Gallego,almost perfect...

[karambolista]

"Today we got to witness a rare feat in pool. Ramil Gallego ran nine consecutive racks and almost ten and out. When he got to five people began to talk and gather around the table. As he broke each rack the balls spread pretty wide open and he executed run after run perfectly. The crowd all thought he would run ten and out. But in the tenth he ran all but the eight ball and got a bad kick trying for very difficult position. And he still almost made a tremendous kick shot. Ramil is definitely a force that will have to be reckoned with in future events."

John Kutcher - Tournament Director

WOW!!!

 

[JAM]

I think that must be a first on the IPT tournament trail. Incredible run by Ramil.

Looks like our Filipino brothers are doing well in Vegas for the IPT qualifier. I was happy to see Ronnie Alcano win the first qualifier in that event.

The 2005 U.S. Open in September and the IPT King of the Hill Shoot-out in Orlando this past December, the semi-finals of both events were enjoyed by our Filipino brethren.

Can't wait to see who comes out on top in Vegas for the $350,000 first-place prize monies. This is going to be one fine tournament, and some lucky player will come home with a dream come true.

JAM

 

[DelaWho???]

Who Cares If They Are Phillipino's

I doubt the Tour de France suffered under Lance Armstrong's domination. Last time I checked white people were still playing pro golf after Tiger stormed on to the scene appearing unstoppable. I'm also certain that the Boston marathon gets more entries year over year in spite of the fact that a Kenyan has won it almost every year in recent memory..... Oh yeah in the earlier days of boxing when blacks began to dominate, there was always a "Great White Hope" to try and wrest the title from the black champion. Why should pool be any different?

The idea that great players, Phillipino or Puerto Rican, Austrailian or Candy Land, are going to hurt the game in the USA is silly. If it isn't then we'd better send all those Russian Hockey player home, and the Eastern European basketballers too. Especially that guy Yao.....we don't want any Chicoms playing our games either....

I hope everyone recognizes the rediculousness of this and stops worrying about a bunch of great pool players "ruining" the game

McCue Banger McCue

 

[chrstc]

Hi,
As a side-note I was in London to watch the IPT qualifier at Rileys Victoria on Saturday and Tony Drago broke and ran 7 consecutive racks there. Not quite as good I know but pretty impressive nonetheless!

Chris.

 

[SloRoller]

I saw Gallego lock horns with Gabe Owen in Reno playing bar table 9-ball a few months ago.

I saw Gabe rack a lot and lost the match. One of the things I noticed and admired about Gallego is he shows no fear. Just plays the table and keeps going. Great shooter, we will hear more of him.

SR

 

[bandido]

ooops

Dela who??? I apologize. I didn't realize that you were responding to my post when I deleted it. I did so as I thought that it may not be in the right thread since this is about Ramil's remarkable feat.

I'm glad to read your opinion. My post, as I started it out, was just my thinking out loud. It was a concern that's always in the back of my mind when I look at the IPT's and the games future in US TV. I guess I should put that concern to rest then.

 

[jsp]

I doubt the Tour de France suffered under Lance Armstrong's domination. Last time I checked white people were still playing pro golf after Tiger stormed on to the scene appearing unstoppable. I'm also certain that the Boston marathon gets more entries year over year in spite of the fact that a Kenyan has won it almost every year in recent memory..... Oh yeah in the earlier days of boxing when blacks began to dominate, there was always a "Great White Hope" to try and wrest the title from the black champion. Why should pool be any different?

The idea that great players, Phillipino or Puerto Rican, Austrailian or Candy Land, are going to hurt the game in the USA is silly. If it isn't then we'd better send all those Russian Hockey player home, and the Eastern European basketballers too. Especially that guy Yao.....we don't want any Chicoms playing our games either....

I hope everyone recognizes the rediculousness of this and stops worrying about a bunch of great pool players "ruining" the game

McCue Banger McCue

I never read the post that you were responding to since it was deleted, but I don't think it's a silly notion at all. I've actually had that same concern the moment the KOTH tournament concluded last december.

