I had to get my wife to check those vids out,she couldn't believe it either.I noticed all the roosters but also did you guys notice how many very young kids were there to watch?I thought that was really cool!!
What is it that attracts the young Filipinos to the game? The gambling.
What is it that attracts the Joey Grey's, Justin Bergman's, Skylar's, Chips, etc? The gambling.
When The Color Of Money came out and the interest rose, why was that? The gambling.
Imo the gambling aspect of pool is very similar to the fighting aspect of martial arts. People can say that they started Brazillian Jiu Jitsu, for example, because it is a fun sport or because it teaches great personal attributes or even because they want to learn self defense, and to an extent all of those things are true and keeps them in the game but the truth is the real reason people start is because they want to learn how to fight, plain and simple. Self defense is much easier and effective if you buy a stun gun but for ego reasons people want to know how to fight. When the ufc first came out bjj schools, rose in popularity and once muay thai, boxing, and wrestling were proven effective those schools too rose even when the sport itself was seen as a barbaric spectacle. Zuffa figured out how to covertly highlight the fighting while giving it the image of a sport for mainstream acceptance but it is still the fighting that kids want to learn and for the same reasons.
Imo the gambling aspect can be marketed with young adults such as Joey and Justin and excite a younger audience to the game. The trick is to do it in a way that is acceptable. Display the GAMBLING in a cool way with YOUNG ADULTS and viewers will be attracted. It is the gambling that attracted today's players and it is the gambling that can attract many more for tomorrow if it is done correctly.
I'm not saying to get rid of the sport aspect of pool. I'm just saying that is not what is going to draw in the most participants imo. I think trying to hide the gambling aspect of the game is a mistake. Just present it right.