I know it's been asked many times, but I felt like ranting a little:
So I'm looking at web pages of some of the pros from countries not the USA, and I see that in some other countries they are on talk shows, involved with the olympic committees of their respective countries, they are included with other sports stars in chatity events, trade shows, autograph sessions, they visit children and soldiers in hospitals, they make commercials, and so on, and are treated with respect by their peers that are also sportsmen and women, as well, billiard events in most other countries get media coverage as citizens are genuinely interested in the results. They make the sports pages in the news papers. Hell, in the USA even chess and spelling bees make the evening news and the papers.
Here in this country the only time these guys get their names in print is when they're wanted. I don't know of a sports media of any kind in this country that even considers pool players as athletes. Pool players in the USA rate somewhere below tractor pull drivers and 'Rasslers. It seems to me that if tennis and golf in this country can host (and pay out) multi-million dollar international events that pool should be able to as well. Why not? Can someone please explain to me what's wrong with us as a culture, why are we the scum of the competitive sporting world?
So I'm looking at web pages of some of the pros from countries not the USA, and I see that in some other countries they are on talk shows, involved with the olympic committees of their respective countries, they are included with other sports stars in chatity events, trade shows, autograph sessions, they visit children and soldiers in hospitals, they make commercials, and so on, and are treated with respect by their peers that are also sportsmen and women, as well, billiard events in most other countries get media coverage as citizens are genuinely interested in the results. They make the sports pages in the news papers. Hell, in the USA even chess and spelling bees make the evening news and the papers.
Here in this country the only time these guys get their names in print is when they're wanted. I don't know of a sports media of any kind in this country that even considers pool players as athletes. Pool players in the USA rate somewhere below tractor pull drivers and 'Rasslers. It seems to me that if tennis and golf in this country can host (and pay out) multi-million dollar international events that pool should be able to as well. Why not? Can someone please explain to me what's wrong with us as a culture, why are we the scum of the competitive sporting world?