In addition to the reasons Sean mentioned, another reason for not changing 9-Ball is simply that some people prefer Texas-Express-style 9-Ball to any version of a call-shot game. 9-Ball proponents voice a lot of reasons -- it's quicker, it's more exciting, it's more likely to appeal to the unsophisticated (in pool), it's better for TV, it allows all types of 2-way shots (which are argued to be so "creative," it gives the lesser player a better chance of winning, it draws more "dead-money" entrants to "pro" events, and, the one I love, "the cream always rises to the top anyway," so why change.
So ............... we have both the wide-open slop game of 9-Ball and the better)) game(s) of 10-Ball.
As I said in my first post, I get the challenges with the break. However, while I can see some people essentially wanting 9-ball to remain easier as the post above would suggest, my personal opinion is that 9-ball is a game of precision that should require precision play to win. I can't ever see why lucking balls in, especially the 9 ball, should ever help someone win, thus I prefer it to be played call pocket. I always at least play call pocket on the 9 when I can. That being said, it would not be hard to play the game either way. Tournaments can play regular Texas express rules where desired, and the more serious players can play a call pocket version that would essentially be the rules of 10 balls played with 9. My point is simply that, outside of the diamond shaped break, there is no reason to introduce a whole new game (10 ball) whose extra ball makes it that much harder to run out, when you can make simple changes to 9 ball rules that should have been done a long time ago, and have a version of 9ball without the luck.
I think 9-ball will always be better for tv as it is faster. Also, the casual spectator wants to see greatness, and that generally equals run outs in pool. 9 ball still offers a challenging game for the pros if made call shot, that the average person can still reach a high level at. 10 ball may be good at the pro level, but distances the casual and average player more from the pros, making it a little less appealing to a novice trying to emulate what they see on TV.
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