Barry Hearn "Perhaps we're on the cusp of a new era in pool"

Colin Colenso

Colin Colenso

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
This interview with Barry Hearn, recorded a few days ago can be heard here: www.americanbilliardradio.com <= Slide to the 48 minute mark to go straight to the interview.

His main points include:
That the US TV networks have made a big mistake in promoting the sport as blue collar, not showing it enough respect.
That they need to follow matchroom's success, by investing bigger money into top quality production - multi cameras etc.
A new era in pool could be around the corner if some US Barry Hearns emerge and the TV networks recognize the success possible with the Matchroom model.
 
Could Be

Colin Colenso said:
This interview with Barry Hearn, recorded a few days ago can be heard here: www.americanbilliardradio.com <= Slide to the 48 minute mark to go straight to the interview.

His main points include:
That the US TV networks have made a big mistake in promoting the sport as blue collar, not showing it enough respect.
That they need to follow matchroom's success, by investing bigger money into top quality production - multi cameras etc.
A new era in pool could be around the corner if some US Barry Hearns emerge and the TV networks recognize the success possible with the Matchroom model.
Click to expand...

Colin Colenso,
I would agree with you if, someone had a model ready and waiting that deserved showing to the American and World Scene. What I'm talking about specifically are Top Names that are ready to compete amongst one another possibly over an over sort of as a traveling Road Show of hand picked candidates. They would have to be ready to be the Showmen and Facemen of the Sport and I would hope that someone had the resources to keep them in place financially and spiritually long enough to do it. I think the public and corporate interest would have to see them long enough to develop the ones they would pull for so they would look forward to the next big matchup.
 
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336Robin said:
Colin Colenso,
I would agree with you if, someone had a model ready and waiting that deserved showing to the American and World Scene. What I'm talking about specifically are Top Names that are ready to compete amongst one another possibly over an over sort of as a traveling Road Show of hand picked candidates. They would have to be ready to be the Showmen and Facemen of the Sport and I would hope that someone had the resources to keep them in place financially and spiritually long enough to do it. I think the public and corporate interest would have to see them long enough to develop the ones they would pull for so they would look forward to the next big matchup.
Click to expand...
It would seem all the networks need to do to test this model is to purchase the Mosconi Cup and promote it in a good time slot.. hmmm Not being from there, I'm unaware if this has ever happened.

If the ratings were good, they'd be able to do some math on producing / co-producing home grown content. Knowing that there's an international market ready and waiting should come into the calculations too.
 
Colin Colenso said:
This interview with Barry Hearn, recorded a few days ago can be heard here: www.americanbilliardradio.com <= Slide to the 48 minute mark to go straight to the interview.

His main points include:
That the US TV networks have made a big mistake in promoting the sport as blue collar, not showing it enough respect.
That they need to follow matchroom's success, by investing bigger money into top quality production - multi cameras etc.
A new era in pool could be around the corner if some US Barry Hearns emerge and the TV networks recognize the success possible with the Matchroom model.
Click to expand...

Colin, that's what the IPT did, even got it on that Versus channel, and it still didn't fly.

We need a Barry Hearn in the States, someone who's willing to take risks and is innovative. There are several new reality shows about pool in the making currently, which does offer a glimmer of hope.

After the advent of Duck Dynasty, they're now selling talking and singing Dynasty Ducks on QVC, the home shopping network. Reality sells, it seems. :grin-square:
 

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JAM said:
Colin, that's what the IPT did, even got it on that Versus channel, and it still didn't fly.

We need a Barry Hearn in the States, someone who's willing to take risks and is innovative. There are several new reality shows about pool in the making currently, which does offer a glimmer of hope.

After the advent of Duck Dynasty, they're now selling talking and singing Dynasty Ducks on QVC, the home shopping network. Reality sells, it seems. :grin-square:
Click to expand...

There's perhaps a couple decades of wisdom in this 4 pointed post.
 
I know nuthin about any of this but for one thing, it better be 8 ball cause no other game would appeal to the masses and no matter how good the layout was, it wouldn't work.
 
JAM said:
Colin, that's what the IPT did, even got it on that Versus channel, and it still didn't fly.

We need a Barry Hearn in the States, someone who's willing to take risks and is innovative. There are several new reality shows about pool in the making currently, which does offer a glimmer of hope.

After the advent of Duck Dynasty, they're now selling talking and singing Dynasty Ducks on QVC, the home shopping network. Reality sells, it seems. :grin-square:
Click to expand...
Hi JAM, I think the IPT got part of it right with respect to the class, quality production, but it lacked one important ingredient that Barry Hearn mentions in the interview... an obviously enthusiastic crowd..even the players showed little emotion. Perhaps that was due to the format.

