Things i hate about Pool on TV

StormHotRod300

StormHotRod300

BigSexy
Silver Member
Ok, as much as i love seeing Pool on TV, even if its a re-run, I do have several gripes about pool on TV.

Like why use a alternate breaking format on TV? I mean why not just have a winner break format? Now i know that the women use a Alternate break format throughout the whole tournament which is about stupid. Because if everything works out right, the person who wins the lag will win the match, assuming both playes break n run everytime.

My other grip is why the women use the alternate break format in tournaments? I would think they would get some different names in the finals if it was a winner break format. Not to hate on the women who make it to the finals all the time, but i love variety and seeing new faces on TV.

Now i am not sure how the Mens tournaments work, but i think doing a alternate break system takes away from the game, and watching someone run a 6pack or more. I loved watching some of the old tournaments where someone would run 5 or more racks. and then have them miss and their opponet come back with a 6pack run.

Also Saturday afternoon, i was watching the BCA tournaments and why use the Sardo rack? It seriously makes the game boring, with the Pro's using a softbreak and 99% of the time making a ball on the break. Now Saturday was a lil different, there wasnt as many break n runs from the Sardo, as what i have normally seen. I believe that the women and men use a regular rack in basically every tournament to get rid of the softbreak and making the wing balls all the time. correct me if i am wrong?

But still i love seeing the Men and Women crack the racks.

Also, why have such short sets? a race to 7 wtf!!!!!! why not have atleast a Race to 11? I remember some of the old TV matches having a race to 15, now those where excellent matches. And yea they took a while to show on TV even with editing but who cares.


Please share your thoughts on this

Dave
 
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I tell you ine thing I dont get is why when they play the finals the person from the losers side only has to win once. That kinda defeats the purpose of double elimination.
 
StormHotRod300 said:
Like why use a alternate breaking format on TV? I mean why not just have a winner break format? Now i know that the women use a Alternate break format throughout the whole tournament which is about stupid. Because if everything works out right, the person who wins the lag will win the match, assuming both playes break n run everytime.
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I don't think alternate break is so bad. If it comes to the point that both players run out at their time at the table, then it was a great match and the player that lost should go to the practice table and work on their speed control/lag.
Both players get a chance to shoot at least. Pro players have been known to string together 7 racks. So if a player breaks and runs out 7 racks(in winner break format) he won from winning the lag also. And the other player got no tv time at all. (in this example, race to 7)

You don't consider it a 'pack" if th player breaks and runs on his break in alternate break format? I do!

StormHotRod300 said:
Also Saturday afternoon, i was watching the BCA tournaments and why use the Sardo rack? It seriously makes the game boring, with the Pro's using a softbreak and 99% of the time making a ball on the break.
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I don't think not using the Sardo rack is the answer. They are a great sponsor of pool and really support the sport, plus its a great rack. And tournaments need all the options they can get for sponsers. I'm sure if another rack company was willing to put up more dollars for sponsoring the tournament, they would go with them.(of course considering the product).

The answer may lie in putting rules on breaking. One is that a certain number of balls have to go by the side pocket,(2 I think) and Cory Deul actually got called for a foul in one of the tv matches against Kid delicious.
It also depends on the table cloth speed, the rails, ect. Not just the rack. All the balls are suppose to be frozen anyway if they are racked properly, with any rack. I know they don't usually freeze. But thats why a lot of pros check the rack and get a rerack if the aren't frozen.

StormHotRod300 said:
Also, why have such short sets? a race to 7 wtf!!!!!! why not have atleast a Race to 11? I remember some of the old TV matches having a race to 15, now those where excellent matches. And yea they took a while to show on TV even with editing but who cares.
Click to expand...
I'm with you on this one. I would love to see longer races. But I also like to see the best player win. Some people like to root for the underdog so I can see where It could create some excitement. Also Espn is known for not doing a whole lot of editing. When you watch it it looks like it's live. Not knocking ESPN. I love the billiards that they put on and watch every match.
I guess the alternative is to show a 2hour finals match versus, 2 1 hour matches. Personally I like to see the semis and the finals. Or edit a race to 15 to show the more exciting matches. But I've heard editing takes more time and $$$.
 
most of the better players in my area wont use the sardo. They say they dont like it. Dont really know why but they have one at the room i play at and noone will use it. I also prefer winner breaks rack your own. jmo, Chris.
 
puckdaddy said:
I tell you ine thing I dont get is why when they play the finals the person from the losers side only has to win once. That kinda defeats the purpose of double elimination.
Click to expand...

I've thought about that as well. I know a 8-ball bar tournament I've played in, when I made it to the finals in a double elimnation format. I had to be beat 2 different sets. Of course this was only for $50 first place and sets of race to 2 :)
What alternatvie would you have? Having what I mentined(Loser has to beat winner 2 sets)
How about at leat giving the winners bracket winner the initial opening break?
Or spotting him 2 games.
Or The losers bracket winner has to play left handed or blind folded or both? :)
 
doctorhvac said:
most of the better players in my area wont use the sardo. They say they dont like it. Dont really know why but they have one at the room i play at and noone will use it. I also prefer winner breaks rack your own. jmo, Chris.
Click to expand...

