Getting money back into the sport - What is currently being done?

[CJ Wiley]

Cj I really hope your talking about either coverage for men's pool consistently again on ESPN or a big time Hollywood movie a la Color Of Money 2. I'm sure you would be interested in promoting either of those.

Yes, I believe we have the right formula now, and the right "target audience" in mind. The first event will be on ESPN, and it will be like nothing ever seen or done before.

 

[JCIN]

I pretty much agree with this. If you promote a pro event then you can set the rules. Especially in a situation like Tar where a lot of the time Justin put up the money paid out. Plus I do think that pro pool could use a professional look.

However, I am totally against a dress code at nationals of an amatuer event though. For one reason its because the dress code sucks. It is made by men who dont understand style of today. And the other reason is because... even if there is some dude from a bar who might not dress "classy" enough for your amatuer event. Thats the same dude that put money in your pocket all year and now you are going to tell him he cant play in nationals unless he dresses the part? That just aint right to me. Besides, its an amatuer event in Vegas no one cares if the people look like they come from a hole in the ground bar.

I'm of the same mindset with amateur events. If someone is willing to pay to fly to Vegas for a week to play pool let them wear what they want as long as its not offensive to others.

In attempt to put this thread back on track since I helped drive it off the rails....I hear all kinds of things about people having plans and ideas to do things with pro pool some projects have been in "development" before I came in to the industry in 2007 and still get trotted out to see if anyone will bite.

Most everyone runs into the same problem: who is going to pay for it and who is going to buy it.

IMO it will take someone bringing in outside money and resources to make any real big change. The people currently in the industry havent been able to get it done and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

There is some good news in that the reality shows are the first real outside investment/interest in pool since the IPT. Unfortunately in my opinion they are all focusing on the traditional pool hustler stereotype. Which may be entertaining when Martin Scorsese and Paul Newman do it but I think will just come across as Jersey Shore with pool cues after reality producers get done with it. Time will tell.

Reality shows seem to come in waves so if The Hustlers one is any kind of success it could drive the making of others. If one of the variations hits it could change things.

 

[(((Satori)))]

I'm of the same mindset with amateur events. If someone is willing to pay to fly to Vegas for a week to play pool let them wear what they want as long as its not offensive to others.

In attempt to put this thread back on track since I helped drive it off the rails....I hear all kinds of things about people having plans and ideas to do things with pro pool some projects have been in "development" before I came in to the industry in 2007 and still get trotted out to see if anyone will bite.

Most everyone runs into the same problem: who is going to pay for it and who is going to buy it.

IMO it will take someone bringing in outside money and resources to make any real big change. The people currently in the industry havent been able to get it done and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

There is some good news in that the reality shows are the first real outside investment/interest in pool since the IPT. Unfortunately in my opinion they are all focusing on the traditional pool hustler stereotype. Which may be entertaining when Martin Scorsese and Paul Newman do it but I think will just come across as Jersey Shore with pool cues after reality producers get done with it. Time will tell.

Reality shows seem to come in waves so if The Hustlers one is any kind of success it could drive the making of others. If one of the variations hits it could change things.

I like the idea of a hustler reality show. Like you said, time will tell on how well they are produced.

I think there are three sides to competitive pool, you have the gambling, the league, and the tournament sides. I think each can feed off of each other, if done right, and any good exposure of any one aspect is good for all and it brings attention to pool in general. For instance, people may not want to gamble, but those same people will watch if it is done right. Then, once interested, they can take notice that there is a tournament scene where they can participate without the risks, which is more their speed. It is like in martial arts. Martial arts schools across america benefited from the ufc. In jiu-jitsu there are three sides. You have vale tudo (mma), self defense, and then there is purely sport bjj. Sport bjj is huge and people who would never see themselves as fighters participate... and almost everyone of those people found sport bjj because of mma.

Pool is kind of similar imo.

As for the money in pro pool. I personally would like to see promoters look to make more events that are fan friendly... fun to go to... like the Mosconi cup. Again you are right, it is going to take money to put together events like this and promote to generate fans and who is going to do this? But that is just what I would like to see. Having fans is where it all begins imo and I think that changing the pool events goes a long way in this dept. I also think that fans not only generate more money for pro events with bringing in sponsors, paying for seating, etc. but they also want to play pool, want to buy products, etc. I think a big effort in building Pro pool fans would go a long way.

 

[Colonel]

Are you sure he said that? I remember Mark Griffin saying that Diamond would not ever use Brunswick Centennials. But I don't remember a statement that Diamond would never use any Aramith balls because Saluc also makes the Centennials. After all, Diamond did use Aramith balls for many years.

Perhaps, if I misquoted I retract it. It's in one of the Cyclop ball threads where many were vehemently complaining about the Cyclop ball sets and many reasons were being tossed about as to why CSI was using them at their events instead of Aramith balls. Mark came into the thread stating Diamond was a sponsor & given Aramiths making Centennials for Brunswick that a conflict existed there the switch to Cyclop occurred.

Bottom line the gist of my original post that was quoted and commented on that took this train to this section of track is this. This is a small industry for a sport that has been getting smaller for quite some time. Given that there is no outside money from with out the industry that if we are to ever grow this sport again that perhaps considering any sponsorship money comes from within the industry that it would be in the best interest of this sport for ALL of the manufacturers, suppliers and retailers to join any money they put together into the sponsorship of ONE tour, putting aside all business rivalries & infighting instead of spreading the $ thin with each contributor sponsoring small regional splinter tours which can never have the effect that one large nationwide tour could. That one national tour of 12 events would be better than Predator northeast regional, Mezz western regional, OB this that or the other tour. That they join together & form a consortium to have one large one before this sport disappears.

 

[macguy]

Not saying pros should but, those guys did play pretty sporty in tuxedos way back when. Haha

I remember being at a tournament and Steve Mizerak undoing his pants and tucking the bottom of his jacket so as not to foul a ball. Lassiter was constantly messing with his neck and looking like he was strangling.

They spent a lot of time messing with their jackets every-time they had to lean over the table. The suits were a complete distraction. Playing in suits was just plain stupid.

 

[cleary]

Just imagine what Ronnie O'Sullivan could do if he was allowed to wear a golf shirt and some Nike's. Might actually be able to play a little.

I agree. Imagine what he could do if he were comfortable.



But at least he's now able to leave his snooker match and go straight to his valet job.

Dressing "professional" means a lot of things depending on the situation. Imagine how out of place Ronnie O'Sullivan's outfit would look showing up to a professional sniper tournament. Pool isn't nor should it be a formal thing... in my opinion at least.

 

[CJ Wiley]

This has been proven time after time after time after time.......

I remember being at a tournament and Steve Mizerak undoing his pants and tucking the bottom of his jacket so as not to foul a ball. Lassiter was constantly messing with his neck and looking like he was strangling.

They spent a lot of time messing with their jackets every-time they had to lean over the table. The suits were a complete distraction. Playing in suits was just plain stupid.

The jackets are not needed, the players usually take them off before the match.

Ties and vest on the other hand were always the best dress code for pocket billiard players. This has been proven time after time after time after time........