Seeding Could Be Hurting Streaming #'s

Johnnyt

Johnnyt

Burn all jump cues
Silver Member
Streaming tournaments has only been around for a short time but I believe seeding large tournaments like the US Open and others that have a price for the whole tournament or daily and nightly rates has hurt the ppv #'s. I always bought the whole package on ppv's until recently. Now I just buy the last 1 or 2 days. I really don't get much out of seeing a top pro slay a baby seal on the tv table. It would be a different story for me if you could get fair bets on the match ups, but everyone wants SVB giving one on the wire going to 11 against Joe Banger. Anyone else fell like this? Johnnyt
 
The last thing they are worrying about is streaming numbers when it comes to seeding. They are trying to preserve the top players for better match ups later in the tournament. I sure wouldnt like to see Shane play Darren Appleton in the first round.
 
Did they seed the US Open? If so, why is Deuel playing Li Wen Lo in the first round. Isn't Li a top player too? Or am I confusing him with somebody else?
 
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This is a good question. Is the US Open seeded? I agree, I probably won't watch the PPV until later in the week if it's seeded. I was going to buy the whole week, but what's the point of watching massacre after massacre?
 
laserbrn said:
This is a good question. Is the US Open seeded? I agree, I probably won't watch the PPV until later in the week if it's seeded. I was going to buy the whole week, but what's the point of watching massacre after massacre?
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I think if someone had the $$$ to have every table streamed....viewer can choose the match they want to watch, that would be amazing.
And to have commentators that chatted with everyone, it just makes for a nice touch and you want to stay. Families would love to watch too.
 
Johnnyt said:
I really don't get much out of seeing a top pro slay a baby seal on the tv table.
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While many top players do have relatively easy first, second and third round pairings, many top players are facing solid competition early in the tournament.

As an example, assuming Brandon Shuff and SVB win their first round, they could be facing each other in the second round. Whoever wins there could be facing Raj Hundal next. The winner could then face Jose Parica so this isn't exactly a cakewalk in the early rounds.
 
lukemindish said:
The last thing they are worrying about is streaming numbers when it comes to seeding. They are trying to preserve the top players for better match ups later in the tournament. I sure wouldnt like to see Shane play Darren Appleton in the first round.
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Hmmm.wasn't it last year that SVB took it on the chin in the first round from Dechane?
 
Johnnyt said:
Streaming tournaments has only been around for a short time but I believe seeding large tournaments like the US Open and others that have a price for the whole tournament or daily and nightly rates has hurt the ppv #'s. I always bought the whole package on ppv's until recently. Now I just buy the last 1 or 2 days. I really don't get much out of seeing a top pro slay a baby seal on the tv table. It would be a different story for me if you could get fair bets on the match ups, but everyone wants SVB giving one on the wire going to 11 against Joe Banger. Anyone else fell like this? Johnnyt
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Ths is not a field of Joe Bangers but a field of great players. There are great matches every single day in every single round and there are no easy draws.

Seeding helps ensure that those contending for the title won't play each other quite yet, but this is what allows the event to build to a climax, and that's as it should be. My opinion is that if the early matches don't interest you, then the late round matches probably won't either.

On the stream right now is Kim Davenport vs BJ Ussery, a fine match having two amazing players. My recommenaiton is "buy it and enjoy it."
 
sjm said:
Ths is not a field of Joe Bangers but a field of great players. There are great matches every single day in every single round and there are no easy draws.

Seeding helps ensure that those contending for the title won't play each other quite yet, but this is what allows the event to build to a climax, and that's as it should be. My opinion is that if the early matches don't interest you, then the late round matches probably won't either.

On the stream right now is Kim Davenport vs BJ Ussery, a fine match having two amazing players. My recommenaiton is "buy it and enjoy it."
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You hit the nail on the head!
 
laserbrn said:
... I was going to buy the whole week, but what's the point of watching massacre after massacre?
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The first two matches at the Open today were Shuff vs. Hjorliefson and Ussery vs. Davenport. No cupcakes there. Neither match ended up being close, but they could have been. Ussery ended his match with three break-and-run games in a row.

All of the matches chosen for the streaming table offer the prospect of being good, close matches.

If you really enjoy watching pro 9-ball, the early days can be as interesting as the later days.
 
westcoast said:
Did they seed the US Open? If so, why is Deuel playing Li Wen Lo in the first round. Isn't Li a top player too? Or am I confusing him with somebody else?
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He was 2nd at the world 10-ball in 2010 at the riv...behind SVB. Johnnyt
 
lukemindish said:
The last thing they are worrying about is streaming numbers when it comes to seeding. They are trying to preserve the top players for better match ups later in the tournament. I sure wouldnt like to see Shane play Darren Appleton in the first round.
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I would, the fact that it's in the first round is irrelevant to me. It's a great match up of two top players and who wouldn't want to see that in any round?

The one thing that I don't get about the argument for seeding is that it helps ensure top players in the final rounds to provide more of an attraction. But in all seriousness, when was the last time top players weren't in the final rounds of any major tournament, seeded or not? Pool is, after all, a difficult game. So in an unseeded tournament a banger maybe gets a couple of early wins. But certainly he ends up on the west side and in short order runs into a monster who lost in a tough early round draw against another Godzilla and ends up out of the tournament well before the last couple of days.

Someone please tell me the last unseeded strong field event that had a noticeable presence of weak players on the last day.
 
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I like it when the baby seal's got the club.

You're absolutely spot on with the perspective that seeding hurts Live-Streaming.

If there was no seeding, the live-streamer could pick too ill-fated top guns to stream instead of the mercy killing.
 