I prefer rack your own as well. Easy to setup a nice 9ball on the snap :)
Or so the wing ball goes in like it was destiny.
Just kidding here. I always rack so the balls are as frozen as I can get them. Whether racking for myself or others. And rack your own is fine, just gotta watch out for the cheats and keep an eye on your opponent when they are fiddling around with their balls. The pool balls that is :).
 
Things I hate about pool on TV? Mitch Laurence and short races. Love having Mark Wilson on the team.
 
I like alternating break, it makes for a more interesting match. As you saw a player can still dominate a match, it is just not as easy... Imagine a tennis match where winner breaks, how boring that would be? Though I do love watching a great player string racks... FYI: this tournament is BCA and that is why it was alternating breaks, the women adopted this format from this event.
I agree the short race thing sucks..this is purly for TV; as the earlier rounds the men go to 11 and the women 9. I do not see why they can not still do that in the finals and then edit it down for TV? The often edit the races to 7 anyway...
 
StormHotRod300 said:
Ok, as much as i love seeing Pool on TV, even if its a re-run, I do have several gripes about pool on TV.

Like why use a alternate breaking format on TV? I mean why not just have a winner break format? Now i know that the women use a Alternate break format throughout the whole tournament which is about stupid. Because if everything works out right, the person who wins the lag will win the match, assuming both playes break n run everytime.

My other grip is why the women use the alternate break format in tournaments? I would think they would get some different names in the finals if it was a winner break format. Not to hate on the women who make it to the finals all the time, but i love variety and seeing new faces on TV.

Now i am not sure how the Mens tournaments work, but i think doing a alternate break system takes away from the game, and watching someone run a 6pack or more. I loved watching some of the old tournaments where someone would run 5 or more racks. and then have them miss and their opponet come back with a 6pack run.

Also Saturday afternoon, i was watching the BCA tournaments and why use the Sardo rack? It seriously makes the game boring, with the Pro's using a softbreak and 99% of the time making a ball on the break. Now Saturday was a lil different, there wasnt as many break n runs from the Sardo, as what i have normally seen. I believe that the women and men use a regular rack in basically every tournament to get rid of the softbreak and making the wing balls all the time. correct me if i am wrong?

But still i love seeing the Men and Women crack the racks.

Also, why have such short sets? a race to 7 wtf!!!!!! why not have atleast a Race to 11? I remember some of the old TV matches having a race to 15, now those where excellent matches. And yea they took a while to show on TV even with editing but who cares.


Please share your thoughts on this

Dave
Click to expand...


Alternating break needs to be used. The few networks that do show pool would stop REAL quick after 2 or 3 finals where someone ( say Fisher or Archer) were the only ones to shoot while the opponent (say Corr or Strickland) just gets to sit and warm a chair.
What difference does it make what the race is to? In one hour all you are going to see is what fits into an hour. Maybe a race to 13? Then you better be ready to just see a "highlights" presentation (here's the 7th game break..here's Earl pocketing the winning shot) :rolleyes: .
The ladies play race to 9 except in tv rounds then they go to 7....they still have to edit to fit the match into an hour.People who go to the matches might like longer races though.
A lot of people like to bash Mitch Laurance....they forget that he's one of the few people with a production company who's willing to cover pool.Beggers can't be choosers.

JMHO

Terry
 
StormHotRod300 said:
Now i am not sure how the Mens tournaments work, but i think doing a alternate break system takes away from the game, and watching someone run a 6pack or more.
Click to expand...
The UPA uses the alternating break format. I think they started using it a couple of yrs ago.
 
i hate when they edit and skip ahead 5 games and come back just in time to show someone sink a duck 9 ball and then you get to watch them sit down and wait for the balls to be racked.

in last year's US Open, they had JJ do some commentary and talk about Gabe, but they edited it all out so all we got to hear was them thanking JJ as he was leaving.

and it took me awhile to be able to to watch anything with sid waddell without turning the sound down. i still remember watching him do '03 masters with tony drago. i was watching it on tape with some friends. we hadto keep rewinding one part to figure out what he was shouting about drago. finally we got it. "HE'S ON THEM LIKE A WOLF ON THE FOLD!!!" pretty insightful. i think he meant drago shoots fast.
 
JimS said:
Things I hate about pool on TV? Mitch Laurence and short races. Love having Mark Wilson on the team.
Click to expand...

I also vote for Mitch....."The best players on the Planet"..."That's definitley not what she wanted to do"....BLAH.
 
puckdaddy said:
I tell you ine thing I dont get is why when they play the finals the person from the losers side only has to win once. That kinda defeats the purpose of double elimination.
Click to expand...

I agree with that. The guy in the loser's bracket should have to beat the winner two sets.
 
Sweet Marissa said:
I agree with that. The guy in the loser's bracket should have to beat the winner two sets.
Click to expand...

Easy as it is to make that argument, this is about economics. While a true double elimination format may be marginally fairer, the incremental cost of having to tape an extra match (on average, about a 50% chance) for television would add cost. Raise the production cost of televising a pool events and all what you'll get is fewer televised tournaments.

I have always agreed that the undefeated player should have an advantage, but I'd rather just give them a game on the wire in the televised race to seven. Then again, I'm fine with the current system.
 
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