pool is dieing, what are you doing about it?

Fatboy said:
I have 2 friends staying here with me at the moment, one grew up with a snooker table and he is a D+ player but comes with some great shots, his dad has a 12' box, he is about 27 and has moved out buit plays once in a while. He is here working with/for me on a marketing gig.

The other guy is 20 and the other night was the first time in his life he EVER played 20 years old and never hit a ball??? That was impossible a few years ago, absolutely 100% impossible to be 20 years old and never played pool once, and he didnt grow up living a sheltered life at all, he is well educated, travelled professional photographer, this kid has his shit together and has never hit a ball. WOW where is pool going??? There just isnt the interest, parents arnt like Jerry Benke who taught all his kids how to play, pool isnt being passed down. its getting passed off.

pool is dieing, what are you doing about it?
Click to expand...
I am probably contributing the the death in my own very small way. My home room has three leagues which I am about to quit. I am done with the 8/9-ball league. I won't play in the straight pool league anymore, and after this session I intend to quit APA.

I do plan on playing in tournaments and engaging in light gambling though.
but I am just about done with league play.
 
Fatboy said:
I have 2 friends staying here with me at the moment, one grew up with a snooker table and he is a D+ player but comes with some great shots, his dad has a 12' box, he is about 27 and has moved out buit plays once in a while. He is here working with/for me on a marketing gig.

The other guy is 20 and the other night was the first time in his life he EVER played 20 years old and never hit a ball??? That was impossible a few years ago, absolutely 100% impossible to be 20 years old and never played pool once, and he didnt grow up living a sheltered life at all, he is well educated, travelled professional photographer, this kid has his shit together and has never hit a ball. WOW where is pool going??? There just isnt the interest, parents arnt like Jerry Benke who taught all his kids how to play, pool isnt being passed down. its getting passed off.

pool is dieing, what are you doing about it?
Click to expand...

I wasn't brought up in USA Fatboy so I've a lot more to learn about cirumstances there than I've managed to pick up from visits and from American friends, but I'd have a VERY large wager with you that it is not anywhere remotely near "impossible" for someone to have reached 20 without ever playing pool a few years ago. Not only that I'd even bet that we're not just talking about just a small insignificant number either and that a sizeble percentage of USA youths at any given time in history would definitely have reached 20 without ever playing pool.

Perhaps the first step is therefore to improve the reality factor in our perspectives surrounding pool. Some of us are far too close it to be able to see the wider picture.

What am I doing personally?.....Trying to occasionally inspire arabs to take it up by shaming them into trying to become good enough to beat an old man and venturing out of pool retirement every now and then to donate to up and coming pros:smile: :p
 
Last edited:
I do what I can to promote the game - for instance I go shoot a lot of days during lunch and make it a point to invite my co-workers, even if they aren't players. Believe it or not though, since I started playing there have been several people come up and say they want to play, and that they used to play and would like to get back into it.

Then there are the people who see my carry my case & cues into work. For some reason they can't get over the fact that I have my own pool cue. These same guys spend thousands of dollars on golf clubs, golf shoes, golf gloves, etc... But can't get over the fact that I have a relatively cheap $250 pool cue!

For those guys I usually try to get them to go shoot with me during lunch, but none of them have taken me up on it yet.

I also try to talk up the hall that I go to. It is actually a really nice and calm place most of the time, and you can bring kids of whatever age in if you want. I don't know if anyone has gone due to my talking about it but I'm trying to get people in there!
 
what am I doing

Well, I play for nights a week and captain three of those teams which are APA. Now just the mere mention of APA will probably bring some poster in here to put in his two cents about how "APA is for bangers" or "the rules suck" which is not really good for pool. I do not think this is good for pool. These leagues bring pool players into the sport. I just got into it with another member the other day who seemed to have a real beef with APA as many others do. Yes, I sit there and watch some pretty sub par pool on these nights but this league is growing so that means more new players are coming into the sport while perhaps the better players are even leaving this particular league. If you want the sport to grow like any business you need to have a plan and go with it. The WPBA does it and it is very organized about how they promote themselves.

The general public has an image of smokey pool rooms filled with surly characters gambling. Just talk to any pool room owner who has tried to open a pool room and they will tell you how tough it is to change that perception when going to the town for approval. I myself get, "Oh, your a hustler" when I don't even gamble.

Just my thoughts here......:deadhorse:
 
Well,

I play two leagues a night and bring both of my kids, 15 year old son and 11 year old daughter to junior league which is 60 miles one way from our house. Both my kids also participate in 5 - 7 junior tournament though out the year. I don't push my kids to play but I do really enjoy spending time playing pool with them in the basement.

The best ending to a day at work is spending time with my kids around a pool table and talking about what is going on with there lives.
 
I play in two leagues and practice as well.

I play in local tournaments.

I buy, sell, trade, and talk cues every chance I get.