Obviously other things led to the demise of the IPT... too much prizemoney and too few qualifier entrants. Lack of sponsorship. The banning on US based online gaming... and I'm sure pundits will proffer more short comings ;-)

I look forward to the reality shows. Perhaps something they do will click.

I still think competition coverage can work, it may just take a creative new concept and/or a revolutionary way to network revenue streams / promotion.
 
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Colin Colenso said:
...but it lacked one important ingredient that Barry Hearn mentions in the interview... an obviously enthusiastic crowd..even the players showed little emotion.
Click to expand...

True Colin

It was only recently that you had to pay for Mosconi Cup tickets.

In the early days, Matchroom ensured there was an enthusiastic crowd
(sometimes, after a beer or three, a little to enthusiastic!) in the stands to
make it an attractive product for live TV by not charging for tickets.

It worked a treat and created the right atmosphere for TV.
 
Maybe some person or entity should donate a pool table to the Duck Dynasty warehouse.


Mike
cardit
 
New Era of Pool

Without new players there will be no "New Era of Pool." We are recycling the same names we did a few years ago. It's getting tiresome. Without bigger purses in tournaments, no one will want to take the game up. Barry has tried to keep the prize money up but he can only do so much. I'd like to see the BCA and APA put up some big purses and attempt to get better corporate sponcers. Having some $100,000 first place prize money would help…….
 
voiceofreason said:
8 ball is great to play but dull to watch.. :(
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Nothing to do with pool players. Talking about making pool popular. If you want the masses of people to get interested in pool you have to present them with something they are familiar with so they can relate to it.

I'll bet over 90 % of casual players don't even know any other game besides 8 ball exists.

That's an observation, but IMO if this game is EVER going to become popular Brunswick or Diamond or some other big name pool mfg. better come up with pool table designs that can be tilted up and moved.

I say big companies because then, they have to give a shit load away to schools so they can tilt em up, roll them out in the gym, and have inter-school competitions then tilt them back up and put em off to the side and out of the way.

If they aren't initially gifted to schools to get the ball rolling (so to speak) no one is going to buy in to the idea.

Once the kids get interested, then the parents will be buying them cues, and start practicing with them. That is the only way I see for a MAJOR long term pool interest.

They can send a man to the moon, they should be able to come up with something like that.
 
We used to have the Casino's behind Pool

But that all melted away at the 1991 Challenge of Champions and the alleged dump! Below is a quote from Jay Helfert from a AZ thread:

" It was the first Challenge of Champions and I was the TD and ref for all the matches. Yes, the finals between Buddy and Mike looked a little funny at times, but there was nothing I could do except watch and wonder about it. Everyone knew Mike went off at 20-1. I had told some people that it was a bad line for a player like Mike in a short race format like this. I knew anyone could win it, they were all great players. Afterward I found out that seven of the eight players had made a deal".

The players were Mike Sigel, Buddy Hall, Nick Varner, Jim Rempe, Allen Hopkins, David Howard, Kim Davenport & Mike LeBron. Jay later stated that the only player that wasn't in on the fix wasn't Allen Hopkins...so much for the character of the US Professional pool players of the past!

Wedge.
 
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Wedge said:
But that all melted away at the 1991 Challenge of Champions and the alleged dump! Below is a quote from Jay Helfert from a AZ thread:

" It was the first Challenge of Champions and I was the TD and ref for all the matches. Yes, the finals between Buddy and Mike looked a little funny at times, but there was nothing I could do except watch and wonder about it. Everyone knew Mike went off at 20-1. I had told some people that it was a bad line for a player like Mike in a short race format like this. I knew anyone could win it, they were all great players. Afterward I found out that seven of the eight players had made a deal".

The players were Mike Sigel, Buddy Hall, Nick Varner, Jim Rempe, Allen Hopkins, David Howard, Kim Davenport & Mike LeBron. Jay later stated that the only player that wasn't in on the fix wasn't Allen Hopkins...so much for the character of the US Professional pool players of the past!

Wedge.
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Anyone that watched that final and says it wasn't a dump either is not a pool player or they go blind when it's Buddy. The casino thought so too. If the casinos would have kept taking bets on pool, pool would have been huge in the U.S. But if those players didn't do business in that tournament it would have happened the next one. Pro pool players favorite saying is "hooray for me fu" "After me you come first" "I got mine." Johnnyt
 
How was Buddy Hall allowed to be co-captain of the Mosconi cup if this is true? Then again they did lose by a landslide, maybe a repeat of past events?

Clearly no one stepped up and took over as a leader. I used to think Johnny Archer was good for pool, but seeing how he failed in his many leadership roles with bonus ball, players rep, and capt. of mosconi. A leader he clearly is not.
 
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