the IPT is a joke

[gromulan]

I wouldn't call a race to 8 in 8-ball a short race.

It most certainly is. You're talking about maybe a 60-70 minute match - one set of tennis or five holes of golf. A decent length match should potentially reach 4 or 5 hours (maybe a race to 30 or so).

Still to come, the referee's snafu in Efren's and Manalo's match.

Wow, how can you not look foward to that!?

But if you keep their initiative in mind, which is to get bar players/non-players interested in our sport, then they may be on to something. Cater to the lowest common denominator..the Jerry Springer fans, and make it visually exciting for the MTV generation, and the rest of the pool world will watch anyway.

Every pool telecast in US history has tried to do the same thing. None have been successful. Why should this one be? They would stand a better chance at good ratings if they approached it from the standpoint that the last group of people they want are casual viewers and only tried to please actual pool fans.

 

[Eric.]

I could do without Sigel saying "..and this is what we call..." before jsut about every game comment he makes. Somethings don't need that qualifier. It's condescending to viewers.


Eric

 

[Blackjack]

You must keep in mind that one of the biggest stumbling blocks for the world of pool is that there is no way to present it live with more than a couple of hundred spectators. What KT is doing is using the same promotional model that has been used to market poker - which is another game that has spectator issues. KT is also trying to toss in some off-table drama in hopes that it will attract more viewers. That is what it is all about: Attract more viewers to attract more sponsorship dollars and/or air time. Its a gamble and it is also an expensive game of trial and error. I'm sure that people in charge of this project are aware that the finished product that is currently airing is far below the expectations that many had about the IPT due to the initial hype. I am positive that somebody is tackling those issues as we speak to present this program in a way that will expand viewership. At some point the game of pool has to take priority over the drama, the hype and the prize funds. I'm sure the IPt has realized that by now.

In regards to the other comments in this thread, all I will say is that every player I have talked to is very hungry to get their hands on some of this money. For many players, this is the first chance for them to get a substantial amount of cash in their pocket. I doubt that anyone is showing up to dump any games or matches- especially Earl Strickland. Gerda Hofstater is a very capable player and I believe that in the IPT gender will not be a factor as much as your ability to remain focused at the right place at the right time for the big cash.

 

[jjinfla]

Jake,

I know you knew what you are talking about there, but it came out wrong, .

That's what I like about you Linda - you listen to what I mean and not to what I say.

Jake

 

[jjinfla]

Hey, I was there. There were lots of seats and not many spectators until the final two or three days. It looked to me like all of the players were trying. And then there was Manalo's celebrated brain freeze, which may have been from thinking too much.

I found the Orlando tournament a lot more interesting to watch than most nine ball tournaments.

Unfortunately when Allison was playing she was in the room where there was just the one table where the final match was played and people really didn't know who was on that table.

The main problem was that there were 14 other tables with matches and they all had star players on them.

I don't think it was a matter of the people shunning Allison as much as it was the fact that we didn't know she was playing.

I imagine that room had seats for around 500 people. And not a bad seat in the room.

But, as good as the production was, and the talent there, I was really dissappointed in the turnout of fans. The place should have been packed with die hard fans, and it wasn't. So that tells me that pool just does not have any die hard fans. People like to play pool, but they just won't spend any money to go watch someone play pool.

Other than the players in the IPT, and people in the trades, I doubt that they had 50 people there who paid for tickets for the week. Don't know about the final match - I wasn't there.

 

[Chris]

People like to play pool, but they just won't spend any money to go watch someone play pool.

I'm not trying to be pessimistic, but I don't understand why anyone would.

 

[amatuer]

ipt

Even though I am a skeptic, I am sitting back and waiting to see what develops with the IPT. I have been around pool for many years and have seen many different types of tours come and go. The real question is can a tour make real money from pool.

I am waiting to see if the IPT gets major sponsors. The european TV deal if it's structured anything like the deals in the USA, will be probably bring in no money to the IPT. They probably have to pay their own programming costs. Having said that 'it will get them exposure.

The selection of the players has been talked about over and over again. The bottom fifty of the 142 players will not get beyond 2006, if they last that long. The eight that qualified to make the first 150 are all good players. It seems like all the winners of the new qualfiers are all quality players too,

The only question I have about the last 50 qualified players is if they will be able to get enough points to make the final 100 at the end of this year.

I wish the IPT a lot of luck in their endeavor, a small group of players will make a lot of money. Some of the others will be ok too. As for profit sharing and guaranteed salaries, I will wait and see.

 

[Bob Jewett]

I'm not trying to be pessimistic, but I don't understand why anyone would (watch pool).

But people do like to watch pool, just not in the same number (in the US) as football or soccer or basketball. Look at the popularity of snooker in the UK in the 1980's.

On the other hand, the recently completed 14.1 World Championships rarely had more than 100 people in the stands, and this was within an hour's drive of millions of players.

 

[macguy]

But people do like to watch pool, just not in the same number (in the US) as football or soccer or basketball. Look at the popularity of snooker in the UK in the 1980's.

On the other hand, the recently completed 14.1 World Championships rarely had more than 100 people in the stands, and this was within an hour's drive of millions of players.

There is very little about pool that stimulates a spectators interest. Most tournaments are a real bore fest. If you want people to get interested it has to be a real happening event. At football games the real draw is the whole package from the tail gate parties outside the stadiums to the game itself, people feel involved.

Not so at a pool tournament. Even players can't take it for long and walk out, It just isn't a spectator sport. Interesting to watch for a short time but that is about it. Playing on the other hand is different, people love to play.

About the only happening thing about pool is the gambling, people love that aspect of it. Go to a tournament and when you hear people talking afterwards about what happened it will always have to do with who matched up with who, that can be exciting and what the public finds interesting. You read it here all the time.

 

[ScottW]

millions of players

*cough*.

Be real here. Assuming there were "millions" of players within an hour's drive of that event - which I sincerly doubt - maybe "tens of thousands" - even so, just being a "player" doesn't mean someone's as interested in the activity as the next guy.

Look at this site, for example. Assumiing there are "millions" of players across the country - the world, even! - there's barely over 5,000 registered users on this forum.

Frankly, you really have to be fairly hard-core into pool to want to go and watch other folks play - from a distance - sitting still, not making a sound - etc etc. - AND (depending on the event) pay for the priviledge. It's just not a spectator sport like football, etc. - where the crowd isn't told to "hush!". Folks cheer, jump up, etc.

Heck, even golf, where the spectators are supposed to sit tight while the player is up at the ball - that's only once every few minutes, around the players making their way down to where the ball lies, or to the next tee, etc.

 

[Bob Jewett]

*cough*.

Be real here. Assuming there were "millions" of players within an hour's drive of that event - which I sincerly doubt - ...

I'm using the slightly bogus NSGA definition by which about 10% of the US population plays pool.

Most players (by the 10% definition) seem to feel they can't learn anything about pool by watching others or just have no interest in learning anything about pool.

On the other hand, when pool is on ESPN, it gets something like a million viewers (if I remember the ratings correctly).

 

[Bob Jewett]

... It's just not a spectator sport like football, etc. - where the crowd isn't told to "hush!". Folks cheer, jump up, etc....

Mosconi Cup.