America has some great players but pool itself in America absolutely sucks. It had a chance with the IPT but so much for that. The main problem in America is that you have Baseball, Football, Basketball, Nascar, Golf, Hockey,. in this country there is no room for pool to be big as a spectator sport. The major sponsors are all tied up, The major T.V. staions are all tied up. In the Phillipines the top pool players are respected by the entire country it is basically their only sport over there, in America pool players are still thought of as garbage. It is sad to see all the great older pool players that have nothing to show for a lifetime of dedication. If you are not in the top 20 in the world you are not making shit. It is horrible. I cannot believe people who teach their kids when they are young to shoot pool. they want them to be pool players!! Put a golf club, baseball, football, or basketball in the kids hand instead. At least if they become a top player in those sports they will be financially set for life, as opposed to pool where you are basically laying the ground work for a wasted life. I started playing pool when I was 20 years old so I do not have that kids love for the game. I did however like making money gambling at the game. The problem is as I got better I started making less and less money. That is what happens with pool wherever you live, everybody knows each others speed and when you are the best of that area nobody wants to play which is what happened to me. I was and am good friends with alot of the older great players and I saw that they had nothing to show for all their success and it really hit me one day that I had to do something else while I still could and than later go back to pool. I am married so going on road trips is tough. I made the decision to start my own business with my brother and I knew I had to give pool up completely for awhile or else I would not dedicate to the business. I forced myself to become so negative with pool that about 3 years later I am trying to get back into playing a little but my heart is not in it. In hindsight I am still glad I stopped when I did. My advice to people out there who have kids, keep them out of the poolromm and do not get them hooked on a game that 99.99% of the time will be a waste. Keep the kids in school. Life unlike pool is not a game, you get 1 chance at it, so do not set your kids up in game that will waste their lives.
Pool playing in America is a waste
- Thread starter thebighurt
- Start date
At a point in my life I started to practice seriously, force myself to compete, and do drills. I spent some money on tapes and a good cue and made some big advances in my skills at nine ball. I also seemed to make less money the more I improved so I quit and got into another non pool related business. I did much better and was a lot happier too. That was a while back.
As far as doing it for a living, I think it is best to do it as a sideline first. I remember taking a full load of courses in college, working part time at a service station, being in the Army Reserves, and still having time to shoot a lot of pool. You can always go from part time or sideline pool to full time pool if you have what it takes.....
As far as doing it for a living, I think it is best to do it as a sideline first. I remember taking a full load of courses in college, working part time at a service station, being in the Army Reserves, and still having time to shoot a lot of pool. You can always go from part time or sideline pool to full time pool if you have what it takes.....
thebighurt said:
Cheer up Bunky---You didn't burn out on pool, you burned out on gambling because you couldn't make a living. I think pool is a great sport for all to learn and would like my kids to play, but they have to work too.
That's what is so great about America, it's a FREE country. If you don't like it, or don't like the pool scene, you are free to leave.
i always cringe when i hear a good player brag about being a 'professional'. pool can be a waste of time if you're looking for financial reward. even if you do win a tournament here and there, what's the bottom line after expenses and time spent? one exchange at master billiards between a 'upa pro' and a white collar executive. the upa tour guy was trying to get the exec to play but wasn't having any luck. the exec knew the guy was good so he refused to play. at one point in the conversation the exec asked the upa tour 'pro' what he made this year in tour winnings. the pro said he made $8,000 last year and expects to make more than $10,000 this year. i can see someone taking a game seriously but i would hardly call pool a professional sport for 99.99 percent of the world...unless you like living as if you're on welfare.
poolmouse
poolmouse
thebighurt said:
Wow. I almost feel as if I should go in the other room and slash my wrists after reading that.
I understand what you are saying, while at the same time I do not agree with your solution to the problem.
Pool is in the shape it is in now for 3 very basic reasons.
Reason 1: Lack of mass appeal in the marketing of our game to a worldwide/nationwide audience.
Reason 2: We keep shooting ourselves in the a$$ whenever a great opportunity to change Reason #1 comes along.
Reason 3: The game of pool has had horrible leadership in North America which is evident by the division of the game at the pro and amateur levels, as well as the men's and women's professional levels.
Before I get ripped to shreds abot #3, let me explain. The leadership that we have is diluted into several organizations that are all going in their own separate directions. Instead of leading the game towards a common goal or a directed target for marketing, they are all off and running and doing their own thing. There is no way to reach success when the 4 wheels of the car and going in 4 different directions.
The basic model for leading the sport in the right direction is and always has been the WPBA. They are not perfect, but they have the right idea of how to market pool, the players, and their organization effectively. They also had the good sense to separate themselves from men's professional pool. In spite of those that said they would never survive, the WPBA has flourished and succeeded while men's professional pool has lagged far behind. This is not by accident. Peg Ledman and the WPBA board had a vision and they surrounded themselves with people that believed in their vision. The rest of the industry could learn a lot by following in their footsteps.
I believe that the sport would get somewhere if we united and pooled our resources together. The division of the amateur and professional ranks is detrimental, as well as the division between the men's and women organizations. Until those that can make a difference realize this, we will be where we are at for a very, very long time.
Someone who cannot make a living from pro events has a hobby.
Someone who complains that he cannot make a living from his hobby is called a whiner.
Someone who complains that he cannot make a living from his hobby is called a whiner.
thebighurt said:
that was long, i suggest separating into paragraphs. good point though
Scaramouche said:
good point of view too. but maybe a person is just enthusiastic about something, so maybe because he loves it so much, he complains
I play pool for the same reason most of us play. I'm addicted to it.
I started playing when i was 17 & have been playing for 15yrs now & will still be playing until i'm too old & decrepid to walk around the table.
But it would be nice if our "game" was considered the sport that it is.
I have this argument with my wife about 3 times a week. She looks at pool as my excuse to go to a bar. I play in a bar because that's where the tables are.
I've got a match on vhs of irving crane vs. joe balsis. they are both playing in coat & tie. the commentator refers to them as Mr. Crane or Mr. Balsis. This match was in 1965 i think.
Look how far we have come since then.
I started playing when i was 17 & have been playing for 15yrs now & will still be playing until i'm too old & decrepid to walk around the table.
But it would be nice if our "game" was considered the sport that it is.
I have this argument with my wife about 3 times a week. She looks at pool as my excuse to go to a bar. I play in a bar because that's where the tables are.
I've got a match on vhs of irving crane vs. joe balsis. they are both playing in coat & tie. the commentator refers to them as Mr. Crane or Mr. Balsis. This match was in 1965 i think.
Look how far we have come since then.
I think anyone who enters any kind of sport and actually expects to make any money is an idiot. Why? First of all, you start playing pool/basketball/tennis/whatever because you like it. If as a child you show exceptional talent, then a decision has to be made whether you try to go pro or not. It's a tough decision, a big risk, and most will fail miserably. Success is so hard to achieve in any sport. Think that all tennis players are rich? Well, think again. Those who are not good enough for ATP and play only challenger circuit with moderate success can live decently, but are in fact NOT financially secure for life.
My view is very simple:
Pool isn't a job, it's a hobby...even up to the professional level. You did not turn in a resume, and you cannot be fired; quit expecting a paycheck.
Pool isn't a job, it's a hobby...even up to the professional level. You did not turn in a resume, and you cannot be fired; quit expecting a paycheck.