the pool world(why complain)?

L

liakos

Banned
I'm not much for words but I will say this, I'm getting sick and tired of hearing all the BS about how pool in the US is in the shi[[er! If you want my opinion on why its in where it is, simple, its us!!!!!!!!

We as pool players are the cheapest, most broke, and the biggest cry babies in the whole entire world. I'm glad to see it where it is, it deserves to be a waste of time! Heh, look at how we support it. All we do is complain about this and that. And what do we do about it,,,(crickets) NOTHING!!!

This goes out to almost all of the pool world! Please stop wasting time and energy on blaming everything that is wrong with pool with excuses other than "its our fault, WE DON'T SUPPORT IT! There are some out there that do support, but the percentages of those that don't far outweigh those that do!

Want to do something about it, its simple,,, start supporting the scene! Buy a cue! Take a lesson or 2 from a pro! Buy the ppv's! By some shirts! Maybe they should start making the events with a door charge that goes to the players fund. ANYTHING! Start SPENDING!!!!

The only way to bring this game back into the spotlight is for all of us to start supporting the industry! All I hear lately is I'm not watching this or that due to the charge?!?! Wtf is wrong with you when you say "I wonder if pool will ever rise to fame"?
It won't! You know why?? Because of the cheap, broke, sucky attitude, and whinny little *****es called pool players!

It's pretty simple people, SUPPORT!!! Please don't start with the economy and BS! Don't get me wrong, the economy being in the state its in doesn't help, but please! I know there are some that just can't, BUT, the majority CAN!

Support people, don't let the greatest game on earth fall into the bowels of nothingness! It deserves so much more!
 
Pool is known to be a recreation to most not a sport. For example, a poolhall
is making little to no business and if it wasn't for leagues, the poolhall in my
area would be closed.
Now when I bartended, the owner had 2 coin operated tables in the bar. The people
that came in were regular drinkers and desperate men looking for there next
divorce.
The funny thing was, that in a place were there were no pool players per say, the owner could pay most of his rent from what he made from the pool tables and jukebox
alone.
There's only a few poolhalls I've seen that turn into a night club at night and have
coin operated tables for the bar crowd and the nine footers were in a different area
which was blocked off from that crowd and only for the '' Players''.
Now, I understand that for something like a poolhall - Club you need a larger poolhall
which takes a lot more money. People need a ambiance to want to spend there
time at.
A place called '' Fast Eddies'' in Vancouver had a membership fee were you
paid for a laminated membership card and got better rates than non-members
and also got perks for cheaper food and drinks as well. I really like this way of
doing things because in this day and age with coffee cards, points cards, Costco,
and bunch of other cards, people seem to feel more apart of something when
they have a card or membership.
People have to think outside the box when it comes to making money with a poolhall.
 
liakos said:
I'm not much for words but I will say this, I'm getting sick and tired of hearing all the BS about how pool in the US is in the shi[[er! If you want my opinion on why its in where it is, simple, its us!!!!!!!!

We as pool players are the cheapest, most broke, and the biggest cry babies in the whole entire world. I'm glad to see it where it is, it deserves to be a waste of time! Heh, look at how we support it. All we do is complain about this and that. And what do we do about it,,,(crickets) NOTHING!!!

This goes out to almost all of the pool world! Please stop wasting time and energy on blaming everything that is wrong with pool with excuses other than "its our fault, WE DON'T SUPPORT IT! There are some out there that do support, but the percentages of those that don't far outweigh those that do!

Want to do something about it, its simple,,, start supporting the scene! Buy a cue! Take a lesson or 2 from a pro! Buy the ppv's! By some shirts! Maybe they should start making the events with a door charge that goes to the players fund. ANYTHING! Start SPENDING!!!!

The only way to bring this game back into the spotlight is for all of us to start supporting the industry! All I hear lately is I'm not watching this or that due to the charge?!?! Wtf is wrong with you when you say "I wonder if pool will ever rise to fame"?
It won't! You know why?? Because of the cheap, broke, sucky attitude, and whinny little *****es called pool players!

It's pretty simple people, SUPPORT!!! Please don't start with the economy and BS! Don't get me wrong, the economy being in the state its in doesn't help, but please! I know there are some that just can't, BUT, the majority CAN!

Support people, don't let the greatest game on earth fall into the bowels of nothingness! It deserves so much more!
Click to expand...

