I sympathize with Billy Thorpe
- Thread starter Paul Schofield
- Start date
That is exactly what I thought would happen. Any decent Sponsor would dump little Billy. Little Billy needs to grow up quite a bit. It might take a while before another Sponsor steps up to the plate to take on Billy.
I guess my thoughts are that the video person should have stopped filming when the back-and-forth erupted. I do not think this should have been filmed for public consumption. As far as Cuetec goes, they are, of course, entitled to protect their brand, but they have been receiving quite a bit of negativity on social media for their decision to drop Billy Thorpe as a sponsored player.
The pool culture is so different than other professional sports. Can we go to a baseball game and hang out with the players between innings? Not a chance, but at pool tournaments, the public and the pool players mingle all the time.
I would like to think the live streamers would want to protect the players they film. Was the live streamer at fault for this? Yes and no. No, the live streamer was not at fault for Billy's actions. Yes, the live streamer was at fault for continuing to film, in my opinion.
Speaking as someone who has been with another who was exhibiting poor behavior due to alcohol, I strongly believe professional pool and alcohol do not mix. But action games, challenge matches, it's a different environment, most of which takes place in pool rooms that serve alcohol. I never did like going to pool venues that served alcohol. Never.
In sum, I feel sad for Billy Thorpe because I know he's a good kid, young and full of vigor. He let the alcohol get the best of him with his temper, which is what alcohol does to some drinkers. I think this decision was difficult for Cuetec, but one which they probably felt compelled to make. I think this should be a wake-up call to pool players who perform on live streams to watch their back. Some live streamers do have integrity; some live streamers do not use common sense.
The pool culture is so different than other professional sports. Can we go to a baseball game and hang out with the players between innings? Not a chance, but at pool tournaments, the public and the pool players mingle all the time.
I would like to think the live streamers would want to protect the players they film. Was the live streamer at fault for this? Yes and no. No, the live streamer was not at fault for Billy's actions. Yes, the live streamer was at fault for continuing to film, in my opinion.
Speaking as someone who has been with another who was exhibiting poor behavior due to alcohol, I strongly believe professional pool and alcohol do not mix. But action games, challenge matches, it's a different environment, most of which takes place in pool rooms that serve alcohol. I never did like going to pool venues that served alcohol. Never.
In sum, I feel sad for Billy Thorpe because I know he's a good kid, young and full of vigor. He let the alcohol get the best of him with his temper, which is what alcohol does to some drinkers. I think this decision was difficult for Cuetec, but one which they probably felt compelled to make. I think this should be a wake-up call to pool players who perform on live streams to watch their back. Some live streamers do have integrity; some live streamers do not use common sense.
I do think we will see a lot more of the top players request there be no stream when they are gambling after an event. I just saw on Facebook last night that Aranas was playing John Morra in Vegas and Morra requested that it not be streamed. I don't think his request was connected to this situation, but you never know.
Players used to complain about pool room detectives clocking their speed or calling around to get a line on a player.
To me it has always been a source of amazement that money players are willing appear on streams *many without compensation from the room* and be clocked by the pool community at large.
Lou Figueroa
Lou, this wasn't a Mosconi Cup match or a professional event. Do you think Billy and Robb were getting paid for this action match?
I did not watch the action game live, so I don't know the ins and outs of it, but I the live streamer is wrong to have continued filming. This wasn't some railbird like me sitting on the rail using my iPhone to catch some smut on film. This was a live stream, and the live streamer was supposed to film an action match. The live streamer has some responsibility, I think, to the players who agreed to let him film them. That's my thought about the situation, at any rate.
But the irony there is that Billy was yelling “Are we not professionals?”Lou, this wasn't a Mosconi Cup match or a professional event. Do you think Billy and Robb were getting paid for this action match?
I did not watch the action game live, so I don't know the ins and outs of it, but I the live streamer is wrong to have continued filming. This wasn't some railbird like me sitting on the rail using my iPhone to catch some smut on film. This was a live stream, and the live streamer was supposed to film an action match. The live streamer has some responsibility, I think, to the players who agreed to let him film them. That's my thought about the situation, at any rate.
Billy was drunk. I've done and said a lot of stupid things when I've been drinking, which is why I quit drinking in 1978. Oh, Lordy, the visions dancing around in my head of my antics.
Lou, this wasn't a Mosconi Cup match or a professional event. Do you think Billy and Robb were getting paid for this action match?
I did not watch the action game live, so I don't know the ins and outs of it, but I the live streamer is wrong to have continued filming. This wasn't some railbird like me sitting on the rail using my iPhone to catch some smut on film. This was a live stream. The live streamer has some responsibility, I think, to the players who agreed to let him film them. That's my thought about the situation, at any rate.
JAM, I have no idea if they were being compensated.
But really, did they not know they were on a streaming table?! I have spent a good part of my life before cameras and microphones. And I can tell you don't need to be a rocket scientist to know enough to watch you P's and Q's in that kind of situation. Then, when the mics and cameras are are off, you can set your hair on fire.
Lou Figueroa
Billy was drunk. I've done and said a lot of stupid things when I've been drinking, which is why I quit drinking in 1978. Oh, Lordy, the visions dancing around in my head of my antics.
OK, so I'm picturing a scenario involving tequila, a table top, and maybe some dancing...
Sure we've all done some stupid ca-ca after a few. But some of us smarten up, eventually. It seems Billy has not arrived at eventually yet.
Lou Figueroa
When people drink alcohol, they have no awareness of their surroundings sometimes. Their emotions are clouded.
I'm sure when you were before cameras and microphones, you weren't in a bar drinking and playing pool, or were you?
This is new information I did not know. If there was nobody manning the camera, then the live streamer surely cannot be at fault for letting the cameras run.
When people drink alcohol, they have no awareness of their surroundings sometimes. Their emotions are clouded.
I'm sure when you were before cameras and microphones, you weren't in a bar drinking and playing pool, or were you?
Been on several streams playing pool.
I know better than to introduce alcohol into that scenario.
Lou Figueroa