Todd's Vegas rant

TX Poolnut

TX Poolnut

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I just got back from an extended stay in Vegas and I have something I need to ***** about. I’ll make this an open letter to those of you who like to buy cameras and video recorders so that they can take pictures at bar mitzvahs, birthday parties, and major pool events.

Learn to turn the flash off morons. It’s that light that keeps blinding people every time you take crappy shots. I can’t count how many times Steve Tipton warned and threatened people with expulsion and the flashes still kept popping. If you freaking idiots can’t turn the flash off, then don’t use the damn thing. I haven’t wanted to strangle someone in a long while. That was until Efren got blasted in the semis and Archer got lit up in the finals. What’s wrong with you people? It’s called an owner’s manual. Read it.

And another thing, turn your cell phone off. No not onto silent mode, OFF! Nobody came to the Riviera to hear Fur Elyse and Jay Z’s latest ring tone. Turn it off idiots.


If this kind of crap happens at the IPT events, I hope that short dude who follows KT around comes up and choke slams your butt.

Man, I feel better already. Can I get a witness?
 
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There will always be morons like that, but I believe they let these people slide a little too much which is why multiple people do it at every event. Imagine if they actually threw people out for the infraction? Sure there would be some pissed off people but I would think that in the future people would be more careful not to disturb the players with that type of distraction.

They should have a big sign at the door and teach people how to turn off their flashes since it seems that most don't know how to control their camera.
 
The player getting flashed should have the option of smashing the offending device or having the person thrown out.
 
TX Poolnut said:
I just got back from an extended stay in Vegas and I have something I need to ***** about. I’ll make this an open letter to those of you who like to buy cameras and video recorders so that they can take pictures at bar mitzvahs, birthday parties, and major pool events.

Learn to turn the flash off morons. It’s that light that keeps blinding people every time you take crappy shots. I can’t count how many times Steve Tipton warned and threatened people with expulsion and the flashes still kept popping. If you freaking idiots can’t turn the flash off, then don’t use the damn thing. I haven’t wanted to strangle someone in a long while. That was until Efren got blasted in the semis and Archer got lit up in the finals. What’s wrong with you people? It’s called an owner’s manual. Read it.

And another thing, turn your cell phone off. No not onto silent mode, OFF! Nobody came to the Riviera to hear Fur Elyse and Jay Z’s latest ring tone. Turn it off idiots.


If this kind of crap happens at the IPT events, I hope that short dude who follows KT around comes up and choke slams your butt.

Man, I feel better already. Can I get a witness?
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Who's Fur Elyse?
 
Camera Flash

They should b thrown out of the match. This year at Valley Forge in the final match, the announcer informed the audience to turn off their phones and the flash on their cameras. He further stated that any flash pics would result in the offender's removal from the match. Even after all that some woman took a flash. :mad: They stopped the game and the announcer told her he wanted the camera until the end of the match. She refused to give it up and yet they allowed her to stay. :eek: No question in my mind, she should have been kicked out. Forceablly if necessary.
 
2000 BCA event

I think it was the editor of Billiards Digest that got Jennifer Chen whiile she was shooting the 9 in the semis against Gerda Hofstatter (I think).

Stopped subscribing soon after that!
 
I am giggling as I write this...

Todd,

I couldn't agree with you more. A little piece of irony. Immediately after I read your rant, I scrolled down to Colin Colenso's great categorization post of the youtube videos. The first one I clicked on was the 9-ball section and then I clicked on the Earl Strickland vs. Nick Varner match. During one of Stricklands shots, a fan took a picture with flash right when he released his stroke. Of course Earl made a comment but luckily it didn't effect his game. He went on to bank the 8 giving perfect position for a simple 9. I just thought it was ironic and wanted to share that with you...

