If you were a Billionaire, what would you do for the game of Pool ?

[satman]

Money

Throwing a huge amount of money, will never fix what's wrong with pool. It would take someone with a lot of knowledge, and character to get things heading in the right direction.

Throwing a little money at the APA, VNEA, and BCA leagues would help. Assisting all the regional tours, and using them as a feeder system for a legitimate Pro Tour would also be good. The regional tours, would need to run on the same ethics and rules as the Pro Tour, with ALL the players being held responsible for their conduct at all times. If you want respectability for our sport, if that's the goal, then players need to dress and act like they deserve the respect.

Now, most of the players would conduct themselves a little better, if the money was there so they could make a decent living. Instead of paying a huge amount for 1st place in a couple of tournies, put together a series of events, paying 30 or 40,000 for first and paying decent money down far enough in the field that all the players traveling around the country can still eat and cover expenses. Make them all earn their regular players card, and then work to keep it. Conduct violations can be a fine, suspension, or a termination from all future events.

If I even won 100 million, I believe I would ask Jay, and a couple of other people, to help organize and govern this.

 

[RShellhouse]

Ok this might not fit into the theme everybody is going with but here we go...


1. Line up suppliers for the following
a. tables
b. balls
c. lower priced cues
d. BCA or some other way to find a local instructor


Put together a package of two-four tables, balls, assorted cues and a local instructor and go to the local high school.

Walk in and go I want to donate all of this as well as I will pay the instructor/coaches salary for one year to fund your new billiards program
You provide the room for the tables and for the first year I will cover the rest.


This will accomplish the following

1. High school students becoming competitive at a time when "time" is their biggest asset.

2. Instructors would have some funds allowing them to stay afloat

3. Find local pool halls to "sponsor" teams just like softball so students will come play at that pool hall

4.Students will eventually want their "own" cue leading to more money in the industry

5. "Varsity" programs you can have local meets between teams....state champions....you could go so far as a national championship

6. Parents supporting their kids visit pool halls ie going out and throwing the ball around..

7. It would also build a positive image of billiards as well.


Im sorry I could go on and on and on about how this could work easily and the other benefits but if you want to grow the sport...you have to start at the bottom...

Yes giant tournaments with huge prizes get people sitting watching..but for pool to grow....you need those people in the pool hall hitting balls...

The color of money didn't make pool huge because people stayed home watching it again and again....they went to the pool hall to become Vincent...

Any billionaire out there feel free to contact me and Ill give you the rest of the plan...

R

 

[sde]

Ok this might not fit into the theme everybody is going with but here we go...


1. Line up suppliers for the following
a. tables
b. balls
c. lower priced cues
d. BCA or some other way to find a local instructor


Put together a package of two-four tables, balls, assorted cues and a local instructor and go to the local high school.

Walk in and go I want to donate all of this as well as I will pay the instructor/coaches salary for one year to fund your new billiards program
You provide the room for the tables and for the first year I will cover the rest.


This will accomplish the following

1. High school students becoming competitive at a time when "time" is their biggest asset.

2. Instructors would have some funds allowing them to stay afloat

3. Find local pool halls to "sponsor" teams just like softball so students will come play at that pool hall

4.Students will eventually want their "own" cue leading to more money in the industry

5. "Varsity" programs you can have local meets between teams....state champions....you could go so far as a national championship

6. Parents supporting their kids visit pool halls ie going out and throwing the ball around..

7. It would also build a positive image of billiards as well.


Im sorry I could go on and on and on about how this could work easily and the other benefits but if you want to grow the sport...you have to start at the bottom...

Yes giant tournaments with huge prizes get people sitting watching..but for pool to grow....you need those people in the pool hall hitting balls...

The color of money didn't make pool huge because people stayed home watching it again and again....they went to the pool hall to become Vincent...

Any billionaire out there feel free to contact me and Ill give you the rest of the plan...

R

I was about to say something very similar, thanks for saving me the time!

One thing I would change or an addition to is to start such a program at an earlier age, junior high or middle school (what ever they call now days).

Another thing I would add to the package is video recording equipment. Video is a huge learning tool and live streaming is also a possiblity.

Steve

 

[Maniac]

If I had a billion dollars, I doubt seriously that I'd put any huge amount of it into pool. There's just too many starving children (not to mention the elderly), many more homeless, out there in my country that could sure use a helping hand. There is no greater reward than seeing the face of an elderly person or a child when given a needed handout. What I'm gettin' at is that there are way more important things to consider before pool is a part of MY equation.

