Sbe pro arena = joke

[PETROBOY]

Do you really think it's the tournament directors decision and/or obligation to supply water and towels? That's like saying it's the servers job at a restaurant to buy the silverware, glassware, and napkins.

I will explain why I got out of professional pool when the time is appropriate, it may be a sensitive issue and I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings.

We're not wanting to chase "water under the bridge," it serves no purpose. The research and development part of our work is nearing completion, it's clear to me what needs to be done, and where the resistance is coming from. 'The Game is the Teacher'

Who is going to supply all this stuff if its not the organizer? It is his/her tournament isnt it? It doesn't really matter anyway I'm sure there isn't very many PROS that would choose to not play in a tournament because of it. I agree PROS should have more respect but I also think they should earn it, Some of the PROS out there act like spoiled kids we all know who they are and some are the nicest people you could meet and act like a true professional should. CJ if you have it all figured out what will help PRO pool why not let us know maybe someone on here will have the time and energy to help make it a go.

 

[GeoEnvi]

I agree that an event like this for world class players should have MINOR amenities, like a pitcher of water to share between players during the match and at slightly upgraded chairs from what the peanut gallery is sitting on.

As I stated a few weeks ago, the decision to not charge admission to the Pro Arena would have consequences. Among those: people setting up camp, reserving seats as one does at the racetrack, and lots of coming and going. I saw all of it. The biggest drawback as a no paying spectator was lack of available seating.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[CJ Wiley]

'The Game is the VISION'

Who is going to supply all this stuff if its not the organizer? It is his/her tournament isnt it? It doesn't really matter anyway I'm sure there isn't very many PROS that would choose to not play in a tournament because of it. I agree PROS should have more respect but I also think they should earn it, Some of the PROS out there act like spoiled kids we all know who they are and some are the nicest people you could meet and act like a true professional should. CJ if you have it all figured out what will help PRO pool why not let us know maybe someone on here will have the time and energy to help make it a go.

My strategy is to make Professional Pool a legitimate business model. Having tournaments where players can act however they choose and can't be held accountable is not of interest to me. In business there are certain procedures and guidelines that must be followed or the business fails. In Professional pool these aren't clearly defined and besides there's not much to offer in fair compensation for an honest day's work.

I believe businesses like Accu-Stats, The Tours, and TAR do positive things for professional pool, however they are not businesses for the players, they are private contractors that do their own promotions. This is much like the promotional companies I worked with in the Night Club business that would put on special events {where we would be partners} just on certain days/nights. They would do even better when there is an organized professional business that has a marketing, and promotional strategy.

Judging the Professional's behavior as "good or bad/right or wrong" is not something that's even fair right now. Until there are specific policies and procedures it's not fair to make accusations. It's like if there's no speed limit on the highway or rules for stopping - cars would just have to "fend for themselves" (like the players), however, no one could give them a ticket (without laws), they could only complain because certain cars were driving recklessly. These players are doing the best they can under these brutal conditions, quite frankly I don't know how they stay sane.

When someone became a champion pool player it is the day they "Real Eyes" there is always a shot, and they can execute that shot. There's ALWAYS a solution to business problems, sometimes we just have to get a "new pair of glasses". 'The Game is the VISION'

 

[PETROBOY]

I agree with you that pool needs guidelines and procedures. The players need to have consenquences if they act out or misbehave, also a proper dress code is in order, jeans and an old tee shirt doesn't look professional. I think we need someone to finally lead all the people who want to fix pro pool but we need to all be on the same page and work together.

 

[CJ Wiley]

presenting the players, in a more colorful and interesting way, on and off the table

I agree with you that pool needs guidelines and procedures. The players need to have consequences if they act out or misbehave, also a proper dress code is in order, jeans and an old tee shirt doesn't look professional. I think we need someone to finally lead all the people who want to fix pro pool but we need to all be on the same page and work together.

I agree, the Professional Cue Sports Association had a strict dress code of "suit and tie" and vest if possible. This may seem overboard to some, however, I would do it again in an instant.

There's something about dressing up that shows by how players conducts themselves. When I first went to some tournaments a few years ago I didn't feel right about playing in a hat and jeans, although I dress like that sometimes when I'm gambling in private matches.

If I'm going to make mistakes it going to be on the "overboard" side, in other words I'll lean towards dressing "too" well, and if that turns anyone off I'll apologize in advance. Pool needs a overall, not a tune up and that's what I see myself involved in. Everyone else can continue to do exactly what they're doing and how they're doing it, I'd prefer it that way.