My (being real) alter-ego would have said something very similar to what you posted. Thank you!
 
liakos said:
I'm not much for words but I will say this, I'm getting sick and tired of hearing all the BS about how pool in the US is in the shi[[er! If you want my opinion on why its in where it is, simple, its us!!!!!!!!

We as pool players are the cheapest, most broke, and the biggest cry babies in the whole entire world. I'm glad to see it where it is, it deserves to be a waste of time! Heh, look at how we support it. All we do is complain about this and that. And what do we do about it,,,(crickets) NOTHING!!!

This goes out to almost all of the pool world! Please stop wasting time and energy on blaming everything that is wrong with pool with excuses other than "its our fault, WE DON'T SUPPORT IT! There are some out there that do support, but the percentages of those that don't far outweigh those that do!

Want to do something about it, its simple,,, start supporting the scene! Buy a cue! Take a lesson or 2 from a pro! Buy the ppv's! By some shirts! Maybe they should start making the events with a door charge that goes to the players fund. ANYTHING! Start SPENDING!!!!

The only way to bring this game back into the spotlight is for all of us to start supporting the industry! All I hear lately is I'm not watching this or that due to the charge?!?! Wtf is wrong with you when you say "I wonder if pool will ever rise to fame"?
It won't! You know why?? Because of the cheap, broke, sucky attitude, and whinny little *****es called pool players!

It's pretty simple people, SUPPORT!!! Please don't start with the economy and BS! Don't get me wrong, the economy being in the state its in doesn't help, but please! I know there are some that just can't, BUT, the majority CAN!

Support people, don't let the greatest game on earth fall into the bowels of nothingness! It deserves so much more!
Click to expand...

I do not know your age, but if i assumed you are in your 35-40 years old!! I see a trend, unfortunately for pool, our young generation have much more selection of entertainment than we old farts had have, young generation, see each other via Facebook, Twiter..etc, they do not care about personally meeting people, unfortunate, tons of games, entertainment on line for them, fast pace action, immediate results and satisfaction. Pool is too slow for them, it takes days to complete a tournament, sorry they are not gonna do it!! unless the pool industry adapts to their taste, i expect pool to be in bad shape in the near future in the US if not already.
 
first off I agree 100% with this post! "pool players" complain about you should do this and that to the owner (which of course cost money) but then will walk across the street to buy a coffee or a burger instead of buying food form the poolhall! or will buy a cue or whatever online instead of from a poolhall owner to save $10! IF YOU WANT YOUR POOLHALL TO STAY OPEN STOP BEING SO F' ING CHEAP!!!!!!!
as for the younger generation they would go to play pool if it was advertised. NAJI you blame gaming, facebook and twitter. I say use those medias to your advantage! create a facebook or twitter account for your poolhall (or any business for that matter) and create a customer with specials!
 
To be honest, Joe Public, and the "average bangers" of the world drive the pool world. They are good patrons, buy stuff, spend time and knowledge and make the local pool room a better place to be. These people pay the bills.

The better the player, the worse they are as a customer! and that comes from a person who worked in MANY pool rooms<<<Me....you can ask any room owner that! Great players want everything for free since they play well, free table time, all the easy games, they ***** about conditions/lighting/humidity, seating in tourney brackets and if there is no action, they spend little cash on food, drinks, etc......and forget about them trying to help the upcoming players, except to lighten their wallets. Of course there are exceptions, but most great players make bad customers.

Maybe the above statement doesn't make sense to some, and is a bit harsh, but if you know a room owner, ask them honestly.

We need many things for pool to be great again, and we (players) need to help the newby banger have more fun at the pool room. There is nothing like a new player with the fire to learn.....we were all there once remember....and we all remember the people that helped us learn.

G.
 
As a player I'm insulted. I've always supported any place I spent a lot of time in playing. I worked in the main one I frequented. I started leagues and ran them. I played in some I didn't start. I bought cues, accessories, lunch, gallons of coffee, books, etc. I talked the game up to people who walked in the door. I helped the room sell cues. I worked tournaments and played in them. I worked for a living and supported my family. I defy you or anyone else to say I don't/didn't support the game for over 50 years. Speak for yourself!
 
