IPT abysmal television coverage.

The Kid

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I watched the first 30 minutes of the King of the Hill coverage on OLN.
If you like watching MTV you will love this production.

If you enjoy watching professional 8 ball and you expect to see a match, which includes break and runs and safeties etc. You will not see it here.
What you get is choppy, quick cut edits, I don't think I saw a complete game in 30 minutes.
Just one shot here then fast forward another shot there.

With the amount of time the IPT had to produce a great show, this is a very poor final product.
 
Neutral rating

i watched it also. i was expecting something better than that given all the hype. If this is how they are going to be doing it from now on, I won't watch anymore. In the past everybody knows that i have been critical of the IPT and don't trust kevin Trudeau. But i did go in to watching this with an open mind. Just wish it could have been better and showed more of the matches. I can't believe that the nice young lady asked Thorston Hohman how he felt after losing...lol...makes for good tv i guess............mike
 
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The Kid said:
I watched the first 30 minutes of the King of the Hill coverage on OLN.
If you like watching MTV you will love this production.

If you enjoy watching professional 8 ball and you expect to see a match, which includes break and runs and safeties etc. You will not see it here.
What you get is choppy, quick cut edits, I don't think I saw a complete game in 30 minutes.
Just one shot here then fast forward another shot there.

With the amount of time the IPT had to produce a great show, this is a very poor final product.

Did they even screen this in front of a focus group before putting it on? Except for someone so desperate to watch pool on TV like a starving man who thinks the sole of his shoe is delicious, this can't hold the attention of anyone. I plan on making no future comments on the IPT they have spoken for themselves, there is nothing more I could add.

I hope the people who have been mindlessly supporting this thing will at least be objectively honest about this ridicules production with it's "Blair Witch" quality camera work they just watched. I am stupefied that this is the result of what was a million dollar multi camera production. Espn gives that mess the 5 and the break. Although some players may make some money along the way, I think in the grand scheme of things, this will be inconsequential to pools future, totally forgettable.

I actually sat there uncomfortably embarrass for the way they portrayed the players. If they missed a shot they dogged it or were overcome by the pressure. They made them look like idiots the way the edited the interviewers. I hope that isn't supposed to springboard them to product indorsements being made to sound like complete goofballs.

I know I have been a critic in the past but even I had hopes for something better, Bad is bad but that was dreadful. That production has no demographic, who is the audience they are aiming at, do they even know?
Like I said I have nothing more to say on the subject, good luck.
 
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macguy said:
...I plan on making no future comments on the IPT they have spoken for themselves, there is nothing more I could add...

...Like I said I have nothing more to say on the subject, good luck...
Well, we have it all in writing, so we'll hold you to your promise. Good luck to you.

As for what I think, i just thought it was okay. It wasn't great, but I'm still an IPT supporter. You know...it's possible to support the IPT without thinking that it is perfect.
 
jsp said:
Well, we have it all in writing, so we'll hold you to your promise. Good luck to you.

As for what I think, i just thought it was okay. It wasn't great, but I'm still an IPT supporter. You know...it's possible to support the IPT without thinking that it is perfect.

I don't think they know what they are doing and I predict there will be "NO" 2007 season at all regardless what they say now. We have a deal though, I have nothing more to say.
 
I was proud to see our great sport on OLN this evening.

My deepest heartfelt THANK YOU's go out to everyone that has made IPT pool on TV possible.

I'm sure not everyone liked the presentation or the show but what the heck, POOL IS ON TV and getting the much needed exposure it needs to become a better sport.



Thank You, Deno, Kevin and crew !!!!!!!!!!!!

Mj
 
Made me feel like I was watching a "re-cap" show of the event like "Inside Nextel Cup"... only worse.

If the idea is to use this program as a "Commercial" to sell the individual matches, they're in trouble.

I really want professional billiards to compete with poker, heck even bowling, prize money would be nice. I am afraid this type of coverage is not going to allow the type of exposure the players need, and am also afraid that if this attempt fails (IPT) it could put the final nail in the coffin for Pocket billards to receive the notoriety it deserves in my lifetime.

In regards to the players, strive for that big money this tour is throwing out now. Get what you can in the next two years. Qualify now! Dont sit back and play wait and see for a couple of years because it might not be there.
 
