BIG Changes ahead for Pro Pool???

[Tennesseejoe]

If you have had a chance to read Freddy The Beard's new book , Encyclopedia of Pool Hustlers, then you may understand the class of people who make up the past elite players. Don't take this wrong, Freddy's book is an excellent read and I recommend it. However 90% of the players are thieves, drug users, murderers, psychos, etc. Not hardly a group to establish a professional organization around.

If you look at past organizational attempts, you may find that most attempts were failures due to some self serving interests or organizers or members.

On the other hand, it seems like league players have a true interest in the game and may evolve to a more altruistic governing body.

Just my opinion and observation.

 

[Ghosst]

If you want to understand where I am coming from, call me and I will be happy to explain. It is way to long and complicated to write dwwn - it would be a book.

Generous offer but you're wasting your time. It's more fun to be inflammatory behind a keyboard for many. Just keep doing what you do Mark; you're one of the very few success stories around and don't owe anyone anything, least of all an explanation.

As far as pro pool (Mark C) I care less and less about it every time they shoot themselves in the foot and then blame everyone else for the blood.

 

[Mr. Bond]

Be careful what you wish for.

 

[Paul Schofield]

This is IMO only. Professional pool only promotes itself. It does not and never has promoted the game. When pool is popular, pro-pool rides high on the back of the game's popularity. When few people are playing the game, even fewer want to watch it. From what I have seen in the last 40 years, watching pros has not inspired people to play.

I think for now, professional pool needs to shrink proportionally to the rest of the pool market. Pros need to develop careers and acquire steady income. Promoters could and (maybe) should run fewer events. Fewer events might interpret into better events with higher participation and attendance.

I am in aw of the people who run these big events. It must be a passion for them. It certainly is not money that motivates them.

Again, this is only IMO.

 

[Joe Pickens]

What negative impact did BB do for pool other then maybe get some 1.2 or 3 event promoters worried about loosing some $$$? what do you have rebuild?

That would be great if they would 'loosen' some money.

 

[Fatboy]

Pool can not survive on TV unless the Prize money goes WAY UP!!!!!!!!
People got interested in watching Poker on TV because they could see themselves sitting there cashing in the WSOP for $9,000,000 dollars.
Just like Golf on TV, people get to see amazing shots and the Players get PAID big time.
You want interest in Pro Pool to go through the roof, have 12 tournaments with $500,000 for 1st place and like golf have a point system and at the end of the session have the top 16 points leaders compete for the "Best in the World" winner take all $2,000,000 tournament.

i think that has been over played by now, the novelty of seeing a mound of $$$ has been seen enough times. poker table or pool table dont matter its finished IMO. if Pool did it first that would have been good, but poker got there first with that plan, its a dandy of a idea, we are just too late. they dont show the cash in golf-talked about.

Food idea bad timing, aint knocking your idea. i fear its played out. that card has been played, LOL

 

[Fatboy]

every game has its day, backgammon was a huge fad at one time. it faded,


things run in cycles, the video games, internet, facebook are taking up peoples time. I was just banging the balls around, for 20 minutes, now i'm back here for 40. thats a distraction. it ait just me-everyone who reads this(well almost) could be hitting balls instead.


what makes pool cool again, i dont know. heard there are big things brewing up, not BB either. Word is BB is on track and there is a bigger thing. I hope what i was told all comes true-we will all be happy we play pool, and will be better players than all the new people that are suposibally coming into the pool world, we'll see.

 

[Fatboy]

"Pool cannot survive on the generosity of millionaires."

well said, nothing can for that matter. the richer people become the tighter they become as a rule.

Now if the is $$ to be made then the Big Money Guys will show up, problem is nobody has the formula for that. Like CJ has said 1000 ties the current pro tourney format is broken and dont work-which is why its gone(almost). People are smarter these days and can do math better and make better decisions than they did 20-30 years ago. that has harmed tourneys, years ago people had more excess cash and wernt as bright so they would go play in a event they had no shot in.