Like I've stated, I think Pro Pool should be shaken up with professionalism and expertise, that's the only way I'd consider devoting any serious time outside of just writing in this forum for entertainment. If we had the staff that the PGA has for a month we'd be getting outstanding ratings immediately.

Pool's boring the way it's shown now, however, we have some production strategies that will make a positive difference, not in presenting the Game better, by presenting the players, in a more colorful and interesting way, on and off the table.

There's many sophisticated people in this industry like Terry, Larry, Mark, Renee, Pat, David, Mike, Johnny, and a host of others that would like to see Professional Pool strive because it would add to what they're doing.

The issue with them is it's "not their job" and they have plenty of responsibly of their own to attend to. I've been in their position in the nightclub/restaurant/pool room industry so I can relate. I've decided to move away from my Service Industry obligations and move more into organizing professional pool.

By the end of this year we will be ready to go full speed ahead and see what happens. "No Pain, No Gain"....and besides, I really like a challenge. 'The Game will be the Teacher'

 

[timseal]

I took my nine year old son to see the pros play on Friday. It was hard to find a good place for him to watch, but we saw some good players.

On the way out, we went in the 3 cushion room for a few minutes.
My son asked me: why were they not playing the main pro tournament in a room like that. I really couldn't find a good answer, as it was a bloody good question.

All I could eventually think of was this:
The most important people at that show are the exhibitors, they bring in the money. They in turn need a large amateur event - lots of customers. The pros are just the icing on the cake. We would like a good pro event, but that's sadly not what this expo is really about.

-tim

 

[JAM]

I took my nine year old son to see the pros play on Friday. It was hard to find a good place for him to watch, but we saw some good players.

On the way out, we went in the 3 cushion room for a few minutes.
My son asked me: why were they not playing the main pro tournament in a room like that. I really couldn't find a good answer, as it was a bloody good question.

All I could eventually think of was this:
The most important people at that show are the exhibitors, they bring in the money. They in turn need a large amateur event - lots of customers. The pros are just the icing on the cake. We would like a good pro event, but that's sadly not what this expo is really about.

-tim

Bingo! Sadly, that's so true. :frown:

 

[POVPOOL]

Damn, good thread!

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

 

[thebaby]

Improving The Image....

Ladies and Gentlemen, I read this entire post. My Name is Frank Nordmann,and I have been around pool most of my life, 40 plus years. I remember the days when there were hardly any tournaments to really speak of. Back then there were a ton of nothing but hustlers. And I am saying that lightly.Look at it now, tournaments everywhere. Alot more small ones then large ones. I have been listening to the negative and positive of this game. CJ you have some interesting points in your posts. My personal opinion is ,it will take a well qualified team ,meaning promotor's, Marketers, And sponsors to bring this game out of the ashes. We need to stop supporting these individuals who are doing nothing but harm to the sport. Whether it be Some of these tournaments that are having financial issues (Payouts), whether it be, in my case, clothing lines that do not send the right message. Those are just a few examples. There are enough qualified people in this sport to come together and form a team, that will have 1 common goal in mind ,and that is to bring the image of the game up along side of some of these other sports. If I remember correctly some of the professional women players did some type of entertaining for the one of our armed forces a few years ago. It did not really get any publicity. We need more of that from our professional players and large sponsors that are involved in the game. CJ ,you talk about showing respect for the players. I agree with you there, but also I think they should be doing more of the same as those professional women did a few years ago. The sport needs to show the world that it gives to people who need it most. I don't here much of that. It would be a good starting point for these players to be noticed for the good that they do. Promote this area,allow the public to see. AND MAYBE THEN THE GAME CAN BE THE TEACHER.....

 

[CJ Wiley]

Without TV exposure the Game has plummeted and the industry is down a reported 40%

