Stu: I think you are right. Everybody follows what Shane does. It would be great to get him to compete in the straight pool event at Derby. Him playing more 14.1 would help the game get more exposure. It took a 107 to qualify last year. Seems to be going up every year. Thorsten, Schmidt, Vandenberg and many other great straight pool players were on the outside looking in, when the qualifying stage had ended. I am not sure what Shane's high run is, but I suspect it is pretty good and if he put his mind into it and the time into it, he would qualify.
It has been increasing in popularity ever since Bob Jewett initiated the first Derby City Challenge in 2006. John Schmidt ran his 400 in a garage sometime around then, too and the word was spreading through the grape vine. In the meantime, Thorsten Hohmann was running lots of balls over in Europe at the European Pool Championships. Danny Barouty was developing a hell of a league in New York, with many great players learning the game. Charlie Williams and Dragon Promotions gave the sport a jolt when he started his World Tournaments. Although they may not have been world championships, they were the best straight pool we Americans had seen in a while. Pat Fleming started filming some of the Derby events and then started same of his own straight pool challenge events, flying in some of the best players in the world.
Locally, Red Shoes Billiards went from a 15-20 man handicapped league to two leagues, handicapped and a 36 man non-handicapped league. Illinois Billiards Club has continued to develop players and leagues. Leagues are sprouting up at Chris's Billiards on the North Side and I know they had one at the Pyramid a while back. I think the sport is growing somewhat, but I think it needs another jolt, perhaps something like SJM mentions, Van Boening throwing his hat in the ring. I know Mark Wilson loves 14.1. Perhaps he can whisper in Shane's ear.