Well I didn't see the show (because I couldn't) but I am not surprised at what I am hearing about the format. I knew the show would be more about the personalities rather than the actual game. Perhaps the point of the show is to sell the characters and the players at the moment and not necessarily the actual game. If people care about the players they will care about the game. Survivor is a perfect example of this, they can make puzzle solving exciting because you wan't your favorite survivor to win.

That's my guess, but take it with a grain of salt because I didn't see the show (because I couldn't).
 
Sorry, I fell asleep

I too have not been overly taken by the IPT. What has been the biggest problem for me has been all the changes made since this tour was first offered.

So you take a seat, hoping to watch pool at its best. After the KT money hype and him talking to his commentators, Mike Sigel (and don't think they mentioned the other guys name), I was shocked that the promoter remained in the announcers booth. We have all watched tons of sports and I cannot remember even one title sponsor who had anything more to say than it is great to be connected to the sporting event.

As the show went on I could not help but think this production sounded like an infamercial. Then they started the whole guy vs. gal thing and that was it for me. I remember nothing after the first commercial.

It was a good nap though.
 
I watched the broadcast, and was have mixed feelings about what I saw. Trying to squeeze multiple matches into one hour obviously requires more editing of matches than I would have wanted. But honestly, these matches can take anywhere from 2 to 3 hours in real time. You had to know going in that you weren't going to see an entire match in an hour.

I thought the production was very good. What they did show was, in my opinion, a sampling of some great shooting by the players, some critical mistakes by them as well, and some nice angles on some of the shots. (Thank goodness they didn't have a "pocket cam"!)

The program did a good job of giving the viewer an idea of the atmosphere that existed, an insight into some of the players personalities, and a pretty good perspective as to what a professional tournament is. From that standpoint, I think they did quite well.

I did have a good laugh when they were interviewing Allison about how the men were reacting to playing against the ladies. I forget the exact words she used, but the comment was something to the effect that some of the players could be a bit nasty, while the image on the screen was Earl sitting in the chair during one of his matches. I don't know if it was meant to be an inside joke, but I thought it was pretty funny.

I would have preferred more actual match coverage, but as someone said, maybe they are trying to appeal to a much larger, and perhaps less educated (in the game of pool) audience. I don't think it was as bad as some others seem to think. I am happy that professional pool is getting exposure on tv. And I do appreciate the efforts of everyone involved with the IPT to make it happen.
Steve
 
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From what I am reading I am starting to wonder if this is essentially advertising for the main product, which is the major events.

KT himself said this was a made for tv event. Maybe this made for tv event is simply to put the IPT on the map and advertise for the upcoming major tournaments.
 
Good points:

1. Pool on tv and not stupid pocket cam or stupid comments from an announcer that knows nothing about pool in the booth.

2. They Cut the B.S. and kept it simple, no long breaks or clips of them coming to the table and figuring out their shot and checking angles on film was a waste of time and bored viewers.

3. High production quality!!!

Bad Points:

1. Never tied it into gambling. Never a sense of cash or chips trading hands.

2. Never did they show the high run! Would have loved to see someone in the electric chair chair getting BARBEQUED to death watching Efren or Manalo place a Six pack on them in a race to 8. Hell. the qualifiers had more excitement running racks for 5 grand. I want to see 8 racks on tv in a row on film even if chopped up. Just to let veiwers have a sense of the level of excellence. People want to be able to relate it to their own prowess and level of play and if they know how hard it is to run a rack or just 2 or 3 balls watching 8 in a row would send them into shock!!!!

3. Other then the beginning They never illustrated the money at stake for each match and never a sense of what the lose meant monetarily!!!

4. No viewer perticipation. Never a bet or conversation of who the audence liked or placed their money on.

5. Please read IPT Production suggestion tread. Alot of what I and others meantioned would have been nice and MAY APPEAR in future productions. I have my fingers crossed MR. Trueduea. :o

Sincerely
Kid Dynomite
 
I am sorry, but I have to disagree with number 1 good point below. Kevin Trudeau doesn't know much about pool, and he made a lot of stupid comments in the announcers booth.

