Players Attempting to Unionize?

I all boils down to what changes the players want and how they go about requesting them. I think both sides need each other more than they think. Would you buy the stream of an event or attend in person if the top 20 players weren't participating? I wouldn't. Without the top players, added money would most like reduce. It's not a good scenario for all involved. In order to market a quality product to attract real money, the top players need to be participating. Everyone prospers if real money gets injected into pro pool.
People with the $$ can always do something else with it. The players have no power. They start making demands and the promoters will just walk. Companies like MR and Predator will still make money with no pro pool tour. Sure they want it to go but they're not going to be strong-armed by any players asociation. This is pool not baseball, football, etc.
 
People with the $$ can always do something else with it. The players have no power. They start making demands and the promoters will just walk. Companies like MR and Predator will still make money with no pro pool tour. Sure they want it to go but they're not going to be strong-armed by any players asociation. This is pool not baseball, football, etc.
You don't think Matchroom and Predator will make incremental revenue (potentially significant) if there was a bonafide pro tour?
 
You don't think Matchroom and Predator will make incremental revenue (potentially significant) if there was a bonafide pro tour?
Not enough to get pushed by unionized players. If and when pro pool gains stature maybe but right now the players just need to play and be happy there is pro pool that pays decent again. Look how successful snooker is with no union. Those guys aren't stupid. A players association is one thing, a union is on whole different planet.
 
Not enough to get pushed by unionized players. If and when pro pool gains stature maybe but right now the players just need to play and be happy there is pro pool that pays decent again. Look how successful snooker is with no union. Those guys aren't stupid. A players association is one thing, a union is on whole different planet.
I believe it is more of an association. I don't see them having dues, etc. but it is too early to tell. Organization by the players is not a bad thing, IMO.
 
Just a thought, but wouldn't it actually be better for the men to somehow integrate with the women's wpba and have one main organization under a unified banner? Seems really shortsighted and non productive to be seperate.
 
Just a thought, but wouldn't it actually be better for the men to somehow integrate with the women's wpba and have one main organization under a unified banner? Seems really shortsighted and non productive to be seperate.
Its never been done in other sports. Probably a reason for it. Don't want get all woke/political but imo they need to have their own org's. Fan-bases, marketing,etc. are different. I'll leave it that.
 
Just a thought, but wouldn't it actually be better for the men to somehow integrate with the women's wpba and have one main organization under a unified banner? Seems really shortsighted and non productive to be seperate.
They tried back in the 90s. The women were willing to try a partnership, but the men demanded that the women join their association and be under their authority. That's not a partnership. That's a dictatorship.
 
I can’t speak for everyone but I think at least some people are having flashbacks to previous association/union attempts that scuttled promising opportunities. So in that case it’s less of an anti-union sentiment and more of a concern that history might repeat itself.

But we really don’t know what their mission and purpose is. I do think that a players association is a good idea assuming they don’t push too far on the wrong things.
The one thing about roaming cats, they usually do the same thing to get their catch.
They are Extremely predictable.
Knowing this about any animal, will help you with your goal.
Same as a robin, in the spring looking/checking/making sure where they place their nest, by watching all the other animals, and squirrels actions. When that spot is picked, they begin to construct.

Once in a great while, an unknown will cross it's hatch.
They will defend, and not always win.
 
I had a chance to watch the podcast and I do support their aims. I think they have some great ideas, but I just don’t see where they have leverage to enforce the code of conduct or the changes they want to the game. Darren mentions getting the WPA house in order, but I’m not sure how they can do that unless one of them is actually on the board.

I would also recommend they get someone who is good at PR or just communications. Darren was frustrated by the negative response, but a lot of that response is down to how it was announced. It was just a public post on Facebook with no real information and the word union being tossed around. Given the historical context of associations in pool, and exciting tours that are starting, it’s not surprising people would be concerned.
 
IBM, American Express and Rolex are some of the sponsors of the Womens US Amateur Championships live at Augusta, which has 33 American women and NOW.... the remaining field from all other countries.
 
Any great game needs a true feeder system BUT.........How do you increase player membership, if the professional sport is not yet matured?
 
Note that most of the snooker tournaments are sponsored by betting apps. BETTING is the reason that snooker gets the attention it does. Hopefully, as sports betting takes over the USA, the sportsbooks will include pocket billiard fixtures. As I understand it, Judd Trump's matches at the US open last year were available to place bets.
Pool seems like a game where involvement of some sort is necessary, or else it's boring. I'm really into pool, but even I can't be bothered to watch other people play, even though I'd definitely learn a lot by watching better players compete.

If people had skin in the game, I think that would make the game more interesting for them to watch and keep track of. Pool was popular with spectators back when it was a betting game. "Cleaning up" pool seems to have only wiped away the crowds that used to watch people play pool.
 
If it were impossible for the matched up players to NOT know the line, how could it fail?
 
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