Future of mens pool
- Thread starter jason
- Start date
B
Bill Nelson
Guest
When there is again, a real mens tour. When they are having a real tournament every week, 52 times a year. When the top 10 all make over a million a year. Then there is a future in pool. Until then, do not become a pool pro, find a real job. One you will not starve from.
Bill Nelson said:
You're right and it will never happen IMO. Pool is a great to play, but only marginally entertaining to watch even if you play the game. There is probably a way that it could be made to appeal to the masses, but it would probably change to a game other than the one we know. Many sports do that, they evolve into a somewhat different sport than they were to put fans in the seats. The ring game concept seems to hold some promise.
jason said:
Well Jason the point I raise about Earl is that instead of the pool fraternity using Earl as a cornerstone, like Sears in a shopping mall, to draw fans to the game, they turn their back on him and put him down. The more paying customers Earl brings to a game the more there is for the other players. but the players really do not care about whether there are fans or not.
I don't know Earl, spoke to him once, saw him play in person twice, on TV many times, but I haven't seen him do anything really outrageous. Nothing that some of the other players don't also do.
Keep in mind that when a room owner turns over ten tables for a tournament he is losing money. At $4 per person x 2 at a table x 10 tables x 10 hours that is $800 lost revenue for one day to the room owner. Hopefully he makes it up with food and drink sales bought by the fans the players attract. The pros normally just drink water.
And I sure would not recommend pool to anyone as a lifelong ambition. In pool the past is meaningless - a person is only as good as his current game. You have a bad day and there is no payday. Plus you have to dole out the expenses before the match begins and it is very common to have negative paydays. How many people will go to their job if they do not get paid? Would you? I sure wouldn't. How many workers will go to their job and pay the boss for the honor of working for him? That is just what a lot of the pros do.
And they have to finish in the top ten percent to earn a decent day's pay.
And every match can be a gut wrenching battle which can make the difference between profit or loss for the player.
The pros want to be on TV but they don't realize that the people over at ESPN and SUN aren't stupid. If the pros can't draw fans to a live tournament then what makes them think that the fans will watch them on TV? And if nobody watches them on TV then why would ESPN or SUN want to bother with them? Unlike Pool players the people at ESPN and SUN want to be paid for their services. The bottom line is veryimportant to them.
So, when all is said and done, I tend to agree with you that pool is most likely going to stay as it is going nowhere soon. Just too much negative talk. And the players have themselves to thank for that.
At least the women do have a pro structure in place where they classify who is a pro and how they have to earn the title of pro. And they are on TV regularly. And they know how to market themselves. But, unfortunately when you look at the list of women pros, who really cares about any of them except for those who appear on TV. And that is usually the top ten.
Jake
Keith McCready
Pro Player
Two things
With the greatest respect to the resident pros on this forum, who cares whether pool hits the big time (again)? 99.99% of all players out there will not be affected if pool receives a massive cash influx or spurt of popularity. It is only the pros who will benefit.
Regardless of how well (or badly) pool is doing in popular culture, I will still be playing for as long as I can hold a cue.
With the greatest respect to the resident pros on this forum, who cares whether pool hits the big time (again)? 99.99% of all players out there will not be affected if pool receives a massive cash influx or spurt of popularity. It is only the pros who will benefit.
Regardless of how well (or badly) pool is doing in popular culture, I will still be playing for as long as I can hold a cue.
who cares? I care!
Jake I guess you still havent learned from your last mess up with Sarah Rousey to still espouse a negative attitude about the future of pool players. Sometimes a person does things because they cannot NOT do it. People make choices because they follow their heart. These are heroes.
Why blame the players?! Many players care about their fan base. Talk to guys like Nick Varner, Rodney Morris, Kim Davenport, etc. These guys are genuine and care about the fans. They dont have the answers like you and I. But thats not their job. Their job is just to give us the best pool that they can play. Its just as much our fault as the players there is no national tour right now. (Do you really think that J-Lo, Brittany, Bruce Willes is so popular because they care about their fan base?) But try to be more positive. Few years ago who would of thought that poker would be so big.