Cyrex and I are organizing the West Coast Cue Show.

I play in the BCA 8-ball tourney once a year.

I support AZ by being a Club Member.

I support small and large vendors who sell cues and accessories.

I love and evangelize the game.

I would love to see a Pool-After School program for grammar and HS kids.
 
Last edited:
Fatboy said:
we need to relaease the movie after we write a virus that james up all the video games online. we must sabatoge other form of entertainment.
Click to expand...

True. The video game industry has surpassed the movie industry in gross $$$.

Vid-game business has really low operating costs too. All the money goes into marketing/advertising.

Pool video games is the way to go. Ones like Grand Theft Auto, where a road player goes into a bar and ducks getting shot, but is still able to grab the $$$ off the light :-)
 
  • Like
Reactions: JAM
I started the MN Straight Pool Association.

We sponsor free pool clinics (most are based on 14.1, but really cover any billiard related questions). Also run non-profit straight pool leagues, next seasons to be tied with 14and1.com.

I'm more trying to promote 14.1, but I have seen straight pool's popularity come up a bit in the Twin Cities over the past year and half, partial due to my own misguided efforts.
 
I play when ever I can

I try to share some decent knowledge when possible especially with young starting out players

I try not to rob complete idiots that think they can play (I have problems with this one at times but the frequency is at least going down) :grin: :grin: :grin:
 
Mark Griffin - CSI-NCS-BCAPL

Here is what we are doing about it. We have started the NCS (National Champioinship Series). More info will be coming over next few weeks. But here is the basic in:

CSI will have several press releases over the next few weeks. If you have any questions, please contact Holly@cuesportsintl.com or call 702-791-7665. Input is encouraged.

The NCS (National Championship Series) is a method to establish 5 National champions in 5 different games. The US has never had true National Champions. Each state will be offered at least one qualifier-with a total of 64qualifers to be scheduled. We hope to help establish several State Championships through these efforts. These events will be help in pool rooms throughout the US.

The first event is 8-Ball. The regional qualifier winners will receive $500 entry to Nationals. The National winner of the 8-Ball will be allowed to represent the US at the WPA world's 8-ball event. The winner will receive an ALL EXPENSES trip - including air fare, hotel, and food. The remaining money will be paid to other high finishers - or to help fund more US players to other World events.

These are all low entry (under $100) events. These events are about 'titles and recognition'-not prize funds. They will look good on a player's resume. The pool rooms, players and the events will get substantial exposure. This becomes a win-win for everyone involved.

CSI will provide current info on the upcoming events and eventual winners of all qualifiers. Hopefully everyone can help support this concept. The original press release can be viewed here: http://www.azbilliards.com/2000storya.php?storynum=5638.

Mark Griffin
CSI
BCAPL
Diamond Billiard Products
 
Thanks Jason

Jason makes one of the best observations about pool. Real estate prices. Wonder where all the drive ins went? Unless you live in the country you probably dont see many any more. The only ones near St Louis are in the boonies and one in a VERY poor area. If you have to charge $20/ person for a movie to pay for real estate taxes who would pay that? Pool players are the same way. They all SAY they want high quality places to play in. Nice neighborhood places...yada yada yada. But if the owner is paying $30k in rent every month you cannot stay competitive in pool prices...or drink prices...and everyone complains how you are raping them charging $7/hour for pool or $5 beers. High rents will always push pool rooms to old run down buildings and lower class neighborhoods in the future. No one will pay the money required to support the sport in a nice area. St. Louis lost Chesterfield Billiards a while back (Nicer room in high rent area) . They have been trying to reopen way way west in order to find affordable real estate. If my father didn't have the foresight to buy our building we would have gone full retail and eliminated the billiard parlor part of our business years ago.
 
players need to change.

You are right, pool is dying thanks to some bad players who are always crying that there is no Money in pool and at the same time they hustle anyone for a dollar. I have seen open players robbing new players for 5 or 100 dollars and guess what those new players stop coming after a while -who lost? Us the pool community. I have seen poolhall owners not allowing Junior players into pool halls even when they go with their parents or are members of a Tour - No future in the Sport, who loses? Us the pool community. But I have seen Good players getting out of their way teaching and even Sponsoring Players, I have seen pool room owners putting $1000 guaranteed in a tournament - players show for couple of weeks and stop coming. What was wrong with $1000? Oh! Too hard to win it - Players fault (no heart). My family keeps playing, we want this Sport to survive even when some Bad players do the opposite. Only when these Players change their attitude this Sport will change, will be recognized as a Sport and will be respected as a Sport isn't this what we want? Just my opinion R.C.
 
let it die,it's killing us................

rack the balls ..knock em in ..........re-rack and do it again.....



ITS MADNESS. !!.................DOWN WITH THIS DAMNABLE GAME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!



.................................................can l get the eight and snapola ?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top