is it our falt the is no money in pool?

[Williebetmore]

Our sport needs a Tiger Woods, an articulate, presentable top player to attract fans and advertisers.

Zag,
Excellent thesis, I think you've summed it up (but where do you get the time to share all this with us??).

 

[Zagiflyer]

Zag,
Excellent thesis, I think you've summed it up (but where do you get the time to share all this with us??).

I type fast

 

[dinovirus]

Lets break this down from a Business standpoint...(which it is)

The Business owners are the Tournament Directors / Venue Owners / Sponsors...........The players are "HIGHLY SKILLED" employees.....The revenue stream is the people that come out to watch...or ESPN paying Broadcast rights...

Now...the owners (like any business) are choosing this business 1) because that is what they want to do when they get up in the mornig...AND 2) They want to make $$$$$$$$$

I agree that the employees (players) should NOT be the revenue stream for the owners......However....The owners should not have to go broke funding the cost of the venue or operating costs either....

Now I don't have the tournament Budget or P&L in front of me...But I am guessing that at the Glass City Open they had perhaps 700 spectators at $20.00 per ticket x 5 days = $70,000 ... They may have made $15,000 more on F&B....plus ESPN may have paid $15,000 for TV rights...$100,000 total revenue...

Venue costs, operating costs, F&B costs, Hopefully all the side workers other than the Tournament Director was Volanteer...Anyway..Like I said I don't have the Budget in front of me, but I am guessing it cost at least $25,000 to put on this whole shindig...That leaves perhaps $75,000

If the Owners worked for free..(which I doubt) ...That would leave $75,000 for prize money...If there were 64 players that paid $500.00 that would make the prize fund $107,000 (If the owners worked for free).....

1st) $50k
2nd) $30K
3rd) $15k
4th) $10K
5th) $2K
6th) Hey you made out as well as the owner


Granted I left out Sponsor money...but my guess is that most of the sponsors are donating the tables, balls and racks...I doubt they are adding more than $20k to the whole picture...That is where 7th through 16th comes from......but I doubt your going to see 16th place getting $20k anytime soon

Someone with access to the budget might have a better idea of how the numbers fit together...but the bottom line is...until someone can figure out a way to get 20k spectators in the stands for all 5 days...The prize funds are about as big as they are going to get....

If you were a company that wanted to spend some marketing dollars..(non pool...would you spend it on a venue that will have max 1000 spectators...or 30,000

Sorry, but your argument doesn't hold water. Other sports have much higher costs than pool yet when they hold an event they are able to pay off a decent prize fund. Furthermore, many sports are successful with lower than average on-hand attendance. Consider golf. Sure they get 20,000 - 30,000 for bigger events, but the mini tours regularly have very low attendance but they still offer decent prize money. Why? Because they have contracts with television. I mean, who cares if there's only 1000 people in the seats if a couple of million more are watching on television?

What pool needs is a contract with a network to televise the tournaments. We all know this is possible because we see several hours of coverage a year, so the ratings must be decent. With guaranteed coverage it would be possible to solicit sponsors for the events. They add money, which goes to the players. The tournament organizers can then make their money from the gate, concessions, television rights, etc. That's how it works in other sports. That's why Barry Hearn has been (reasonably) successful with the World Pool Championships and the Mosconi Cup. He got the TV first (Sky) and the sponsors second. Clever Barry keeps most of the money for himself but if there were more events like that the situation would change.

 

[bruin70]

(You understand almost half of it. I'll settle for that.)

With regard to boring, have you ever been in a bar when someone really good is shooting? I mean kicking butt. All of the sudden people who don't even play pool stop and begin watching with interest. Why? Most likely someone who does play mentions that the individual shooting is really good - spikes everyone’s interest to watch. Sorry, I can't buy boring. Are you a skydiver, cliff diver,..? I appreciate your opinion. Maybe you’re just discouraged or simply a negative person. My opinion, I think discouraged is more like it. Given that, I understand.

no....i'm more negative. how people invest their time and attention in a bar room is wayyyy different than how they invest their time sitting in front of a television. besides not being half drunk, they can switch channels with their remote.

the atmosphere and euphorea in a bar with a hot shooter is akin to a crap table with a hot shooter. people start to gather,,,,,and watch,,,,and hoot 'n holler,,,and cheer. it is a natural draw.

in your living room, it's "what's on the other channels".

 

[pete lafond]

no....i'm more negative. how people invest their time and attention in a bar room is wayyyy different than how they invest their time sitting in front of a television. besides not being half drunk, they can switch channels with their remote.

the atmosphere and euphorea in a bar with a hot shooter is akin to a crap table with a hot shooter. people start to gather,,,,,and watch,,,,and hoot 'n holler,,,and cheer. it is a natural draw.

in your living room, it's "what's on the other channels".

Again you miss the point, you're so surface. I agree with you and believe you are a negative person after re-reading your article. Why are you on this forum if pool is boring to you? Your choice of words indicate that not others are bored, but you are.

 

[bruin70]

Again you miss the point, you're so surface. I agree with you and believe you are a negative person after re-reading your article. Why are you on this forum if pool is boring to you? Your choice of words indicate that not others are bored, but you are.

pool is not boring to ME. it is a great game. it is a brilliant game! but when you talk about pool and it's success or lack of it, it is the GENERAL PUBLIC, not you or i, that will determine its success. and the general public thinks pool is boring. just what market do you think everyone in pool is trying to grab??? it's not you or me, man!

i wouldn't have to argue this point if you could see what's in front of your face. pool gets ZERO ratings and it's all the argument i need to back up what i said. you must be one of those people who torment themselves about the lack of respect pool gets on tv. it's been this way for decades,,,and pool's image goes back a hundred years. it's too bad you have to start getting personnal.