Honoring Past Legends...an idea!

[Colin Colenso]

Blud's Hall of Fame is a fair idea. As far as I'm concerned the more the better. We can each have our own shrine in our bedrooms if we like. As for any particular HOF becoming the market leader, generally accepted, with high credibility, that is a tough challenge which time and marketing skill will proove.

One thing for sure is the the pool public like to recognize the great players and contributors of past and present. Unfortunately a HOF can only recognize a few at a time or else the evening's presentation becomes impossible to manage or the honors are watered down.

Fact is, even with a medal of honor, it doesn't do a lot for the pool public in general who still know little about many of the awardees. Therefore I suggest as the best way to honor past and present greats is in a collection of essays recording their lives.

This would require some investment in a professional writer/researcher to collect information on a selection of worthy recipients with the support of a committee with deep knowledge and connections. Perhaps 20 legends featured per book per year. A well written summary to record the contributions of these people before they are forgotten.

It would be a little like the essays at the back of Robert Byrne's Advanced Pool book. It may just sell well enough to cover costs.

 

[ramdadingdong]

Blud's Hall of Fame is a fair idea. As far as I'm concerned the more the better. We can each have our own shrine in our bedrooms if we like. As for any particular HOF becoming the market leader, generally accepted, with high credibility, that is a tough challenge which time and marketing skill will proove.

_______________________________________________________________

Look at all the other sports, they only have one hall of fame, but now we need to have two, then others will start their own, and then none of them will have any creditability. We only need one hall of fame, we don't need more to accomodate the people who do not deserve to be in it.

Other sports, they have only one rule book, pool has 7 or 8.

The problem with pool is when people see something they don't like, they splinter off and do their own thing. All pool keeps doing is subdividing its self which is why it is fast going down by the bow in the USA. A cue maker wants in the hall of fame, is there a bat maker in the baseball hall?

Pool hustlers and roadies want in the hall? I say OK, let them play in a real world sanctioned event and win one or two, then they qualify.

IMHO, all I know now, is I know nothing.

Rama...

 

[frankncali]

Pool is unlike most other sports.
If you take Boxing there are several sanctioning bodies.
In car racing there are several at each level. I would think
each would want to embrace their own participants and
honor them.
With Pool we have the BCA. How many events do they sanction
each year as a pro event?
What do they do for Pro Pool? Is there a Pro Tour?

The UPA made people sign up without having events or anything for their
players. It should be the other way around. Get the sponsor (s) and
lay out two years worth of events. Make sure the tournaments and
the money are rock solid and then play them. You cant have events
getting cancelled and the UPA trying to have other peoples events
sanctioned by them. I could care less if the UPA sanctioned an event.
They need to have a tour.
Even if your the first two years the events were smaller but they did occur
it would be great. The interest would grow and there would actually be
a Pro Tour. Sponsors would be able to see the players support and a TV
channel or company (BCN) would be able to offer continious events
with player bios and fan interaction and an overall champion. During the off season the Champion could travel and give exhibitions and meet and greets
with the sponsors. This happens on all other successful tours why not pool.
If the players dont commit then you go with the ones that would.
It would not have to be 30 a year but rather 8-10 or anything that a player can sign up to and join. Now they join an organization that does not do anything. Players would need to act right and learn to be TV figures.
Theres a learning curve here that other sports have had to take.
NASCAR used to be a local tracks with "lightning" runners. It now brings in more money than any other sport in the world. Gold tournaments used to pay nothing and the players barely good get around to the events.
But pool players want it all right now!! That was Mackeys problem when he
basically told ESPN to go #$%# themselves.
Give the players something to sign up for and give the sponsors and TV people a deal for a year or two and let the interest build.
It could even be done regionally and then have the regions meet for a few events with the top so many qualifying for the event.
The BCA who IMO does nothing for pool would basically be out of the loop and a new body would be formed.

 

[classiccues]

Blud's Hall of Fame is a fair idea. As far as I'm concerned the more the better. We can each have our own shrine in our bedrooms if we like. As for any particular HOF becoming the market leader, generally accepted, with high credibility, that is a tough challenge which time and marketing skill will proove.