You give good examples of how other sports aren't affected by foreign domination...but those are very well established sports. Baseball will always have a place in America's hearts, even though it's being dominated by the Latin countries (even Japan if you look at the World Baseball Classic this spring). The marathon and the Tour de France will always have an audience because they are events so seeped in tradition and culture. The black/white examples aren't applicable however, because they are still American.

Unlike those sports, Pool is NOT an established sport here in America (at least to the general public) at all, and I won't be surprised if America won't give the IPT a chance if it's dominated by foreigners.

Just look at the lineup the Filipinos have going for the next tournament (which I posted on another thread)...

Reyes
Bustamante
Manalo
Parica
Pagulayan
Orcullo
Kiamco
Alcano
Lining
Sambajon
Luat
Valle

All of those players are world-class and any one of them has a legitimate chance of winning the tournament. I wouldn't be surprised at all if the final 6 players in the final round robin group are all on that list. Sure us pool fanatics won't care because we love watching good pool, no matter if they american, german, filipino, or martian...but I don't know about american joe out there.

Take soccer for example. Soccer is the most popular sport here in the world, yet I doubt 10% of the general population here in America knows the World Cup in Germany is being held right now. Why?...because we are underdogs in the international scene.

So to summarize, I think it's a legitimate concern about the IPT's success here in America if it's dominated by foreign players. Maybe that's why the IPT is supposedly being sold to someone from Asia.

EDIT: Gallego isn't even on that list!

 

[JAM]

...Unlike those sports, Pool is NOT an established sport here in America (at least to the general public) at all, and I won't be surprised if America won't give the IPT a chance if it's dominated by foreigners.

I know this topic has been beaten to death, the domination of the Filipino pool players.

In the '70s, there weren't too many known Filipino players in the States. Matter of fact, it was the Mexican champions who seemed to dominate, at least out West in California, but along came the Filipino Invasion, and the rest, of course, is history.

I would like to know, if anyone goes back this far, as to why the Filipino players never ventured over here before the '70s. From what I have read on this forum, pool has always been the national sport or favorite pastime of the inhabitants of RP. Yet, it was only in the '70s that the rest of the world learned how strong the Filipino players really were/are.

Maybe it was economics in that the payouts of American pool tournaments paid higher than RP, and so along came Jose, then Efren, Bustie, et cetera. I'm just curious and asking the question why the Filipinos never explored outside of the RP before this time in the '70s.

About 4 years ago, Alcano, Santos, Bustie, Efren, et al., were frequent travelers on the American tournament trail. Then the Asian countries began to host some events with good payouts, though restricted by eligibility requirements. It seemed like when Asian countries began to open their doors to pool, even though restricted to nationality in some events, the Filipino players didn't come over here to the States as much, with the exception of very high-profile events, U.S. Open, IPT KOTH, Joss $25,000-added Season Finale, and a few others.

Today, it just may be that the Filipinos are dominant, but I think there may be a shift in the future, Wu-Wu from Taiwan, the strong German players like Thorsten Hohmann and Ralf Souquet. Heck, even the British may turn a few heads when it comes to 8-ball. I like the fact that pool has become international here in the States. It may be the Americans will never accept it as a sport. Reading the non-constructive criticism and mean-spirited posts about pool and its players here in America gives me pause sometimes. I am happy to see the American players enjoy some international celebrity via Eurosports, Skysports, and other international media channels.

The IPT is a very good example of how diversity is a good thing when it comes to pool. Filipinos may dominate today, but who knows who will dominate down the road tomorrow?! With real money on the line, I'd imagine we're going to see quite a few more faces on the INTERNATIONAL tournament trail, which is GREAT. The more the better, I say. JMHO, FWIW!

JAM

 

[karambolista]

I would like to know, if anyone goes back this far, as to why the Filipino players never ventured over here before the '70s. From what I have read on this forum, pool has always been the national sport or favorite pastime of the inhabitants of RP. Yet, it was only in the '70s that the rest of the world learned how strong the Filipino players really were/are.

Maybe it was economics in that the payouts of American pool tournaments paid higher than RP, and so along came Jose, then Efren, Bustie, et cetera. I'm just curious and asking the question why the Filipinos never explored outside of the RP before this time in the '70s.
JAM

IMO, it must be mostly economics.

