It's a sad day for pool when...

[hang-the-9]

That's interesting, but not really a surprise here. IMO its the same old story. Its a much simpler game to understand and play, and subsequently become interested in, and at least play well enough at, that you don't have to feel awkward trying it in public.

You can hang a dart board just about anywhere, so the game is accessible to more people. It's cheaper to buy your equipment, its a far more sociable game than pool, and on and on. - SNIP.

I'm not sure the "easy and cheap to do" can apply to why pool is not popular. Take Skiing.. huge Olympic sport, very popular, yet the equipment for it will cost a lot. You can easily spend $80 a day on food and a lift ticket alone, before spending $300 on skiis, $200 on boots and a couple hundred on clothing. And that is for lower to mid level stuff.

It's just an odd demographic, pool = lowlifes, cheating, gambling, fights to most of the country, including those people that control the money. In the early days it was elegant and refined, much like Golf is these days. Not sure when the turn toward seedy took place, but right now, that's where we are sitting at.

 

[smokeandapancak]

I'll play you some Chutes and Ladders, you get an extra roll at the beginning.........bring a stakehorse

yo that chutes and ladders shit is kiddie....

You cant see me on a Risk board son.....

 

[Fatboy]

It's just an odd demographic, pool = lowlifes, cheating, gambling, fights to most of the country, including those people that control the money. In the early days it was elegant and refined, much like Golf is these days. Not sure when the turn toward seedy took place, but right now, that's where we are sitting at.

thats a great point, when I take a body guard with me to a pool event or room if they havent ever been to one they awalys look surpized, I get the what the hell are you doing here? look or they ask. To me it seems normal because I have done it for years and it seems normal, but the reality of the situation is pool is in the bad areas in most cases-its impossible to run a pool room in a nice area because the rent would be to high, so pool rooms are in 2nd or 3rd tier buildings at best.

 

[bigskyjake]

yo that chutes and ladders shit is kiddie....

You cant see me on a Risk board son.....

Puhlease, Risk is the 3C of board games ( snooooooooore)

You can get played at some Mankala and you don't have to like it

 

[bfdlad]

I'm not sure the "easy and cheap to do" can apply to why pool is not popular. Take Skiing.. huge Olympic sport, very popular, yet the equipment for it will cost a lot. You can easily spend $80 a day on food and a lift ticket alone, before spending $300 on skiis, $200 on boots and a couple hundred on clothing. And that is for lower to mid level stuff.

It's just an odd demographic, pool = lowlifes, cheating, gambling, fights to most of the country, including those people that control the money. In the early days it was elegant and refined, much like Golf is these days. Not sure when the turn toward seedy took place, but right now, that's where we are sitting at.

I agree that the mainstream still look at pool as a miss spent youth and we are all losers. However they thought that about Snooker too, I also agre that it was elegant at some point in time. I know this is a crazy thing to say perhaps but the snooker players were wearing tuxes.... did that elevate the game from being a sport of bums? I know we would never get the pros of pool to play in tuxes but there just may be something there to elevate the appearance.

 

[hang-the-9]

I agree that the mainstream still look at pool as a miss spent youth and we are all losers. However they thought that about Snooker too, I also agre that it was elegant at some point in time. I know this is a crazy thing to say perhaps but the snooker players were wearing tuxes.... did that elevate the game from being a sport of bums? I know we would never get the pros of pool to play in tuxes but there just may be something there to elevate the appearance.

I have some older matches from the 80s, maybe even 90s where even Earl is dressed up in a starched shirt and bowtie. It can happen.

 

[stikapos]

I have some older matches from the 80s, maybe even 90s where even Earl is dressed up in a starched shirt and bowtie. It can happen.

Remember this very important edict: you can dress up a POS in velvet and make it look nice, but unwrap it and it still stinks like poop and its still a POS!

Pool players these days only care about playing league and trying to get to vegas. Most of them have a heart attack if they have to spend more than $200 on a cue. Mostly because the majority don't have the cash that a golfer does and even if they do, they ain't spending it. A golfer will put a dozen photos around his office of all the whacked out courses they've played. Sorry, but I don't have a pic of my APA team in my office. Wouldn't want to scare anybody. And I really like my team! Different demo for sure.

tim

 

[worriedbeef]

I agree that the mainstream still look at pool as a miss spent youth and we are all losers. However they thought that about Snooker too, I also agre that it was elegant at some point in time. I know this is a crazy thing to say perhaps but the snooker players were wearing tuxes.... did that elevate the game from being a sport of bums? I know we would never get the pros of pool to play in tuxes but there just may be something there to elevate the appearance.

snooker has a terrible image amongst the average public too. smoky snooker halls, drugs, alcohol etc. same as pool for the most part. less on the gambling though. hustling and gambling is unique to american culture as regards pool/snooker. no such thing as wondering into a snooker hall 'looking for a game' as such.

 

[bfdlad]

I have some older matches from the 80s, maybe even 90s where even Earl is dressed up in a starched shirt and bowtie. It can happen.

But will that bring the game back to being a respectable sport in the eyes of the people who have the opinion of pool players being con men and hustlers? Obviously it would not hurt. Now making it happen is a different animal altogether. Then it has to be televised consistantly for the effect to work. Like I said It sounds right but not realistic. I can't believe that the trick shot magic seemed to be on TV all weekend. I would rather have seen even an amature video of something from the DCC. I wonder if people are begining to think that that is what pool is, trick shots

 

[bfdlad]

snooker has a terrible image amongst the average public too. smoky snooker halls, drugs, alcohol etc. same as pool for the most part. less on the gambling though. hustling and gambling is unique to american culture as regards pool/snooker. no such thing as wondering into a snooker hall 'looking for a game' as such.

I agree, to a certain extent. Snooker is very popular among old women in England. The would maybe not watch if they thought it was a low life game, however that is just the pros they watch. I am pretty sure they would not go into a snooker hall to watch a game. I gree though on the gambling aspect, the $$ games are obviously there just maybe not shouted about the same way as here.

 

[smokeandapancak]

Puhlease, Risk is the 3C of board games ( snooooooooore)

You can get played at some Mankala and you don't have to like it

I see your game here son.......you wanna step up to the realness ??


Stratego..boy.....knuckle up

 

[bigskyjake]

I see your game here son.......you wanna step up to the realness ??


Stratego..boy.....knuckle up

I'm a D Stratego player........... I'm gonna need some weight