Yeah that sounds about right, can't remember when exactly, but they tightened up the rules a few years back, maybe it was when Barry Hearn took over (could have been before though).
Pool almost dead?
- Thread starter Kevin3824
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Yeah that sounds about right, can't remember when exactly, but they tightened up the rules a few years back, maybe it was when Barry Hearn took over (could have been before though).
Very true, but as with snooker the players can't drink and gamble when playing anymore (the fans of course can and do a lot of both)!
and that is why Pool is where it is right now.
No one cares.
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Let me clarify my point:
Major participant sports with major sponsors, like baseball, basketball, football, even soccer, etc. have venues where kids can play the game and where parents can watch their kids play. Soccer matches, Little League baseball, basketball and football in schools, etc., create large masses of people participating in the sport. This translates into large audiences for the pro versions of these sports, which translates into major sponsors, which means more money in the sport.
The problem with cue sports is that there are no real equivalent venues where pool can be a family-friendly sport. Most pool tables in this country are in bars. The rest are in pool rooms that depend on booze and gambling to pay the bills. Pool is not a wholesome family-friendly sport. It is booze and gambling and hustling. Which is okay for people who are in to all that. But this is not the formula for a major sport.
Major participant sports with major sponsors, like baseball, basketball, football, even soccer, etc. have venues where kids can play the game and where parents can watch their kids play. Soccer matches, Little League baseball, basketball and football in schools, etc., create large masses of people participating in the sport. This translates into large audiences for the pro versions of these sports, which translates into major sponsors, which means more money in the sport.
The problem with cue sports is that there are no real equivalent venues where pool can be a family-friendly sport. Most pool tables in this country are in bars. The rest are in pool rooms that depend on booze and gambling to pay the bills. Pool is not a wholesome family-friendly sport. It is booze and gambling and hustling. Which is okay for people who are in to all that. But this is not the formula for a major sport.
Most of the bar-tables are in bars but not big tables. Granted, quite a few poolrooms sell alcohol but not all. I hope i'm wrong but i doubt you'll ever see grass-roots pool take off here. It would take some sort of pool playing cultural/pop icon to jump start it. Not just another movie but sort of a "pool prophet" if you will.
I read an article online recently in the Billings Gazette about invasive species prevention. The officers from FWP interviewed some younger people who didn't even know there were mandatory boat inspections or why there would be.
The article concluded that despite broad coverage on local media (including print, television, and radio) none of it had reached the youth. It simply wasn't the right forum for the message. They concluded their agency would have to look into not only digital media, but the right types to reach their intended audience. That would mean SnapChat, Instagram, Whatsapp, and others. Facebook was only mentioned in passing.
The article concluded that despite broad coverage on local media (including print, television, and radio) none of it had reached the youth. It simply wasn't the right forum for the message. They concluded their agency would have to look into not only digital media, but the right types to reach their intended audience. That would mean SnapChat, Instagram, Whatsapp, and others. Facebook was only mentioned in passing.
Th next "BIG" thing.......................
Nippin' at pools heels: http://dfwcurling.com/cgi-bin/index.pl?page=home Probably better organized than any pool league i've been in. If i lived in DFW i'd have to give a shot.
Nippin' at pools heels: http://dfwcurling.com/cgi-bin/index.pl?page=home Probably better organized than any pool league i've been in. If i lived in DFW i'd have to give a shot.
Check back in 100 years please! They'll still be playing pool when baseball, basketball and football are dead and buried!
Trouble
I don't think the 'gambling' part has a whole lot to do with the failure of pool here in the USA. I don't think most people object to someone placing a wager and taking a risk on their own judgment and confidence about the outcome of an event. Even the most puritanical like to bet a few bucks on a horse race or a football game. Members of the clergy make simple $2 nassaus every day at golf courses. The gambling isn't the issue, in my opinion.
Few here have mentioned the guns, knives, ex-cons, and violence aspects of pool rooms.
Many of the books and stories you read, about pool history, are filled with comments about "me and my pistol", "had to take a shank to him", "his wife shot him at a table", "we've got baseball bats and machine guns here in Chicago", "met him in the parking lot and took back the money", "he was an expert at jarring a mark", "how to air barrel and get away with it", "so and so was the shotcaller in that room like on the yard so when something started jumping off, the others knew what to do", etc. etc. on and on it goes.
By and large, pool room patrons are not even near the mainstream of civilized society.
Parents do not want their youngsters being in such places as they're growing up.
So, the youth are encouraged to take to healthy active outdoor sports which require good exercise and good health.
Sure, there are pool players who're exceptions...but they're far from the usual.
Again...by and large, pool room patrons are not in the mainstream of a civilized society.