Justin
 
flashy flashy, smashy smashy

Just wondering... why not silent mode? I agree if they set it on a bench and it vibrates and makes noise, that's unacceptable. If it vibrates silently and they answer the phone, also unacceptable, IMO. Yeah, I guess its better to just say, turn the damn things off, no warnings, one strike and you have to get the **** out. :D That's probably the only way some people will learn. Too bad you can't just let the player smash it, that would be so satisfying. :)

It feels like many people have no consideration for other people these days. Cell phones are just another tool to put in the a***ole tool chest. You should have to pass an etiquette exam before they give you a cell phone. :p LOL!

Generally, I don't mind people answering them in most public places IF they will talk in a normal tone as if they are having a normal conversation with someone standing right there. The problem is the persona and loud voice people automatically tend to use on the phone. Very annoying. :(

I agree about the ringers and flashes. Are they there to watch pool and appreciate the talent, or are they there to disrupt things and get free mementos at the expense of the players?

Even at weekly amateur tourneys, I like the no cell phone rule. They have that rule at Hard Times in Sacramento, and I wish that all other pool halls had it too. After one warning (which I think is generous) the offending phone-owner loses a game. Next time, they lose the match.

Sure, if its a banger tourney where the majority of players aren't very serious and there’s a bunch of other noise, who cares? But for any kind of tourney where the players are half-way serious about pool, its just a matter of respect for your fellow man (or woman).

At a USPPA tourney a couple of weeks ago someone's message alert thing kept beeping AND his low battery beep kept going off through the entire tournament. :rolleyes: I wanted to ask him to turn it off, but I was so pissed at that point that I didn't think I could say anything productive. :mad:

I guess, in reality, most people don't even realize how annoying they are being when they do these things, and a lot of people probably aren't even bothered by it. However, its a shame that a small percentage of people won't even cooperate at a huge tourney when asked nicely. -- JM"H"O
 
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Cuebacca said:
At a USPPA tourney a couple of weeks ago someone's message alert thing kept beeping AND his low battery beep kept going off through the entire tournament. :rolleyes: I wanted to ask him to turn it off, but I was so pissed at that point that I didn't think I could say anything productive. :mad:
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I've found that if I go ahead and say something nicely, it stops bothering me. Funny about me that way. I don't even notice anymore what it was that was bothering me. So now, I just speak up with a smile, and all is right again with my world!
 
DougT said:
I've found that if I go ahead and say something nicely, it stops bothering me. Funny about me that way. I don't even notice anymore what it was that was bothering me. So now, I just speak up with a smile, and all is right again with my world!
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Good call, I agree. Better to get it off your chest in a polite way. Usually people will be cool about it. I should have tried to figure out where the beep was coming from and deal with it appropriately instead of letting it get under my skin. Glad, at least, I didn't choose to have a hissy fit over it. (Although my boxers did get in a bunch.) :p
 
TX Poolnut said:
... hear Fur Elise ...
..
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Who is Elise and why is she furry? (Or was she just wearing fur? But fur in Las Vegas when it's over 100 in May can't be fun.)

Tipton threatened to lead camera flashers out the door without the possibility of return, but it wasn't enforced that I saw. How about the camera becomes the property of the player who was shooting? Seems fair enough to me, but you would have to get the owners to sign an agreement upon entry.

It seems like they could at least impound the offending camera or cell phone until the day's matches are over.
 
TX Poolnut said:
I just got back from an extended stay in Vegas and I have something I need to ***** about. I’ll make this an open letter to those of you who like to buy cameras and video recorders so that they can take pictures at bar mitzvahs, birthday parties, and major pool events.?
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So I'm at the BCA Amateurs during the team events. I'm down at the table just about to break. Suddenly, a flash goes off right in my eyes! I look across the aisle, spot the woman with the camera, and walk on over.

"Ma'am, please before someone else throws you out, turn your flash off," I said calmly.

"Oh it's okay,they're just practicing," she replied, pointing to her friend in front of her that were just practicing.

I didn't have the time or patience in trying to explain anything logical to her, so I simply said, "many of us are playing actual matches," and left it at that.

People! Turn off the damned flashes, and turn off your cell phones.