Ladies and Gentlemen, I read this entire post. My Name is Frank Nordmann,and I have been around pool most of my life, 40 plus years. I remember the days when there were hardly any tournaments to really speak of. Back then there were a ton of nothing but hustlers. And I am saying that lightly.Look at it now, tournaments everywhere. Alot more small ones then large ones. I have been listening to the negative and positive of this game. CJ you have some interesting points in your posts. My personal opinion is ,it will take a well qualified team ,meaning promotor's, Marketers, And sponsors to bring this game out of the ashes. We need to stop supporting these individuals who are doing nothing but harm to the sport. Whether it be Some of these tournaments that are having financial issues (Payouts), whether it be, in my case, clothing lines that do not send the right message. Those are just a few examples. There are enough qualified people in this sport to come together and form a team, that will have 1 common goal in mind ,and that is to bring the image of the game up along side of some of these other sports. If I remember correctly some of the professional women players did some type of entertaining for the one of our armed forces a few years ago. It did not really get any publicity. We need more of that from our professional players and large sponsors that are involved in the game. CJ ,you talk about showing respect for the players. I agree with you there, but also I think they should be doing more of the same as those professional women did a few years ago. The sport needs to show the world that it gives to people who need it most. I don't here much of that. It would be a good starting point for these players to be noticed for the good that they do. Promote this area,allow the public to see. AND MAYBE THEN THE GAME CAN BE THE TEACHER.....

In the early 90s there was a Pro Tour and we had 8 ESPN events a year. Now there is no pro tour and no ESPN tournaments a year (except the WPBA has a couple).

Our Pro tournaments were between 25k and 50k with some as much as 310k added on ESPN. Now they range from 7500 to 25k and they cancel major tournaments every year in some part of the country or world (they just cancelled the World 8 Ball last month).

Without TV exposure the Game has plummeted and the industry is down a reported 40% with pool rooms closing almost weekly in this country.

These are the facts as we understand them, I don't think it paints a "rosy" picture of today's "state of the pool union". 'The Facts are the Teacher'

 

[Nostroke]

I took my nine year old son to see the pros play on Friday. It was hard to find a good place for him to watch, but we saw some good players.

On the way out, we went in the 3 cushion room for a few minutes.
My son asked me: why were they not playing the main pro tournament in a room like that. I really couldn't find a good answer, as it was a bloody good question.

All I could eventually think of was this:
The most important people at that show are the exhibitors, they bring in the money. They in turn need a large amateur event - lots of customers. The pros are just the icing on the cake. We would like a good pro event, but that's sadly not what this expo is really about.

-tim

True but still doesn't answer the question at all concerning the difference in the arenas.

 

[ctyhntr]

AFAIK, 3 cushions has always been in a separate and more quieter room. The game seems more upscale compared to pool.

I appreciate Mr Allen Hopkins making this year's Pro Event free, instead of paying a ticket for either afternoon or morning session as in past years. More money leftover so I can spend on both vendors and food. Since some of us are used to paying for this event, I wonder for next year if Allen would consider accommodating both type of customers; free and those who are willing to pay?

Installing TV/Projector screen by the food vendor could help keep the pro arena from being labelled a food court. Premium or reserve seating for those who are willing to pay for their spot. Since seating was free, I thought it was it was very inconsiderate some people acted as if it was reserve seating, and preventing others from sitting.

I took my nine year old son to see the pros play on Friday. It was hard to find a good place for him to watch, but we saw some good players.

On the way out, we went in the 3 cushion room for a few minutes.
My son asked me: why were they not playing the main pro tournament in a room like that. I really couldn't find a good answer, as it was a bloody good question.

All I could eventually think of was this:
The most important people at that show are the exhibitors, they bring in the money. They in turn need a large amateur event - lots of customers. The pros are just the icing on the cake. We would like a good pro event, but that's sadly not what this expo is really about.

-tim

 

[Fatboy]

Pro Pool isnt a viable business, nobody is going to post up the millions it would take to get it off the ground IMO, i'd invest in video games before pool. I cant see anyone taking on that risk(investing in pro pool) right now, there are better spots to invest in.

Thats the stone cold hard to swallow truth of the matter, i dont like it but its true. I was at the pool room here in Germany the other night and they have the same problems we do, not enough new people coming into pool.

The streams tell the truth, 1000 viewers with a big match going on, thats 20 people per state IF all the viewers are in america. How weak is that? If some one would have came to me 20 years ago before the internet and told me about streaming video i would have guessed there would be 50K-100K viewers by accident.

Another truth, look at the videos on YouTube and see how many views they have, some have been up for years and years and they have very little traffic, one or 2 of Efren have over a million after 4-5 years. thats not to good, when you look at other videos with 10's of millions of views.


I hate to be negitative but man I dont see the play here-to salvage pro pool. SBE cut 1st place $$ in half this year, whats that say? Alan knows what he is doing and i bet he didnt like cutting it down, but he did and the same guys showed up to play. hard to invest more when less seems to work.


had to be said,

eric

 

[CJ Wiley]

"it's no use, it'll never work, give up" and rode on down the street.

