A message from Emily Duddy to all pool players

[GARY LLOYD]

Just an opinion...

First of all, you are a public figure, and this is a public forum. Try not to take criticism (constructive or otherwise) personally.

Here's an interesting proposal: go find me all the posts and threads "hating" on Allison, or Karen, or GYK. The point here is that you might call yourself a "great player," but you are not. You might become a great player, and I sincerely hope you do (I mean that), but right now, you are not playing at a pro speed. Sure, you can call yourself a professional player (by whatever convoluted logic that requires), but you are not playing at a pro speed.

You can call me a hater for pointing out the obvious, but delusional thinking and behavior will not benefit your game.

-roger

I myself do not think it is quite a fair comparison to compare all the female pro players to the elite few in the sport... Allison, Karen, GYK... Possibly 3 of the greatest female players to play the game. So now because the rest of the female players do not play at their speed they are not professional players? Makes no sense to me... By this logic a Tiger Woods in his prime was the only professional golfer alive as no one else played his speed. Does this make sense to anyone?

There are varying degrees of any profession... Does this make any one more or less professional than the other? Not in my eyes. Are there greats / elites in any profession? Of course there are...!!! Is fair to compare all to the elites even though it is a level very few can reach? Not in the world I live in.

Is Miss Duddy the #1 female professional pool player in the world? No... Not yet anyway. But any one who can be ranked in the top 50% of a competitive profession much less is able to excel to the top 20% of that profession... Is sure as hell deserving of the respect as a professional from their peers not to mention the sit at home and talk about pool on the internet flunkies who have not accomplished 1/10 of the same goals.

It is SAD that people feel the need to cut others down who are out there making things happen...

All my best to Miss Duddy and any aspiring players out there female or male chasing their dream and making things happen for themselves and others...!!!

 

[Taco]

If there was a guy who was a B+ and he was older and ugly and overweight, would he get this much attention?

 

[GARY LLOYD]

Baffled...

I am trying to understand why people think the female players have to be able to compete with the male players in our sport to be recognized as great or even good...??? Name one other sport where the women and men play together in the same leagues / divisions? Am I missing something? So female tennis pros are not professional or great in there own rights because the males are thought to be better. Can not some of the upper tier females own the lower tier males?

Let's take gender out of the equation... Let's use boxing as an example... Is a middle weight champion any less of a champion because he or she can not compete with the heavy weights? Is he or she any less of a professional fighter because of it? I think not but maybe I am way off base in my thinking.

I'm going to stop here before my frustration w/certain ways of thinking gets me in trouble.

Best to all...

 

[watchez]

Lol then dont play for fun in just a bra at a regional tour championship.

Mikey shoots straight from the hip.

 

[CharlesUFarley]

Women have always been discriminated against in the pool world. It still exists today in the year 2013. It's a damn shame!

Instead of being judged on talent, they are looked at in a different light having nothing to do with playing pool.

One thing about it, when they start talking about you, that means you've reached a high level in the pool world. The majority of the American pool culture has very little respect for pro-caliber players, especially women. Pool is cruel to its own.

Let's be real for a minute. This can't possibly be what Emily is upset about can it? If you only want to be judged on your pool playing ability alone, why on Earth would you do a photo shoot of yourself posed all doggy-style on a pool table?

I haven't researched any of their tournament results, so can someone tell me how many pro events have Emily or Borana won? How about placed top 4 in? These ladies are bringing all of this on themselves. They don't want to be judged on their playing ability alone. They seem just fine with going the Anna Kournikova route.

 

[jpparmentier]

As a person who's working hard on helping our sport get a better image, I don't get what this is all about.

It seems to me that everybody craves for a better attention to any of the cuesports - pool, billiards or snooker - towards the mainstream audience.

Why would any attempt to bring different approaches to the table be any bad ?

The time and money it takes for these girls to make arrangements for photoshoots, get published, get the sport out there actually helps the better players and the amateurs in the long run.

I don't see why you would have to be a world champion to be in FHM or Playboy ? Jennifer had both magazine feature her in the past and all it did was helping pool get to an audience who, in the end, doesn't know who Alison, Ga-Young or Jasmin are anyways.

As far as Anna Kournikova goes, she played at the time when I was involved in tennis and believe me, she brought more attention and money into the sport than any other top 10 player out there.
She never won a major, but she sold outfits, rackets of the brands she was endorsing on her name alone. Fans wanted to feel pretty when they were playing with Anna's gear.


So in the end, before bashing anybody who makes an effort by helping to raise awareness towards the sports we all love, just think that what these girls are doing is just a different path to get the same results we all want.

The industry needs everything.

