How popular are your top pros ?

goodtime

goodtime

Registered
Hi everyone,
I`m new here on AZ, reading along for a while but just recently registered. To kick things off, i would like you to ask how popular the top tier pros are in the US.
I mean, are they getting recognized in public, "begged" for autographs by non-pool playing folks? Is there any tv-time for pool or pool players?
Here in Germany, players like Souquet, Ortmann or Hohmann would not be recognized in a thousand years, other than by pool "freaks" like myself.

Greetings from old europe :grin:
goodtime
 
As BB said, it's pretty much the same in the US. Top professionals are not commonly known.

So my question is are the German pros, Souquet, Ortmann or Hohmann, recognized in Germany by the more-casual German players?

We have some pretty big leagues in the US but the people who play in them are, in general, pretty casual about it and don't follow professional pool. This fact is discussed on a fairly regular basis. Does the same hold in Germany?
 
@ krupa:
Yeah absolutely!
I would guess, at most 20 per cent of the pool players here in germany would recognize our world-class players.
And when i tink about about, i tend to say its probablay just 10 per cent or less. Most casual players go to their league games on weekends and otherwise dont really care for pool. Of course theres is some practicing during the week, but interest in professional pool is way out of reach.
 
Probably the same here in the U.S., but I think some of the top women pros may get recognition in the public especially those who have seen some amount of exposure on American TV (e.g. ESPN). For example, Jeanette Lee might get stopped for autograph requests out in the public.

goodtime said:
Hi everyone,
I`m new here on AZ, reading along for a while but just recently registered. To kick things off, i would like you to ask how popular the top tier pros are in the US.
I mean, are they getting recognized in public, "begged" for autographs by non-pool playing folks? Is there any tv-time for pool or pool players?
Here in Germany, players like Souquet, Ortmann or Hohmann would not be recognized in a thousand years, other than by pool "freaks" like myself.

Greetings from old europe :grin:
goodtime
Click to expand...
 
Most pros here aren't even recognized in a pool hall.

I can't believe how many times I've had to say " Dont you know who that was?"
 
pro recognition

They don't get enough exposure on TV to be recognized by anyone out the top 10% of pool enthusiasts.
 
goodtime said:
Hi everyone,
I`m new here on AZ, reading along for a while but just recently registered. To kick things off, i would like you to ask how popular the top tier pros are in the US.
I mean, are they getting recognized in public, "begged" for autographs by non-pool playing folks? Is there any tv-time for pool or pool players?
Here in Germany, players like Souquet, Ortmann or Hohmann would not be recognized in a thousand years, other than by pool "freaks" like myself.

Greetings from old europe :grin:
goodtime
Click to expand...

Few people would even recognize Olympic gold medal winners, recognize pool players, are you kidding.
 
I'm not even sure what a top pro is anymore in the USA.:sorry:



With all the great playing amateurs, it would be hard to tell the difference.
 
macguy said:
Few people would even recognize Olympic gold medal winners, recognize pool players, are you kidding.
Click to expand...

Exactly. Heck, most people wouldn't recognize Nobel winners, authors, influential teachers, television actors(so many shows, so little desire to watch them), NASCAR drivers, NFL/MLB/NBA non-star(quite a few don't even know the star players) players, blah blah blah. I didn't know who Seinfeld was until his name was plastered all over the place for getting $1M per episode. Don't know who the Bass Pro Tour fishermen are either, but I still like fishing. Most people don't know or care who developed their computers, but it doesn't stop anybody from using one.
 
For the most part the top pros are not recognized when outside a pool room. I have seen it happen a couple of times though.

