Pool returns to ESPN….

[Bob Jewett]

We shouldn’t get too excited, this is just a joke day of programming for ESPN2. The pool is on after the mullet fashion show, pinball tournament, marble racing, pillow fighting, and air guitar championships.

https://www.tvinsider.com/network/espn2/schedule/ (Go to august 4)

Now I'm confused. Is that schedule on a parody site or is the apocalypse upon us? Please tell me that The Onion has turned its beady eyes on Disney's decimated band of dumb jocks.

A stein holding competition is something I could get behind but is it a sport? For the incredulous among you:

 

[azhousepro]

Now I'm confused. Is that schedule on a parody site or is the apocalypse upon us? Please tell me that The Onion has turned its beady eyes on Disney's decimated band of dumb jocks.

A stein holding competition is something I could get behind but is it a sport? For the incredulous among you:
View attachment 710461
View attachment 710463

On the same schedule with the Pillow Fight Championship. Pool has sure hit the big time now.

 

[kling&allen]

Now I'm confused. Is that schedule on a parody site or is the apocalypse upon us? Please tell me that The Onion has turned its beady eyes on Disney's decimated band of dumb jocks.

A stein holding competition is something I could get behind but is it a sport? For the incredulous among you:
View attachment 710461
View attachment 710463

It’s none of my business but hopefully these 4 respected pool players know they are being put on ESPN as part of a joke sports day along with professional pillow fighters.

 

[fastone371]

We shouldn’t get too excited, this is just a joke day of programming for ESPN2. The pool is on after the mullet fashion show, pinball tournament, marble racing, pillow fighting, and air guitar championships.

https://www.tvinsider.com/network/espn2/schedule/ (Go to august 4)

I thought you were joking but on the same day they also have Cornhole, Championship Pillow Fighting, Slippery Stairs (not sure what it is), and Masskrugstemmen Stein Holding Competition.

​

 

[KAP1976]

On the same schedule with the Pillow Fight Championship. Pool has sure hit the big time now.

Why not? We're an industry that is in constant pillow fights with ourselves anyways.

 

[spartan]

Well, Gorst announced on his social media. So either it is the real deal or he was punk'd by ESPN or he is trying to punk'd everyone

 

[skip100]

Woah how did I miss this thread? A new poolgame?!

Rules do not immediately make me go "Wow!" but I am curious how this will work out.

I'm glad to see you didn't make fun of the Excel championship because that's dope.

 

[penguin]

Well, Gorst announced on his social media. So either it is the real deal or he was punk'd by ESPN or he is trying to punk'd everyone

You shouldn't believe everything you read on social media

 

[cjr3559]

Went to all the trouble to search and record this on DVR. Not sure why I bothered considering the vast amount of free material on YouTube.

 

[NevadaP]

Now I'm confused. Is that schedule on a parody site or is the apocalypse upon us? Please tell me that The Onion has turned its beady eyes on Disney's decimated band of dumb jocks.

A stein holding competition is something I could get behind but is it a sport? For the incredulous among you:
View attachment 710461
View attachment 710463

Perhaps Disney and 'The Onion' have merged? Don't see much to differentiate here.

 

[jasonlaus]

We know Fatboy isn't involved or all the balls would be Orange

 

[Good Sam]

Weekday update show

Tons to discuss this week including new details on the espn show announced. Thanks as always for stopping by.As always, thanks for tuning in and to support t...

www.youtube.com

Mike Panozzo from Billiards Digest did some digging and ...

 

[iusedtoberich]

Short summary:

1) The original bonus ball investor is behind it.
2) ESPN2 has a yearly event, called "The Ocho". It's 24 hr live programming, of "carnival games". Including pillow fighting, wet stair climbing, etc. Each game is allotted 1 hour. It's meant as a fun day of random crap, and sometimes the random crap might stick and turn into longer turn programming. There is also a big following where ESPN viewers look forward to it and tune in. The PCL will have a slot.
3) Its a one time exhibition by the PCL. Afterwards, they will meet with ESPN and discuss how much buzz their 1 hr slot created. If it created a lot of buzz, they will try to have ESPN pick up some programming hours in 2024, and then teams would be built out to accommodate however many hours were picked up.
4) The game itself has been simplified from the original bonus ball to make the rules easier to understand, for both players and spectators.
5) Archer was picked because the BB guy knew him well from the original series.

 

[spartan]

Short summary:

1) The original bonus ball investor is behind it.
2) ESPN2 has a yearly event, called "The Ocho". It's 24 hr live programming, of "carnival games". Including pillow fighting, wet stair climbing, etc. Each game is allotted 1 hour. It's meant as a fun day of random crap, and sometimes the random crap might stick and turn into longer turn programming. There is also a big following where ESPN viewers look forward to it and tune in. The PCL will have a slot.
3) Its a one time exhibition by the PCL. Afterwards, they will meet with ESPN and discuss how much buzz their 1 hr slot created. If it created a lot of buzz, they will try to have ESPN pick up some programming hours in 2024, and then teams would be built out to accommodate however many hours were picked up.
4) The game itself has been simplified from the original bonus ball to make the rules easier to understand, for both players and spectators.
5) Archer was picked because the BB guy knew him well from the original series.

So basically, pool gets few minutes of fame on some dying sports network and is demoted from fringe sport to freak sport like stein holding, pillow fight, mullet. The one I would like to watch is Microsoft Excel, arguably the best office productivity tool ever

 

[skip100]

I’m sure Matchroom folks are shaking in their boots.

 

[8intheside]

I can appreciate any attempt to make pool mainstream, but I just don’t see it happening. I hope I’m wrong though.

 

[skip100]

In the organizers' defense, for something to be included in this lineup it has to be new, exciting, weird, or otherwise "different" from the usual fare. A 9-ball pool tournament is none of those.

 

[L.S. Dennis]

In the organizers' defense, for something to be included in this lineup it has to be new, exciting, weird, or otherwise "different" from the usual fare. A 9-ball pool tournament is none of those.

In the organizers' defense, for something to be included in this lineup it has to be new, exciting, weird, or otherwise "different" from the usual fare. A 9-ball pool tournament is none of those.

You make a good point, but like others I don't think this thing if it happens will have legs.

 

[Bob Jewett]

... . Taped at ESPN in Orlando? ...

It was/is taped at ESPN in South Carolina. On the podcast Mike Panozzo said they have three areas set up and the production crew just moves over to the next "event" in line.

 

[iusedtoberich]

You shouldn't believe everything you read on social media

View attachment 710507

Did JA really write that, or did someone photoshop it? If it's real, I didn't know there was a loan aspect of it. I thought JA (or his backer) straight up stiffed Oscar. And if really true, well then Oscar should have known better than to loan any pool player a bunch of money. This screenshot def has some truth to it. It changes the whole dynamic imo.