Personally, I think pool, as a whole, is in need of some sort of revival.
Let me tell you my pool story:
I'm 29, and the only reason I have an extreme interest in pool was because when I was 9 years old my parents had the presence of mind to notice that my brother and I liked playing around on my Dad's pool table in the basement. The only reason he even had the table was because it was a graduation gift given to him way before we were even born. I also know my parents really liked 'The Color Of Money', which probably had a factor in why the table was even gifted in the first place.
For Christmas one year, my parents bought each of us a small 1 piece junior cue and signed us up for a youth pool league at a local pool hall (it was more like a bar or a townhall that had more pool tables than most places) We played youth pool from 9 years old, all the way through 20 years old, which is the age cutoff for the tournaments.
Now, years later, I'm still playing pool because I developed a passion for it early. It became something my family did together. My parents started joining leagues, and making friends with all the other parents, we went to youth nationals in the summers, and at one point my parents ended up owning a pool hall in town (though it never ended up being a very profitable endeavor).
I look at pool today, and I see no real reason for the population to even develop an interest. Pool halls are closing because no one wants to go or can afford to invest the time in the game. Outside of the random college bros who might play a game on the bar box for $1.50 in quarters (assuming your at a place that even HAS a table). In the mindset of the general populous, pool as a game has been relegated to a minor entertainment for anyone who has quarters and a friend drunk enough to play a game. There hasn't even been a decent 'pool movie' since 'The Color Of Money' to help romanticize the game. (And before anyone mentions it…Im going to say I don't count 'Poolhall Junkies' because that movie sucked. it sucked hard).
I think if people want to see the popularity of pool return (as well as the Pool Market), we need to think about ways to evangelize the game and grow a community around it. Organize local youth leagues and/or encourage pool halls to have more classes for all ages. Only reason I'm here, is because I happened to have had a chance to get exposed to the sport early, and make it a way to have fun with my time as a kid. Was never really a good student in school, and only developed some solid social skills after high school. But growing up…hands down, my FAVORITE day of the week was Sunday, cause I knew we'd be going to the hall and I'd get to shoot some pool.
Heck, I dunno. I may just be barking soliloquies