Now people do the math, dont have extra f-off $$$ so they stay home. the Lobsters aint supporting the pros anymore. and the pros are jack-offs for calling people names that did support them, the 2 and out crew. Anyone mention that yet here?

 

[cajunfats]

Thank You, Scott.

cajunfats...Just had to add the bolded phrase to your very true statement! BTW, a friend of mine helped draft a 'mission statement' for the current professional association. They refused to adhere to the structure, and my friend had to throw up his hands. Deja vu!

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

You are correct about that Scott. I explained it to someone earlier today, that Men Pro's especially, have this ingrained need or lust to have the "edge" in every sort of negotiation they are engaged in. The use of the "Matching Up" mentality in the art of negotiations.This mechanism deters or eliminates some abilities to reach a balance in business affairs. Whether one came blame ego or merely the inability to accept anothers input, it is hard to say.

I can completely understand when your friend threw his or her hands up.

I Love Pool. I always have, and always will. I only play once a week,on Friday's if I am lucky. Lately, not much, because I am working to develop my small business plan.

Which is BARBEQUE SAUCE BABY!!!!

 

[KoolKat9Lives]

every game has its day, backgammon was a huge fad at one time. it faded,


things run in cycles, the video games, internet, facebook are taking up peoples time. I was just banging the balls around, for 20 minutes, now i'm back here for 40. thats a distraction. it ait just me-everyone who reads this(well almost) could be hitting balls instead.


what makes pool cool again, i dont know. heard there are big things brewing up, not BB either. Word is BB is on track and there is a bigger thing. I hope what i was told all comes true-we will all be happy we play pool, and will be better players than all the new people that are suposibally coming into the pool world, we'll see.

You know I luv ya buddy, and I try to read between the lines, but you're making my head split. Did Larry Ellison just form the WDPBBDPA (World Domination Pool Billiards Billion Dollar Professional Association)?

 

[cajunfats]

I'm a long term Member

well said, nothing can for that matter. the richer people become the tighter they become as a rule.

Now if the is $$ to be made then the Big Money Guys will show up, problem is nobody has the formula for that. Like CJ has said 1000 ties the current pro tourney format is broken and dont work-which is why its gone(almost). People are smarter these days and can do math better and make better decisions than they did 20-30 years ago. that has harmed tourneys, years ago people had more excess cash and wernt as bright so they would go play in a event they had no shot in.


Now people do the math, dont have extra f-off $$$ so they stay home. the Lobsters aint supporting the pros anymore. and the pros are jack-offs for calling people names that did support them, the 2 and out crew. Anyone mention that yet here?

I have been a long term member of the Two and Out Club!! Yes, we can do the math! Tournament with 128 players and 100 of them average joes trying to have some fun. After a while the decision to spend 300 dollars at a weekend for a chance at nothing wears thin. I can do that at the slot machine. Yep. I can spend my 300 now and buy enough product to make a thousand dollars worth of BBQ Sauce. It certainly leaves a better taste in my mouth than donating to a road player. But then, I'm older now, and set in my ways.

cajunfats

 

[Johnnyt]

I use to say on here all the time that for 2 and out player to pay travel, entry fee, hotel/motel, food and misc.=sometimes $1500-$2000 is nuts when you can go to an action room near your home and play top pros for $200 race to 9 sets and get a big spot. All I heard was it's none of your business how I spend my money...which is true, I play in big tournaments to learn...what do you learn sitting in the chair that you can't learn at a poolroom watching or playing top players or just watch streams or videos for half what you spend on a tournament..

If most of the two and outs would wise up and stay home the pros would have to play each other...and 95% of them don't want to do that. They would have to come together and help promoters sell tickets and get sponsors or poof...they'd be gone. Johnnyt

 

[CJ Wiley]

There is an art to negotiation, however, first you must have something to negotiate.

You are correct about that Scott. I explained it to someone earlier today, that Men Pro's especially, have this ingrained need or lust to have the "edge" in every sort of negotiation they are engaged in. The use of the "Matching Up" mentality in the art of negotiations.This mechanism deters or eliminates some abilities to reach a balance in business affairs. Whether one came blame ego or merely the inability to accept anothers input, it is hard to say.