The Philippines' economy (in the 70's) was not as bad as it was the last couple of decades. Exchange rate then was'nt too high, from 1970-79 $1 = 3.90 - 7.42 pesos (RP money) . Today the rate is $1 = 53.4 pesos.

 

[JoeyA]

Domination of Pool

I know this topic has been beaten to death, the domination of the Filipino pool players.

In the '70s, there weren't too many known Filipino players in the States. Matter of fact, it was the Mexican champions who seemed to dominate, at least out West in California, but along came the Filipino Invasion, and the rest, of course, is history.

I would like to know, if anyone goes back this far, as to why the Filipino players never ventured over here before the '70s. From what I have read on this forum, pool has always been the national sport or favorite pastime of the inhabitants of RP. Yet, it was only in the '70s that the rest of the world learned how strong the Filipino players really were/are.

Maybe it was economics in that the payouts of American pool tournaments paid higher than RP, and so along came Jose, then Efren, Bustie, et cetera. I'm just curious and asking the question why the Filipinos never explored outside of the RP before this time in the '70s.

About 4 years ago, Alcano, Santos, Bustie, Efren, et al., were frequent travelers on the American tournament trail. Then the Asian countries began to host some events with good payouts, though restricted by eligibility requirements. It seemed like when Asian countries began to open their doors to pool, even though restricted to nationality in some events, the Filipino players didn't come over here to the States as much, with the exception of very high-profile events, U.S. Open, IPT KOTH, Joss $25,000-added Season Finale, and a few others.

Today, it just may be that the Filipinos are dominant, but I think there may be a shift in the future, Wu-Wu from Taiwan, the strong German players like Thorsten Hohmann and Ralf Souquet. Heck, even the British may turn a few heads when it comes to 8-ball. I like the fact that pool has become international here in the States. It may be the Americans will never accept it as a sport. Reading the non-constructive criticism and mean-spirited posts about pool and its players here in America gives me pause sometimes. I am happy to see the American players enjoy some international celebrity via Eurosports, Skysports, and other international media channels.

The IPT is a very good example of how diversity is a good thing when it comes to pool. Filipinos may dominate today, but who knows who will dominate down the road tomorrow?! With real money on the line, I'd imagine we're going to see quite a few more faces on the INTERNATIONAL tournament trail, which is GREAT. The more the better, I say. JMHO, FWIW!

JAM

JAM, while any top pool player can beat any other top pool player on any given day, my bet is on the Chinese dominating in future years. They are stacked with the numbers (over five times the population of the U.S.) Their estranged sister-country Taiwan, has made pool their national sport. The economics of the average Chinese person, makes the Phillipines look prosperous by comparison. Things are changing. Schools for pool are becoming very popular in the Phillipines and China. The U.S. will need to look to their young if they want to keep pace with the rest of the world in pool and maybe organizations like the IPT will put some of their capital and future earnings into permanent full-time schools for pool.

The future is bright for pool and I salute Kevin Trudeau for having the gamble to take a shot at developing it for the mainstream tv viewing audience. Many other countries are stepping up to the plate and competition is good.

What's up with this talk about the IPT being sold to the an ASIAN entity?
JoeyA

 

[JAM]

JAM, while any top pool player can beat any other top pool player on any given day, my bet is on the Chinese dominating in future years. They are stacked with the numbers (over five times the population of the U.S.) Their estranged sister-country Taiwan, has made pool their national sport.

With oil prices rising and airline fares skyrocketing, it is going to be an economic hardship to travel the globe following the tournament trail for American players. The Filipinos, who used to travel the American tournament trail on a more frequent basis, are enjoying competitive events with decent payouts near their home turf. America seems to always have one tire in the sand when it comes to pool. Many within pool's culture here in the States condemn the sport. Whereas, overseas pool is embraced and enjoyed by the masses, much like PGA, MLB, NBA, and NFL is here.

The future is bright for pool and I salute Kevin Trudeau for having the gamble to take a shot at developing it for the mainstream tv viewing audience. Many other countries are stepping up to the plate and competition is good.

The IPT has captured the attention of every red-blooded serious pool player in the world.

What's up with this talk about the IPT being sold to the an ASIAN entity?