Pushout said:
As a player I'm insulted. I've always supported any place I spent a lot of time in playing. I worked in the main one I frequented. I started leagues and ran them. I played in some I didn't start. I bought cues, accessories, lunch, gallons of coffee, books, etc. I talked the game up to people who walked in the door. I helped the room sell cues. I worked tournaments and played in them. I worked for a living and supported my family. I defy you or anyone else to say I don't/didn't support the game for over 50 years. Speak for yourself!
Click to expand...


And based upon your experience, would you say you are the exception or the rule?
 
Pushout said:
As a player I'm insulted. I've always supported any place I spent a lot of time in playing. I worked in the main one I frequented. I started leagues and ran them. I played in some I didn't start. I bought cues, accessories, lunch, gallons of coffee, books, etc. I talked the game up to people who walked in the door. I helped the room sell cues. I worked tournaments and played in them. I worked for a living and supported my family. I defy you or anyone else to say I don't/didn't support the game for over 50 years. Speak for yourself!
Click to expand...

I think it's pretty clear that OP was "speaking" to the people who do NOT support pool like you do.

I own cues and books and PPVs and DVDs, etc. I read his post, agreed with it, but didn't take it personally because I'm one of the people that supports pool with my money.
 
MahnaMahna said:
And based upon your experience, would you say you are the exception or the rule?
Click to expand...

I would say that there were less people like he described where I played but there will always be a few, no matter where you go. Maybe I took it too personal but every time somebody describes the kind of players that everybody puts down I don't see the positive ones mentioned much. He does say "We pool players".
 
The Beauty of the Game

From my perspective this isn't quite it. I played pool as a kid and was interested in the game as a casual fan. That was decades ago, and since then I have nursed a dormant affection for the game. Just last April I decided I wasn't getting any younger and determined to clear a space in my basement for a table--better late than never (bought myself a sports car a few years ago on the same reasoning). Since then I have spent $6700 on tables (didn't like the first one and replaced it, at a loss), about $2000 on cues, and about $1100 on lessons, plus books and odds and ends. I'm not wealthy by any stretch so this is significant spending for me.

But my son who will turn 21 in a few days doesn't have the same interest. To him, pool is below the radar. Even with a table in the basement I can only entice him to play me once every few weeks, and then by just telling him I want company. When he has friends over they will "adjourn" to the basement for a game or two but only as a break from video gaming.

In our community and among my son's friends, not very many houses/apartments have the room or facilities for teen parties--my son's typical friend gatherings are usually no more than 6-8 people at most and they typically gather in each others' bedrooms. A pool table takes at least 13x17' of dedicated space and I would guess only a minority of his friends' parents have the luxury of that kind of extra space even if they wanted a table.

My son's preferred activities (besides just hanging out with friends and with his girlfriend) are paintball, laser tag, playing guitar, video and computer gaming, and working out at the gym which he does regularly if he can (he has some injuries that prevent him from working out as much as he'd like). The only place he would encounter pool tables is in bars and he will only be able to go to bars legally after next week. And those tables are bar boxes meant as diversion for people who are there to drink.

He and his friends spent more time bowling in their growing up years than playing pool. And they only went bowling once or twice a year, maybe four or five times in the peak years of their interest at about age 13-14.

Pool is a difficult game with a long learning curve and moreover, for him, there is just no visible wider interest in it out there in the world at large. He doesn't aspire to be a player and why would he? None of his friends play, and the game has no exposure in his world--never on network TV, etc. Neither he nor his friends can name one high-profile pro player, not one. (I've asked.) They have no one they want to emulate and no reason to aspire to be good players because they can't picture any fame or fortune if they were good. Unlike guitar playing, which all his friends like and which any of them are capable of daydreaming about.

The only person my son knows who plays besides me is the mother of one friend who is pretty heavily into a local League.

Today he leaves for college for the Spring semester of his sophomore year so last night (his last night home) he reserved time to play video games with his best friend. He thought of it as an indulgence. He told me he won't get to play video games at school so he wanted to spend some time playing while he could. That's his priority "waste of time" activity.

He has been home for a week between his Interim class and Spring semester, and he played me two games of eight ball this week. He was being nice to Dad. I spotted him the break, the green ball, and the eight ball and beat him both times even though he sank a few very nice shots (he has a good eye). The first game was pretty frustrating, fairly technical because of the way the balls laid out--we both came to the table several times with no shot whatsoever. It was fun for me but not satisfying for him.

