Professional pickle ball on tv!😳

[JolietJames]

I think in both cases, Pickleball and Cornhole, part of the appeal is the ease of entry. They are both much more accessible games than is pool. Cornhole boards are easy to buy/make and can be stored out of the way in a garage while not in use. Pickleball takes a cheap set of paddles and then can be played on any of a number of existing courts. In both cases, it's both easy and essentially free for most people to play. And you can play with your kids at the same time, who then grow into the sport.

I believe that is partly why soccer is so popular worldwide. Everyone can afford two stones, or trees, or anything to establish a goal. Anyone can wind some cloth or tape or vines together into what resembles a ball. They now have the equipment they need to play soccer on some level.
Now, having the patience to watch a bunch of players jog around an open field for hours, scoring little to no goals every single game, is a skill all its own.

 

[trob]

I watched a bit of the pickleball event and found it entertaining.

I don't get why it's standard fare on AZB to mock any second-tier sport that is more successful than pool in gaining exposure. It would be better to learn from second tier sports that are growing.

I'm resigned to the fact that a thread mocking cornhole can't be far away.

Im not mocking it.. I’m saying a game no one heard of 2 years a go is already on tv and it’s pro’s are getting national sponsors and seems Crazy when pool has been around for a couple hundred and gets nothing .

 

[sjm]

Im not mocking it.. I’m saying a game no one heard of 2 years a go is already on tv and it’s pro’s are getting national sponsors and seems Crazy when pool has been around for a couple hundred and gets nothing .

You wrote "I tried watching it and it was pretty terrible." That's mocking the pro pickleball product.

Yes, you shifted course and wondered why they have out-of-industry sponsors while pool lacks them, suggesting that pool's longevity makes this puzzling. The truth is that pool, over the last 50 years, has done almost everything in its power to earn the negative image that has ensured some distance between the sport and the most desirable sponsors. The tide is beginning to turn, but the transformation of pool's image will take some time.

Finally, Barry Hearn is retired and is not the one steering the ship that is pro pool anymore. Matchroom Pool, run by Barry Hearn from 1994-2019 was three events: Mosconi, Cup, World Cup of Pool, and World Pool Masters, with a very brief dalliance with the World 9-ball Championship. Since Emily Frazer took over, she has taken over the US Open 9-ball and brought it to a level previously unseen, added a sustainable World Pool Championship, and added a) the Premier League Pool, b) the UK Open, c) the European Open, d) the Asian Open and e) the Vietnam Open. She has also added both a) an Asian Tour, and b) Australian Tour.

Under Emily Frazer, the world of Matchroom has about ten times as many affiliated events as it did under Barry Hearn.

 

[jasonlaus]

I had not thought about the quiet aspect of pool. Only the Mosconi Cup brings major excitement to the fans who are not already diehard pool fans. That aspect of the game is just one more strike against its gaining popularity. Golf is also played in silence but they found a way to get around that. Televised golf jumps around the course and basically shows highlights all day which keeps the viewers entertained. I saw a bit of the 60 minutes or whatever it was with Emily, and the host was looking down on pool and the gambling aspect of our sport. That guy is an uninformed dope. I can't remember playing a round of golf in the last 30 years that didn't have money on it in some way, shape, or form. Betting something on golf is incredibly common but golf is placed in a pedestal. The pros don't need to gamble to make a living at golf either. The 3rd place finisher of a major event probably makes more than a top pool pro makes in a good year.

I'm glad PB is getting a following because not every 70 year old can run down a ball on the tennis court. We had a few courts marked up for the game at our tennis club, so I saw the game being played as I walked to the tennis courts. A new player to PB can develop the fitness and skills to play it well enough to have fun in about an hour I imagine. It takes a long time for new tennis players to be able to do much more than jog to the fence to pick up the one or two balls they haven't yet hit over the fence. Badminton requires fitness but the shuttlecocks cannot fly far from the court, so you're back in action rather quickly. Anyone who understands ping pong, understands PB, and to say some can't watch it because they lack understanding is laughable. PB is a godsend for the US because it is something fun for the elderly to do that gives them much needed social interaction and physical movement. Whatever gets people outside and moving around can't be a bad thing. I fully expect to take up the game of PB when I am unable to play tennis at a reasonable level.

I saw it(pickleball) this weekend for the first time, looked fun.

Golf gambling is amongst the "rich" which makes it acceptable, pool is played by trailer park dwellers lol.

Just like 50 shades of Grey, since he's rich every woman out there is getting wet, put him in a trailer park and it becomes an episode of Law and Order SVU

 

[Dan_B]

I caught it too, toggle between that an LIV,
the pickelball talk about the kitchen I thought was pool related... so,
no footze's playing in the kitchen.

 

[KissedOut]

I watched a bit of the pickleball event and found it entertaining.

I don't get why it's standard fare on AZB to mock any second-tier sport that is more successful than pool in gaining exposure. It would be better to learn from second tier sports that are growing.

I'm resigned to the fact that a thread mocking cornhole can't be far away.

I'm pretty sure we have already had several.

 

[KissedOut]

I think there was a thread mocking cornhole already.

Fact is pool isn't fun because everybody has to sit completely still and silent - I'd go to the opera, church, or a funeral if I wanted that

Good point. Compare it to the rowdy atmosphere at top level darts. Imagine a pool tournament venue where there are 6 tables lined up, each with a big TV screen showing the action, with a capacity of a couple of thousand, with tables in front of the customer seats and waitress service offering food and both soft drinks and adult beverages. And encouragement to cheer on the guy you support. Loudly. w in something like DraftKings offering wagers and realtime prop bets. I don't even really like pool but I'd give it a try.

 

[trob]

You wrote "I tried watching it and it was pretty terrible." That's mocking the pro pickleball product.

Yes, you shifted course and wondered why they have out-of-industry sponsors while pool lacks them, suggesting that pool's longevity makes this puzzling. The truth is that pool, over the last 50 years, has done almost everything in its power to earn the negative image that has ensured some distance between the sport and the most desirable sponsors. The tide is beginning to turn, but the transformation of pool's image will take some time.

Finally, Barry Hearn is retired and is not the one steering the ship that is pro pool anymore. Matchroom Pool, run by Barry Hearn from 1994-2019 was three events: Mosconi, Cup, World Cup of Pool, and World Pool Masters, with a very brief dalliance with the World 9-ball Championship. Since Emily Frazer took over, she has taken over the US Open 9-ball and brought it to a level previously unseen, added a sustainable World Pool Championship, and added a) the Premier League Pool, b) the UK Open, c) the European Open, d) the Asian Open and e) the Vietnam Open. She has also added both a) an Asian Tour, and b) Australian Tour.

Under Emily Frazer, the world of Matchroom has about ten times as many affiliated events as it did under Barry Hearn.

Im allowed to thinks it’s terrible. You’re allowed to like it. That’s not mocking it. That’s an opinion.

Also I didn’t have a bad thing to say about matchroom. I appreciate what they are doing. You won’t find a single post from me hating on Emily frazer or the color of the balls they are using. I’ve said many times time when people are complaining they are forgetting just how bad the state of pool was not that long a go. Your entire post is long winded and off base as usual.

 

[sjm]

Im allowed to thinks it’s terrible. You’re allowed to like it. That’s not mocking it. That’s an opinion.

Also I didn’t have a bad thing to say about matchroom. I appreciate what they are doing. You won’t find a single post from me hating on Emily frazer or the color of the balls they are using. I’ve said many times time when people are complaining they are forgetting just how bad the state of pool was not that long a go. Your entire post is long winded and off base as usual.

If I misinterpreted your post, I apologize.