I only heard snippets of innuendo, third-hand accounts, forum chatter, and grapevine smut, and on the other side of the coin, it was also ascertained that this was rumor.

I'm hoping at the N.A. 8-Ball Championship, there will be a players' meeting which will provide the latest info about the IPT. It would be nice to hear what's happening with the IPT from the horse's mouth.

Vegas or bust!

JAM

 

[bandido]

I would like to know, if anyone goes back this far, as to why the Filipino players never ventured over here before the '70s. From what I have read on this forum, pool has always been the national sport or favorite pastime of the inhabitants of RP. Yet, it was only in the '70s that the rest of the world learned how strong the Filipino players really were/are.

Why not in the '70s? Uncertainty! Reasons for the uncertainty were:
1. The top rank players here were mostly uneducated thus language barrier. It isn't much of a problem now because of the fact that a lot of Filipinos now travel to other countries for work.
At present, labor is the Philippines' #1 dollar earning export. So the importance of learning different languages is just a normal thing here unlike countries' who are mainly in manufacturing.

2. Pool is an American game and what knowledge we have about pool in the USA is mostly from "The Hustler" and stories, of US Servicemen here, that there is an overflowing number of champion caliber players there.

3. Finances and visa restrictions- It really doesn't matter what the currency exchange rate is, the financiers/backers don't have any idea on what kind of competition that they'll be facing there. You know how this backers are! Regarding visas, a Filipino applying for such needs to be able to show financial capacity to support himself there and to have substantial property here to guarantee that they'll return. The top-notch players had neither.

The door was opened when a Filipino who resides there in the US got to witness both levels of play and guaranteed, the US INS, that he'll financially support the player 100%. And as you said, the rest is history.

About 4 years ago, Alcano, Santos, Bustie, Efren, et al., were frequent travelers on the American tournament trail. Then the Asian countries began to host some events with good payouts, though restricted by eligibility requirements. It seemed like when Asian countries began to open their doors to pool, even though restricted to nationality in some events, the Filipino players didn't come over here to the States as much, with the exception of very high-profile events, U.S. Open, IPT KOTH, Joss $25,000-added Season Finale, and a few others.

There used to be just 2 countries in Asia that hold high-payout tournaments. Japan initiated such and that's why they were the first to witness most of the Filipino players. Japan is a real close destination for the Filipinos and visa requirements weren't as tough back then. The Philippines was next in holding these tournaments but was monopolized by a certain entity who fiercely protected this monopoly. It was more of a business that earns from TV advertizers so most participants are just invited. It was only when other business groups saw that there was an alternative to the monopoly when somebody bucked the system. They all thought that the players here all aspire to get into this monopoly's fold that they don't even try to venture into major pool events production. These new outfits soon realized that the players were just tired of how this monopoly was ran and how they were being held back to maintain the image of the main "draws" of these invitational events.

Today, it just may be that the Filipinos are dominant, but I think there may be a shift in the future, Wu-Wu from Taiwan, the strong German players like Thorsten Hohmann and Ralf Souquet. Heck, even the British may turn a few heads when it comes to 8-ball. I like the fact that pool has become international here in the States. It may be the Americans will never accept it as a sport. Reading the non-constructive criticism and mean-spirited posts about pool and its players here in America gives me pause sometimes. I am happy to see the American players enjoy some international celebrity via Eurosports, Skysports, and other international media channels.

I did make a suggestion on how pool events can be viewed worldwide by subscribing to and using the services of a certain cable TV supplier. Major networks and cable stations are still too expensive for the current acceptance of the sport for home viewing pleasure and going through the above mentioned can be the viable start as it can be supported by the enthusiast and slowly brought to mainstream.

The IPT is a very good example of how diversity is a good thing when it comes to pool. Filipinos may dominate today, but who knows who will dominate down the road tomorrow?! With real money on the line, I'd imagine we're going to see quite a few more faces on the INTERNATIONAL tournament trail, which is GREAT. The more the better, I say. JMHO, FWIW!

The Filipinos will dominate for quite some time due to a lot of factors. #1 is that the Philippine society accepts the realities of the sport and supports it. Support has grown even more with the performances, of its athletes, in the international arena. Due to the wide difference between poor and rich, the poor look to pool as one of the avenues that'll lift them from the jaws of poverty. Efren as the example and now a new hope for dreams to come true, Dennis the ex-fisherman.

