Matchroom Suggestion Thread

BeiberLvr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Just in case there is someone from MR that browses the forums, I thought it might be useful to have a thread where we can voice our critiques and suggestions. So feel free to post any you might have here, and we'll see if any of them happen.

I would like to see them branch out into other disciplines. I think 8-ball would be the first obvious choice just based on it's global popularity. Then I would love to see them do a one pocket event. I believe it could work with a 45-60 second shot clock or maybe a chess clock, and a knowledgeable commentator in the booth (Jeremy Jones).
 

Hungarian

C'mon, man!
Silver Member
I second JJ in the booth. The Brits try to be too cheeky and not enough knowledge, aside from Karl and some of the guest players. Plus, they are completely biased.
 

Cameron Smith

is kind of hungry...
Silver Member
Stick with the world pool masters table specs and winner breaks. Even tighter would be interesting, but I think 4 inches is ideal.

Besides that, I would recommend to improve their show to do something more between racks or matches than the interviews. I like how they are getting the players involved more, but I think you’d get their personality coming out if you gave them more to do. I’m thinking a quick tip or lesson on the table, trick shots or some sort of challenge like they do on the BBC snooker broadcasts.

Also, add run counter to the graphic showing the score like they would in straight pool or snooker. Either racks run or successive balls pocketed to something. Adds more things to talk about during the match and records that can be set and broken.
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
I doubt that they will do anything other than 9 ball for the next several years and maybe ever. It's a matter of branding and presenting a consistent product.

One pocket? Half the viewers would be asking, "Who's got the stripes?" (That's a question I actually heard at a 14.1 championship.)
 

BeiberLvr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I’m thinking a quick tip or lesson on the table, trick shots or some sort of challenge like they do on the BBC snooker broadcasts.

That's a good idea. I know with snooker they will sometimes look at a great shot that one of the players made, and then try to recreate it in the practice room.
 

BeiberLvr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I doubt that they will do anything other than 9 ball for the next several years and maybe ever. It's a matter of branding and presenting a consistent product.

One pocket? Half the viewers would be asking, "Who's got the stripes?" (That's a question I actually heard at a 14.1 championship.)

You might be right.

Of course, I know a lot of people probably thought the World 9 Ball would be stuck in a spectator-less garage in Doha for the foreseeable future.

Never say never :)
 

Cameron Smith

is kind of hungry...
Silver Member
That's a good idea. I know with snooker they will sometimes look at a great shot that one of the players made, and then try to recreate it in the practice room.
Exactly, it breaks up the monotony of talking heads. And when Judd was paired with Jack Lisowski doing stuff like that he showed more personality than in his previous decade or so on tour.
 

Joe_Jaguar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Just in case there is someone from MR that browses the forums, I thought it might be useful to have a thread where we can voice our critiques and suggestions. So feel free to post any you might have here, and we'll see if any of them happen.

I would like to see them branch out into other disciplines. I think 8-ball would be the first obvious choice just based on it's global popularity. Then I would love to see them do a one pocket event. I believe it could work with a 45-60 second shot clock or maybe a chess clock, and a knowledgeable commentator in the booth (Jeremy Jones).
They couldn't care less. :unsure:
 

JusticeNJ

Four Points/Steel Joints
Silver Member
You might be right.

Of course, I know a lot of people probably thought the World 9 Ball would be stuck in a spectator-less garage in Doha for the foreseeable future.

Never say never :)
I was hoping that they’d maybe venture into 14.1 given that Europe is no stranger to it. Until I read their website. It expressly describes them as promoting 9 ball pool, without mention of other games.

I could maybe see them not leaving any available cash on the table and putting on a 10 ball event, but other than that, looks like 9 ball will be their preferred format.
 

skogstokig

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Stick with the world pool masters table specs and winner breaks. Even tighter would be interesting, but I think 4 inches is ideal.

Besides that, I would recommend to improve their show to do something more between racks or matches than the interviews. I like how they are getting the players involved more, but I think you’d get their personality coming out if you gave them more to do. I’m thinking a quick tip or lesson on the table, trick shots or some sort of challenge like they do on the BBC snooker broadcasts.

Also, add run counter to the graphic showing the score like they would in straight pool or snooker. Either racks run or successive balls pocketed to something. Adds more things to talk about during the match and records that can be set and broken.

all great suggestions! after the gorst vs sky match i definitely would have wanted to see anyone try that jump shot on a practice table
 

Straightpool_99

I see dead balls
Silver Member
I doubt that they will do anything other than 9 ball for the next several years and maybe ever. It's a matter of branding and presenting a consistent product.

One pocket? Half the viewers would be asking, "Who's got the stripes?" (That's a question I actually heard at a 14.1 championship.)
In England US pool IS 9 ball. They have no knowledge of- or interest for any other US pool game. It is what it is.

One pocket doesn't belong on TV or any production aimed at a mainstream audience. Making casual viewers watch a 4 hour wedge game is just insane. Not to mention that the duration of the games is completely unpredictable. Its a TV production nightmare.
 

BeiberLvr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
One pocket doesn't belong on TV or any production aimed at a mainstream audience. Making casual viewers watch a 4 hour wedge game is just insane. Not to mention that the duration of the games is completely unpredictable. Its a TV production nightmare.

That's why I suggested having a shot clock/chess clock in place.

If people can enjoy watching Selby grind out frame after frame, then I don't see how they wouldn't get into the strategy of one pocket. Again, that's where a good commentator can come in really handy.

I agree it's not likely going to happen, but I don't believe it's impossible.
 