That said, I may take a portion and open my own room in my hometown. I would want four barboxes, six eight-footers, and two nine-footers. I would have an area off in a separate wing with a nine-footer with mini-bleachers set up on each long rail (for action/railbirding). I would get with the local ISD's and see if I could get an afterschool youth league initiated, with free on-site instruction for any high-school aged kid or under. I would have a small separate room for video games and maybe a small room for a poker table. Of course, the under 18 kids would have to be out of the room by a certain hour before ANY gambling would be allowed. I'd have a bartender, a house pro/instructor, a small wait staff, and a cook (burgers/fries/etc.) employed. Smoking would be allowed only after the high-schoolers were no longer in the building (probably about a 7:00 p.m. curfew for them). I'd have one wall with a giant screen TV and four or five more large flat screens dispersed throughout the room and a couple behind the bar. i could go on and on with the amenities, but you get the picture. Whatever would we do without dreams???

Maniac

 

[RShellhouse]

I was about to say something very similar, thanks for saving me the time!

One thing I would change or an addition to is to start such a program at an earlier age, junior high or middle school (what ever they call now days).

Another thing I would add to the package is video recording equipment. Video is a huge learning tool and live streaming is also a possiblity.

Steve

The video is a nice idea and I could see expanding into the lower schools assuming that the high school program took off...

Starting with the lower school requires doing both the lower and upper schools at the same time...initially this might be too much for a community to handle...

R

 

[Petros Andrikop]

Organize a professional league just with the top players and guaranteed income for them under contract with their rights and obligations..
This is all you need to do, people that run things today in Pool do not have this vision like Snooker people did. It needs great effort which will pay off in the end.
Young kids have nothing to look up to, since getting to be a world champion in Pool which needs really hard work besides talent guarantees you nothing special..
If they had a goal this would attract more people to the game, people which can move the industry and everything else ahead..

 

[satman]

You're right

Organize a professional league just with the top players and guaranteed income for them under contract with their rights and obligations..
This is all you need to do, people that run things today in Pool do not have this vision like Snooker people did. It needs great effort which will pay off in the end.
Young kids have nothing to look up to, since getting to be a world champion in Pool which needs really hard work besides talent guarantees you nothing special..
If they had a goal this would attract more people to the game, people which can move the industry and everything else ahead..

It would also give kids a reason to learn about obeying rules, and controlling their conduct. You have to have some kind of monetary reason for reaching the top, and still being able to make a decent living along the way.

 

[doublej487]

i would start a tour.... but it wouldnt have a hundred thousand dollar prize fund.... i would have it go all over the country.... and it would have a range of all events..... on 9fts and 7fts.....
it would b steady a large prize fund but not a hundred thousand for each winner..... maybe 5 or ten..... that way the winner is still doing good.... and the tour could go longer
then i would go get lessons from a pro so i could win it
.... i would open a pool room.... a big one..... bigger than cuemasters... it would b built around streaming.... and so every1 could watch while they are there i would have movie theater seats... with screens behind each seat so people could bet... kinda like the horse track...... then i would keep the rest because i could

 

[houmatroy]

Sad but true

You see pool as it is, not as what you or we would like it to be. Sobering, yet refreshing thoughts. Thanks for sharing your perspectives.

Pool these days can be compared to say a yo yo practitioner....You can do some amazing things that hardly anybody else has ever done oe seen with a yo yo....and as long as there is no admission..there will be crouds applauding your unique skill but charge an admission or try n make money on the skill you have honed out over hundreds of thousands of hours & you will still be struggling to make ends meet.

 

[Blue Hog ridr]

If a person were to win the big one, even at 50 million, lets be honest.
No financial responsibilities and if you didn't have family obligations, throwing money at tournaments would be the last thing on your mind.

You'd be jet setting your way around the world, playing in pool halls from one end to the other. Staying in the fanciest hotels, eating well.

I'd support the pool halls that I visited by spending a few K at each one and if I found a hall where the owner treated me well but was struggling a bit, I might be inclined to pay off his debts before I left town. I'd find who his debtors were and by the time he found out what happened, I'd be a 1000 miles away. I'd be the Robin Hood of pool.

 

[3kushn]

OK I'll play this.

If I had a Billion and wanted to through a big chunk toward cue sports I'd consider the following steps. The major idea is longevity not a flash in the pan one time major event.