Pro Pool isnt a viable business, nobody is going to post up the millions it would take to get it off the ground IMO, i'd invest in video games before pool. I cant see anyone taking on that risk(investing in pro pool) right now, there are better spots to invest in.

Thats the stone cold hard to swallow truth of the matter, i dont like it but its true. I was at the pool room here in Germany the other night and they have the same problems we do, not enough new people coming into pool.

The streams tell the truth, 1000 viewers with a big match going on, thats 20 people per state IF all the viewers are in america. How weak is that? If some one would have came to me 20 years ago before the internet and told me about streaming video i would have guessed there would be 50K-100K viewers by accident.

Another truth, look at the videos on YouTube and see how many views they have, some have been up for years and years and they have very little traffic, one or 2 of Efren have over a million after 4-5 years. thats not to good, when you look at other videos with 10's of millions of views.


I hate to be negitative but man I dont see the play here-to salvage pro pool. SBE cut 1st place $$ in half this year, whats that say? Alan knows what he is doing and i bet he didnt like cutting it down, but he did and the same guys showed up to play. hard to invest more when less seems to work.


had to be said,

eric

Nothing, Eric, like a little "early morning" optimism:thumbup:....The early bird gets the worm, but what does the early worm get?

This reminds me of when I was a kid and my chain fell off of my bicycle. I was on the sidewalk with my bicycle upside down getting ready to put the chain back on and up rode another kid from down the street.

He looked at me and looked at my bike, back to me, then back to my bike and said "it's no use, it'll never work, give up" and rode on down the street.

I"m not sure what the moral to the story is...... I guess he just didn't know how to put a chain back on a bike when it fell off. Some things are impossible to fix and some things aren't. Right now our "chain" just doesn't match our "bike"... there's no reason to throw away the bike quite yet. :groucho:

'The Game is the Teacher

 

[Fatboy]

Nothing, Eric, like a little "early morning" optimism:thumbup:....The early bird gets the worm, but what does the early worm get?

This reminds me of when I was a kid and my chain fell off of my bicycle. I was on the sidewalk with my bicycle upside down getting ready to put the chain back on and up rode another kid from down the street.

He looked at me and looked at my bike, back to me, then back to my bike and said "it's no use, it'll never work, give up" and rode on down the street.

I"m not sure what the moral to the story is...... I guess he just didn't know how to put a chain back on a bike when it fell off. Some things are impossible to fix and some things aren't. Right now our "chain" just doesn't match our "bike"... there's no reason to throw away the bike quite yet. :groucho:

'The Game is the Teacher

i hope im wrong, but video games/facebook is where the kids are moving towards, so the solution would seem to be to get pool to be cool and then there would be something in the future. its a long term fix, i dont see a quick fix.


this isnt new its been coming, look at how many champions there are now that are 20-35 years old, very few compared to 1985 & IMO they dont play as strong as a whole either, because there are less champions the standard of play will be reduced. Shane is the exception. One guy.

death by a 1000 small cuts is what i see.


Look at the manufactures and whats happened to the BCA Trade Show. its smaller every year and there are more monopolies than ever, there are a handfull of survivors who dominate their space within the industry.

Same as the rooms, as you said 40% are gone, I had never heard that before this thread but that sounds about right 30% on the low. Why? 2 reasons, A) Kids are playing on computers B) the real estate boom, pool time is expensive now. Wasa time when pool was the cheapest thing to do, now NetFlix and YouTube and online gaming are less $$$ and more convenient. How can we over come that? not being negative, just asking a real ?? looking for real explanations.



It must be explained before any real $$$ comes into pool to fix it, or participation goes way up on streams, and pool rooms start popping up and there are 10 more message boards strong as AZB, then there will be traction and $$$ will follow. thats real biz in the real world.

If there is another way, let me know i'm in.

best Eric:smile:

 

[Fatboy]

Last year I saw this:

Barry Hearn put together a promotion video of Ding(Chinese snooker champion) driving up to the Crucible Theater in Sheffield(Or some other monster venue i'm not exactly sure about that-been a year or 2 since i saw the video) in a brand new white Ferrari. It makes it look like he is showing up to play in some event, when he gets out of his car 30 kids run up to him for a autograph, he opens the door to the car, gets his cue out first(in the long snooker case) and then starts to sign his name and mingles with the kids for a moment then walks away to go play snooker.


it was staged clear as day, however my point is this: If i was 10 and saw a pool player get out of a brand new white Ferrari with his cue, dressed real sharp, I coudnt get to the pool room fast enough. Ding made snooker look cool, look like a real career. this is forward thinking-appeal to the kids. Push their buttons. A ferrari sure would have pushed my button when i was 10-12.