I needed a new tire on the van we were driving while out on the road and so went to walmart tire center. The guy comes out to talk to me and sell me a tire and get my info. All the time he is looking at Johnny and then back to me then johnny again. He introduces himself and shakes my hand and then turns to Johnny to shake his hand. JA says "Hi I'm Johnny" the tire guy says "Johnny Archer right??" JA says "Thats me" The Tire guys tells us what an hoinor it is to meet him and that his brother won't believe him when he tells him and asked if I could take a photo oh them together. So I did and gotr a little discount on my tire to boot. :)

Another time was with JA sat at my local bar in AZ and having some lunch. A guy comes over and sticks out his hand and says 'Johnny Archer, pleased to meet you. I have a cue in the car will you sign it for me?" He runs out to his car and comes back with an Earl Strickland Cutec. JA looks at it and says "Earl Strickland?? who is he?" the guy laughed and JA signed the stick. But thats a couple of times outside of a pool room I have seen it happen. BUT as stated before that don't happen very often at all. Oh also happened with Nick Varner with a security guy in a hotel garage same hkind of thing and got an escort through the garage to the hotel lobby.
 
Here's a good point of Reference.

When I first started shooting pool, I liked playing better players so I could watch and learn. I had been playing for about 3-6 months and this guy was playing pool at the local pool hall. He looked pretty good, the bits i was watching anyway. He was practicing alone, so i asked if he wanted to play some. I couldn't beat him to save my life. Not even once. About 45 minutes later my buddy walks in, he asks if shane is giving me some lessons. I said yeah, I cant believe I cant even win ONE GAME!!! He said don't feel bad he is currently like number 1 in the world. Thats when it hit me i was playing SVB. I had heard his name before but had no idea what he looked like before that day. LOL.


best,

Justin
 
bfdlad said:
For the most part the top pros are not recognized when outside a pool room. I have seen it happen a couple of times though.

I needed a new tire on the van we were driving while out on the road and so went to walmart tire center. The guy comes out to talk to me and sell me a tire and get my info. All the time he is looking at Johnny and then back to me then johnny again. He introduces himself and shakes my hand and then turns to Johnny to shake his hand. JA says "Hi I'm Johnny" the tire guy says "Johnny Archer right??" JA says "Thats me" The Tire guys tells us what an hoinor it is to meet him and that his brother won't believe him when he tells him and asked if I could take a photo oh them together. So I did and gotr a little discount on my tire to boot. :)

Another time was with JA sat at my local bar in AZ and having some lunch. A guy comes over and sticks out his hand and says 'Johnny Archer, pleased to meet you. I have a cue in the car will you sign it for me?" He runs out to his car and comes back with an Earl Strickland Cutec. JA looks at it and says "Earl Strickland?? who is he?" the guy laughed and JA signed the stick. But thats a couple of times outside of a pool room I have seen it happen. BUT as stated before that don't happen very often at all. Oh also happened with Nick Varner with a security guy in a hotel garage same hkind of thing and got an escort through the garage to the hotel lobby.
Click to expand...

I had worked at a medical place in L.A. that handled some big names and sports teams. There were some that weren't recognized, others that were, but what was more surprising were the types of people that came in that blended very well with the general public, but whose own fans would know them at first glance. There was a little old lady that was a dutchess or something from some European country.. of course the management was all over her like green on money. One popular reggae singer from Belize(I think) came in - the security guard, also from Belize, practically followed him around like a puppy. One of my favorites was Stuart Damon.. one of the nicest guys I had ever met there. Most people wouldn't have a clue who he was, I'd imagine.
 
At a Seminole tour stop in Snookers in RI, Archer, Pagulayan and a few other US Open and World title holders were eating at one table. No-one gave that table a second look.

It was pretty much like having a table with Micheal Jordan, Larry Bird and Shaq in one place being ignored.
 
Several years ago I was at a room in Akron OH watching Corey Deuel playing someone with a small crowd of pool players watching. Someone came up to my group and asked what was going on, and my friend proceeds to give the details of the game, the spot, the score, etc. The guy has no clue what he is talking about and just wanted to know why in the world people were watching other people play pool. It was a real "wow no one gives an F about this" moment.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top