The problem isn't that non pool players don't know who Efren is

Let me say its disappointing, that so few of my pool playing friends know anything about any of the great players.

That having been said, why do we expect them to?

The only way to learn about the people in our game is to search for it online.

the comparison with the big stars of Major League Baseball, professional football, professional basketball etc, is a poor one. Those professional sports blanket or television coverage on a regular basis, we have dedicated sports channels just for that purpose. They get lucrative endorsement deals anderen commercials during our regular primetime viewing. today's real professional athletes have huge exposure.

In professional pool we have CW making his usual mockery of the term "professional".

I have been a baseball fan for over 40 years. I couldn't tell you the name of the starter for the American League last night in the All Star Game on a thousand dollar bet. & I expect there are many, many, many others that would lose that same that. it's all about exposure.
 
Most league players just do it to have fun, hangout or get away from their wife. They couldn't care less about the pros or even the game
 
To be honest with you I don't know how league players can even play pool what with a cocktail in one hand, and a smart phone in the other.
True pool players, as we know them are dwindling. They're dying off, one by one. When me, Cuebuddy, and pt, are gone, whose gonna fill dem shoes? :smile:

P.S. I was lucky enough to have met Efren, in 2005, at the DCC. A true gentleman.
 
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The problem is that many people don't understand: It does not matter. What's in a name?
Playing pool does not mean I need to know every player, even if he was very very good.
I might argue that I shall know a bit about cues and balls and chalk, but other than that...

I can simply enjoy the game. I can look up players if I feel the need for it.
No harm done here.

The sad state of Pool is due to a lot more factors and surely not because people don't know Efren.

Cheers, quit the hatin'
 
decent dennis said:
I think the answer is there are people that play pool, then there are poolplayers, big difference.
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Pool players may know the names through osmosis, but they are just as likely to have no interest in watching pool either. They may be the worst audience to be shooting for. They won't pay a dime to watch pool. So now what is left? Amateurs players have no interest, avid pool players have no interest, the general public we know has no interest, so where is the pool audience, does any exists at all?

It does not take much breaking down of these facts to see why there is no interest in sponsorship investment. They are not stupid, they can see what's what.
 
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macguy said:
Pool players may know the names through osmosis, but they are just as likely to have no interest in watching pool either. They may be the worst audience to be shooting for. They won't pay a dime to watch pool. So now what is left? Amateurs players have no interest, avid pool players have no interest, where is the pool audience, if any exists at all?
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You make a good point. We spend a lot of time bashing our heads against a wall trying to come up with new and different ways to give cue sports a shot in the arm when the reality may simply be that kids, teens, and grown-ups are shying away from investing in a group of games that are difficult to learn, time consuming, and expensive.
To see the future of cue sports we should not look at what's happening around the world, but rather go to our local pool rooms and see what's happening there. That is if they haven't already closed.
 
I used to be a competitive distance runner, still go jogging daily. I have no idea who the best distance runner in the world is.

I would imagine most soccer moms have no idea who Messi is.

Point being, some people are just playing pool for fun. Pool halls would go out of business without those people.
 
A problem, not THE problem, with pro pool, not amateur or private pool, is the lack of player recognition ( by fans), and the resulting lack of fan loyalty, which leads to a lack of " fame", which leads to low viewership, which leads to a lack of sponsors , which leads to low prize funds, which leads to less motivation to play at all, which leads to less players overall, which leads to a slugish pool economy....and the cycle continues...

Fandom is like tourism, it drives the economy in an otherwise useless or unknown place. And you can't be a fan ( or a tourist) if you don't know who or what you are supposed to be a fan of.
 
alstl said:
I used to be a competitive distance runner, still go jogging daily. I have no idea who the best distance runner in the world is.



I would imagine most soccer moms have no idea who Messi is.



Point being, some people are just playing pool for fun. Pool halls would go out of business without those people.
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The top 10 are likely all from Kenya.
 
Tramp Steamer said:
To be honest with you I don't know how league players can even play pool what with a cocktail in one hand, and a smart phone in the other.
True pool players, as we know them are dwindling. They're dying off, one by one. When me, Cuebuddy, and pt, are gone, whose gonna fill dem shoes? :smile:

P.S. I was lucky enough to have met Efren, in 2005, at the DCC. A true gentleman.
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I'll try my damndest!!!
 
j_zippel said:
The top 10 are likely all from Kenya.
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I'm sure some Kenyans and other Africans are high on the list. In 1988 the man with the best 10,000 meter time in the world was a guy from the St Louis area named Craig Virgin. His chance for a lucrative shoe deal was destroyed when Jimmy Carter boycotted the Olympics. I think he ended up working on the family farm.
 
Efrem Reese? Never heard of her.

I don't get why you guys hate on league players... I mean, who cares about the pros? Who cares about hustling and stuff? I'm just trying to get an 8 on the break patch for my denim vest and you guys are all fighting over who has more oyster inlays on your Babooshka.
 
Magyar19 said:
The problem is that most pool players don't know who Efren is! Now I'm talking about the casuals and league players, but they make up a LARGE majority of the pool scene. Imagine a football player not knowing who TomnBrady is? Or a baseball player not knowing who Alex Rodriguez is? This is the real probem.
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If people can be conditioned to care about "Pro" sports and the neanderthal shills who play them, they can be conditioned to care about anything.
 
gah you wouldn't believe how many blank stares I get when I say blah blah blah ...earl or ...shane. ppl during my pool league matches... they look at me like who the fk is earl???? lmao...its weird that the biggest names in pool don't resonate whatsoever...its a huge branding problem. pool needs the cigarette and beer advertisement back...shows you how powerful exposure on television can be
 
BigNBeefY said:
gah you wouldn't believe how many blank stares I get when I say blah blah blah ...earl or ...shane. ppl during my pool league matches... they look at me like who the fk is earl???? lmao...its weird that the biggest names in pool don't resonate whatsoever...its a huge branding problem. pool needs the cigarette and beer advertisement back...shows you how powerful exposure on television can be
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You could throw out the names of say the top dozen pool players in the world to any sportscaster ESPN what ever and they would have no idea who they were either.
These pool players are entirely obscure unimportant people. I never really understand this conversation when it comes up.
 
Tramp Steamer said:
To be honest with you I don't know how league players can even play pool what with a cocktail in one hand, and a smart phone in the other.
True pool players, as we know them are dwindling. They're dying off, one by one. When me, Cuebuddy, and pt, are gone, whose gonna fill dem shoes? :smile:

P.S. I was lucky enough to have met Efren, in 2005, at the DCC. A true gentleman.
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I am thrilled to be with such good company. And you are correct that players like us are not the norm. I live in a remote resort and I am the only one around who truly loves the game and studies it. The bangers that I know think I am Efren;). I travel a fair bit and work hard to get to pool rooms that I have heard of and even let others on this board know I am in town so we can meet up.

Tramp you and pt are on my "must meet" list. I was in Toronto last fall and failed at getting together with pt109 and wont let it happen again:o.
 
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