The future of billiards
- Thread starter justnum
- Start date
IMHO the Billiards Industry need to start working together. Also all the group like BCA, BCAPL,ACS, APA, and the rest that I did not take time to name need to become one as there is strenth in numbers. bit today there is a mentality of each fish being a big fish in their own little pond. Years ago there one ONE LEAGUE Orginization in the Valley of the Sun, today there are 7 or 8 all finghting to attract the same few players TOO THEIR LEAGUE!
There are so many problems that it would take someone a couple of days just to write them all out but I'm sure they will all be spelt out here as they alway are. I have been speaking to various people from a wide range of places and positions within the industry and they all agree it's too fragmented it's going to take a huge amount of work to even begin resolving the issue.
IMO one area that needs significant improvement, right now, is that of getting Billiard Players involved in supporting Tournaments. I watched the stream from Emerald over the weekend and it only pulled in around 3-400 viewers at any one time, that is pitiful. We need something to get regular League Players involved and interested, it's a huge market but with a high percentage that are simply disinterested in Pro Tournaments or TV Matches. If you asked the average player to name 2 or 3 top Pro's most probably couldn't. What could that something be?
Well Emerald this weekend maybe gave me a clue on something that could be worked on. The Team matches with 1 Pro and 4 League Players were fun to watch and got plenty of viewers too.
1. What about extending that to other Tournaments or having regional
Playoffs with a Grand Final?
2. Another idea Scotch Doubles with a Pro and a regular League Player?
3. Pro Teams with 3 or more on a Team representing an area or club,
could they be played alongside a selection of Tournaments or a Tour?
Just throwing these ideas out there, if we cannot get viewers from within what chance do we really have? I would say a very, very small chance of even standing still and little if any chance of moving forward.
IMO one area that needs significant improvement, right now, is that of getting Billiard Players involved in supporting Tournaments. I watched the stream from Emerald over the weekend and it only pulled in around 3-400 viewers at any one time, that is pitiful. We need something to get regular League Players involved and interested, it's a huge market but with a high percentage that are simply disinterested in Pro Tournaments or TV Matches. If you asked the average player to name 2 or 3 top Pro's most probably couldn't. What could that something be?
Well Emerald this weekend maybe gave me a clue on something that could be worked on. The Team matches with 1 Pro and 4 League Players were fun to watch and got plenty of viewers too.
1. What about extending that to other Tournaments or having regional
Playoffs with a Grand Final?
2. Another idea Scotch Doubles with a Pro and a regular League Player?
3. Pro Teams with 3 or more on a Team representing an area or club,
could they be played alongside a selection of Tournaments or a Tour?
Just throwing these ideas out there, if we cannot get viewers from within what chance do we really have? I would say a very, very small chance of even standing still and little if any chance of moving forward.
The future of billiards goes beyond the pro, league, tourney aspect that everyone keeps focusing on.
The future of billiards is gonna be solely based on getting more people involved. Until there is a demand, and I mean substantial, demand pool will not get much air time.
There needs to be a billiard council with members from various areas of the billiard world.
But as always, the question keeps getting asked "Who should do this?"
Well, who or rather what group of people need to take up this cause?
Here is one idea that would really help get the recreational player and this IS the the group to target. The recreational player is billiards future.
A 30 min, once a week instructional show on billiards. The idea is to have segments on the different aspect of billiards and playing. One segment could be on squirt, the pros and cons of LD shafts and so on.
This would also give the billiards industry broader exposure. Like, this segment is sponsored by xxx and so on.
Ask the pro segment.
Could have a billiards room showcase segment about cool, unique type pool rooms.
It goes on. I see shows like this on cable. Shipshape TV is really got me thinking about this idea. It is a how to , info show about recreational boating and I thought the same concept can work for billiards.
FWIW.
The future of billiards is gonna be solely based on getting more people involved. Until there is a demand, and I mean substantial, demand pool will not get much air time.
There needs to be a billiard council with members from various areas of the billiard world.
But as always, the question keeps getting asked "Who should do this?"
Well, who or rather what group of people need to take up this cause?
Here is one idea that would really help get the recreational player and this IS the the group to target. The recreational player is billiards future.
A 30 min, once a week instructional show on billiards. The idea is to have segments on the different aspect of billiards and playing. One segment could be on squirt, the pros and cons of LD shafts and so on.
This would also give the billiards industry broader exposure. Like, this segment is sponsored by xxx and so on.
Ask the pro segment.
Could have a billiards room showcase segment about cool, unique type pool rooms.
It goes on. I see shows like this on cable. Shipshape TV is really got me thinking about this idea. It is a how to , info show about recreational boating and I thought the same concept can work for billiards.
FWIW.
Flipping through the channels this past weekend, I happenned across a fishing tournament that was being televised on ESPN. During the coverage, they talked about a college level tournament that was also going on with 190 "teams" competing from 160 different schools. The competitors were wearing NASCAR-like uniforms covered with corporate sponsorship patches, this was televised on ESPN, and first place paid out $50,000! And mind you, this was just a walleye fishing tournament, not even a bass tournament, which seems to be even more popular.
Screw it, I'm going fishing . . .
uttahere:
Screw it, I'm going fishing . . .
uttahere:
1. Billiards has to be in schools. Earl Munson and myself have done it. More people should follow our example.
2. Billiards also needs to be at the college level. There is no entity in billiards willing to do this.
Until effective programs that engage youth are created billiards will go nowhere. Everyone is waiting for the next big movie to get it going again..... Keep on waiting...
2. Billiards also needs to be at the college level. There is no entity in billiards willing to do this.
Until effective programs that engage youth are created billiards will go nowhere. Everyone is waiting for the next big movie to get it going again..... Keep on waiting...
You hit the nail on the head. If you can get it in the schools it will have a domino effect on the entire industry. Unfortunately schools are cutting so many programs that pool does not stand a chance right now. (at least in my neck of the woods)
You are absolutely correct there is no chance whatsoever of getting it into Schools or Colleges on a level that will make any difference at the moment. Our Schools here do not have enough money to spend on what they already have, let alone any new programs. Now if a very forward thinking Company or Organisation came up with Sponsorship that maybe different
That is why IMO (going back to my earlier post) at this moment in time, we need to engage the people already involved in the Sport. We need to get them supporting Local, Regional, National Tournaments and The Mosconi Cup. We need them to be pushing local media for more storys and coverage of Pool events. We need to get these players actively involved in things alongside those Tournaments whatever that is. It has to be something that will get them out of their local Pool Room, that is why for want of a better phrase I mentioned Pro-Ams. I am sure some of you who have been involved longer than I have can come up with more ideas. This of course would require the participation of Promoters, Sponsors and Players coming together for the betterment of the Sport. Surely that's not too much to ask, after all it is in their own interests.