If Bonus Ball Wants To Be Successful...

[lfigueroa]

With the schedule now starting January 3rd

- they should put it off til the beginning of February. Trying to boost the marketing of their game as a kickoff thru the holiday season is going to be a lost cause. Too many people are thinking of their families, their parties, their last minute Xmas shopping to figure out when or even if they should watch Bonus Ball. Then in January, any sports fan is tuned into the NFL playoffs.

- they should make peace (and that is probably too strong of a statement) with Mark Griffin and the DCC organizers. Get a booth with a table at the DCC - have all of the Bonus Ball Pros be at the booth, promoting the game throughout the enitire week - showing the game. Have the Pros walk around in their jerseys. Make all the other players jealous. You would be amazed at what that does for participation, attendance and interest. Have the Pros announced for their matches as Bonus Ball Player Pro Johnny Archer or whatever. Have the booth selling the jerseys, hats, towels, whatever they can put a logo on. Have people 'take the game' of Bonus Ball home with them so word spreads.

- finsih their season in June or early July. Then approach Mark Griffin again and say you want to have the Bonus Ball individual championships in Vega$ in July during the BCAPL. Run a singles tournament for your Pros. Have it be free admission at least for the first year. Set up another booth - another two weeks of selling your idea to 6,000+ pool enthusiats. I certainly don't want to speak for Mark but he is a very approachable guy. And I never got the impression he is ultra competitive.

If their backing is 100% and not some short sighted shot in the dark, any one should only wish them well. I do think the game of Bonus Ball is what will make them fail. One thing the IPT did right was choosing 8 ball. A game that any bar banger understands and game most players began playing first in a friends basement.

Holy Mackerel, Batman! Someone offering some sensible ideas. I'm guessing the geniuses at BB will blow them all off.

Lou Figueroa
hope I'm wrong

 

[DrOnePocket]

I agree with the OP.

The other main issue is that they expect people to pay to watch. IMO it's never gonna happen on a large scale. That is what tv and commercials are for.

I like the game itself, but how people that play on leagues are going to grasp it, Im not sure. They struggle with 8 and 9 ball.

 

[AtLarge]

... The other main issue is that they expect people to pay to watch. IMO it's never gonna happen on a large scale. That is what tv and commercials are for. ...

I, too, can't see how PPV would ever support something this expensive. The ultimate objective for revenue must be something quite different.

 

[markpatrick]

I have been working a LOT

Sorry Jaden - I disagree. People associate themselves because they understand the game and the rules. They understand that they can't run a 4.3 forty or kick a 50 yard FG or slam a basketball or hit a 400 foot homerun but they still watch because they understand the game. When leagues such as the XFL come along and try to change the rules of football, no one watched. It was still the football right - but just different rules. That equals failure.

Why did hockey become more popular (until they ruined it with the current strike) -- because they dummied down the rules. The public had to understand what they were watching to make it viable for TV. They took away the two line pass. They let the players play more and the guy sitting in his chair that didn't grow up in Minnesota or North Dakota understand the game better.

Sports are successful with more offense - people like people to be successful. They don't want to watch a Pro do something they can do. They want to watch Tiger hit flop shots, 350 yard drives, Jordan take off from the free throw line and fly to the basket, Eli Manning throw 50 yard bombs, Nolan Ryan throw it 103 mph and Pujols hit 40 home runs a season. Oh and they want to watch SVB break and run a 6 pack.

1) what the hell is bonus ball? any links available?
2) it has NO shot against the NFL and the DCC in January.
IMO..... I do need to find out what it is though?

If you have a link to the info please provide it.

 

[derekdisco]

You are right - go to any pool tournament. The match with the two C players banging it into the rails has the biggest crowd because people can relate to those players and don't want to shatter their illusion.
The match with SVB vs Alex has no one watching.

TAR 30 --I'll let the cat out the bag before JCIN makes the announcement tonight on the pod cast. It is what you and everyone else has been waiting for. It is going to be me vs Disco shooting ball in hand spot shots. We are going to use different colored balls in each round. The viewership should be well over 10,000 PPV.

JCIN is gonna be pissed.