To Keith; Thanks Keith for all that you have given us. We appreciate all the efforts you have done. Good or bad you have provided us with entertainment and joy for many years and I hope you keep on keeping on. I hope that someday you will have a payday that you and fellow pros deserve.
Jake I guess you still havent learned from your last mess up with Sarah Rousey to still espouse a negative attitude about the future of pool players. Sometimes a person does things because they cannot NOT do it. People make choices because they follow their heart. These are heroes.
Why blame the players?! Many players care about their fan base. Talk to guys like Nick Varner, Rodney Morris, Kim Davenport, etc. These guys are genuine and care about the fans. They dont have the answers like you and I. But thats not their job. Their job is just to give us the best pool that they can play. Its just as much our fault as the players there is no national tour right now. (Do you really think that J-Lo, Brittany, Bruce Willes is so popular because they care about their fan base?) But try to be more positive. Few years ago who would of thought that poker would be so big.
To Keith; Thanks Keith for all that you have given us. We appreciate all the efforts you have done. Good or bad you have provided us with entertainment and joy for many years and I hope you keep on keeping on. I hope that someday you will have a payday that you and fellow pros deserve.
jjinfla said:
I agree with you, Earl has his little tantrums and makes a fool out of himself and his behaviour is sometimes insulting to his fellow players, big deal. At least he isn't pumping himself full of steroids like ball players. I actually find his rants amusing and he doesn't absolutely no harm. Earl just doesn't hide what he feels. If you remember the "shot heard round the world" where Efren is tied with Earl hill-hill and is in an impossible position. Efren backed 2 rails cross table and put the object ball (7 I think) frozen to the rail in the corner pocket leaving him an easy out on the 8 and 9. Earl was overjoyed for him despite the fact that it meant that Earl lost a major tournament. This is also part of his love of the game. He loves the game and reacts with passion, especially if he feels unappreciated. Maybe it's childish, but so what.
jjinfla said:
Jake,
The first airing of the 2003 Mosconi Cup highlights drew over 400,000 households. There is money to be made. ESPN is now realizing this.
Wally in Cincy said:
Are those good numbers for ESPN (meaning profitable)? I don't know. How do they compare to the viewers for men or women's 9-ball?
If they are good numbers then maybe that is the format professional pool should pattern. Have teams around the country who compete against each other. Have arenas set up and charge admission. If they could get TV coverage then it might work. The pool players would then become performers and be paid for their performance.
I think the Mosconi format does add more excitement and interest to the game. I also like the format that Charlie Williams set up for his Predator Cup in Tampa.
When I say the pros don't care about the fans I don't mean they hate fans, or snub them, they probably all like the fans, and are really nice to them and actually enjoy them. What I mean is that they do not actively promote their game to the fans and try to get the fans to come watch them.
Keith, I enjoyed watching you on TV. I suspect that was not exactly your best game against JJ. What was the food you ate before that match that didn't agree with you? If you're thinking about coming down to Florida sometime to play in the Florida Tour I'll cover your entry fee whether it's a stop I can make or not. No catches. Just let me know ahead of time.
Jake
all i got to say is this we all know that the money is out there, not to mention we have the players to keep people entertained once they are known. and no matter how much we talk about it, its never gonna matter. what we need is for someone to step up to the plate and put everything together. if someone doesnt take the lead of theses divided groups then all we will ever be doing is just talking about wanting a single organization. with hitler germany came to be one of the most powerful countries of its time, with our four fathers america became the most dominant country. so who will lead pool to the next level? do you know?
jjinfla said:
400,000 is a good number. Pool averages about a .34 share (340,000 households) IIRC
Sometimes it's as high as 500,000 but rarely more than that. Yes ESPN does make money on pool. For one thing they have no production costs. It's all filmed by outside entities.
Actually, now that I really think about it, for me pool should stay the same. All year long there are tournaments within 100 miles of my home where I can go and watch, and meet, the best known players in pool today. And it is all free. My only real expense is gas for my car.
So who am I to criticize the pros for wanting to provide this show to me for free. I will just sit back and enjoy the show while it lasts.
God, this is a great Country.
Jake
So who am I to criticize the pros for wanting to provide this show to me for free. I will just sit back and enjoy the show while it lasts.
God, this is a great Country.
Jake