Pool Is Dead

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THE SILENCER

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that's right, dead. the only times it wasn't dead was in 1895,1961,and 1986-1987. 1895 people had no radio,no automobiles, no movies, no television. but they had pool tournaments. back then the champion would win enough so he was set for life! $5,000!! 1961, people came out of the theatre, and wanted to be like jackie gleason in the hustler, two piece cues grew at an unbelievalble fast rate. and finally, 1986-1987, people in japan wanted murray pool tables, and in the usa disco/pool halls opened up, bringing in women, more than ever. today, as in the 50's and 70's pool is dead, dead, dead, dead! pool halls are dying, and so is the sport. let's shut the lights, bring up the balls and call it a failure.
 
ATTENTION EVERYONE: Don't reply to this. It's obvious he just wants to start another flame war. He wants attention. Don't give it to him.
 
LastTwo said:
ATTENTION EVERYONE: Don't reply to this. It's obvious he just wants to start another flame war. He wants attention. Don't give it to him.
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And also I think he is really upset with Nick and Ralf crashing out of the BCA tournament. :D
 
When you think about it...is he all that wrong? Currently one of the most prestigious pool tournaments of the year is running and you see no newspaper coverage in the sports section, no headline sports news on the internet, and no live television coverage. They show bowling tournaments live along with every other sport out there. What will we see and how far into the future will the powers of ESPN decide to show anything on TV of the BCA Open? Is that really a sign of a thriving sport?
 
I am not gonna start a flame war, but i will have to disagree. I think it is a good topic for discussion. If you take a 'real' look at the history of pool the real history, not Silencers dilusional version, pool was very popular pre 1950 for a very long time. If you have read Mosconi's Game, Hustler Days, etc... pool was booming in the times of Ralph Greenleaf. Through the 20's and into the 30's Ralph Greenleaf made $2000 a week, and sold out just about every exibition he did. When Mosconi was going strong he outdrew the Bears. To pick 4 or 5 years out of 100 is absolutely rediculous. I don't believe that pool is dead right now. Although the release of Poolhall Junkies didn't have quite the impact of The Colour Of Money, or The Hustler, but in my area at least, it has definitely brought lots of people into the game. It seems that pool is back on the upslope instead of the downslope.

JMHO.
 
THE SILENCER said:
that's right, dead. the only times it wasn't dead was in 1895,1961,and 1986-1987. 1895 people had no radio,no automobiles, no movies, no television. but they had pool tournaments. back then the champion would win enough so he was set for life! $5,000!! 1961, people came out of the theatre, and wanted to be like jackie gleason in the hustler, two piece cues grew at an unbelievalble fast rate. and finally, 1986-1987, people in japan wanted murray pool tables, and in the usa disco/pool halls opened up, bringing in women, more than ever. today, as in the 50's and 70's pool is dead, dead, dead, dead! pool halls are dying, and so is the sport. let's shut the lights, bring up the balls and call it a failure.
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I for one wish you would follow your own advise. Used Mali cue for sale, I quit.
Thanks Pal, Don P. :cool:
Hope you find that job soon!!!!
 
drivermaker said:
When you think about it...is he all that wrong? Currently one of the most prestigious pool tournaments of the year is running and you see no newspaper coverage in the sports section, no headline sports news on the internet, and no live television coverage. They show bowling tournaments live along with every other sport out there. What will we see and how far into the future will the powers of ESPN decide to show anything on TV of the BCA Open? Is that really a sign of a thriving sport?
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What I was saying is, everyone knows this already, but it tends to piss alot of people off. Who knows, maybe Grady will make the game bigger. He's a genius, you never know what can happen.
 