_______________________________________________________________

Look at all the other sports, they only have one hall of fame, but now we need to have two, then others will start their own, and then none of them will have any creditability. We only need one hall of fame, we don't need more to accomodate the people who do not deserve to be in it.

Other sports, they have only one rule book, pool has 7 or 8.

The problem with pool is when people see something they don't like, they splinter off and do their own thing. All pool keeps doing is subdividing its self which is why it is fast going down by the bow in the USA. A cue maker wants in the hall of fame, is there a bat maker in the baseball hall?

Pool hustlers and roadies want in the hall? I say OK, let them play in a real world sanctioned event and win one or two, then they qualify.

IMHO, all I know now, is I know nothing.

Rama...

Whats the difference between pool hall hustlers and hack trick shot artists hustling garbage on their websites? Worse yet, using a dog to do it. I do however agree one hall should be it.

Joe

 

[Colin Colenso]

I was hoping this thread could stay on line with the book idea.

That is, to collect stories and achievements of all these so called greats of the past such as 'baggs catfish and reddy shaggin's' (created names). Honestly, there are a ton of interesting guys with a lot of great stories, but their histories are fading away. Most of us never heard of them or their stories....maybe just the tail of an old story that grows out of proportion like the proverbial fish that got away.

As for the BCA..HOF...just remember BCA is not the centre of the billiards universe. It actually plays a minor part in world billiards with Matchroom and Mr.Tu in Taiwan having done considerably more for the sport in recent years. So I can't see the BCA in its current form holding a monopoly on a prestigious Hall Of Fame.

Maybe there will be several...in each country...until this sport really takes off and becomes governed by a professional organization.

Start you own for now if you like. Start your own world championships too if you want. Just see how many people take it seriously, and see if the big names turn out for your tournies or your presentation nights

 

[Pelican]

Pool hustlers and roadies want in the hall? I say OK, let them play in a real world sanctioned event and win one or two, then they qualify.
Rama...

Actually, there are road players that are much better than the tournament players. Anyone that has been around the game for more than just a few years knows that. They don't play tournaments because they make more money than the tournament players do. Granted, they don't get sponsorship money, but at the end of the year have more in their pocket. And, as a rule, they probably had a hell of a lot more fun .

Later, Pel

 

[cueman]

We need to face it that Billiards is very much divided as to organization and leadership. There are many organizations world wide. Baseball has a hall of fame for the USA, but does it have one for those from Japan. Does the USA baseball hall of fame aknowledge those Japanese champions. I doubt it.
So in a free country anyone who desires to can start most any legal activity they desire, and those who want to criticize can criticize. That is just part of the free world. Our International Cuemakers Association started a hall of fame. We will not close our hall of fame to non-members. We will allow foreign cuemakers as well Americans. Deceased and living. We have been criticized on these forums for it, so I sympothize with Leonard.
I wish Blud all the best. He is going to display the plaque as a traveling hall of fame. That sounds nice as lot's of people will get to see it. Non of us like to be criticized yet Leonard has taken on a task that will get him much criticism.
Why not just take a wait and see if it prospers attitude instead of shooting it down in the beginning. If it is not meant to be it will not gain permanent prominence. If it becomes something great for our sport then we all win. If not, Leonard wasted some time and money. But be aware it is HIS time and money and he is free to spend it as he pleases. I don't see how it makes the sport a loser in any way. If it fails it will be forgotten about in a few years. If it succeeds some people will gain recognition that they deserve and hopefully the sport will benefit.
Best wishes Leonard.
Chris

 

[Pelican]

Baseball has a hall of fame for the USA, but does it have one for those from Japan. Does the USA baseball hall of fame aknowledge those Japanese champions. I doubt it.
Chris

Excellent post Chris. I just sectioned out a part to make an example. This is how we, as a people, are so arrogant. In the game of baseball we have two major leagues, the National and the American. These leagues are divided into their respective divisions. The divisions have their playoffs to determine the league champion. These two league champions have a seven game series to determine the WORLD champion. Other than our ownselves and the folks from Canada, who is represented - or even invited - to participate in this WORLD championship affair?

Maybe this is what some want for pool. Only a select few should be eligible for certain status. Maybe Mr. Bludworth thinks otherwise.

Gettin' late. Night all, Pel