An interview with Emily

[Mensabum]

I’ll give you a parable. Once was born a girl that was the most beautiful and graceful ever, sadly born into poverty on the wrong side of the tracks. Despite her great beauty she never attracted a truly rich or powerful suitor as her poor background made them leery that their fine reputations would be sullied by an association with her. Over the years there were suitors that promised her the world, but were just conmen that broke her heart & left her in the poverty in which they found her. Then later in life came a truly rich and powerful suitor that could provide her every want and need. Sadly he was a pimp that didn’t love her or even really like her. He did see her great beauty and wanted to add her to his stable of whores to profit him.

There are 2 types of fathers, one that would be so happy his daughter would no longer be poor that he could look past her having to be a whore for abundance. The other type would rather see his daughter remain in poverty than be a whore to escape it.

Pool is that most beautiful woman. PBT, Camel, Trudeau, etc. were the conmen. Matchroom is the pimp. Those that SAY they love the game are the fathers that would allow their beautiful daughter to be a whore. Those that TRULY love the game are those that would rather see their beautiful daughter remain poor rather than fall into the hands of a pimp.

Poor kid needs a better father.

 

[buckshotshoey]

You make assumptions that have no merit. I spent the first 18 years of my life growing up in my father’s pool hall under his tutelage and that of his former road partners. I spent the better majority of the next 15 years on the road until the internet killed the road. Then I came home and built what was one of the largest pool halls on the East Coast that regularly hosted pro tour and senior tour events, I’ve spent my entire life in this game so I think it’s safe to say I know a little more about pool than EF.

I’ve never had a job and don’t want EF job. As she rose from a mid level marketing exec at MR to “queen of pool” almost overnight as a female with no pool background it gives pause as to what really occurred for that to happen. Anything you’re trying to promote needs marketing but that should be an underling on the team, not the head honcho, someone from the world of pool should be spearheading this at MR, not EF.

I am a purist and idealist, and pool and billiards IMO is the ultimate sport in both Beaty and difficulty. As previously stated MR managed to promote snooker without some clown there tinkering with the game so it stands to reason that pool should be no different. Don’t say it won’t sell, Pro Bowling is on Fox nowadays FFS. I don’t think keeping this game true to its traditions and giving it the respect it’s due as they did with snooker is unreasonable.

All you have given is assumptions (and personal opinions) with no merit. And judging by your choice of words, you want to keep pool with the image of backroom tables, shady characters, and gambling. Not going to fly in today's world my friend.

 

[L.S. Dennis]

All you have given is assumptions (and personal opinions) with no merit. And judging by your choice of words, you want to keep pool with the image of backroom tables, shady characters, and gambling. Not going to fly in today's world my friend.

I actually can see both sides to this issue. No problem with EF promotion aspects I think it's a good thing that she's trying to do. I do have a problem with the color changes of pool balls from their traditional colors, (even she at one point in an easy interview admitted that it may have been a mistake but said she would just go with it now.) Hopefully she will ultimately be successful in raising the status of pool to what it deserves but she's going to have to figure out a way to make 9 ball less boring for the general tv audience. Strict adherence to a 30 second shot clock for all matches would be a start!

 

[jokrswylde]

I can see both points of view here. Bottom line is, MR is here to stay (at least for the foreseeable future). EF seems like the tyope of person who would go all-in at anything she is tasked with. It just so happens that Barry Hearn saw an opportunity with pool. There likely wasn't a long line of folks at MR willing to put their careers on the line for a struggling niche game/sport.

What a perfect opportunity for a young, intelligent, workaholic such as EF. If it succeeds, she has altered the course of pro pool and can stake a claim to being as you say the "queen of pool". If it fails, well it never really had a chance and she goes back to working on various other MR endeavors. I hope she succeeds, just to see what heights she can take pool to.

I also understand they are after complete brand domination. They want people to think MR and WNT anytime they think of pool, and this is where they may lose some of the tradition and pageantry of the game (like the silly purple 5 ball!)

DCC harkens back to Johnson City, a time of the road man, the man who needed to be good at multiple disciplines, men who proved their mettle by betting their own and putting the cash on the rail. This colorful part of pool is what I hope doesn't go away completely.

 

[jbart65]

I find the Colonel's objections to Matchroom romantic if anachronistic. That's fine. He wants what he wants, and I want something different.

He wants more Derby City at its chaotic best (or worst imo). I want more Hanoi Open.