Being a photographer, I can tell you that it takes a lot of guts to throw yourself out there. Being a model isn't the easiest thing.


Good luck Emily, Borana, and Jennifer. And to all of you, here are pics I shot of them so you can see what we're talking about.

 

[JB Cases]

I just want to post that if any of these women would like to hang out in my booth they can. You can bring your Murnak cases if you like, fine with me. I need all the "help" I can get since my sexy wife won't be there with me this year.

 

[JAM]

One more thing, Emily, if you read this. Remember that whatever you write on this forum, your words will be dissected, and sometimes portrayed to mean the exact opposite of what you were trying to say.

Most pool celebrities don't post on AzBilliards because of it. They would rather be chalking than talking, if you know what I mean! :wink:

 

[Toncam]

Some people will always be disrespectful online, but they will never say boo to your face, guess most of them have an allergic reaction to a good crack in the nose.

 

[Jerry Forsyth]

The ladies all do take a lot of heat from some sections. But they are also praised for being the group that showed American pool players what they have to do to acquire sponsors and keep their sport alive.

It was they who started and maintained a televised tour at great expense. And until the economy tanked they did very well. I have no doubt that when the economy returns they will be back with long televised seasons.

Emily, there are always those who will disparage anyone who succeeds at the things which they themselves cannot succeed. You and Jen and others have made a name for yourselves and you attract sponsor attention for doing so. That's just gonna piss off a few small minds. If you all had failed everyone would love you. It's easy to be loved.

 

[JAM]

The ladies all do take a lot of heat from some sections. But they are also praised for being the group that showed American pool players what they have to do to acquire sponsors and keep their sport alive.

It was they who started and maintained a televised tour at great expense. And until the economy tanked they did very well. I have no doubt that when the economy returns they will be back with long televised seasons.

Emily, there are always those who will disparage anyone who succeeds at the things which they themselves cannot succeed. You and Jen and others have made a name for yourselves and you attract sponsor attention for doing so. That's just gonna piss off a few small minds. If you all had failed everyone would love you. It's easy to be loved.

Well said, Jerry, and so true.

Pro-caliber players today seem to be more like independent contractors. There is not much unity, which is needed in order to have a professional tour.

Being chief cook and bottle washer for years in my own industry, I recently signed on with a group in a salaried position. I no longer have to multitask and can now concentrate on doing what I do best. The end product is nothing short of excellence, if I do say so myself. :grin-square:

When people can work together as one unit, the sky is the limit. When you watch this video, it demonstrates what a difference working together for a common goal can do ---> HERE.

Everybody wins when it's team effort! :wink:

 

[ShootingArts]

I think there is a great truth here

Well said, Jerry, and so true.

Pro-caliber players today seem to be more like independent contractors. There is not much unity, which is needed in order to have a professional tour.

Being chief cook and bottle washer for years in my own industry, I recently signed on with a group in a salaried position. I no longer have to multitask and can now concentrate on doing what I do best. The end product is nothing short of excellence, if I do say so myself. :grin-square:

When people can work together as one unit, the sky is the limit. When you watch this video, it demonstrates what a difference working together for a common goal can do ---> HERE.

Everybody wins when it's team effort! :wink:

We can't judge the women's tour fairly in this climate. Just noticed the Mohegans aren't doing too well right now, bad news for any marginal events women or men have been playing at the Sun.

The ladies have been willing to unite and do things they didn't really want to do in order to further their tour and their sport. The men have a me first and me first now attitude. Easier to herd cats up a river than to get the men pro's to stick together. When you spend years living from score to score it is very hard to look at the big picture. Too, every time it looks like men's pool is on the edge of real money somebody has one event or a few events and goes away. Sometimes the men's fault, sometimes not. This does further the idea of grab the money while you can, there may not be any tomorrow!

Pool isn't the only sport like that. More than once at both rodeo's and short track races the first people to the pay window claimed to be the winners, took the money from people that had no clue who was who, and got the hell out of dodge with a nice paycheck. When the winners got to the window they were often stuck with the highest place that hadn't been paid out yet. If all the money had been paid out all they got was an apology and "We will know better next time."

Male competitors in singles events don't work and play well together. Neither do gamblers always looking for the big score. That is almost the defining trait of the beast. You step through the door and check out the buffet.

Now try to tell these guys that if you work and play well together through the lean years and stick with it there will be good times five or ten years down the road. When you are looking for a tank of gas, a bite to eat, and a place to crash that night, five or ten years down the road is an eternity away.

Easy to see the problems. Fixing them is a little harder!

Hu

 

[Alf Taylor]

A quote from my book

"The 20th century also saw the birth of the Women's Professional Pocket Billiards Association. Their televised tournaments, their talent and the grace they lend to the sport have created interest in pocket billiards for every member of the family."

