Was just thinking about the state of pool especially after reading a few of the recent postings.So here is the questions I have.
What are sponsors actually doing for the players it sponsors? For example if a player is sponsored by Diamond Billiards what do they get out of it other than a patch they have to wear in a tournament. Do they get a free table of their choice in their private homes? Would the sponsor pay their entry fees or travel expenses? Does the player get a fixed pay for playing with their logo on their shirt or vest?Basically what do sponsors really offer top players.
Im not asking for larger purses in general but what can we do to make pool here in america worth wile to have players traveling from Asia or other parts of the world to play here. I was very sad when I read how Efren was not going to be playing in the USA much because there was so little for him to gain from it after his expenses.
If the idea of players having sponsors is to have the players represent their product in a positive manner and effectively advertise their products. There are a lot of people out there that are knew to the sport that would simply rush out and get a cue from a manufacturer if they knew the exact model that their idol plays with. Probably thousands of Cuetec R360 cues have been sold simply because SVB plays with one. It does not mean it is the best cue on the market but if it is good enough for a world class cueist to use it than it should be for a beginner as well. Most of us know it is not the cue that makes the shot it is the person using it.
I know that when a manufacturer sponsors someone it places limitations on the equipment they use to play with. I have heard in some cases the sponsor will simply provide them with a stick or a table and a patch. If it is anything like that then I totally understand why a player would not want to be sponsored. I would rather just buy my own stuff and be able to use whatever I wanted to. There has to be more compensation than that.
It just seems to me that if the manufacturers were to pony up more for the best players and support the sport more through paid advertising of the events their sponsored players are a part of pool might actually start building up players more than ever before.
The game has been changing like Efren said with the frequency of jump cues and getting away from a lot of safety play. The use of non traditional materials is also changing it quite a bit.
What are sponsors actually doing for the players it sponsors? For example if a player is sponsored by Diamond Billiards what do they get out of it other than a patch they have to wear in a tournament. Do they get a free table of their choice in their private homes? Would the sponsor pay their entry fees or travel expenses? Does the player get a fixed pay for playing with their logo on their shirt or vest?Basically what do sponsors really offer top players.
Im not asking for larger purses in general but what can we do to make pool here in america worth wile to have players traveling from Asia or other parts of the world to play here. I was very sad when I read how Efren was not going to be playing in the USA much because there was so little for him to gain from it after his expenses.
If the idea of players having sponsors is to have the players represent their product in a positive manner and effectively advertise their products. There are a lot of people out there that are knew to the sport that would simply rush out and get a cue from a manufacturer if they knew the exact model that their idol plays with. Probably thousands of Cuetec R360 cues have been sold simply because SVB plays with one. It does not mean it is the best cue on the market but if it is good enough for a world class cueist to use it than it should be for a beginner as well. Most of us know it is not the cue that makes the shot it is the person using it.
I know that when a manufacturer sponsors someone it places limitations on the equipment they use to play with. I have heard in some cases the sponsor will simply provide them with a stick or a table and a patch. If it is anything like that then I totally understand why a player would not want to be sponsored. I would rather just buy my own stuff and be able to use whatever I wanted to. There has to be more compensation than that.
It just seems to me that if the manufacturers were to pony up more for the best players and support the sport more through paid advertising of the events their sponsored players are a part of pool might actually start building up players more than ever before.
The game has been changing like Efren said with the frequency of jump cues and getting away from a lot of safety play. The use of non traditional materials is also changing it quite a bit.