I think they showed a lot of BS mself.
Kelly




Kid Dynomite said:
Good points:

1. Pool on tv and not stupid pocket cam or stupid comments from an announcer that knows nothing about pool in the booth.

2. They Cut the B.S. and kept it simple, no long breaks or clips of them coming to the table and figuring out their shot and checking angles on film was a waste of time and bored viewers.

3. High production quality!!!

Bad Points:

1. Never tied it into gambling. Never a sense of cash or chips trading hands.

2. Never did they show the high run! Would have loved to see someone in the electric chair chair getting BARBEQUED to death watching Efren or Manalo place a Six pack on them in a race to 8. Hell. the qualifiers had more excitement running racks for 5 grand. I want to see 8 racks on tv in a row on film even if chopped up. Just to let veiwers have a sense of the level of excellence. People want to be able to relate it to their own prowess and level of play and if they know how hard it is to run a rack or just 2 or 3 balls watching 8 in a row would send them into shock!!!!

3. Other then the beginning They never illustrated the money at stake for each match and never a sense of what the lose meant monetarily!!!

4. No viewer perticipation. Never a bet or conversation of who the audence liked or placed their money on.

5. Please read IPT Production suggestion tread. Alot of what I and others meantioned would have been nice and MAY APPEAR in future productions. I have my fingers crossed MR. Trueduea. :o

Sincerely
Kid Dynomite
 
Kid Dynomite said:
Bad Points:

Never tied it into gambling. Never a sense of cash or chips trading hands.

No viewer perticipation. Never a bet or conversation of who the audence liked or placed their money on.



Sincerely
Kid Dynomite

If Pocket Billiards is ever going to be accepted by the mainstream, The lowlife Gambler stereotype needs to erased from the general public's perception.

I, for one, am glad they dont mention anything about it.
 
It was said in the past that the show is going to be geared towards a non pool playing audience, while the DVDs and match downloads you can purchase are more for the pool players because they will be the complete matches.

This is how you have to show pool to the general public. You have to dumb it down and you have to only show the highlights, things that catch the peoples eyes, like the break, like a miss, like a player making the 8. The general public does not want to see someone just shoot pool and make balls over and over again.

They are using the same formula as Poker TV. If you ever watched the world series of poker, they do not show every hand. They show key hands at the TV TABLE. Thats right, the table thats designated for TV only, because these are the people who made it far in the torunament to get on that table, these are the people the public are going to be interested in.

Plus it was smart of the IPT to focus on some of the players they decided to. The focused on Keith because Keith is well... Keith. People like to watch him shoot. The focued on Earl because Earl is controversial, Earl can be a jerk, Earl will make good TV for the non Pool viewer. They Focused on Allison Fisher because she is one of the most reconignized players to the general public because she is a player with a ton of TV coverage on ESPN.

I think the IPT did the right thing for the general public regarding the show. For pool players though, perhaps no, but we have full DVDs to look forward too. I will still watch it though.
 
Icon of Sin said:
It was said in the past that the show is going to be geared towards a non pool playing audience, while the DVDs and match downloads you can purchase are more for the pool players because they will be the complete matches.

This is how you have to show pool to the general public. You have to dumb it down and you have to only show the highlights, things that catch the peoples eyes, like the break, like a miss, like a player making the 8. The general public does not want to see someone just shoot pool and make balls over and over again.

They are using the same formula as Poker TV. If you ever watched the world series of poker, they do not show every hand. They show key hands at the TV TABLE. Thats right, the table thats designated for TV only, because these are the people who made it far in the torunament to get on that table, these are the people the public are going to be interested in.

Plus it was smart of the IPT to focus on some of the players they decided to. The focused on Keith because Keith is well... Keith. People like to watch him shoot. The focued on Earl because Earl is controversial, Earl can be a jerk, Earl will make good TV for the non Pool viewer. They Focused on Allison Fisher because she is one of the most reconignized players to the general public because she is a player with a ton of TV coverage on ESPN.

I think the IPT did the right thing for the general public regarding the show. For pool players though, perhaps no, but we have full DVDs to look forward too. I will still watch it though.