I used to think that pool would breakout and be popular is america, popular as far as being live on tv having the major tournamnets being shown etc. I guess if pool has not gotten popular now by now it never will be. I hate when all i see on espn is bowling the lumberjack games, ping pong when they could be showing the U.S open and other major pool matches, i guess the problem is everytime pool is shown on tv all you see is the smoked filled halls where guys get their thumbs broken and cops breaking down the door to throw everyone in the slammer. I dont see a end to this and i guess we will have to just watch the lousy trickshots on tv!
 
your right kingcueball and of course drivermaker. honestly, yes, i was pissed that nick van den berg and souquet did poorly, this is true,i'm man enough to admit it, but on this note of pool is dead, it's bloody true. the only people who care about the game are the very good players, THAT'S IT! the average player doesn't care about pool. they play pool, instead of seeing a movie. it's something that's "fun" as long as the general public regards pool as "fun" it will never grow as a serious sport. honestly, if pool never got popular, it wouldn't bother me. i say this because all my life, pool was and is unpopular, so it dosen't phase me in the least. here is what does phase me. pool gets NO R E S P E C T! it's the rodney dangerfield of sports. going into a pool hall, since the release of the color of money, your in a bloody disco! it ain't no pool hall. i'm all for pretty beautiful upscale pool halls, i'm all for women players kicking mens asses. but here's what i hate. upscale pool halls with loud rap music, dim lighting and a full expensive resturant. what the fu#5 is that? this is pool! each and every pool hall should have stadium seating, with zero music, or soft classical music. it should reek of seriousness. if you want "fun" play tidily winks. take up skipping. flying a kite is fun. pool is not fun. at it's best it's boringly perfect. there should be no more gambling associated with pool. the game needs serious, clean (no gambling) respect. when little sqiurts walk into a pool hall, to have "fun" they should either be chased away, with soft classical music, or be transformed, watching the great players, control the cue ball. enough of this, lack of respect, that's what gets me.
 
THE SILENCER said:
your right kingcueball and of course drivermaker. honestly, yes, i was pissed that nick van den berg and souquet did poorly, this is true,i'm man enough to admit it, but on this note of pool is dead, it's bloody true. the only people who care about the game are the very good players, THAT'S IT! the average player doesn't care about pool. they play pool, instead of seeing a movie. it's something that's "fun" as long as the general public regards pool as "fun" it will never grow as a serious sport. honestly, if pool never got popular, it wouldn't bother me. i say this because all my life, pool was and is unpopular, so it dosen't phase me in the least. here is what does phase me. pool gets NO R E S P E C T! it's the rodney dangerfield of sports. going into a pool hall, since the release of the color of money, your in a bloody disco! it ain't no pool hall. i'm all for pretty beautiful upscale pool halls, i'm all for women players kicking mens asses. but here's what i hate. upscale pool halls with loud rap music, dim lighting and a full expensive resturant. what the fu#5 is that? this is pool! each and every pool hall should have stadium seating, with zero music, or soft classical music. it should reek of seriousness. if you want "fun" play tidily winks. take up skipping. flying a kite is fun. pool is not fun. at it's best it's boringly perfect. there should be no more gambling associated with pool. the game needs serious, clean (no gambling) respect. when little sqiurts walk into a pool hall, to have "fun" they should either be chased away, with soft classical music, or be transformed, watching the great players, control the cue ball. enough of this, lack of respect, that's what gets me.
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Why do you talk like a "bloody" British? Care to join me for sweet tea and crumpets? :o
 
fxskater said:
I am not gonna start a flame war, but i will have to disagree. I think it is a good topic for discussion. If you take a 'real' look at the history of pool the real history, not Silencers dilusional version, pool was very popular pre 1950 for a very long time. If you have read Mosconi's Game, Hustler Days, etc... pool was booming in the times of Ralph Greenleaf. Through the 20's and into the 30's Ralph Greenleaf made $2000 a week, and sold out just about every exibition he did. When Mosconi was going strong he outdrew the Bears. To pick 4 or 5 years out of 100 is absolutely rediculous. I don't believe that pool is dead right now. Although the release of Poolhall Junkies didn't have quite the impact of The Colour Of Money, or The Hustler, but in my area at least, it has definitely brought lots of people into the game. It seems that pool is back on the upslope instead of the downslope.

JMHO.
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Reason why Poolhall Junkies didn't do well is cause of lack of advertisement.....Walkins and Chaz were in talk shows and didn't even bother bigging it up. If it were in commercials pool would have probably boomed.
 
