I love watching the pros play in person. Have watched them every year for the last 15 or so in Vegas. I really enjoy myself and get a VIP wrist band every day I can. There is just something about being there in person that makes it great, plus, if one match is not very good, you can watch another, or watch multiple matches at once. Now, to watch them on TV would be a different matter just for me personally. Just as some folks are not a fan of onepocket as they think it is a boring and slow game, I am not a big fan of 9 or 10 ball. There are just too many safeties played which makes the game boring for me. If a guy is faced with a tough shot, he/she opts for some sort of safety in many instances, especially if the shot is tough and the safety relatively easy. I understand this is an important strategy for winning, but I personally think it takes away from the excitement of the game. I want to see guys pocket balls, not lag behind a ball to try and get ball in hand to make an easy run out of it. I understand that these folks make a living doing this, so winning means a lot, which makes at a catch 22 in my mind (take hard shots when a safety could be played...lose and don't make money, take easy safety instead of the hard shot....win and make money). Just my views, though I am sure many will disagree, which is perfectly ok.
Read this and weap pool fans
- Thread starter krelldog
- Start date
I think that a lot of his expenses are taken care of so he's not a good example. Most all others are though.
I should say that I personally enjoy watching pool more .. but then I play pool. I just think from a non-players perspective, darts is good TV. The fact that it's good TV means they can get sponsors easier. I mean, if I'm going to put my money behind something, it's going to be something that the general public will be more likely to watch.
I used SVB as an example because someone brought up SVB making $100,000+ a year from pool.
I don't know his situation, but I don't believe he gets to see all the money he earns in pool tournaments. Hell, I could be completely wrong.
Just trying to make a point that even though some pool players may make $100,000+ a year does not mean it is the best living.
Bull riding got over 1 mill.
I know some ex bull riders. Very dangerous sport as is the rodeo clowns that keep the riders safe.
When you go saddle bronc or bare back, the horse is spooky and is only too glad when he shakes you loose. When the bull gets rid of you, you have an animal that weighs more than a truck wanting to pulverize you into the ground. They can have it and as far as I'm concerned, the boys earn every penny.
Yep, 100K a year is great. Take your expenses and pay tax and see what you have left. Probably not much.
Darts used to be very popular in my part of the world. It went the way of pool and you'd be hard pressed to find one or two bars with a board in it nowadays. A lot of places went with electronic darts. It was a banger game.
I know some ex bull riders. Very dangerous sport as is the rodeo clowns that keep the riders safe.
When you go saddle bronc or bare back, the horse is spooky and is only too glad when he shakes you loose. When the bull gets rid of you, you have an animal that weighs more than a truck wanting to pulverize you into the ground. They can have it and as far as I'm concerned, the boys earn every penny.
Yep, 100K a year is great. Take your expenses and pay tax and see what you have left. Probably not much.
Darts used to be very popular in my part of the world. It went the way of pool and you'd be hard pressed to find one or two bars with a board in it nowadays. A lot of places went with electronic darts. It was a banger game.
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The player is only "one" along the food chain in a sport. The difference in pool is, there is no food chain. For one to make money they have to show you how they can make money for someone and so on and so on down the chain.
From TV to promoters to sponsors to agents to manufactures, everyone has to make money. In pool there is "NO" money so who is going to pay the player and what bargaining power does the player have to show their worth? What is a pool player worth to anyone other then themselves. If a pool player wants to make some money they have to get out there and do it themselves.
Get an agent and find manufactures and sponsors who will pay them for their talents. Pool is a very visual game and lends it's self to commercial value. Pool makes a nice back drop to many products to get the viewers attention and the product does not to have anything to do with pool. You can be touting anything as you move around the table making making dazzling shots. The reason you see so many women in commercials is to attract attention, pool can do the same. A player steps to a pool player and people will watch in anticipation like a magician.
It must be over 30 years and even the non pool player public remember the Miz Miller Lite commercial. Funny no one else picked up on how attention getting a pool table and a talented player can be. In fact for years Miz did exhibitions at all kinds of events that had nothing to do with pool but they paid him good money. Businessmen who could buy and sell most people would stand in line to get their picture with him like kids.
It is as if no one ever learned a thing from what Miz built for himself. Miz was a real business hustler while the rest sit around wait for someone to come give them a handout.
