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The Renfro

The Renfro

Outsville.com
Silver Member
If you want to be something you have to start looking like that something....

To quote Agassi, "Image is everything"... After viewing the events live and on video I think a change is in order on dress code...

Several of the euro's had sponsor vests... Not Tuxedo vests and they stuck out in the crowd and you knew they were professional players...... Several others had suit vests emblazoned with sponsor logos with collared shirts.... Bubba could have used one several times on the TV table as he had to keep re-tucking his shirt into his pants..

I would pick a semi-formal or formal vest style that was required. I would have the Players last name and the Flag of their home country across the back and I would standardize the sizes and locations of the sponsor patches. I would award legal gold vests to winners of world titles wearable in the year of their reign and I would award either a green or red white and blue one to the reigning US Open Champ that was legal to wear in competition.

Many of you have pointed out that many league players have no clue who the pros are and I will offer you this... Even if you took them to a tournament and they were standing next to a pro they had never seen before they would have zero chance in many instances on identifying a pro from a fan who had just went shopping at the Hustlin Booth...

Window dressing is sorely needed if you want to garner interest from the public as a whole and not just from those of us that would already watch if televised....
 
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The Renfro said:
If you want to be something you have to start looking like that something....

To quote Agassi, "Image is everything"... After viewing the events live and on video I think a change is in order on dress code...

Several of the euro's had sponsor vests... Not Tuxedo vests and they stuck out in the crowd and you knew they were professional players...... Several others had suit vests emblazoned with sponsor logos with collared shirts.... Bubba could have used one several times on the TV table as he had to keep re-tucking his shirt into his pants..

I would pick a semi-formal or formal vest style that was required. I would have the Players last name and the Flag of their home country across the back and I would standardize the sizes and locations of the sponsor patches. I would award legal gold vests to winners of world titles wearable in the year of their reign and I would award either a green or red white and blue one to the reigning US Open Champ that was legal to wear in competition.

Many of you have pointed out that many league players have no clue who the pros are and I will offer you this... Even if you took them to a tournament and they were standing next to a pro they had never seen before they would have zero chance in many instances on identifying a pro from a fan who had just went shopping at the Hustlin Booth...

Window dressing is sorely needed if you want to garner interest from the public as a whole and not just from those of us that would already watch if televised....
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I hate to admit it, but this is all true.

There was a dress code at the US 1Pocket Open this year. Dress shirt, slacks, leather shoes. I thought it was bogus and probably said as much somewhere. (Though the only part that really bothered me personally was the dress slacks, but I wanted to play.)

Honestly, having done it and seen it -- it makes a difference to see a room full of players looking semi-civilized instead of the usual jeans, t-shirts, and baseball caps. I even felt like a pro, though I still sucked :-)

It was cool and appropriate and the sport should insist on more of that.

Lou Figueroa
 
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I agree. Let's play the "without thinking, describe the first picture that pops in your head when a certain occupation is mentioned" game:

  • Whenever someone says, "3-cushion billiards player" to me, I think of an impeccably-dressed gentleman (or lady, as in the case of Mercedes Gonzalez). A tuxedo, or nice sport jacket, or nice blouse, nice shoes, etc. -- pops into my head.

  • Whenever someone says, "snooker player" to me, I think of much of the same. Either a tuxedo, or at least very sharp dress -- as is required at events like The Crucible, or any of the PartyPoker.net snooker events.

  • Whenever someone says, "pool player" to me -- and I know I'm going to catch heat for this -- I think of an... hmm... how should I politically correctly say this(?)... an obviously non-physically-fit person (the best way I can think of saying something else related to healthy weight) who does *nothing* to offset or improve his appearance. (I won't name any names here, and yes, I know there are exceptions -- but remember, we're playing the "name the first picture that pops into your head" game, right?) The only exceptions to this are the Europeans or Asians -- they at least deliver an appearance worthy of what they think of themselves: as champions.
It's an interesting (and spooky!) coincidence, too. I was in a friendly debate with another pool-playing friend the other day, and one of his non-pool-playing friends entered the conversation. I turned to that non-pool-playing friend, and challenged him with this same question -- "what image immediately pops into your head when I say the term 'pool player' to you?" I won't mention the exact terms he used, for it might offend some of the... umm... let's just say "physical fitness- / healthy-weight-challenged" among us. And yes, the "wardrobe" that our non-pool-playing friend described was none too complimentary, either.