Mrs, Duddy. The industry very much needs you women...for the above reasons and more. I say we get some of the bigger guys to kick the dickens out of the criticizers. I would do it but I'm not very tough or brave.
Keep it feminine. Alfie

 

[DawgAndy]

Thought this would be helpful.

 

[dorabelle]

Emily, you talk about being business savvy and about marketability. What are you selling?

 

[cueporn]

First of all, you are a public figure, and this is a public forum. Try not to take criticism (constructive or otherwise) personally.

Here's an interesting proposal: go find me all the posts and threads "hating" on Allison, or Karen, or GYK. The point here is that you might call yourself a "great player," but you are not. You might become a great player, and I sincerely hope you do (I mean that), but right now, you are not playing at a pro speed. Sure, you can call yourself a professional player (by whatever convoluted logic that requires), but you are not playing at a pro speed.

You can call me a hater for pointing out the obvious, but delusional thinking and behavior will not benefit your game.

-roger

Couldnt agree more and it is not hate. My game runs circles around her. If I called myself a pro people would break out laughing. Quit playing the upside of the double standard. Do all the photo shoots you want and play, but stop beating the pro drum its outta tune.
I play several pro events a year, I am an advanced amateur, all I will ever be.

 

[lfigueroa]

Emily, you are nobody on the internet until you have your very own pack of screaming monkeys. Throw them a banana once in a while and enjoy their antics. They are nobodies who can only get recognition by attaching their name to yours.

You go, girl.

Lou Figueroa

 

[mia]

Emily, you talk about being business savvy and about marketability. What are you selling?

I think you and Buddha have nailed it.
No one is knocking Emily because they are "haters". We're just being honest. It's great that you put in the hours, the energy, and the effort in hopes of being a top-tier pro one day! I applaud that. We all do. But if you want to be a top level pro, you should market and sell yourselves based on your GAME. And if your game isnt at that level yet, put in more time. Most of us here aren't pro level players yet. That's why we don't have websites calling ourselves pros. And when people point out they your game isn't up to snuff with a lot of the others you're lumping yourself in with, don't be shocked or offended. You know it isn't. That's why you're posing in lingerie on a pool table the rest are playing the game.

 

[Ghosst]

As a person who's working hard on helping our sport get a better image, I don't get what this is all about.

It seems to me that everybody craves for a better attention to any of the cuesports - pool, billiards or snooker - towards the mainstream audience.

Why would any attempt to bring different approaches to the table be any bad ?

The short version is jealousy.

Not necessarily jealous that the women Emily is talking about are attractive, but that they get more attention, and are more well-known than the angry posters here who won a 4-man tourney and should obviously be on the covers of BD and IP because of their feat.

How do you, "beat", an opponent? Well, if you can't play the same game, then you take the politician's route and tear them down. No holds barred. If that doesn't work, threaten violence, or setup a big air-barrel match on the internet to show how tough you are.

The same people who would rather pull out their own teeth with rusty pliers than dress nicely at a tournament, and spew venom on the forum are the ones who hold pool down. Maybe they feel better when things are within their reach, their comfort zone.

And hey, while they're at it, they should make Emily, Borana, and Jennifer feel like crap, right? Because what's more important than our own self worth? Certainly not respect, dignity or acting like the result of 4 billion years of evolutionary success.


.

 

[JAM]

The short version is jealousy.

Not necessarily jealous that the women Emily is talking about are attractive, but that they get more attention, and are more well-known than the angry posters here who won a 4-man tourney and should obviously be on the covers of BD and IP because of their feat.

How do you, "beat", an opponent? Well, if you can't play the same game, then you take the politician's route and tear them down. No holds barred. If that doesn't work, threaten violence, or setup a big air-barrel match on the internet to show how tough you are.

The same people who would rather pull out their own teeth with rusty pliers than dress nicely at a tournament, and spew venom on the forum are the ones who hold pool down. Maybe they feel better when things are within their reach, their comfort zone.

And hey, while they're at it, they should make Emily, Borana, and Jennifer feel like crap, right? Because what's more important than our own self worth? Certainly not respect, dignity or acting like the result of 4 billion years of evolutionary success.


.

Best post in the thread! [Except for Lou's, which made me laugh out loud.]

Maybe the male pros should take notice and learn how to market themselves better, rather than dancing like monkeys to profit others, hoping to get thrown a little bone with not much meat on it.

It's all about marketability.

If Depends Diapers were to sponsor pool, I'm sure every male pro out there would be sporting him some Depends while playing on a field of green. :grin-square:

Industry sponsors are looking for something marketable, hoping to catch mainstream America's attention.