The "core" fans of pool who you are complaining about are (as a group) probably just too old, too few, and generally not very wealthy. These aren't things that individuals in that group can do much about. People on low fixed incomes can't magically make themselves rich, and I don't know of any way to make oneself younger. I can't really blame the game's core fans for its state or its status. It's really just a 19th-century game in a 21st-century world--isn't that really the problem?

Granted it saw several surges of popularity in the 20th century but as a high-status game for wealthy people its image was permanently tarnished during the Great Depression and has never really recovered. The 1920s, when Willie Hoppe earned as much as Babe Ruth and there were five articles about billiards every DAY in the New York Times (!!!), saw the game's true "last hurrah."

Given the social forces at work, I kind of feel like the game has LOTS of core fans--a surprisingly large number--and still has a pretty high profile despite all its disadvantages. That, in my opinion, is due to the intrinsic beauty of the game itself.

But bear in mind I'm just a newcomer.

Mike


liakos said:
I'm not much for words but I will say this, I'm getting sick and tired of hearing all the BS about how pool in the US is in the shi[[er! If you want my opinion on why its in where it is, simple, its us!!!!!!!!

We as pool players are the cheapest, most broke, and the biggest cry babies in the whole entire world. I'm glad to see it where it is, it deserves to be a waste of time! Heh, look at how we support it. All we do is complain about this and that. And what do we do about it,,,(crickets) NOTHING!!!

This goes out to almost all of the pool world! Please stop wasting time and energy on blaming everything that is wrong with pool with excuses other than "its our fault, WE DON'T SUPPORT IT! There are some out there that do support, but the percentages of those that don't far outweigh those that do!

Want to do something about it, its simple,,, start supporting the scene! Buy a cue! Take a lesson or 2 from a pro! Buy the ppv's! By some shirts! Maybe they should start making the events with a door charge that goes to the players fund. ANYTHING! Start SPENDING!!!!

The only way to bring this game back into the spotlight is for all of us to start supporting the industry! All I hear lately is I'm not watching this or that due to the charge?!?! Wtf is wrong with you when you say "I wonder if pool will ever rise to fame"?
It won't! You know why?? Because of the cheap, broke, sucky attitude, and whinny little *****es called pool players!

It's pretty simple people, SUPPORT!!! Please don't start with the economy and BS! Don't get me wrong, the economy being in the state its in doesn't help, but please! I know there are some that just can't, BUT, the majority CAN!

Support people, don't let the greatest game on earth fall into the bowels of nothingness! It deserves so much more!
Click to expand...
 
I just realized how to fix pool.

All it takes is charging a $100 fee to the OP every time this exact same thread gets started here then use that money to create and market events. In a year pool will be on opposite the NFL.

Added $50 fee every time the words "Whats wrong with pool" are typed in a post.
 
thank you, OP. cause this is really getting OLD....

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH POOL? WE NEED TO PROMOTE POOL!" waaah :mad:

after 6 months on this forum, and all the GOBs, i'm close to "over it". because, if you read closely....you will see that those who post, (b1tch) are the ones hiding behind a keyboard & don't drop-dime weekly; regardless of their deserved respect from past accomplishments.

WHAT PROMOTERS, STREAMERS, CONSUMERS WERE AT/PPV FOR THE DCC?

(cause i know this answer)

i've done several polls on the Pros @ 6 venues @ 4 states. and unfortunately - THIS IS GOING TO HURT - no ones cares; no one knows. Pros. Tourneys. nothing....

those spending money, are the ones who actually PLAY. they are into The Game. they are into them, and theirs. and they don't give a *#%@ about anything outside of their World.

Times are tough. and every minute, that we spend on AZB, is MONEY NOT SPENT @ THE POOL HALL.

gotta go - Break Time is doing a pre-game party & we have to bring appetizers for Superbowl!!!!

:clapping::clapping:
 
JCIN said:
I just realized how to fix pool.

All it takes is charging a $100 fee to the OP every time this exact same thread gets started here then use that money to create and market events. In a year pool will be on opposite the NFL.

Added $50 fee every time the words "Whats wrong with pool" are typed in a post.
Click to expand...

The 'mercan way, damn it! :ok:
 
It may be both an age and finance related problem. I live in a retirement community of 160 homes. I know of at least 12 tables here and two times as many players. The social center will have a couple of tables when it opens next year.

Four of us will travel to SBE next month. But because we have tables in our basements we don't go to pool halls. So what? We buy tables, sticks, lessons, DVD's etc.