Of all impoverished nations in the world, the Philippines accepts and participate in pool the most aside from the natural characteristic of Filipinos' desire to learn other languages that make it easier for them to mix in with the locals. China? Language and politics is their biggest disadvantage and it's something that'll really slow the increase of pool superstars coming from there.

 

[cuetechasaurus]

Hi,
As a side-note I was in London to watch the IPT qualifier at Rileys Victoria on Saturday and Tony Drago broke and ran 7 consecutive racks there. Not quite as good I know but pretty impressive nonetheless!

Chris.

Lets see...9, 7, a bunch of 6 and 5 packs in just a few months....where is that person on this board that was arguing that 8-ball is tougher than 9-ball?

 

[NINEBALLART]

I think it was a race to 13 for $1500 and Gallego beat Owens....

 

[Renegade]

Unlike those sports, Pool is NOT an established sport here in America (at least to the general public) at all, and I won't be surprised if America won't give the IPT a chance if it's dominated by foreigners.

Take soccer for example. Soccer is the most popular sport here in the world, yet I doubt 10% of the general population here in America knows the World Cup in Germany is being held right now. Why?...because we are underdogs in the international scene.
EDIT: Gallego isn't even on that list!

I agree with you 100%, jsp. The average joe likes to see america win. If by a long shot america wins the World cup in 2010 you can just imagine that every little kid out there would suddenly want to play soccer. interest in the sport would reach an all-time high. all the news programs, talk shows, newspapers, magazines would feature the win and talk about it, possibly with backgrounders on all the players, etc. it will be huge.

If an american doesn't win, especially in an obscure sport, why would the mainstream media pick it up? so as i've said many times before, unless corey dueul (possibly the best choice as poster boy for american pool) gets his act together and wins the IPT (or the WPC), americans wouldn't want to hear about it. and pool wouldn't get the media attention it deserves.

so let's all hope corey wins a big one one of these days. america likes their sports heroes, and they like them to be american!

 

[JAM]

Why not in the '70s? Uncertainty! Reasons for the uncertainty were:
1. The top rank players here were mostly uneducated thus language barrier...2. Pool is an American game and what knowledge we have about pool in the USA is mostly from "The Hustler" and stories, of US Servicemen here, that there is an overflowing number of champion caliber players there...3. Finances and visa restrictions....

Very interesting post, Bandido, and enlightening. It is interesting to hear insights from others who are in the know.

I hadn't thought of pool as an American game until you mentioned it, but when I think about it, it makes some sense. What I always found amusing was what Jose Parica told me when he came to the States. In Philippines, they played 15-ball rotation on a regular basis, as opposed to American 9-ball rotation. Thus, the Filipinos ran out to 9 like a piece of cake when they came to our shores.

The Filipinos will dominate for quite some time due to a lot of factors. #1 is that the Philippine society accepts the realities of the sport and supports it. Support has grown even more with the performances, of its athletes, in the international arena. Due to the wide difference between poor and rich, the poor look to pool as one of the avenues that'll lift them from the jaws of poverty. Efren as the example and now a new hope for dreams to come true, Dennis the ex-fisherman.

There is no doubt about it that the Filipino players who make the trek, at least here to America, to play pool are hot to trot and usually make great scores. This year, Dennis did a repeat of what Marlon did last year, winning back-to-back events as soon as he arrived.

Recently, I had to call my credit card company up for some assistance, the 1-800 number. After listening to the pre-recorded instructions, hitting buttons, press 1 if you're dead, press 2 if you're alive, I finally got a human being on the phone, and she was in the Philippines.

We talked business for a bit, and then right before I was done, I told her that I had never been to the Philippines, but that I heard it was beautiful. Then I just couldn't resist. I had to ask her. "BTW, have you ever heard of Efren Reyes?" She replied, "Oh, of course. Efren Reyes is very famous."

The most famous pool player in America, IMHO, had to have been Steve Mitzerak due to his television commercials. Maybe Minnesota Fats and Willie Mosconi come in as close seconds. However, I could stand on any street corner here in the States and ask 100 people if they ever heard of Steve Mitzerak, and I don't think in the year 2006 that I would get over 5 percent who do, and if I did, they'd be old-timers.