Fred
 
Bob Jewett said:
Who is Elise and why is she furry? (Or was she just wearing fur? But fur in Las Vegas when it's over 100 in May can't be fun.)

Tipton threatened to lead camera flashers out the door without the possibility of return, but it wasn't enforced that I saw. How about the camera becomes the property of the player who was shooting? Seems fair enough to me, but you would have to get the owners to sign an agreement upon entry.

It seems like they could at least impound the offending camera or cell phone until the day's matches are over.
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I like how at golf tournaments they deny entry to anyone with a cell phone on their person, even going so far as to pat people down for 'security' reasons. I even heard a funny story about how, at the US Open at Bethpage Black, most fans who showed up with a phone and were denied entry would just throw their phone onto the grass by the security people. By the end of the day, they had close to 1000 phones lying next to the security station. Then at the end of the day, when the fans started leaving they would simply stop by the security station, grab any phone from the pile, call their own number, and then dig it out of the pile when it started ringing.

I also note that at snooker tournaments in the UK, no live photography is allowed during the matches at all, though this would be hard to enforce today with all of the digital cameras around. I guess if you have a phone with a camera you can pull the ultimate shark - answer the phone when it rings and plays the theme to "Law and Order", and then take a flash picture of the table while someone's shooting.
 
Cornerman said:
So I'm at the BCA Amateurs during the team events. I'm down at the table just about to break. Suddenly, a flash goes off right in my eyes! I look across the aisle, spot the woman with the camera, and walk on over.

"Ma'am, please before someone else throws you out, turn your flash off," I said calmly.

"Oh it's okay,they're just practicing," she replied, pointing to her friend in front of her that were just practicing.

I didn't have the time or patience in trying to explain anything logical to her, so I simply said, "many of us are playing actual matches," and left it at that.

People! Turn off the damned flashes, and turn off your cell phones.

Fred
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I'm with you. I referee at Vegas and we spend a lot of time asking people to stop these behaviors. For me, you can also add walking through the playing area instead of going around.
 
I noticed at professional pool events that they are playing music for some background noise so to help defuse some of the background noise from cell phones, conversations and just general noise from people. When pool players are in a pool room or in the green room at a tournament playing for cash (amatures and professionals alike). Cell phones, (loud) music, people crossing infront of players shots and just general distractions, nobody complains and the players just keep on playing without being distracted (for the most part). I have never heard of one complaint from anybody. From the US Open, DCC and tournaments in Vegas.

However, during a tournament, everyone has to sit there like they are in church. I was watching a old accu stat match between Earl Strickland and Nick Varner (80's) and the fans were cheering each of there favorite player like they were cheering for there favorite football team and neither Earl or Nick complained. They seemed to feed off it.

Having said that, I obviously realize at most tournaments, flash camera, cell phones are distracting when the place is quiet like an empty church, that can be distracting. I just think that if there was a tournament where cell phones, loud music, and other natural distractions were allowed (with the exception of flash cameras) the professional players would adjust and perform just the same...
 
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gromulan said:
I also note that at snooker tournaments in the UK, no live photography is allowed during the matches at all,
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As someone who enjoys combining my hobbies of pool and photography, I sincerely hope it does not come to this. A few idiots in the crowd, who are not going to get a good picture with or without the flash, are doing their best to ruin things for those of us who follow the rules. :eek:
 
My suggestions:

Cell phone rings- broken or given to player.

Flash from camera- camera broken, film exposed in front of owner and then wrapped around their neck as a leash to walk them out.

Nextel squeeling phone/CB- phone broke and owner is shot... and then stabbed...and then shocked with a stun gun...and then Hillbilly gets to hit a break shot at their head.

Hard to tell I can't stand Nextel phones, isn't it? My pool hall is inundated with construction jerk-offs who never, ever play pool. They just drink Budweiser (and complain about it going from $1.00 a pint to $1.50) and talk as loud as they can on their Nextels in pathetic attempts to impress the bar girls. Die, you bastards.
 
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