Pool returns to ESPN….

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.
What's the backstory to this?
 
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.
F JA
 
What's the backstory to this?
He and Oscar played an even session a couple years ago for 5 or 6k. Oscar won. Oscar didn't get paid. That's the gist of it. Beyond that I never read any more details as it's a common pool occurrence. But I know there were a bunch of threads about it here and on FB at the time. The Mike guy in the podcast kept bringing it up about JA being a bad choice for this new game because of that. He seemed more salty about it than Oscar.
 
He and Oscar played an even session a couple years ago for 5 or 6k. Oscar won. Oscar didn't get paid. That's the gist of it. Beyond that I never read any more details as it's a common pool occurrence. But I know there were a bunch of threads about it here and on FB at the time. The Mike guy in the podcast kept bringing it up about JA being a bad choice for this new game because of that. He seemed more salty about it than Oscar.

Oscar’s posts and comments about this over the years have been hilarious. It is none of my business of course, but I have enjoyed Oscar’s humor and Archer’s increasingly outlandish excuses. And the resulting pool memes.

In other industries I would think this was all fake as a way to increase clicks and user engagement.
 
You make a good point, but like others I don't think this thing if it happens will have legs.

i would think that enough people have seen the original bonus ball, that if it had any attraction we would have seen the game played in pool rooms by now. a game that is great will grow organically, like one pocket.

johnny archer and others threw their weight in with the venture at the time and even though they got a lot of flak for it, i always respected them for the effort. pool was in a major slump at the time, and atleast they tried something. but that game is going nowhere
 
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:
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As a darter, I can tell you the Bullshooter is real, and you should watch it if you like darts.

The 7PM cornhole is hillarious. "Players try to toss a bean bag into a hole at the end of a raised platform."
 
Oscar’s posts and comments about this over the years have been hilarious. It is none of my business of course, but I have enjoyed Oscar’s humor and Archer’s increasingly outlandish excuses. And the resulting pool memes.

In other industries I would think this was all fake as a way to increase clicks and user engagement.
I still can't believe Oscar won. I think I bet on Archer to win here in the action room. I wonder if I should get my money back:):):)
 
I know ESPN is in the news for having laid off numerous on air personalities. I have a friend that’s a behind the scenes producer for ESPN. He was eager to get pool back on ESPN. I asked if he was involved with this. Turned out he was also laid off after 23 years. He said it’s the largest layoff in the company history totaling 7,000 people. I’ve always thought trying to get pool on regular broadcast TV was like trying to get on ESPN after it hit the iceberg. I think Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Hulu, or Peacock would be a better home to strive for.
I have a Sling subscription, and I have access to billiards nearly 24/7. 😎
 
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.
Yea, it makes it worse! What a POS if true.
 
Thought that list was a joke too. As a programmer (can I call myself an athlete now?) I thought the excel World cup was hilarious, but... it is real! Never heard of it before, but hey, you could win $15,000.

Check out last year's competition. almost 3 hours of riveting action.

Honestly, many business professionals would be interested in this, it's like watching a high level interview for a job but with the pressure of doing it live with a large audience. If I was a manager, I would have a job offer ready to anyone that finishes in the top 25% of something like that.

I have put forth my argument for a "sport" vs a "game" as something you train for and compete in at the highest level you can get to, and even something like this takes training and knowledge past what an average person would be doing day to day. You need to really work on the knowledge, and now you are going up against others, that is a big part of "sport". I used scrabble as an example before, if you are playing at home with your kids, you are playing a game. If you are training to learn the words, study the scrabble dictionaries, travel to competitions, you have passed into the "sport" category.
 
For pool to be successful, it has to be presented in a non boring way. I appreciate good pool as much as the next guy, but watching alternate breaks with no one running racks is boring...almost like paint drying...hopefully someone can figure this out because until pool becomes a staple on TV, it will stay small potatoes.
Then stay away from one pocket and straight pool.
 
Is the cue ball CGI? Why did they make it filthy dirty in the opening montage?
There was very similar CGI used in the 2019 Canadian 9 Ball Championship.

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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
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Several years ago, the movie Dodgeball was out and quite popular. In that movie, the national Dodgeball Championships were being aired on ESPN Ocho, a send up of the fact that at the time, ESPN had several networks on cable stations around the country, including ESPN 1 and ESPN 2, with more niche stuff appearing on ESPN 2. So the movie is poking fun at that, with "The Ocho" (or ESPN 8).

After that, the real world ESPN took advantage of that, and schedules an ESPN Ocho weekend once a year, with a bunch of niche sports/activities. That's what is going on with that programming lineup, including this Bonus Ball match.
 
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 revisited the schedule today and I am devastated. Stein holding has been dropped. I hope no beer was spilled.

I'm suspicious that stein holding was listed just to sucker people in, and now they're not going to show it.
 
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