That promo video I guarantee you put more cues in kids hands than anything thats been done in America in the past 30 years. We aint doing anything to get new blood into the game, and its a proven fact the existing guys will show up for 50% the $$$ as they just did this week. If that aint cancer what is???


kids can salvage pool, problem is we wont be here to enjoy it, this should have been done in America in the 70's but pool players were to busy popping white cross-tops then and sniffing coke in the 80's. Self serving industries always die.


i'll leave it at that,

had to be said, been on my mind a long time. this was the right time to mention it, the 50% discount for (most likely) shane was what put me over the top.

cheers

eric

 

[CJ Wiley]

they talk about the players and what they did or didn't do

i hope im wrong, but video games/facebook is where the kids are moving towards, so the solution would seem to be to get pool to be cool and then there would be something in the future. its a long term fix, i dont see a quick fix.


this isnt new its been coming, look at how many champions there are now that are 20-35 years old, very few compared to 1985 & IMO they dont play as strong as a whole either, because there are less champions the standard of play will be reduced. Shane is the exception. One guy.

death by a 1000 small cuts is what i see.


Look at the manufactures and whats happened to the BCA Trade Show. its smaller every year and there are more monopolies than ever, there are a handfull of survivors who dominate their space within the industry.

Same as the rooms, as you said 40% are gone, I had never heard that before this thread but that sounds about right 30% on the low. Why? 2 reasons, A) Kids are playing on computers B) the real estate boom, pool time is expensive now. Wasa time when pool was the cheapest thing to do, now NetFlix and YouTube and online gaming are less $$$ and more convenient. How can we over come that? not being negative, just asking a real ?? looking for real explanations.



It must be explained before any real $$$ comes into pool to fix it, or participation goes way up on streams, and pool rooms start popping up and there are 10 more message boards strong as AZB, then there will be traction and $$$ will follow. thats real biz in the real world.

If there is another way, let me know i'm in.

best Eric:smile:

Capital influxes rarely fix major business problems, so no, putting millions into pool would be like blowing smoke in the wind. The problem has never been the game, the game is perfect, it's a "people problem," not a "pool problem"....and I'm not talking about people that are currently involved, I'm talking about people that are not involved.

For example, if Tiger Woods suddenly had a revelation that pool was his calling and destiny and he had to be involved every day with professional pool it would make a huge difference. Because if Tiger was involved, then Michael Jordan would get involved, then hundreds of other celebrities.

This is a ridiculous example, but you understand what I"m saying. Games are all boring to watch, some are just branded so well now we forget that we are watching the players, not the games. Baseball is a prime example of an extremely boring game that's extremely popular, it's the national pass time for goodness sake.

I hear people talk about football all the time, but I never hear them talk about the football....they talk about the players and what they did or didn't do.....pool will be the same way. 'The Game will be the Teacher, but the characters will make the show'.

 

[Fatboy]

Capital influxes rarely fix major business problems, so no, putting millions into pool would be like blowing smoke in the wind. The problem has never been the game, the game is perfect, it's a "people problem," not a "pool problem"....and I'm not talking about people that are currently involved, I'm talking about people that are not involved.

For example, if Tiger Woods suddenly had a revelation that pool was his calling and destiny and he had to be involved every day with professional pool it would make a huge difference. Because if Tiger was involved, then Michael Jordan would get involved, then hundreds of other celebrities.

This is a ridiculous example, but you understand what I"m saying. Games are all boring to watch, some are just branded so well now we forget that we are watching the players, not the games. Baseball is a prime example of an extremely boring game that's extremely popular, it's the national pass time for goodness sake.

I hear people talk about football all the time, but I never hear them talk about the football....they talk about the players and what they did or didn't do.....pool will be the same way. 'The Game will be the Teacher, but the characters will make the show'.

Your right,

One thing that I agree with is the players need to become star's. Like Ding in the white Ferrari, Barry has turned the players into stars and while snooker aint what it was they still make 10X the $$ pool players do or more.


