After the wonderful responses I got from some of the people on this site. I now understand some things.
I have a job. I have a wife, whom I love. I have a 3 year old son that I love too. I get 3 weeks of holidays per year, so I decide to spend my time with my wife and son. I don't get to play big tourneys on the weekends, because my son is little only once. I do cue repairs and build the odd custom cue when I have some time between all of my diversions above. I work hard for my money, having a mortgage, two vehicles, and putting aside money for retirement and my son's education.
So, I used to play a lot of pool back in my single days. When we bought the new house, my wife bought me a table - a 4.5x9 Brunswick Metro - she saw it on TV and thought I'd like that table. Anyways, I go downstairs and hit balls for 1-2 hours per day, usually on my lunch break (work from home most days), and after my son has gone to bed. Because my wife has to have a life, too, I get one night a week that I can play. I decided to go the casual route and went back to the CPA league. I like to play, even though the opponents aren't as tough. But what I do like about the 9ball format of the CPA/APA is that it forces you to play the table, not the opponent. It costs me $8 per week to play, and I drive 35 minutes to play there.
Here's my point. I don't gamble anymore, even though my game is the strongest it's ever been. I don't get to play tournaments anymore, as weekends are for my family. I don't go to DCC, or the BCA Open, or the US Open, or sweat any major action because I don't have time to do it. I am, for all intensive purposes, a casual pool player. It will never be my livelihood, and thank the good Lord for that. However, I represent the VAST MAJORITY of pool players in the world. I play well. People ask me why I don't play more tourneys, or enter the Masters Divisions or whatever else.
I am one of the faceless 95% of poolplayers in the world. You needle me saying my ranking means nothing. Great. You say my opinion is wrong because I don't like hearing certain voices on my TV set. Great. The problem is I'm not alone. And, unlike you, the industry relies on people like me to join those "crappy little leagues" you put down to make yourself feel glam and great. You want to grow this industry? Clean up the sport. Do you think that the top pro golfers gamble on the course? Most likely. But we don't hear the stories being broadcast on CBS when the guys talk about the game. This used to be the game of royalty. Now it belongs to guys that don't shave and wear t-shirts that say "Hustlin".
You are your own worst enemy.