You are so correct. Finally. someone gets it......this show was not produced for pool players....that would have been the kiss of death. You have to attract the general public. I think they did. I predict it will be a success.....
 
I see that all the nay sayers are in their glory this fine morning. They finally have something to complain about. Of course no one is listening to them anymore.

TARGET AUDIANCE. Do you have any idea what that means? It sure is not you folks.

I didn't see the show and will have to wait six weeks to get the tape my friend is making for me but from what you say it is pretty much what I expected.

Keep in mind that this is a new venture. I am sure that KT is trying to show as many players to the public in an hour as possible. This is the hook. He is not going to produce a pool show the same old way that everyone else does. Why? Because that format does not work.

So now we will see if this format brings in the viewers. Afterall, that is what it is all about. What kind of rating they will get.

When Idol or Inventor start out they have a bunch of jerks on TV at the start and then they keep whittling them down until only the best are featured. I'm not calling pool players jerks but you have to understand that the general public really does not know 5% of the people who are in the IPT. So the first thing KT has to do is introduce all the players to the general public. Once that is done then he can bring in more and more of the actual pool game.

But let's face facts. The idea of the IPT is not an altruistic venture for the good of pool. It is a venture to make money. The more people who make money the better they like it.

And we all know that pool players have no money so KT has to go out to the general public where the money is and provide something to them that they like and will spend their money on.

Jake
 
This whole thing is a PROCESS, not just one show, for Pete's sake. Marketing is never done in one event, but always takes many exposures, each designed to take the prospect to the next level. Let's see how the process goes as the public "gets it."

I watched this show as would a pool novice. As such, I appreciated the rules explanation, the player profiles, and the basic commentary that, for example, showed how minor equipment changes can change the outcomes of matches, why I never knew this before, and I'd be interested in playing soon to see if all of this was true. And I was able to understand the game (8-ball) because I have actually played it before.

As a newbie, I would never have considered such things before this show, even if I watched ESPN occasionally. In fact, I would have had my interest piqued and would want to know more about this pool thing...so much so, I'd like to go play.

This show isn't for us here on AZ so much as it is for the general public---the ones with the money.

Please patronize the sponsors,

Jeff Livingston
 
Scottster said:
If Pocket Billiards is ever going to be accepted by the mainstream, The lowlife Gambler stereotype needs to erased from the general public's perception.

Like the poker broadcasts have done right?

George
 
The Kid said:
I watched the first 30 minutes of the King of the Hill coverage on OLN.
If you like watching MTV you will love this production.

.

You didn't watch the last 30 minutes? Oh man, you don't know what you missed.

I found out I didn't have to wait 6 weeks for the tape and got a copy this morning and watched it.

If you are really honest, you will have to admit that it really was not bad. In fact, it was pretty good. It is a whole new way of approaching the world of pool. And it does show a whole different side of the professionals in the game. No slow pokes in this show. Each and every one of them is great.

People got to see quite a bit of a lot of the stars. And listen to a bit of how they think. But keep in mind that a lot of that talk was for TV. Do you really think Putnam or Big Bubba, was really bothered by the "water lady"? Or was it all show on his part? Trying to give Earl a run for his money as the bad boy of pool?

And Keith saying if the women want to play with the men then we have to treat them like men. Ha Ha. I'll drink to that.

And Allison saying some men are jerks while the camera shows Earl in the background.

By showing snippets of a lot of games it might entice the buying public to spend some money and buy the complete version of the match. After watching Keith I might have to pick up a copy of his match.

And of course I got to see myself on TV several times.

Looking forward to the next telecast.

Oh, and did you notice that there were a lot of commercials? That is the important thing. Getting people interested enough to spend money on the show to advertise.

Best thing to do now is to really spread the word around all the pool halls and everywhere you go and let people know about the upcoming telecasts. For those of you who are always down on pool now is the time to do something to really help the sport, or game, and let people know that there is a tour called IPT out there where they can see all the greats play. If you don't want pool to succeed then do nothing but complain and do not spread the word. (This sounds like one of those chain letters- spread the word and Bill Gates will give you 47 Million dollars).

But starting chain letters to all your friends, I know, pool players have no money or friends, and let them know that the show is being telecast. Then see what they think of it.

Jake
 
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