The players here need to be stars and roll models, which takes me back to the 70's and 80's with the pills then coke. Did that do pool any favors? NO, hell the guy is all coked up in the Color of Money which DID HELP pool in a big way. Thats pretty bad if you ask me, I wouldnt want my 14 year old kid or 12 what ever i have no kids, but if i did that aint the direction i'd send them. my parents hated that i played, but i did-never did the dope either(back to my point):

But you cant take dopers and make them stars, Snooker wouldnt put up with that for one second because it tarnishes the image of the sport. Like you said a dress code needs to be implemented.


also Scott isnt a TD much the past couple years and he was the best IMO, he always did great announcement of matches, hell he made me sound good, LOL, and yeah i liked it too. And it gets the audience fired up, "ESPN Champ CJ who was just inducted into the Lock society" thats cool stuff, and Scott did that up great with his beratone voice. Ken and Jay do good as well, I hope to see more of Scott. Its that sort of thing that grabs new people, sure JA has heard it a million times, but so what? its not for him as much as it is the audience.


Look at the guy in this thread who said "John Archer & Derrick Appleton) its on the 1st page of this thread, obviously he is new and thats GREAT!!!!! there is a chance if he would have understood exactly who John Archer is and what he did he would come back again, but in his post he said he "Probably won't". he wasnt "Sold" on pool. another one off the line-as the telemarketers used to say. Thats a problem.

 

[CJ Wiley]

When's the last time you saw a boxing match where they didn't announce the boxers?

Your right,

One thing that I agree with is the players need to become star's. Like Ding in the white Ferrari, Barry has turned the players into stars and while snooker aint what it was they still make 10X the $$ pool players do or more.


The players here need to be stars and roll models, which takes me back to the 70's and 80's with the pills then coke. Did that do pool any favors? NO, hell the guy is all coked up in the Color of Money which DID HELP pool in a big way. Thats pretty bad if you ask me, I wouldnt want my 14 year old kid or 12 what ever i have no kids, but if i did that aint the direction i'd send them. my parents hated that i played, but i did-never did the dope either(back to my point):

But you cant take dopers and make them stars, Snooker wouldnt put up with that for one second because it tarnishes the image of the sport. Like you said a dress code needs to be implemented.


also Scott isnt a TD much the past couple years and he was the best IMO, he always did great announcement of matches, hell he made me sound good, LOL, and yeah i liked it too. And it gets the audience fired up, "ESPN Champ CJ who was just inducted into the Lock society" thats cool stuff, and Scott did that up great with his beratone voice. Ken and Jay do good as well, I hope to see more of Scott.


Look at the guy in this thread who said "John Archer & Derrick Appleton) its on the 1st page of this thread, obviously he is new and thats GREAT!!!!! there is a chance if he would have understood exactly who John Archer is and what he did he would come back again, but in his post he said he "Probably won't". he wasnt "Sold" on pool. another one off the line-as the telemarketers used to say. Thats a problem.

I know, Scott was awesome and it made the ones that had no chance in the tournament feel good about their decision to play.

To me it's essential at a sporting event for them to announce who's participating. When's the last time you saw a boxing match where they didn't announce the boxers? How about a MMA fight, a tennis match, a football game, basketball game, figure skating, ping pong, bull riding, goat roping? LoL

I'm just pointing out the obvious, and it's like I'm pointing out blemishes on a model's face. I digress, anyway, this is not "rocket science" and it's not "doomed for failure".....I wouldn't be surprised if no one's even presented a TV station with a comprehensive marketing/business plan involving pool in the last 10 years.

It's like the liquor reps I deal with, if they don't bring in the new products there's no way I'm going to buy them. Pool has no representatives, that's the primary reason there's no product placement on ESPN or FOX SPORTS. Like Dennis Miller says "I could be wrong". But from my research this is true and it's actually good news, it's better than being turned down a bunch of times.

 

[Buzzard II]

Someone mentioned how the pro arena was like a food court. Well yeah, a bit and that was because of the tables set up on the bleachers. Those tables are my only complaint about the whole show. Between the chairs which were more comfy than the flat seats of last year and the table which were not needed, they took up too much room. You could not get a seat in the middle of a row without having ten people stand up, slide the chairs under the table and then squeeze by, maybe.

Those tables were a very stupid idea and I don't understand how whoever was responsible could not see how there was no room left to move around.

If there had been some kind of accident or a minor fire it would have been a major cluster phuck. In fact now that I think about it, I'm surprised the fire department allowed that seating.