I have to reply, however I have only read till page three.
First, "Why is Poker so popular"? Any Joe BLow can sit on their a$$ at a table with Phil Ivey, Daniel Negrenau etc and wait on a good hand, and know how to play them right after a short amount of experience, and think they have a chance at winning.
In Pool, ol' Joey can play for ten years solid, gain a wealth of knowledge, but can never execute at a level to win against Efren, Ralph etc.
The draw of poker is the illusion of winning big money easy. In pool winning isn't as easy (especially if there is big money). Therefore Joe Blow will pony up 10K to play in a poker tourney but with the physical hand/eye coordination plus the nerves needed to play for big money in pool, Joe Blow wont pony up 10K for a Pool Tourney. Hell, 85% of "A" players in the country, not to mention your avg "league player" wouldn't pony up 10K for a Pool tourney because they know they would be the true definition of "Dead Money".
The sterotype of the seedy hustler will always have a blackeye on pro-pool. This image would have to change.
Golfers (pro-level) gamble and gamble big, but you dont hear about it because that is not the image the PGA wants promoted.
Having a casino sponsor big events. Great IDEA!!! Except, a few years back at a certain event held at a casino, the players involved (PRO's) kinda put the fix on the odds and the weakest player one and the players split up the money.
Well, needless to say that pissed off the casino and the word spread to other casinos, so forget about that route for sponsorship (also, refer back to seedy hustler image and why it has to change).
Dress code, "Business Casual". Which means polo shirts, and cotton slacks (Dockers). Shoes comfortable to the player that are not sandals, flip flops, or anything similar to those. This is all that should ever be required.
Pool players in tuxes, thats the epitomy of "polishing a turd" and the general public will think to themselves, "look at these guys trying so hard to hide their seedy deceitful practices by dressing in tuxes. Who are they trying to fool".
The BCA (Billiards Cast Aside) needs to be over thrown. They have not fulfilled their expectations of their "Mission Statement That's right, I said it! MUTINY!!! For pool to succeed there needs to be an established association that attends to the "Professional Level of Competition" plus the amatuer levels. Good models to look at, The USGA (United States Golf Association), and the USBC (United States Bowling Congress).
The BCA Should be responsible for organizing FOUR major events a year, and have the marketing strategy in place to attract corporate sponsors for these events. Sadly that is not in the interest of the BCA.
(my first thoughts on this thread, back to reading).