THE SILENCER said:
that's right, dead. the only times it wasn't dead was in 1895,1961,and 1986-1987. 1895 people had no radio,no automobiles, no movies, no television. but they had pool tournaments. back then the champion would win enough so he was set for life! $5,000!! 1961, people came out of the theatre, and wanted to be like jackie gleason in the hustler, two piece cues grew at an unbelievalble fast rate. and finally, 1986-1987, people in japan wanted murray pool tables, and in the usa disco/pool halls opened up, bringing in women, more than ever. today, as in the 50's and 70's pool is dead, dead, dead, dead! pool halls are dying, and so is the sport. let's shut the lights, bring up the balls and call it a failure.
Click to expand...

As popular as "The Hustler" was in 1961, that is was screwed things even 'til now. Gambling, smoke, booze, fights...It confirmed the dismal image of the game... Nobody, but nobody's mother wants their son to grow up to be a pool player in North America. That's why the best here live like poppers...$65,000 to win the world championship??? (if only I would have picked up a golf club instead of a cue)...all this "Hustler", "Color of money" crap never happened in Britain...they've always concidered it a class game. Thats why Steve davis, Steven Hendrey, Ronnie O', etc., make more in one tourny than Earl or Efren does in a whole year...
 
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For once me and Silencer agree. The game of modern pool never had a better chance to make it huge then after the Color of Money was released and was such a success both with box office, and with the Oscars. That was a major marketing boom for pool and for a brief time the world took notice of this sport and wanted to see more. The promoters and pool world screwed up royally and could not take advantage of that chance and it is now gone.

A game does not have to have class to make it big. How classy is the NFL? How classy is the NBA? How classy is the NHL? How classy is poker, which is making huge inroads atm? This game will never make it big by trying to change its image to some golden child. It has to embrace the gritty side of its nature and market itself as a rich and unpredictable game full of suspence and intrigue. This game lives and dies based on people like Keith McCready and Earl Strickalnd and Tommy Kennedy. The fast talking pool shark, the unpredictable hothead, and the born again christian with a heart of gold. The game is not going to survive if it keeps trying to take all the atmoshpere and personality out of pool.
 
This thread should be dead

Silencer, what the hell are you ranting about.

On one hand you say that pool is "fun";
... the average player doesn't care about pool. they play pool, instead of seeing a movie. it's something that's "fun"...
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I don't think you have any idea why the average player plays pool.
In the same breath;
if you want "fun" play tidily winks. take up skipping. flying a kite is fun. pool is not fun.
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Apparently you don't have fun playing pool. I suggest you give it up.
This is how to kill pool;
there should be no more gambling associated with pool. the game needs serious, clean (no gambling) respect. when little sqiurts walk into a pool hall, to have "fun" they should either be chased away, with soft classical music, or be transformed, watching the great players, control the cue ball.
Click to expand...

Pool is a primarily participant game. It is as strong now as it has ever been. TV coverage is better than it has ever been, because there are more people playing pool, which translates into more people interested in watching it. More people are playing APA, BCA, TAP, VNEA, and weekly tourneys than ever.

Personally, I have fun playing pool. And I like to wager on my games.

Go back to your skipping and tiddly winks. And learn how to format a paragraph. Or at least post something intelligent for a change.

-CM <---getting really sick of Bernies idiotic rants
 
Pool is dead because of organizations like the BCA and UPA making it damn near impossible for anybody to excel except industry members and hand-picked UPA favorites. The selection process is done behind the curtains. Because it only affects a small minority of players, organizations like the BCA and UPA think this will go unnoticed.

The UPA wants to promote men's pool? Hogwash. The UPA is promoting who is friends with the selecting body in that organization, the BCA closes its eyes to the selection process utilized by Steve Tipton and World Class Management, and the pool players are nothing more than mere whores who fatten the pockets of others.

The money in pool comes from the numerous leagues around the country. Look at the Super Billiards Expo at Valley Forge. Do you think the profits, if there were any, came from the men's pro tournament? Folks like Mark Griffin, hopefully, will make a difference with the BCA league system. This is where and how the sport will grow.

ManlyShot
 
So, you think that pool is dead? In your huge country? Come on! You've got plenty of pool halls, lots of players, I hear of tournaments and money games all the time, every single week...be happy you have what you have...
Also, for you it's so easy and cheap to buy any piece of all that billiard equipment...

