Can the IPT be too "International"?

[Cameron Smith]

Jingoistic...nice word, gotta remember that one.

Actually, I feel we Americans are rather "jingoistic". Just look at the sport of soccer (football for you non-Americans). Soccer is the biggest sport in the world except for America. Why? Because we Americans suck at it (okay, we don't suck at it, but we don't dominate the international scene). That's why even pool has more TV exposure here than soccer.

Think a few years back when the women's USA team won the World Cup (you know, the whole Brandy Chastain bra thingy). There was a little soccer boom here in America. But now that both of our mens and womens teams are mediocre, we hear nothing about soccer. Does the average American know that the 2006 World Cup will take place this year in Germany? All my foreign co-workers do, but none of the Americans.

If the World Cup can't make big news in America, how can we expect pool and the IPT to make big news? It seems the only way is if we Americans dominate the game...and right now, we surely do not.

The situation is not as dire for the US as it is in soccer. As long as Johnny Archer, Earl Strickland, Rodney Morris, Corey Duel etc. are around American players will win IPT tournaments and place high in the money.

Of the players I have mentioned Rodney Morris will be great for the American public. He is a great player and is fun to watch. He plays smoothly and makes the game look easy. He has been playing very well recently so I expect him to win some major titles on the IPT. Furthermore he is likeable and comes across as a sort of every-man, in kind of the same way as John Daly. On top of that he has a hot wife, which the guys will appreciate.

Rodney is not the only player in the American roster who will do well. You may not dominate the field but I highly doubt that will be a problem.

 

[Str8PoolMan]

Just for the Record...

Jingoistic...nice word, gotta remember that one.

Actually, I feel we Americans are rather "jingoistic". Just look at the sport of soccer (football for you non-Americans). Soccer is the biggest sport in the world except for America. Why? Because we Americans suck at it (okay, we don't suck at it, but we don't dominate the international scene). That's why even pool has more TV exposure here than soccer.

Think a few years back when the women's USA team won the World Cup (you know, the whole Brandy Chastain bra thingy). There was a little soccer boom here in America. But now that both of our mens and womens teams are mediocre, we hear nothing about soccer. Does the average American know that the 2006 World Cup will take place this year in Germany? All my foreign co-workers do, but none of the Americans.

If the World Cup can't make big news in America, how can we expect pool and the IPT to make big news? It seems the only way is if we Americans dominate the game...and right now, we surely do not.

Mediocre? Our men's national team is ranked tied for 6th in the world with Spain and Mexico, ahead of such perennial powers as England, Portugal, Italy, and Germany. The women's national team is ranked 2nd in the world behind Germany.
Of course, the fact that you did not know this tends to prove your point.

As for pool getting more TV exposure than soccer in America, I have the Fox Sports Network Soccer Channel on my cable TV. I haven't heard of the "Pool Channel" yet.