Hire a major advertising/marketing firm.

Build training/tournament facilities in 150 major markets. Each of these would hold tournaments for local, state and Regional qualifying tournaments ultimately leading to a National Championship.

Promote Instructor Training and hire the trainers and their graduates. Need at least 150. 300 or more would be better.

The Nationals would be held at a state of art facility that I'd also build.

My wifes company gets to do all the building and design work.

While this is all working astonishingly well, my instructors and tournament champions would work through the various Regions with exhibitions and training.

While working these areas the champs and instructors would be required to find local young talent who would in turn be offered one year of training while traveling with a professional player, who we would also have under contract. We should have 150 kids at all times. One drops out we choose another.

The National Champions would be paid high dollar salaries and be required to travel the country promoting all the games. This would include outside our company facilities ie schools, shopping malls, sport shows and yes pool halls. but we would own tables, trucks and set up crews for when needed.

Well that ought to take care of a chunk of my bankroll.

 

[MN Kid]

I always had a dream of renovating an old building or mansion and turning it into a "historical" billiard parlor. Historical in that each room would have it's own period correct table, bar and furnishings. Even the bartender/hostess would be dressed in period clothing.

RG

 

[Blackjack]

:scratchhead:

If I had a billion dollars, I wouldn't get anything done. I'd have players calling me nonstop 24/7 wanting to borrow some of it. I'd be so busy that I would have to move to Vegas and open up my own call center.

 

[or1pkt]

i would probably help support MANY cuemakers HEAVILY...

 

[dardusm]

I like the idea brought up by others of building a foundation of good players by promoting the game/sport in schools, recreation areas, etc. Create an excitement for the game. Also, having good instruction accessible in all parts of the country is important for sustained growth. I would invest some of my resources into those areas.

As for a pro tour, my thoughts are to use existing tournaments to be a good base. I may fund an additional tournament or two but want to the tour to build upon successes not charity. I would create an organization aka The PPPA or whatever other acronym. What I would do is fund a bonus for year end points based on the tournaments that comprise the tour. For example, DCC, CSI events, Turning Stone, US Open, the event or two that I promote, etc. The year end bonus would be substantial enough for the players to get in line and play all of the tournaments.

The main goal would be to create a successful self-sufficient tour that could attract other sponsors. This could create new events and make the tour larger.

 

[book collector]

Billionaire

I just watched a womens tournament a week or so ago , same announcer and a female player as usual . They have no idea what is going to happen 90% of the time and have no charisma to carry them over for me.
Reminds me of Howard Cosell when he announced pool , no clue , just flap your lips.
I love pool and even I can't watch it!
If I had a billion I would hire a pro player who also had some personality to announce the games.

 

[Mt. Cheverest]

If a person were to win the big one, even at 50 million, lets be honest.
No financial responsibilities and if you didn't have family obligations, throwing money at tournaments would be the last thing on your mind.

You'd be jet setting your way around the world, playing in pool halls from one end to the other. Staying in the fanciest hotels, eating well.

I'd support the pool halls that I visited by spending a few K at each one and if I found a hall where the owner treated me well but was struggling a bit, I might be inclined to pay off his debts before I left town. I'd find who his debtors were and by the time he found out what happened, I'd be a 1000 miles away. I'd be the Robin Hood of pool.

I was thinkning the exact same thing!

Not sure how much one could actually accomplish with tournaments, etc, but I would definitely contribute to the pool world much in the same manner in which you described. I would love to travel and play EVERYWHERE. I would also gamble a ton, with many great players. I may become the next Dippy, except I can actually make a ball from time to time.

 

[rementis]

Two chicks at the same time. That must help pool. Somehow.

LOL, awesome.

 

[Celtic]

If I were a billionaire, I would hire people who have a proven track record of reviving things and promoting things or making the unknown successful and put them to the task of working on pool. See what they come up with.

Bingo. There are people out there that know how to take a product, market it, promote it, and make it successful and gain huge interest. None of those people have ever actually been hired to work on this sport.

I would get a marketing team who do work for organizations like the NBA, NFL, NHL, PGA, ect... and use them to help get an actual professional tour started including qualifers, tour cards, ect...

 

[Dartman]

Open a chain of billiard clubs in major cities around the country with each one qualifying players into corporate run/sponsored championship events. Make Jay an offer he can't refuse to run it.