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
One pocket doesn't belong on TV or any production aimed at a mainstream audience. Making casual viewers watch a 4 hour wedge game is just insane. Not to mention that the duration of the games is completely unpredictable. Its a TV production nightmare.
Matchroom has invested a lot of time and effort to standardizing the game in our sport, recognizing that for most TV viewers, pool and nine ball mean the exact same thing. Nine ball has a fairly brisk pace, is easy to follow and match lengths are fairly predictable. Despite some outliers, I'd guess that 90% of nine ball races to eleven at top pro level take 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 hours. Yes, I've seen present for many of the outliers, but a) fast matches are not a big problem, as in-match commercial breaks, interviews and other features can be managed to reduce the variability of the length of a streamed/televised match, and b) the danger of long matches is greatly reduced through use of the thirty second shot clock. In the 2019 World 9-ball Championship, which was not a Matchroom production, they played without a shot clock, and matches between very elite players took over four hours on several occasions. Matchroom just renamed the World 9-ball Championship, and it is now called the World Pool Championship, a move that clearly fits their vision for selling pro pool.

Attracting some crossover fans from snooker is surely part of Matchrooms plan, and worldwide, pool fans enjoy nine ball for some of the same reasons they enjoy snooker: a) a reasonable mix between offense and defense, b) a variety of difficult and easy ball pocketing, c) defense and offense often played simultaneously and more important than any of these, d) no calling of shots, so that every possible multi-purpose shot is fair game and so that fans don't have to be advised of a player's intent on every shot --- one of the things that made 14.1 a poor game for TV, and arguably even worse for event attendees. Yes, in both snooker and pool, not using call shot can introduce a little more luck, but that's the way most fans like it. Of course, the equipment gaffe at the World Pool Championship this past week, in which comically easy playing conditions were offered, would have surely turned off more than a few potential snooker crossover fans, who would have wondered why supposedly elite cueists would need super-easy equipment, but I feel sure Matchroom will fix this.

Neither one pocket, an admittedly beautiful game, nor any game of such variable length will ever work for mainstream TV. It's not only that matches can go on and on and on, it's that some matches are over in a wink. At the Derby in about 2015, the late Tom Spencer (or was he called Tom Simpson?) and Darren Appleton spent nearly six hours on a race to three, and it was not because of slow play, but there were just so many innings in the match, and there were far too many stretches in which twenty consecutive defensive shots were played Contrastingly, if you blinked, you missed Dennis Orcullo vs Justin Bergman at the 2020 Derby City Classic, in which Dennis won in twenty minutes. How many of you recall that in the WPC final, Alex Lely mentioned one pocket. Karl Boyes' added, in rough terms "for those of you who don't know what that means, one pocket is another game played on a pool table." One pocket isn't even close to being on Matchroom's radar, and it's hard to imagine this changing. Finally, one Pocket is an American niche game --- I would guess that about 98% of the world's one pocket players are American. Matchroom's fan base is chiefly European and Asian, and the American pool fan has often lagged behind in Matchroom event viewership, so that's yet another reason you'll probably never see Matchroom do a one pocket event.

I agree with the original poster that, more than any other game, eight ball could possibly work, but only as long as there is a shot clock and no call shot. Best would be if they used a rack of un-numbered balls in which seven balls were one color, seven were another color, and the eight is black. Perhaps if Matchroom succeeds in growing pool over the next few years, they might, as an experiment, try eight ball, but I think it unlikely anytime soon.

I'm with Bob Jewett here. It's hard to imagine Matchroom doing anything but nine ball in the imaginable future.
 
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iusedtoberich

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I liked all the commentators I heard during the WPC. I especially liked their accents! ha ha. They just seem more interesting to hear (referring to the sound of their voice) than American commentators. I do believe that makes for a more enjoyable viewing experience as a fan.

I liked that everyone was dressed well, from players to commentators. I liked that just about everyone looked fit and well groomed. Appearance matters!
 

skogstokig

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
How many of you recall that in the WPC final, Alex Lely mentioned one pocket. Karl Boyes' added, in rough terms "for those of you who don't know what that means, one pocket is another game played on a pool table." One pocket isn't even close to being on Matchroom's radar, and it's hard to imagine this changing. Finally, one Pocket is an American niche game --- I would guess that about 98% of the world's one pocket players are American. Matchroom's fan base is chiefly European and Asian, and the American pool fan has often lagged behind in Matchroom event viewership, so that's yet another reason you'll probably never see Matchroom do a one pocket event.

i remember that, and was also thinking it was a bit ignorant of boyes. i don't mind lely talking more one pocket, it has a lot of influence in the way some players shoot. he could also point viewers who wants to know more towards accustats youtube channel.

in the whole ofc you're right, even if one pocket to me is the most complete game, it's probably to arcane and niche for casual viewers.
 

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
i remember that, and was also thinking it was a bit ignorant of boyes. i don't mind lely talking more one pocket, it has a lot of influence in the way some players shoot. he could also point viewers who wants to know more towards accustats youtube channel..
That's really not the point. Karl Boyes knows what one pocket is but recognizes that just a small percentage of Matchroom's viewing audience would know what it is. Yes, for guys like me and you, we like one pocket references, and Alex Lely, the best commentator out there, is superb in conveying how playing games like one pocket (and also bank pool) develops a lot of skills that translate well to nine ball. It can be argued that Alex should not have referenced one pocket without offering a very brief summary of what it is. Had he said, one pocket is "a tactically oriented game played chiefly in America that helps to develop speed control and finesse skills," that would have been more than enough for most. Boyes was right to chime in as he did.
 
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