The rest of us know that pool will only grow with some muscle and money behind it. That does require some uniformity and even a break with some traditions.

And of course it requires ambition. The only one who has ambition, real ambition, is Matchroom.

All professional leagues experiment and try new things. Pool has evolved over time too. And it will continue to evolve.

As for Emily, I don't care how much she knows about or plays pool. You don't need a pool player to create a vision or build a successful venture. You need a dynamic and creative leader.

Sometimes it's even better if the leader is not wedded to the past way of doing things. Sometimes the past way of doing things can be like a straitjacket and hold back progress.

MR will make mistakes, learn and grow. If it doesn't, it won't succeed, either.

At least it's trying, though.

 

[buckshotshoey]

I find the Colonel's objections to Matchroom romantic if anachronistic. That's fine. He wants what he wants, and I want something different.

He wants more Derby City at its chaotic best (or worst imo). I want more Hanoi Open.

The rest of us know that pool will only grow with some muscle and money behind it. That does require some uniformity and even a break with some traditions.

And of course it requires ambition. The only one who has ambition, real ambition, is Matchroom.

All professional leagues experiment and try new things. Pool has evolved over time too. And it will continue to evolve.

As for Emily, I don't care how much she knows about or plays pool. You don't need a pool player to create a vision or build a successful venture. You need a dynamic and creative leader.

Sometimes it's even better if the leader is not wedded to the past way of doing things. Sometimes the past way of doing things can be like a straitjacket and hold back progress.

MR will make mistakes, learn and grow. If it doesn't, it won't succeed, either.

At least it's trying, though.

And she is constantly talking to professional players. She has inside information that we at AZ are not privy to. The pros are the ones that need to be happy. Not a bunch of keyboard pool players that have no stake in the operation of matchroom... myself included. Matchroom isn't building a model for amateurs. They are building a business model for when amateurs become professionals.

 

[Mensabum]

I can see both points of view here. Bottom line is, MR is here to stay (at least for the foreseeable future). EF seems like the tyope of person who would go all-in at anything she is tasked with. It just so happens that Barry Hearn saw an opportunity with pool. There likely wasn't a long line of folks at MR willing to put their careers on the line for a struggling niche game/sport.

What a perfect opportunity for a young, intelligent, workaholic such as EF. If it succeeds, she has altered the course of pro pool and can stake a claim to being as you say the "queen of pool". If it fails, well it never really had a chance and she goes back to working on various other MR endeavors. I hope she succeeds, just to see what heights she can take pool to.

I also understand they are after complete brand domination. They want people to think MR and WNT anytime they think of pool, and this is where they may lose some of the tradition and pageantry of the game (like the silly purple 5 ball!)

DCC harkens back to Johnson City, a time of the road man, the man who needed to be good at multiple disciplines, men who proved their mettle by betting their own and putting the cash on the rail. This colorful part of pool is what I hope doesn't go away completely.

Change is inevitable in any sport, game, etc...
I'm for anything that puts pool in a better light and makes more coin for the players.
Only way the newbies are going to flock to the game. An influx of new, younger players is what every sport needs. Nmw they come from. Run with it. You go girl!!

 

[sjm]

Pool has needed a visionary that is also a workaholic for a long time and Emily Frazer is the perfect woman for the job. As we saw in the "60 minutes" piece of a year ago, she dares to dream bigger than anyone in the recent history of our game.

As importantly, Matchroom has made its business model work in other sports such as boxing, darts and snooker and they know how to produce and manage events better than anyone we've seen in pool. Emily is part of a team that has already shone brightly in the sporting event production business and will follow in those great footsteps.

The World Nineball Tour is the most exciting thing that has happened to pool this century.

 

[Bob Jewett]

Pool has needed a visionary that is also a workaholic for a long time and Emily Frazer is the perfect woman for the job. As we saw in the "60 minutes" piece of a year ago, she dares to dream bigger than anyone in the recent history of our game.

As importantly, Matchroom has made its business model work in other sports such as boxing, darts and snooker and they know how to produce and manage events better than anyone we've seen in pool. Emily is part of a team that has already shone brightly in the sporting event production business and will follow in those great footsteps.

The World Nineball Tour is the most exciting thing that has happened to pool this century.

Here is something for the critics to consider: The gate -- amount paid for tickets by in-person spectators -- at the last two Mosconi Cups was about $500,000 for each one. Of course that many spectators cause additional expenses, but those might be the two largest gates in pool in the history of the game.