Strong opinion: Dress Codes Needed

[DieselPete]

Feel free to flame me.

Tournaments and challenge matches that are being streamed need dress codes. The players, or the men anyway, are too often incapable of dressing in a way that elevates the sport above the level of bar league riff raff.

Baseball hats, hats on backward, garbage t-shirts from Molly Hatchet concerts, tank tops with armpit hair hanging out, joggers or bad jeans. I mean, seriously, all the hype that went into the Shane Van Boening v. Dennis Orcollo match and only one of them can at least look like a professional bowler, while the other looks like a goofball kid with a hat on sideways, in joggers and an ill-fitting, untucked shirt.

Black pants. Shirts with collars. Is it really that hard to have even modest expectations for presenting ourselves as athletes?

 

[garczar]

No flame here. I agree 100%.

 

[sjm]

Agreed, but one should not generalize, for there are more than a few players that take their self-presentation and image seriously. Unfortunately, as a group, those who show up to major events lack self-respect. No end of those who dress below the standards that should be required suggest that one cannot dress well AND play well, but snooker, the cuesport requiring the greatest cueing, proves that this is not the case. Others will say that they'll dress well when they are paid enough, not recognizing that their failure to present themselves tastefully lowers their chances of ever getting paid well unless an angel were to come along. By an angel, I mean one who will invest without a reasonable substantiation of future profitability.

Mke Zuglan, director of the Joss Tour, a regional tour that goes back about 25 years, rules with an iron hand when it comes to dress code, but few tournament organizers follow his lead. The Joss Tour is the longest running men's regional tour in America.

 

[MattPoland]

I’m mixed. I think these things should be treated as events. And each event should have a brand or vibe to it. I don’t think we need everyone wearing vests or tuxedos. I think the players should be characters in that I get some personality out of their appearance. Jerseys make sense I’m some settings. And street duds make sense in others. If CJ wants to roll in looking like an urban cowboy, that works. As long as there’s a thought behind it and not just what happened to be clean that day.

 

[jaime_lion]

Feel free to flame me.

Tournaments and challenge matches that are being streamed need dress codes. The players, or the men anyway, are too often incapable of dressing in a way that elevates the sport above the level of bar league riff raff.

Baseball hats, hats on backward, garbage t-shirts from Molly Hatchet concerts, tank tops with armpit hair hanging out, joggers or bad jeans. I mean, seriously, all the hype that went into the Shane Van Boening v. Dennis Orcollo match and only one of them can at least look like a professional bowler, while the other looks like a goofball kid with a hat on sideways, in joggers and an ill-fitting, untucked shirt.

Black pants. Shirts with collars. Is it really that hard to have even modest expectations for presenting ourselves as athletes?

What match? can you show the video your talking about? I would like to know who wore what.

 

[maha]

when the tournaments put up substantial additons to the prize fund and make money from video to help with that, then i am all for it. if they are just paying back mostly entry fees, i wouldn't think a dress code is in order.

 

[jaime_lion]

If it is this video they both look good to me. Yes maybe dennis shirt could be tucked in and the hat seems a bit off. But there are no holes in his shirt. No stains from eating lunch. He is not drunk or high. Both do not have wild hair or beards that have not been groomed in 5 years. They both seem within the range of nicely dressed and well behaved to me.

 

[Dognit]

Agree. This game needs to "self-elevate", to ever be taken seriously by sponsor money. It is pretty simple. You as a player need to respect YOURSELF and the GAME. It starts with each one of us. Any broadcast event via TV, Streams, PPV in person, etc, is by nature a professional event. So act like it. You never know where or who might be watching. Could be a billionaire patron, (Whom could fund prize money) or maybe a clothing brand designer, (Whom might be open to a clothing sponsorship) I hate to use golf, but that sport is more "active" than any billiards. Slacks, polo shirt, comfy, grippy, sensible shoes. Hats maybe if policed. Certainly not plumber crack, cookie crumbs under your tits, hairy shouldered, tank top wearing slobs.

Anyone who would ever argue this cannot fathom what I have said or its damning repercussions.

 

[straightline]

pfft... A lot of what's wrong with the world is petty vanity - apparel here. When I tune in to pool, I want to see pool; decorum, who GAF?. One particularly annoying aspect of the dress codes in place: Dark Slacks. It's TV you pompous phony (the Minister of Dressing) Looking too fat? GO GYM. Only the pool needs to be presentable.