 

[punter]

With the schedule now starting January 3rd

- they should put it off til the beginning of February. Trying to boost the marketing of their game as a kickoff thru the holiday season is going to be a lost cause. Too many people are thinking of their families, their parties, their last minute Xmas shopping to figure out when or even if they should watch Bonus Ball. Then in January, any sports fan is tuned into the NFL playoffs.

- they should make peace (and that is probably too strong of a statement) with Mark Griffin and the DCC organizers. Get a booth with a table at the DCC - have all of the Bonus Ball Pros be at the booth, promoting the game throughout the enitire week - showing the game. Have the Pros walk around in their jerseys. Make all the other players jealous. You would be amazed at what that does for participation, attendance and interest. Have the Pros announced for their matches as Bonus Ball Player Pro Johnny Archer or whatever. Have the booth selling the jerseys, hats, towels, whatever they can put a logo on. Have people 'take the game' of Bonus Ball home with them so word spreads.

- finsih their season in June or early July. Then approach Mark Griffin again and say you want to have the Bonus Ball individual championships in Vega$ in July during the BCAPL. Run a singles tournament for your Pros. Have it be free admission at least for the first year. Set up another booth - another two weeks of selling your idea to 6,000+ pool enthusiats. I certainly don't want to speak for Mark but he is a very approachable guy. And I never got the impression he is ultra competitive.

If their backing is 100% and not some short sighted shot in the dark, any one should only wish them well. I do think the game of Bonus Ball is what will make them fail. One thing the IPT did right was choosing 8 ball. A game that any bar banger understands and game most players began playing first in a friends basement.

Well, you give some good advice, but end by saying BTW, you are going to fail because the game of bonus ball sucks. We all know they are not about to change the game, so why bother with telling them how to promote what you and probably quite a few others think is a losing idea to begin with.

 

[JB Cases]

BB still has to many safes on the end game to make it interesting for me and as long as safes outrun shots as the primary goal to win a game then it's not what interests me. IMO
Canwin

But then this is where the shot clock and match clock comes into play. Players will have to go for shots to beat the clock.

 

[JB Cases]

I, too, can't see how PPV would ever support something this expensive. The ultimate objective for revenue must be something quite different.

I am going to take a wild guess and guess that the idea is to create a show that can be sold to TV. My guess is that they will be producing shows that are tv quality and can be edited as needed for whatever market they are being sold into.

My bet is that if they get on a solid channel that it will then be easier to bring on outside industry sponsors and advertisers which then of course begins to finance the next season.

 

[DecentShot]

Having watched a little of it on youtube, its interesting. The North American (USA, Canada) players seemed to know the rules, but not necessarily how to play the game differently because of them. My guess is, if it catches on, players from North America are going to be scratching their heads wondering how the players from the Far East got so good, so quick.

 

[canwin]

But then this is where the shot clock and match clock comes into play. Players will have to go for shots to beat the clock.

visionary genius.. rimshot please

 

[decent dennis]

I'm not going to disagree with you, watchez, but I will say that not all people watch sports for the reason you cite. My wife and I are two of them. We love watching pro football and pro basketball. We've never been able to get into collegiate football and basketball because there are too many teams and schedules to try to keep up with. But with the pro ranks, we have our favorite teams, and their schedules and standings are easy to follow, and those are the things that are more important to us than the particular rules they play by. The reason they are important is because our favorite teams are always the teams where we live (or the closest to our location). In other words, they are OUR teams. They represent us when they are out on the court or the field. We identify with them. And we knew very little about the rules when we first started watching years ago, but we stuck with it and learned.

I believe Bonus Ball might have a decent chance at developing a respectable following for the same reason. People will start to identify with one team or another, and all the rules and nuances of the game will be learned later.

Roger

And that is why I think it will fail. Do your 'Home Teams' play there games in Vegas? Is there any plan to actually have the teams mingle with the actual cities they represent [ Ha, Ha], citizens. I also think 8-ball is the way to go,it's easier to understand and it's the first game most of us played.

 

[Roger Long]

I am going to take a wild guess and guess that the idea is to create a show that can be sold to TV. My guess is that they will be producing shows that are tv quality and can be edited as needed for whatever market they are being sold into.

My bet is that if they get on a solid channel that it will then be easier to bring on outside industry sponsors and advertisers which then of course begins to finance the next season.

John, my bet is that your bet is right on the money.