Pool is a social game or sport. We geezers can't play football anymore so we get together, drink a beer, tell lies and shoot some pool.

Jeez, I have a 21 year old nephew who never even owned a football or baseball glove, much less played any kind of team sports. Just video games, that's it. A whole generation of candyass geeks.
 
If you are reasonably successful in life and you like pool, you buy your own table. These people hang out with similar people and the whole group is not about hanging at some disreputable pool hall where the hustle is the word of the day.

I think that by and large you find losers and gamblers (who do not have much money) at pool halls. For fun they go hustle the local bar.

Pool is not dead, it just moved out of pool halls where drugs, loud music and poor hustlers hang out.

I too live in a retirement community and we have four Gold Crowns that are in use all the time. There are lots of players in my area, we see no reason to hangout at a pool hall. A few years ago 10 - 12 of us went "down town" for the local Friday night ten dollar tournament. After a few nights of ignorant red necks, foul language, whores and all the riff raff in town, why go back. If you did win anything you probably woud not get out of the parking lot without an escort.

There are plenty of us who play, we just choose where we go.

Before someone gets all over me, I continue to look for a "good" place to play when I am on the road. They are few and far between. As for supporting pool I certainly have more than 20 grand invested in the sport over the years, and so do many of my friends.
 
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there is some truth to what the op says and i did not take it personal either.

i feel i do my part. in the past 8 years i have bought about 12 cues ranging from 25.00 to 3,000.00 . i was playing league 5 days a week but cut it down to 3 last month. joining another league next week bumping it back up to 4 days a week.

i got 2 of my g/f's children playing league.play in a few tournaments a month. took a 1 day lesson from randy g. went to both southern classics.

what the hell more do you want from me? :rolleyes :j/k

on a serious note... pool room owners have a lot to do with the situation also.

sad story when 1 closed here 2 years ago. too much to go into here but basically he relied too much on serious players . he had 1 traveling league which played about every 8th match at home. no tournaments.

he had no advertising. instead of teaching new people room etiquette he ran them off and barred them from coming back.

i could go on with what he did wrong but in a nutshell the old timers he relied on was not enough to pay the rent.
 
JoeW said:
If you are reasonably successful in life and you like pool, you buy your own table. These people hang out with similar people and the whole group is not about hanging at some disreputable pool hall where the hustle is the word of the day.

I think that by and large you find losers and gamblers (who do not have much money) at pool halls. For fun they go hustle the local bar.

Pool is not dead, it just moved out of pool halls where drugs, loud music and poor hustlers hang out.

I too live in a retirement community and we have four Gold Crowns that are in use all the time. There are lots of players in my area, we see no reason to hangout at a pool hall. A few years ago 10 - 12 of us went "down town" for the local Friday night ten dollar tournament. After a few nights of ignorant red necks, foul language, whores and all the riff raff in town, why go back. If you did win anything you probably woud not get out of the parking lot without an escort.

There are plenty of us who play, we just choose where we go.

Before someone gets all over me, I continue to look for a "good" place to play when I am on the road. They are few and far between. As for supporting pool I certainly have more than 20 grand invested in the sport over the years, and so do many of my friends.
Click to expand...

you would have liked the place i was talking about that closed. ...aside from the fact the tables needed recovering and the carpet needed replaced. he knew he needed both but could not afford them.

no music...unless you liked country music played on a radio turned down so low you could barely here it. no tv's ,no jukebox, no games, no kids... hell no body there.
 
It won't! You know why?? Because of the cheap, broke, sucky attitude, and whinny little *****es called pool players!
Click to expand...

I'm far from being cheap, broke, I don't have a sucky attitude and I'm not a whiny b itch.

I play league 3 nights a week, on the VNEA League committee and do whatever I can to help out our local league.

When I wasn't playing league, I was at our local hall putting my time and money in 3 of the off nights.

As far as whiny b itches go, speak for yourself, I wasn't the one that started this thread.

Of course, it was a hit and run thread. The OP hasn't been back.

Scared whiny B itch to back his words, me thinks.
 
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When I said what I said, I hope it was understood that I didn't mean 100% of all the people! More like 90-95% of the players! The only reason why pool is still around here in tje states is due to people such as the here that have stated they support it through different means! (Means =$$$) unfortunately, some have been offended here and I apologize! Like I said, I was talking about the situation in general! There are always exceptions!
 
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