bronze medals but is is very intens and pressure oriented as you are playing for your country. It is newsworthy in the Billiard community.

Btw - so what day job does Ralf Souquet have ???

You are mostly correct, maldito, but.........................

The Team events is back at the EUROPEAN CS, and this event hast some prize money for the players.
I heared the first team got something arround U$ 8000,- for the whole team.

And last but not least there are some countrys and federations where the players get nothing.
I don´t know if its true, but this time GERMANY and DENMARK players had to pay all expanses by themselves.
And that means not only food and beverages, but hotel and flights or trains, too. :frown:

Eric"h" ----- 10 days, a lot of money to spend

European Pool News Dominating in Pool Media Headlines

JAM

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Johnnyt

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Ratta

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