Ron Swanson
Banned
What on earth are you on about?
In Defense of Pro Pool Players
- Thread starter BasementDweller
- Start date
What on earth are you on about?
Not sure the game has anything to do with it. It's the players. The game needs characters. People need to know the players to have any hope of enjoying the game. Yes the game needs gentlemen and jerks to become popular. Viewers tune in not only to root for someone but against. Football is maybe the most popular sport in america. Do you know there is only 10-15 minutes of actual play. From the time the ball is snapped and the whistle blows. 3 hours and you might have watched 10 minutes of play.
When I shut the doors on my pool room...........months later I was watching www.worldpokertour.com Final Table Event. The overhead camera angle of the poker room, with players surrounding green felted card tables is what got me going. It was a near identical feeling I had during the times I sat while working for the BCA at Gary Bensons control desk overlooking the 240 bar tables at the Rivera each May in Vegas.
That night I went on line to see if www.worldbilliardtour.com Domain was available it was, I purchased it with No plans or ideas, but felt it was thee best way to represent our sport World Wide for someone.
Months went by and I kept thinking about the poker tour Final Table Event....How the heck did they get amateur players to play with the pros and give em a chance?....lead em to water so to speak.
Our the traditional pool games do not allow a C player to Ever beat a A player, unless a handicapp system of some type is implemented, how can I get all level of players to compete together and NOT handicapp anyone?
From there I looked back at Forty + years of play and I created my list of what I love about pool, and then what I hate about pool. Believe me, I highly doubted anyone could reinvent our wheel.
My concerns for the business model were cost/family/room owners regular customers/church/Friday night business/Saturday night business/and the ability for groups of players to travel/compete....and get it all done in one day, thus avoid hotel room costs. Also, how could I give the average player a chance to beat/advance in double elimination tournament play over someone that they Never have won against....tall order eh?
Once I got all the pieces in place I called Greg Sullivan and told em about my idea....he gave me few dollars to hold my first WBT Player Group Event.
What I saw, heard and realized after my first One Day Saturday event was totally unexpected, and ''I had to do it again'' to make sure what I saw and heard was not a one time thing. Well I did it two more times and the same things kept happening.
The WBT business model is near impossible to ''feel'' until it's played and seen/heard. Be like me giving you the words to McArthrur Park, but never hearing it played and then asking you, do you like it?
If you've got a pool room with 16 bar Tables, you could hold a 128 player event that starts play at 11am and be down to the Final Table Event around 9-10 PM. By 7 PM almost all your tables are open for your regular customers. The WBT uses all traditional rules and games, and you must shoot ''from the kitchen'' on any foul.
Thanks for all the responses gentlemen.
I guess I've just reached that point in my life where I'm a little slower to judge others than I was in the past. I now try my best to see the world through the eyes of those I'm with dealing with and because of that -- I have a lot more sympathy (or is it empathy?) for the professional pool player.
The professional pool player is like the man that marries the woman of his dreams. The only problem is she is always sick. The doctors tell them both that recoving her health is right around the corner. They just need to hang on a little longer. She just never gets better. But he won't leave her. He loves her.
I guess I've just reached that point in my life where I'm a little slower to judge others than I was in the past. I now try my best to see the world through the eyes of those I'm with dealing with and because of that -- I have a lot more sympathy (or is it empathy?) for the professional pool player.
The professional pool player is like the man that marries the woman of his dreams. The only problem is she is always sick. The doctors tell them both that recoving her health is right around the corner. They just need to hang on a little longer. She just never gets better. But he won't leave her. He loves her.
old ideas, beliefs and behaviors associated with pocket billiards
For anything to evolve there must be a death to old ideas, beliefs and behaviors. Pool is not the exception, it's the "sample example". We can go on and conduct business as usual, although this will undoubtedly be futile judging by the past 15 years.
Doing the same thing over and over, like has been done in the past, is obviously not working. It's time for a change, one that creates a scenario for growth and wipes out the old ideas, beliefs and behaviors associated with pocket billiards. (imho)
This will happen, it's just a matter of time, everything has it's own cycle and the "old pool" must die to give birth to something new, and exciting for professional pool players.
For anything to evolve there must be a death to old ideas, beliefs and behaviors. Pool is not the exception, it's the "sample example". We can go on and conduct business as usual, although this will undoubtedly be futile judging by the past 15 years.
Doing the same thing over and over, like has been done in the past, is obviously not working. It's time for a change, one that creates a scenario for growth and wipes out the old ideas, beliefs and behaviors associated with pocket billiards. (imho)
This will happen, it's just a matter of time, everything has it's own cycle and the "old pool" must die to give birth to something new, and exciting for professional pool players.