Image *is* everything, and unfortunately, to the public at large, pool has a black eye in this regard. This is definitely something we'll have to overcome if we are to be considered a serious "sport."

-Sean
 
Last year at the Bob Stocks Tournament in Sterling I talked to Mike Sigel at the bar. While I was talking to him he mentioned my attrire and condoned me on my effort to dress for the tournament. I was wearing a nice pair of jeans (lucky brand) with a pressed collar shirt and newly polished dress shoes. Yes I was in jeans but they were nice jeans and the rest of my outfit was clean and sharp and thats all that mattered...

Mike told me he couldnt believe that he played in a Mezz Tour event a few weeks prior and dudes were playing in ragged tops, beat up shorts and FLIP FLOPS!!!! Truly sad that this is allowed at TOP events!!! I couldnt agree more with him. When I play in OPEN events I do try to clean up and look GOOD!!! Not that it's required at certain events but its a matter of self-respect and professionalism. If you want to play with pros and you arent quite there at least dress nice. At least gain the respect of your fellow players (pros) because you show that you do care about how you look no matter how bad you play. Trust me... It means the world to look good even if you arent a world beater!!
 
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Back before I was laid off and in turn lost some confidence, I used to dress in slacks, dress shoes, with a button up or polo when I went to the pool room. I always had people ask me why I dressed up and I would think to myself, this is not dressed up this is normal attire.

If I was a sponsor I would want the guy that looks like a professional and not a punk kid.
 
I appreciate the comments.

I agree - and even though i think I remember lou grilling me a little about the slack thing, I think t is real 'cool' that he appreciated it!

Dress the part gentlemen.

Mark Griffin
 
Dress the part is such an understatement!!! That really it. Thank you to SOME that make you dress up or so some sort of respect!!!
 
The Renfro said:
Several of the euro's had sponsor vests... Not Tuxedo vests and they stuck out in the crowd and you knew they were professional players...... Several others had suit vests emblazoned with sponsor logos with collared shirts.

I would pick a semi-formal or formal vest style that was required. I would have the Players last name and the Flag of their home country across the back and I would standardize the sizes and locations of the sponsor patches. I would award legal gold vests to winners of world titles wearable in the year of their reign and I would award either a green or red white and blue one to the reigning US Open Champ that was legal to wear in competition.
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Much like spanky said I always wear khakis and a collared shirt when I play, even on a Monday night; no tournament, no league, just out for practice drills. I don't expect anyone to follow suit but I'm starting to see more of it lately.

My opinion is that this is a sport, and one I value, so I do my best to promote it in the best possible light. But that attitude starts with each player themselves. If you want to see ripped t-shirts on TV, then dress that way when you go out. If you really want people to be afraid to go to a poolhall, act like a goon. But that's where we are now and there are people who defend it. So to them all I can say is enjoy the disaster you worship. Good luck trying to get on a golf course that way.

I like the way the Euros dress, it's standardized and easy to recognize them apart from people in the stands. They look the part and act it as well. If there was a single professional tour you could use a gold vest for the points champion, but which event/tour grants you that vest right now? That's a separate problem though, and you can't climb every mountain at once. The green US Open vest would be nice and distinctive especially if only the current reigning champion wore it.

All in all I think window dressing is a start. You can still break a shaft in a suit or start fights with the audience in a vest. But at least we can look half-decent to begin with. Then you have to clamp down on the bad behavior at the time it occurs and not a week later with some unpublished fine or reprimand that only serves to annoy the player. At the moment someone acts out on a TV table they concede the game. A second offense is the match. If it's serious (like breaking/damaging equipment, it's an automatic concession of the tournament.

As a Canadian I have never been more ashamed of my country as when I saw Alex drunk (again) after Darren won. But Darren, a gentleman, ignored it. I was hoping Barry was sincere when called for security but he let him continue and Alex did his best to ruin that moment. I wish he would not represent us, regardless of how well he plays. It's not the first time either and someone needs to reign him in. He is my example of an ass in a suit. First give them the vests (not suits, it’s a little much), then get rid of the asses, then a single tour, with points, and a reward at the end.
 
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