softshot said:
If thats the truth then why don't the women have the same problem???
they are making money all the players are reasonably happy. whats the difference?
I think part of the problem lies in the slop of nine ball. American players even the bad ones can tell a slop shot when they see one ... not that the pro's can't play or that they slop often... but it does happen. and for the American audience one is enough. You lose all credibility at that point.
the vast majority of the world prefers soccer . the Americans prefer the more strategic NFL. should the NFL switch its game to soccer to make the rest of the world happy??? NO!! they should stay with what we want.
The most recognizable names in pool in the U.S. are still Mosconi and Mizerak both deceased , but more noteworthy both from a time when the champ called his shots. Once Tom Cruise got the U.S. excited with nine ball we hit a major growth in the pool industry every tourney wanted that crowd and every player wanted to be Tom Cruise.
The truth is that the movie forced the Pro Players hand. some T.V. exec saw nineball as a game that could fit between the commercial breaks. so nineball it was and has been ever since. even though that same T.V exec. left you in the dust 20 years ago. its not the best game for showcasing the ability of the players its only merit is that it has fast racks that showcase's a hard shot and the balls hit lots of rails.
this is not a lost cause there are ways to get it done. it will just take a little effort from those with the most to gain... " Pro Players"
You have made some very valid points, and I agree with much of what you have written.
However, to place blame on male professional players is where we disagree.
I do not believe that the so-called "pro players," men in particular, are the reason why pool sucks in the States. There is no market for pool here, like there is overseas. As you state, NFL, MLB, NBA, PGA, tennis are sports here in America. Pool is considered a recreational game, much like bowling, where pool players enjoy playing pool at a once-a-week league night or in the basement of their homes.
There is only one game in football with one set of rules. Pocket billiards, however, comes in many different forms, 3-ball, 6-ball, 8-ball, 9-ball, 10-ball, one-pocket, banks, et cetera.
The recent WPC 9-ball tournament, though I did enjoy it and found it very exciting, is a good example of why 9-ball as a game of skill for pocket billiards is met with scrutiny. The Taiwanese said it right when they labeled the soft break as the "bird break."
Another problem with 9-ball is the rack riggers who deliberately, with malice aforethought, rig the racks, so that when they break, they are guaranteed to make a ball. There are ways to fix the rack with cracks in certain places, sad to say but true. It is not possible to have neutral rackers, though, for all professional matches. So 9-ball continues to be the game of skill for pocket billiards players, but it does have its problems.
Pool is boring to watch on TV. Even my boyfriend who is considered a pro caliber player does not enjoy watching pool on TV. Therein lies the problem. Pool is just not exciting in its present form.
Though movies like "The Hustler" and "The Color of Money" did bring a boom to the pool industry, I am not sure if in today's market the same would happen.
In most major metropolitan areas, pool rooms, REAL pool rooms, are fading away and have been replaced with what I seem as sports lounges with big screen TVs and LOUD, LOUD, LOUD music. Pool is only an afterthought in these joints.
Pool is a rich man's high, and I do enjoy it still today, but I will never sacrifice my work responsibilities again for pool. When I attend events today, I will look at it as if it were a pool vacation because, in essence, that is all it is, a place to party and have fun.
JAM