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sjm said:
Ths is not a field of Joe Bangers but a field of great players. There are great matches every single day in every single round and there are no easy draws.

Seeding helps ensure that those contending for the title won't play each other quite yet, but this is what allows the event to build to a climax, and that's as it should be. My opinion is that if the early matches don't interest you, then the late round matches probably won't either.

On the stream right now is Kim Davenport vs BJ Ussery, a fine match having two amazing players. My recommenaiton is "buy it and enjoy it."
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In the abstract, or if you're just a fan who sits on the sidelines, this makes some kind of sense.

If you're a player -- someone who actually sends in your dough to compete with the big boys (with the same kind of expenses for travel they incur) -- it takes on a different cast when you go to an event and your entry fee money is not as good as someone else's. Seeding is all about protecting the gate and the stream and keeping as many big names in as long as possible. (Personally, I'd love it if Strickland and Appleton met in the first round :-) The promoters want you to come out and support the event... but only if they get to throw you under the bus.

The champions will always make it to the final bracket. The only thing seeding does is to open up the door, a tiny little crack, for the possibility of a dramatic run by an underdog. And who doesn't like to root for an underdog?

Lou Figueroa
 
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lfigueroa said:
The only thing seeding does is to open up the door, a tiny little crack, for the possibility of a dramatic run by an underdog. And who doesn't like to root for an underdog?

Lou Figueroa
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Wait. Are you saying that seeding helps the underdog?
I kind of think it's the opposite.
Without seeding, there is the possibility of having all sorts of champs get lumped into one really tough bracket, and have all the tomato cans get lumped in another chump bracket.

If you are a semi decent player in a sea of tomato can chump wannabes in a weak bracket, you definitely have a better shot to go the distance, then if all the champs were spread out. They would be sending each other over to the B side in the tough bracket, while the decent player in a sea of chumps, would be cleaning up.
 
Johnnyt said:
Streaming tournaments has only been around for a short time but I believe seeding large tournaments like the US Open and others that have a price for the whole tournament or daily and nightly rates has hurt the ppv #'s. I always bought the whole package on ppv's until recently. Now I just buy the last 1 or 2 days. I really don't get much out of seeing a top pro slay a baby seal on the tv table. It would be a different story for me if you could get fair bets on the match ups, but everyone wants SVB giving one on the wire going to 11 against Joe Banger. Anyone else fell like this? Johnnyt
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let's compare...

they don't even televise the first couple of days of golf tournaments, ditto tennis...

college basketball.... "sweet sixteen" or "final four" ring a bell?

baseball in June & July, or October?

pretty safe to say there is typically more interest in latter matches in just about any event. as far as streaming, for the first round how much coverage do you get from the 128 matches?
 
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SUPERSTAR said:
Wait. Are you saying that seeding helps the underdog?
I kind of think it's the opposite.
Without seeding, there is the possibility of having all sorts of champs get lumped into one really tough bracket, and have all the tomato cans get lumped in another chump bracket.

If you are a semi decent player in a sea of tomato can chump wannabes in a weak bracket, you definitely have a better shot to go the distance, then if all the champs were spread out. They would be sending each other over to the B side in the tough bracket, while the decent player in a sea of chumps, would be cleaning up.
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If you're baby seal, you know that sooner or later you're going to run into someone with a club. But personally, I'd rather take my chances AND have the pros equally take their chances, so that at least there the possibility that a few of them guys get lumped together in a bracket other than mine. Yes, I know I can't escape the inevitable, but something like that happening does give me the chance of going a little deeper into the tournament and maybe even cashing and recouping some of my expenses. Seeding means it's the pros who get protected and almost a guarantee of getting some of their expenses covered. Seeding means all the baby seal get herded into a cove and their chances of getting clubbed early on go up. Look at Strickland and Appleton this first round: 11-1 and 11-1. How exciting for the fans. Hope they didn't get too much blood on themselves.

Lou Figueroa
 
Johnnyt said:
Streaming tournaments has only been around for a short time but I believe seeding large tournaments like the US Open and others that have a price for the whole tournament or daily and nightly rates has hurt the ppv #'s. I always bought the whole package on ppv's until recently. Now I just buy the last 1 or 2 days. I really don't get much out of seeing a top pro slay a baby seal on the tv table. It would be a different story for me if you could get fair bets on the match ups, but everyone wants SVB giving one on the wire going to 11 against Joe Banger. Anyone else fell like this? Johnnyt
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The US Open isn't just 6 killers and a bunch of fish. The first day might not always have great matchups... and the first round of losers side is the same, but after that its always good matchups. Buying just the last day or two???? Its a week long man... and Tuesday-Saturday will have great matchups day and night.

Seeding shouldnt hurt streaming numbers at all.
 
Hi-Jacking not meant...............

I think seeding may be hurting Live-Streaming but live streaming may not be very important to the promoter. I talk to my local pool room owner and he wants to know who is playing today on the TV table...... That says a lot because it comes from someone who is a true fan of pool and who doesn't mind spending a little money to keep his customers happy.

As a wannabee player, I agree with Lou about the seeding. It sucks. As a fan of pool, I see SJM's point.

Seeding is attractive to some wannabees, as it gives them a chance to play one of the big boys for entry fee alone. When you play in a lot of tournaments, you get that opportunity frequently. For me that's not a big deal. I'm still trying to get used to standing up to the gauntlet.

I'm not sure if people like Lou and I make up the majority of the wannabees or not but I like the idea of having a miniscule chance of cashing in any event I play in. I also like the possibility that I will have a chance to get acclimated to the tables and the event by playing another baby seal, before I meet up with Goliath.

Good thread nevertheless.
 
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