Roger

 

[Majic]

I am going to take a wild guess and guess that the idea is to create a show that can be sold to TV. My guess is that they will be producing shows that are tv quality and can be edited as needed for whatever market they are being sold into.

My bet is that if they get on a solid channel that it will then be easier to bring on outside industry sponsors and advertisers which then of course begins to finance the next season.

Yes sir. TV money is the ONLY way this will survive, unless the pockets are way deep and sustainability is not an issue.

 

[jalapus logan]

I think you have an absolutely fantastic idea set here. While I was reading, the first thing I thought of was how Joe V. sets up a pool table to promote his dvd's. BB could set up a 9ft table at their booth and have challenge matches where you can play the game with some of the BB pros. That way people can learn the game and get an experience at the same time.

I think that would go a long way to promote their game. I am not sure what their end game is. Are they trying to take over the market or integrate themselves into the already established pool community. I know myself for one will not quit playing the traditional games I am used to.

I agree with this. Brandon convinced me to give playing BB a shot. I just could not get into it. Perhaps I can warm up to it over time, but I suspect that I will still only want to play the games that I fell in love with in the first place - 8 ball, 9 & 10 ball, 14.1 and 1pckt. I suspect many feel as I do.

Having said all that, BB does incorporate some great elements from many games of pool. But in the end, I do have to agree with watchez. And yes, I still think that 8 ball would be the game of choice to expand viewership. Everyone knows it and the rules are very simple.

 

[jalapus logan]

I should mention that I do think that they are right in making this a team event. Teams does add more excitement. Mosconi cup is a prime example.

 

[Roger Long]

And that is why I think it will fail. Do your 'Home Teams' play there games in Vegas? Is there any plan to actually have the teams mingle with the actual cities they represent [ Ha, Ha], citizens. I also think 8-ball is the way to go,it's easier to understand and it's the first game most of us played.

I think you missed my point.

There are more ways to identify yourself with a favorite team other than it being your "home" team. You may have a favorite player, or players, on a particular team, and have that be the reasoning for calling it your favorite. You also do not have to meet and mingle with the players in order to pull for them. Calling the teams after the names of cities is just a way of identifying each group of players and having some sort of consistent segregation between them for purposes of building history, creating rivalries, tracking stats, etc.

The concept of having professional teams compete in a league format is nothing new to sports (as we all know), but it is definitely something new to pool. The actual rules and location will be of little consequence in whether or not it will succeed.

Roger

 

[JCIN]

Yes sir. TV money is the ONLY way this will survive, unless the pockets are way deep and sustainability is not an issue.

Matchroom does tv. They do pool...hell they even do darts on TV. They are a comparatively giant company compared to BB with established products that have the production already paid for and they can not sell the biggest event in pool in the US television market.

Think about that for that for a minute. Biggest event in pool, broadcast ready and no one in the US TV market will buy it.

All that said I agree with you 100% that TV is the only possible method of sustaining something this expensive. I just can't see how they pull that rabbit out of the hat though.

 

[Houstoer]

sounds like if bonus ball wants to be successful they need to hire you sir as the marketing rep ! +1 on all your ideas... I also think that 8 ball is the way to go. Let the bonus ball happen but let them play a few matches of 8 ball teams also then do a survey to the masses and see what is more popular. I'd bet a shiny new dollar bill that it would be teams 8 ball since that is what 75% of the people in all pool rooms play (yea I just made up that percent)...

 

[Majic]

Matchroom does tv. They do pool...hell they even do darts on TV. They are a comparatively giant company compared to BB with established products that have the production already paid for and they can not sell the biggest event in pool in the US television market.

Think about that for that for a minute. Biggest event in pool, broadcast ready and no one in the US TV market will buy it.

All that said I agree with you 100% that TV is the only possible method of sustaining something this expensive. I just can't see how they pull that rabbit out of the hat though.

Well, then add the fighting Britts and some Pinoys and attempt to sell it outside of the US market. (humor)

 

[Kid Dynomite]

One more suggestion! They should chronicle the players and process! Call it the real world meets pool a espn documentary!

Depicting who goes bust, loses his cue, gets into bar fights. Takes down the house at the casino.

A very great story and i would pay to see it. Gamblers row. Road trips, derby the whole 9 chronicled. Angie has a ton of footage for her project! She could help?

KD

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2