And that is a rotten shame, for such a wonderful game that requires so much skill and effort. But realistically speaking.........there is no hope for it.
I don't think the 'gambling' part has a whole lot to do with the failure of pool here in the USA. I don't think most people object to someone placing a wager and taking a risk on their own judgment and confidence about the outcome of an event. Even the most puritanical like to bet a few bucks on a horse race or a football game. Members of the clergy make simple $2 nassaus every day at golf courses. The gambling isn't the issue, in my opinion.
Few here have mentioned the guns, knives, ex-cons, and violence aspects of pool rooms.
Many of the books and stories you read, about pool history, are filled with comments about "me and my pistol", "had to take a shank to him", "his wife shot him at a table", "we've got baseball bats and machine guns here in Chicago", "met him in the parking lot and took back the money", "he was an expert at jarring a mark", "how to air barrel and get away with it", "so and so was the shotcaller in that room like on the yard so when something started jumping off, the others knew what to do", etc. etc. on and on it goes.
By and large, pool room patrons are not even near the mainstream of civilized society.
Parents do not want their youngsters being in such places as they're growing up.
So, the youth are encouraged to take to healthy active outdoor sports which require good exercise and good health.
Sure, there are pool players who're exceptions...but they're far from the usual.
Again...by and large, pool room patrons are not in the mainstream of a civilized society.
And that is a rotten shame, for such a wonderful game that requires so much skill and effort. But realistically speaking.........there is no hope for it.
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Pangit
Banned
Check back in 100 years please! They'll still be playing pool when baseball, basketball and football are dead and buried!
Baseball, basketball, and football are way more alive than pool. That's wishful thinking.
The glorification of Gansters in America starting with the likes of Al Capone is one of reasons that we still admire "The Thug Life" today in America.
Because of the Prohibition of alcohol, the Gansters were the ones who could bring in and provide booze to the thirsty and grateful citizens.
This criminal element spilled into the Billiards Parlors causing the downfall of what was a Gentleman's pastime.
Because of the Prohibition of alcohol, the Gansters were the ones who could bring in and provide booze to the thirsty and grateful citizens.
This criminal element spilled into the Billiards Parlors causing the downfall of what was a Gentleman's pastime.
Who is this "WE" you're referring to?
I don't admire the thug life and never have.
Speak for yourself, pardner
(by the way, Al Capone and prohibition have been dead and in hell for a long,long, time):wink:
I'd say it's been long enough to stop using that as a diagnosis for violent and criminal type people in pool rooms.
Keep on truckin'
:thumbup:
I agree with Jay.Check back in 100 years please! They'll still be playing pool when baseball, basketball and football are dead and buried!
Pool is going to be around forever.
The pro tournament action may never pay like pro tennis of golf but the game is not dead or dying.
Pool peaked in the 1920s. The depression was very hard on the game. Before the depression there were so many pool rooms they were hard to count.
There were a couple of events such as the " Hustler " and the " Color of Money " that led to bringing the the game back.
The big pool halls that opened in Los Angeles in the early 90s are all gone. Pool has no stars and that is the problem.
Back in the day they had Willie Mosconi and he traveled around giving exhibitions that were well attended. Willie was a star.
A World champion like Shane can walk into the local pool hall and only the hard core players will even know who he is.
Without stars there are small purses for events. If Tiger Woods walks into the pool hall every beer swilling ball banger will recognize him.
There were a couple of events such as the " Hustler " and the " Color of Money " that led to bringing the the game back.
The big pool halls that opened in Los Angeles in the early 90s are all gone. Pool has no stars and that is the problem.
Back in the day they had Willie Mosconi and he traveled around giving exhibitions that were well attended. Willie was a star.
A World champion like Shane can walk into the local pool hall and only the hard core players will even know who he is.
Without stars there are small purses for events. If Tiger Woods walks into the pool hall every beer swilling ball banger will recognize him.
Only the alcohol part.
The Prohibition Amendment also prohibited many of the drugs that continue to fund organized crime nearly 100 years later.
We learned that Prohibition does not work with alcohol.
Why do we persist in the notion that it works with drugs,... ?
Go play it for 10-12hrs straight and i think you'll answer your own question.
Sport: Anything two or more people can do together to show that one is better at it than the others.
Marriage is a sport.
But if target shooting can be in the Olympics as a sport, I'm not sure why Pool is any less. For that matter golf seems pretty similar, just on a bigger green.
Heck, I've heard the definition "if you can't play defense it is not a sport" but in pool you actually CAN play defense.
Now if I can just convince my wife learning to shoot pool makes me an athlete....(but she plays the "spouse" sport better than I, so it's hopeless).
I will be more drained by gardening for 12 hours straight. Doesn't make it a sport.