My country has population of about 4 million. There are only about 140 or so registred pool players. That's it, no more!

We have only about 80(!) 9ft pool tables in the whole country! I have seen and played on just 1(one) snooker table, and have only heard about the other. I've also heard about a few carom tables, but I've never seen those in person. Stupid laws in our country make it very difficult for potential pool halls to operate properly...and the owners are quite greedy...

It is also very difficult to obtain any decent cue. You will just wait and wait and wait...you will pay a lot more than it is worth unless you find a way to smuggle it illegally somehow. It is best to just buy second hand...

But I am as enthusiastic as ever! This sport is only for enthusiasts, not some casual viewers...you have to realize that. I kinda like the fact that I play the game which is anything but upscale. People sometimes ask me what instrument do I play when I walk to my club. They are of course refering to my cue case hanging on my shoulder...that always cracks me up!

You people live in what I would describe as pool paradise. So stop bitchin' and cryin'. Just go to your club and play! Be enthousiast, don't whine!
 
predator said:
So, you think that pool is dead? In your huge country? Come on! You've got plenty of pool halls, lots of players, I hear of tournaments and money games all the time, every single week...be happy you have what you have...You people live in what I would describe as pool paradise. So stop bitchin' and cryin'. Just go to your club and play! Be enthousiast, don't whine!
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If this is pool paradise, I would sure hate to see what pool hell looks like.

Predator, sounds like you are a pool shooter who enjoys playing the game as a recreational sport. There are some pool players here in the States who have devoted their life to the "sport." Grady Mathews comes to mind, as well as a few others. This is how they make their living. It is not a social sport to them, and some of these legends are still contributing to the sport today, often uncompensated, but trying to make a difference.

You are correct in that there are plenty of pool halls and lots of players, social players, league players, and bar table shooters. The problem, my friend, is that the ruling organization here in the States, the BCA and the newly formed UPA, the men's pro player ruling organization, are only looking out for the interests of INDUSTRY MEMBERS and FRIENDS of the UPA selecting body. It's a good old boys' club.

The Derby City Classic is successful because it is a player-friendly event. Anybody and EVERYBODY is welcome to participate and compete, and each year, it gets bigger and better. However, if you are going to have an invitational-only tournament, such as the BCA Open or WPC, it would seem logical for the UPA and BCA to adhere to their own rules, but they don't.

The BCA is only interested in anything to fatten the pockets of its industry members and, quite possibly, one pool media entity. The BCA Hall of Fame Committee selection process is a good example of this. Does anybody know what the final vote was? The BCA asked for the public's input in November of last year. Do you think the public's input was even taken into consideration? The BCA voted behind the scenes and selected who would fatten the pockets of its industry members. I am not saying the selectees were not worthy, but when they overlook Allen Hopkins, Earl Strickland, Jose Parica, and legends like Ronnie Allen and Grady Mathews, year after year after year, it is evident who they are supporting.

As a recreational sport, pool is very popular. As a profession, it's a good old boy's club. Players like Kid Delicious who paid their 100 bucks to become a UPA touring pro can just forget about EVER getting an opportunity to advance his pool-playing career. He is not afforded the same opportunity to receive UPA ranking points because the invitational-only BCA Open accounts for 20 to 25 percent of the UPA ranking points. Check out the UPA website at http://www.upatour.org and look at the so-called "men's tour" here in the United States.

ManlyShot
 
Top Spin said:
Thats why Steve davis, Steven Hendrey, Ronnie O', etc., make more in one tourny than Earl or Efren does in a whole year...
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Almost right. But have you seen Davis play recently?

All through the 90s and this decade his game has really sucked. He does however still make a lot of money from endorsements, public appearances and commentating.

Plus, he was loaded anyway because his best years were when snooker went through its boom in the 1980s.

The big disappointment this year was that ex-pats couldn't follow the world championships live on the internet. In the past you could get live televised BBC coverage of the whole tournament.

I found this video of one of Ronnie's 147s. Amazing stuff:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/cta/sport/events2002/snooker/best_of/rocket147_1997_bb.ram
 
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