Pool in America is an unknown entity.

Soccer in America is more popular than pool, even though when I drive by the parks and see soccer players, they are mostly of foreign nationalities. However, in recent times, I am seeing young children being driven to the parks by their parents to play soccer, receiving instructions. Soccer may be on the rise in the future because of it. Pool, on the other hand, is critizied and is the punching bag even by those within its own culture sometimes who look at pool players like they're dirt.

I will never forget reading a post on a pool forum when I first began posting about 4 years ago. The poster said he'd rather give money to a garbage collector than any pool player. That's from someone inside American pool culture, as one example.

Of all impoverished nations in the world, the Philippines accepts and participate in pool the most aside from the natural characteristic of Filipinos' desire to learn other languages that make it easier for them to mix in with the locals. China? Language and politics is their biggest disadvantage and it's something that'll really slow the increase of pool superstars coming from there.

American cue-makers who have gone overseas in Asian countries with their wares are enjoying a nice income. American pool players, the majority of them, would rather by a production cue that comes from overseas because of cost.

Thanks for contributing to the thread, Bandido. I enjoyed reading your response.

JAM

 

[JAM]

I agree with you 100%, jsp. The average joe likes to see america win. If by a long shot america wins the World cup in 2010 you can just imagine that every little kid out there would suddenly want to play soccer. interest in the sport would reach an all-time high. all the news programs, talk shows, newspapers, magazines would feature the win and talk about it, possibly with backgrounders on all the players, etc. it will be huge.

If an american doesn't win, especially in an obscure sport, why would the mainstream media pick it up? so as i've said many times before, unless corey dueul (possibly the best choice as poster boy for american pool) gets his act together and wins the IPT (or the WPC), americans wouldn't want to hear about it. and pool wouldn't get the media attention it deserves.

so let's all hope corey wins a big one one of these days. america likes their sports heroes, and they like them to be american!

Another enlightening post! Corey Deuel is definitely the eye candy for the ladies at most events I have attended, which is a plus for Corey. He seems to be the main attraction for many a young lady.

My interest piqued when Tanya Harding allegedly arranged to have Nancy Kerrigan's legs bashed with a baseball bat. Since that time, ice-skating grew in popularity, IMHO.

Bad publicity is better than none, I guess. I hope that is not the route that pool takes, having a bit of controversy at an event, but then again, it seems like Americans enjoy seeing the car wreck.

Even when they show the cream of the crop on American TV, folks yawn, criticize its media presentation, and beat it to death. Maybe a player should take his cue and attack his opponent during a high-profile event because excellent play isn't appreciated by the masses.

I have always said that pool needs a personality. If the excitement that I enjoy could be expressed on media, then maybe Americans could embrace pool as a sport, but since those within American pool's own culture keep beating it down, as if pool is a four-letter bad word and its players are the scum of the earth, then it ain't going anywhere. How can the sport rise in popularity?

If American pool isn't successful, then it will go overseas. Most Americans don't want to invest money in pool, but the overseas market is a welcoming environment. At last year's WPC in Taiwan, they had pool players' pictures and advertisements on the McDonald's wrappers and paper bags. In America, pool is stuck in the mud. JMHO, FWIW!

JAM

 

[bandido]

Very interesting post, Bandido, and enlightening. It is interesting to hear insights from others who are in the know.

I hadn't thought of pool as an American game until you mentioned it,

It is, the American Servicemen were the ones who introduced it here.

There is no doubt about it that the Filipino players who make the trek, at least here to America, to play pool are hot to trot and usually make great scores. This year, Dennis did a repeat of what Marlon did last year, winning back-to-back events as soon as he arrived.

Before coming to the USA Django, Dacer, Gabica and Alcano first set foot on Germany. Efren, Lining, Kiamco, Orcullo, etc in Japan and most of the up and coming are currently making waves in the Middle-East.

Recently, I had to call my credit card company up for some assistance, the 1-800 number. After listening to the pre-recorded instructions, hitting buttons, press 1 if you're dead, press 2 if you're alive, I finally got a human being on the phone, and she was in the Philippines.

