I've recently reading all these threads about what's good for pool, bad for pool, and all the hoopla that comes with those arguments. It recently got me thinking about the depressed state of pool and a light bulb went off.
I know many will not support this argument, but I think it has a lot of merit behind it.
One of the problems with pool is the individuals we are introducing the sport to. I understand that leagues have been grandfathered in the taverns since there existence, and it has been profitable for league operators, but has it really helped promote the sport in the overall scheme of things? I don't think so. I'm trying my hardest not to be too stereotypical, but lets stop and take a look at where most of the pool population is congregating on a weekly basis. I can not speak for the rest of the country, but in my town the largest percentage of amateur or novice players are people of a below average economic status. These people are gathering in smoke filled bars where drunks and low lives hang out. What would be the turn on for somebody to want to enter the sport in that type of environment? It is an absolute turnoff for most people with any sort of formal education. Would you take somebody to play golf for the first time in the middle of the ghetto? Or maybe in Afghanistan? Hopefully the use of the extreme examples will allow you to grasp exactly what I think is keeping the sport we all love from thriving.
I think the focus needs to be turned from these establishments and concentrated in other areas. The Boys Club would be a good place to start. Cub scouts, girl scouts, country clubs, middle schools, and high schools would all be good places for us to take a look. Fraternal orders, summer camps, and other social dwellings would offer a friendlier atmosphere for the novice player. Casinos would even be a good place to hold leagues. They have a "poker room" where they make money. Why couldn't they have a few pool tables set up? It's just like a "rake" or check off. I wonder what the APA, VNEA, or some other leagues do for pool in these areas.
Perhaps this is something most people may think as hopeless, but I think with a bit of effort and a complete restructuring of how we introduce the sport to others could make a worthwhile improvement on the sport for the rest of time. The game is a wonderful game and takes the most disciplined of people to master. It can and should be appreciated by the masses. Hopefully with some of the great thinkers and players we have in the game we can overcome the hurdles and obstacles that are hindering us all.
We should of learned from the poker boom that took place a few years back that people love to compete and gamble. Poker has a surplus of players and people now from the excitement and thrill when it made its debut on national tv. Common people became interested and took up the game. Now they have a surplus of bodies and a huge "pool" of characters. TAR is onto something and has came the closest of most anybody in their latest endeavors as far as promoting and advancing the sport. With a few more things implemented, (I have some good ideas :smile I could see them being the driving force behind revamping the game and getting it into the mainstream.
I apologize if I have offended any league players, and I know there are thousands of them. I understand we have to have leagues, and they aren't a bad thing. I would just like to see them implemented in other establishments and be more appealing to the masses. Again, trying not to be too stereotypical.
Sorry for the long rant. :thumbup:
I know many will not support this argument, but I think it has a lot of merit behind it.
One of the problems with pool is the individuals we are introducing the sport to. I understand that leagues have been grandfathered in the taverns since there existence, and it has been profitable for league operators, but has it really helped promote the sport in the overall scheme of things? I don't think so. I'm trying my hardest not to be too stereotypical, but lets stop and take a look at where most of the pool population is congregating on a weekly basis. I can not speak for the rest of the country, but in my town the largest percentage of amateur or novice players are people of a below average economic status. These people are gathering in smoke filled bars where drunks and low lives hang out. What would be the turn on for somebody to want to enter the sport in that type of environment? It is an absolute turnoff for most people with any sort of formal education. Would you take somebody to play golf for the first time in the middle of the ghetto? Or maybe in Afghanistan? Hopefully the use of the extreme examples will allow you to grasp exactly what I think is keeping the sport we all love from thriving.
I think the focus needs to be turned from these establishments and concentrated in other areas. The Boys Club would be a good place to start. Cub scouts, girl scouts, country clubs, middle schools, and high schools would all be good places for us to take a look. Fraternal orders, summer camps, and other social dwellings would offer a friendlier atmosphere for the novice player. Casinos would even be a good place to hold leagues. They have a "poker room" where they make money. Why couldn't they have a few pool tables set up? It's just like a "rake" or check off. I wonder what the APA, VNEA, or some other leagues do for pool in these areas.
Perhaps this is something most people may think as hopeless, but I think with a bit of effort and a complete restructuring of how we introduce the sport to others could make a worthwhile improvement on the sport for the rest of time. The game is a wonderful game and takes the most disciplined of people to master. It can and should be appreciated by the masses. Hopefully with some of the great thinkers and players we have in the game we can overcome the hurdles and obstacles that are hindering us all.
We should of learned from the poker boom that took place a few years back that people love to compete and gamble. Poker has a surplus of players and people now from the excitement and thrill when it made its debut on national tv. Common people became interested and took up the game. Now they have a surplus of bodies and a huge "pool" of characters. TAR is onto something and has came the closest of most anybody in their latest endeavors as far as promoting and advancing the sport. With a few more things implemented, (I have some good ideas :smile I could see them being the driving force behind revamping the game and getting it into the mainstream.
I apologize if I have offended any league players, and I know there are thousands of them. I understand we have to have leagues, and they aren't a bad thing. I would just like to see them implemented in other establishments and be more appealing to the masses. Again, trying not to be too stereotypical.
Sorry for the long rant. :thumbup: