Recently in a thread, Joe Rogan (yes, it's really him) brought up really strong point about the dresscode for televized pool, comparing it to how poker players can wear basically whatever they want, and they are playing for millions.
Read his whole post here: http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?p=854297#post854297
That is a really solid point, and I think that people should really take what he said into consideration. It's kind of funny if you think about it. Players dressed up like they are at a wedding, with bowties that probably leave a red mark around their neck when they take it off, playing a game that requires perfect phsyical and mental coordination. And what are they playing for? 20 or 30 grand. Then you look at poker, which requires you to just sit there and try to keep a straight face while you're holding the nuts against someone that's trapped in the hand with you, while they ponder for 15 minutes whether to raise or fold. They look like they are just relaxing at home on the sofa scratching their asses, and yet many people find the game so compelling to watch (don't get me wrong, I like poker).
I think that comparing pool and poker in this aspect, kind of make people think that pool is trying way too hard to be taken seriously. What you see on TV when you are watching poker looks alot like what you will see when you walk into a casino. What you see on TV when you are watching pool, looks nothing like what you see when you are in a poolroom.
Why is it necessary for players to dress up? This is not the 1940's where everyone in a poolhall wore suits and ties with tophats. Where pool lacks in character development for an audience, it makes up for tenfold in the game's complexity alone (at least for knowledgeable audiences).
One thing that I really don't understand is, if people think that the seedy image of pool is what's holding the sport back, why is poker so successful? Poker has just that image, and people LOVE it.
In just about every sport that is televised, players wear whatever helps them perform better at whatever they are doing. Look at golf, that's considered a classy game. Yes, they wear nice clothes, but it's very comfortable clothing, that they would wear if they were out on a golf course just for leisure.
Your thoughts please.
Read his whole post here: http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?p=854297#post854297
That is a really solid point, and I think that people should really take what he said into consideration. It's kind of funny if you think about it. Players dressed up like they are at a wedding, with bowties that probably leave a red mark around their neck when they take it off, playing a game that requires perfect phsyical and mental coordination. And what are they playing for? 20 or 30 grand. Then you look at poker, which requires you to just sit there and try to keep a straight face while you're holding the nuts against someone that's trapped in the hand with you, while they ponder for 15 minutes whether to raise or fold. They look like they are just relaxing at home on the sofa scratching their asses, and yet many people find the game so compelling to watch (don't get me wrong, I like poker).
I think that comparing pool and poker in this aspect, kind of make people think that pool is trying way too hard to be taken seriously. What you see on TV when you are watching poker looks alot like what you will see when you walk into a casino. What you see on TV when you are watching pool, looks nothing like what you see when you are in a poolroom.
Why is it necessary for players to dress up? This is not the 1940's where everyone in a poolhall wore suits and ties with tophats. Where pool lacks in character development for an audience, it makes up for tenfold in the game's complexity alone (at least for knowledgeable audiences).
One thing that I really don't understand is, if people think that the seedy image of pool is what's holding the sport back, why is poker so successful? Poker has just that image, and people LOVE it.
In just about every sport that is televised, players wear whatever helps them perform better at whatever they are doing. Look at golf, that's considered a classy game. Yes, they wear nice clothes, but it's very comfortable clothing, that they would wear if they were out on a golf course just for leisure.
Your thoughts please.