We talked business for a bit, and then right before I was done, I told her that I had never been to the Philippines, but that I heard it was beautiful. Then I just couldn't resist. I had to ask her. "BTW, have you ever heard of Efren Reyes?" She replied, "Oh, of course. Efren Reyes is very famous."

That, call centers, is the booming industry here because of the low cost of labor and abundance of college educated English speakers.

The most famous pool player in America, IMHO, had to have been Steve Mitzerak due to his television commercials. Maybe Minnesota Fats and Willie Mosconi come in as close seconds. However, I could stand on any street corner here in the States and ask 100 people if they ever heard of Steve Mitzerak, and I don't think in the year 2006 that I would get over 5 percent who do, and if I did, they'd be old-timers.

You folks probably don't realize the impact of "Just Showin' Off" here. Don't you just notice it in how Filipinos play the game? They're show-offs and that's why the magical shots. These "showin' off" characteristic makes the supposedly magical shots a norm that when needed and performed looks so natural.

Pool in America is an unknown entity.

That is truly sad.

American cue-makers who have gone overseas in Asian countries with their wares are enjoying a nice income. American pool players, the majority of them, would rather by a production cue that comes from overseas because of cost.

Japanese romance with cue art was the catalyst for the custom cue boom. Unfortunately that seemingly waned but in truth is quite alive to this day. Cuemakers just forgot what Cue Art is about. The increase use of CNC on regular designs ruined the mystique on such supposedly custom cue art. Asians are very much in touch with their spiritual side. They want to somehow feel/sense the hardship and the genius it took to be creative or innovative. CNC assisted cookie-cutter design supposedly custom cues just don't have this aura not in this technologically advanced country that can do that too. All functional art here starts off at creating with feel, then comes refining the aesthetics and structural execution and finally how to preserve these works of the spirit.

Thanks for contributing to the thread, Bandido. I enjoyed reading your response.

JAM

You're welcome JAM and thank you, I enjoy reading your posts too. Come to the Philippines, it's going to be a memorable experience.

 

[TheOne]

Edwin,
Thanks for the comments in another thread, I am hoping to go back again for a rematch! One thing you might be able to help me with though is the names/levels of the Pro's that are based in Cebu? I saw Manila and the north last time I was there, including the fabulous rice terraces of Batad etc. hopeing to see some of the thousands of islands this time.

Cheers

 

[bandido]

Another enlightening post! Corey Deuel is definitely the eye candy for the ladies at most events I have attended, which is a plus for Corey. He seems to be the main attraction for many a young lady.

My interest piqued when Tanya Harding allegedly arranged to have Nancy Kerrigan's legs bashed with a baseball bat. Since that time, ice-skating grew in popularity, IMHO.

Bad publicity is better than none, I guess. I hope that is not the route that pool takes, having a bit of controversy at an event, but then again, it seems like Americans enjoy seeing the car wreck.

Even when they show the cream of the crop on American TV, folks yawn, criticize its media presentation, and beat it to death. Maybe a player should take his cue and attack his opponent during a high-profile event because excellent play isn't appreciated by the masses.

I have always said that pool needs a personality. If the excitement that I enjoy could be expressed on media, then maybe Americans could embrace pool as a sport, but since those within American pool's own culture keep beating it down, as if pool is a four-letter bad word and its players are the scum of the earth, then it ain't going anywhere. How can the sport rise in popularity?

If American pool isn't successful, then it will go overseas. Most Americans don't want to invest money in pool, but the overseas market is a welcoming environment. At last year's WPC in Taiwan, they had pool players' pictures and advertisements on the McDonald's wrappers and paper bags. In America, pool is stuck in the mud. JMHO, FWIW!

JAM

TV is about entertainment and to derive popularity through TV requires that the viewer's interest be captivated. Viewers of sporting events want to be sitting at the edge of their seats in anticipation of unusual performances or show of genius that they can relate to (hey, I can do that!) or find amazing (Wow effect). World Poker Tour, UFC, WWE pounces on this.

I have said it back then and I'll say it again. AN Earl is a good counterpart for an Efren as long as he knows the limit that the audience can take.