So, I need to preface this statement. I AM NOT TAKING UP FOR DCP! Also, if his comment was meant to be mean spirited, I do not agree or like it. I ( THINK ) he was making a half hearted failed joke about league. With that being said, I will add my .02 - which admittedly is only worth about half face value lol.
I would also like to say that I agree with Tramp and any others that believe that leaguers are the new face of pool and we DO owe them some gratitude because THEY ARE what's keeping our beloved sport alive these days - no doubt about that. If anyone reading this is old enough that they were around the pool hall scene and we're completely immersed in the 90's yall will know exactly what I'm saying. This certainly is not intended to offend anyone, only speaking as to " how it was " and that's all. So the perception back then; in the poo, room, was any leaguers that came in were more or less " goofs ". They NEVER gambled, almost always thought they were much better than they were - until introduced to pool " in the poolroom " , and had what most " regulars " considered a lot of very " strange " habbits. The habbits I speak of were things along the lines of either the magnetic chalk, or even better the " chalk on a string " - the chalk on a belot device with a cord that automatically retracts the chalk back to the belt when done chalking.
While it was a fairly rare sight to see a league player wonder into any of the rooms I hung at, there was a few that would wonder in. They would always be a "7". They would always walk in like they own the place. Being a "7", they would always walk in like in like a king, and walk out like a pulper lol. They just didn't know what they didn't know. Some may disagree; and I will be he first to tell you that you are in fact wrong, but there IS A HUGE difference between someone that comes up in league and someone that comes up in action at a pool hall. In reality it truly is a night and day difference, no comparison whatsoever. That in now way whatsoever means that a pool hall player should treat a leaguer like shit though. Although that's what happens more times than not. Imo, we all are just guys - looking to enjoy ourselves in a sport that we all love so we SHOUD treat each other as so but that doesn't always happen.
Anyway back to the 90's. At least in the action poolike halls there WAS a stigma associated with league, often for the reasons I stated earlier. Things have changed though. US " pool hall action guys " are definitely a dying breed. League is where it's at now, and has been for quite some time. Most of us pool hall guys are actually league players now. The stigma is gone, and had been for quite awhile ( incase yall didn't know lol ).
I think a lot of people either do not understand, or don't like it but there are many many people that play league for the simple fact that they want a night out with some friends. Drink some beer, bs , knock some balls around and that's what they want to do, that's all that they want to do and that's what they enjoy doing . It's hard for some to understand that not everyone aspires to " putting a 6 pack on someone for a G ". I think it's great personally. I do not look at league as anything other than what it's meant to be ---- fun! If that doesn't float your boat that's fine too. Go ply in a tournament, go get in some $200 a game action, go to Derby, US Open, etc etc. Let those people have fun doing what they do A ND realize that THEY ARE THE ONES KEEPING OUR SPORT ALIVE and don't rag on them because they want something out of pool different than what we may want!
While it's true that probably 99% of APA don't play our speed, you should understand that there ARE PLENTY of players that play APA MASTERS that play much better than YOU OR I and that is a fact jack. I know a handful just in my area that that is true.
Once again, I will not pretend to know exactly what DCP was thinking with his post, but I do kinda think he was making an attempt at some humor, which if not mean spirited isnt such a horrible thing right?