I can completely understand when your friend threw his or her hands up.

I Love Pool. I always have, and always will. I only play once a week,on Friday's if I am lucky. Lately, not much, because I am working to develop my small business plan.

Which is BARBEQUE SAUCE BABY!!!!

I'm not sure if the Men's Pros had a chance to truly "negotiate" in the last 13 years. I would certainly like to know some specific negotiations that they "messed up" somehow. It seems the "pool world" is used to speaking about pros doing "this and that" and there's really no justification.

There is an art to negotiation, however, first you must have something to negotiate.......when the opportunities are so controlled and limited, it's unlikely the "Pros" have even had the opportunity to fail......they have just been "mislead". 'The Game is the Teacher'

 

[Diamond69]

There is money out there to be had. I just think pool is too disconnected as a group to go out and get it for the cause.

The PGA Championship is currently being played in golf. Guess what, the Pricecutter Charity Championship is also being played right now. The purse for this tournament is $675k (oh what a dream, right).

Do you think golf aficionados are paying any attention to the Pricecutter tournament? I wouldn't think so. Yet someone from the Web.com tour was able to get money from Pricecutter, and other endorsers.

It doesn't have to be Mark, or Greg, or any other 1 person/group adding money to a tournament. Just have to have an organization with a solid voice and plan. Pool players drink beers, Monster Energy Drink, shop at stores local to the tournament area (Like Pricecutter in Springfield, Mo) etc.

Web.com doesn't add ALL the money. Pricecutter doesn't add ALL the money. But Web.com probably (I'm no absolute expert) has a good team of people that works with these sponsors to get a chunk added. Expressing the exposure to those sponsors.

So we don't need a Camel, Budweiser, Coke, Pepsi or any ONE company to come forward and save Pro pool. Just need an organization to beat the streets to drum up support.

We can have an event sponsored by Diamond, and have multiple smaller sponsors from both national and local companies to add more to the money, turning a $25,000 added into a $100,000 added from the efforts of people pursing sponsorships.

One person, one company, isn't the solution. TV exposure isn't the solution.

Or, maybe I'm just an idiot. There may be 20 posts after this to prove that fact!

 

[spanky79]

Most of the pros today don't deserve a tour to play on.

Mark G. puts on pro events because he wants to not to make money.

IMO he should stop and then see how the players act.

Maybe just maybe they will realize what they had and do something different.

 

[PINKLADY]

Once upon a POOL time….

Deep Pockets came to Vegas with a plan – put the Competition under & take over the Industry.

They built the venue from the ground, up & did it right; state-of-the-art. They negotiated with the casinos & airlines – discounted rooms/airfare; free food/entertainment for after hour parties on-site; comped travel for The Players.

Phase 1 (Debut), had contractor delays 3 months out. Deep Pockets threw enough $$$,$$$ at it, and made it happen. Opening Day, had shuttle/taxi/limo/valet-parking glitches (free shuttles, funded by the casinos & Vegas City). By Day 2, all was fluid - Deep Pockets threw enough $$$,$$$ at it, and made it happen.

The Old Boys had said since his announcement to build, “You can’t touch us – Bring it!”. Deep Pockets scheduled 2 shows/yr. Rent for the vendors was 50% of the competition. Buyers’/Players’ costs were virtually nill. And no one had ever shown in VEGAS….

W venue (2/yr) closed the next week – they overlapped & no-show Players.
X venue (2/yr) died 3 months later – Players had already been @ Vegas.
Y venue (2/yr) died 1 year later – 1 week apart from Vegas.
Z venue (2/yr) hung in there – the Old Boys!

Then Vegas changed their dates, to cross with Z….

It took two years,
And a chunk of change,
But Deep Pockets bought-out the Old Boys @ $0.10/$1.00.
(He also defaulted @ Vegas & bought-back @ $0.25/$1.00.)
And then shut-down “Z Old Boys”.

PS - All vendor rates are now triple & he subleases the balance down-time to Venues A through V, cause it’s VEGAS BABY….