 

[skogstokig]

hard to say anything about a streamed money match. but tournaments sure, i'm all for some dress code. polo shirt, long pants, dark shoes. i think ronnie alcano took the price in dcc some years ago when he looked like a mental asylum escapee lol

 

[DieselPete]

If it is this video they both look good to me. Yes maybe dennis shirt could be tucked in and the hat seems a bit off. But there are no holes in his shirt. No stains from eating lunch. He is not drunk or high. Both do not have wild hair or beards that have not been groomed in 5 years. They both seem within the range of nicely dressed and well behaved to me.

Yes, that match. For literally decades to come people will be watching that match, many randomly finding it and curious to see the “greatest pool match ever.” Their introduction to the sport will be a guy in joggers and a sideways hat.

You’re right that his shirt doesn’t have holes and he isn’t drunk or high. Way to raise the bar!

 

[logical]

pfft... A lot of what's wrong with the world is petty vanity - apparel here. When I tune in to pool, I want to see pool; decorum, who GAF?. One particularly annoying aspect of the dress codes in place: Dark Slacks. It's TV you pompous phony (the Minister of Dressing) Looking too fat? GO GYM. Only the pool needs to be presentable.

But you already watch and don't care...we get it, so they have no incentive to worry about your low standards. The idea here is to grow the sport, even including viewers and spectators who may not even play pool.

It takes a few hundred dollars (per season) and next to zero extra effort to dress in a way that makes for a better looking product.

It's not vanity. I find that to be a bit of a ridiculous assessment of the issue. Try professionalisn, self respect, awareness of the fact that you are producing a product when you broadcast an event.



Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[The_JV]

But you already watch and don't care...we get it, so they have no incentive to worry about your low standards. The idea here is to grow the sport, even including viewers and spectators who may not even play pool.

It takes a few hundred dollars (per season) and next to zero extra effort to dress in a way that makes for a better looking product.

It's not vanity. I find that to be a bit of a ridiculous assessment of the issue. Try professionalisn, self respect, awareness of the fact that you are producing a product when you broadcast an event.



Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Nailed it... Can't agree more.

That said, it's going to be near impossible to set and maintain standards within the 'backyard' streaming world we're currently getting the bulk of our content from. Although I'm unaware of the actual rule (if there is one) but Matchroom seems to have a dress code in effect. The only hope is for a trickle down effect, but I doubt that would ever happen in the USA.

 

[sjm]

when the tournaments put up substantial additons to the prize fund and make money from video to help with that, then i am all for it. if they are just paying back mostly entry fees, i wouldn't think a dress code is in order.

Unfortunately for the future of our sport, many agree with you. I think you have a point with regard to the imposition of a dress code by an event producer, but if players take it upon themselves to impose a dress code, the profile of the game can be raised.

As an example, the WPBA always had a fairly stringent dress code and a dress code committee run by the players themselves. Adding to that, the WPBA, a tour that's now 45 years old, always hired makeup artists to help prepare ladies that were about to appear in televised matches and you get a clear sense that the WPBA took the appearance of its players very seriously.

 

[lfigueroa]

I've long thought the way many players dress is an abomination and represents the game poorly.

That's at tournaments, where we often look like a convention of the homeless, and on streams where it looks like two bar bangers are going at it rather than the sport's elite. But, there are too many people that don't care, so it is what it is and will remain so in perpetuity.

Lou Figueroa

 

[btal]

Event producers, from the top on down to the local poolroom tournaments, are in it to draw crowds and (in the end) make money. Though there will always be those who don't like a "code", an imposed one helps in that endeavor. Most all readily accept one if demanded and play the game they love anyway. A win/win. That ......... can only be good in the long run.

 

[FranCrimi]

When you see players at an event who are poorly dressed, it's fully the organizer's fault. The event organizers have to lead the players in a direction that moves the sport forward. You can't expect the players to do it all themselves. They are the talent part of the equation. The sport also needs professionals to market the sport and set the rules for the event that help move things forward in a positive way.

It's really not that complicated to get the players to dress presentably. If you are an event organizer, you should set a dress code for your event. The players then are warned ahead of time that the code will be strictly enforced. If a player shows up for a match out of code, they are given 15 minutes to comply or they will forfeit their match. It's that simple. If they do it again during that event, they automatically forfeit their match. No 15 minutes to comply.

 

[Cuedup]

This thread reminds me of when men will sometimes complain about how women don't get dressed up anymore like they used to.

But when you look around, all the guys are wearing jeans and tee shirts.

 

[easy-e]

I honestly don't think well-dressed players will do anything to make pool less boring to watch.

 

[HNTFSH]

hmpf...almost exact same thread started awhile ago from justnum or jaime.