Trick Shots on ESPN - lame
- Thread starter tonmo
- Start date
I'll tell you this much, the kids LOVE trick shots. The teen director at my local Boys Club said all the boys like to set up and try trick shots.
John and Jane Q Public enjoy trick shots. They are 'neat'. When you don't understand the game, the trick shots look like 'magic'. GASP
When you understand the game and how to play well, you have seen behind the curtain and understand how trick shots work. Yes, the strokes are impressive, but hardly mind blowing.
Last I heard while at a WPBA Peoria event (Several Years ago) - THEY (WPBA) pay for the airtime. They pay the production, sell the ads, basically do all the footwork - and when the number is right, ESPN will air it. SORTA. In wierd time slots, etc. The way I understood it, and I could have been mistaken (Allison Fisher WAS shooting at the time), ESPN didn't have much to do with anything. I could get cattle branding on ESPN if I produced it, got ads and then PAID ESPN for the time. (Maybe I would have better luck with RFD TV).
So, in conclusion, I agree with most points. THe only thing pool on ESPN really helps with is reminding the masses that some people still play this game. Well.
FWIW, JMO
At least they (ESPN) didn't play the two semi-final wpba matches and then skunk us on the finals like they did last month. I know where to watch it on the web but lots of people don't.
There's nothing like reading a book and finding out the last chapter is missing.
There's nothing like reading a book and finding out the last chapter is missing.
Fair enough points in here. Here's a good analogy for me -- whenever a fight breaks out in hockey, I think, what a shame. The refs and league let it play out. I think it's stupid and detracts from the sport. But obviously many fans like it and so there must be a feeling out there that it's best to let them fight.
So for me trick shots are akin to fighting in hockey!
John and Jane Q Public enjoy trick shots. They are 'neat'. When you don't understand the game, the trick shots look like 'magic'. GASP
That is right. When Brunswick was promoting pool back in the 40's / 50's and 60's all the pros HAD to have a trick shot arenal. Mosconi had a good show, Caras, Balsis and even Crane (AMF) knew a whole lot. This was just as you said, in a new pool hall when Brunswick sent them in, that's what the public drew to. After that show, then the players got to see a little competitive playing.
Hours and hours of trick shots make my eyes bleed, however it is good for the game, so it's a necessary evil. I am wondering how many could sit through a billard tournament?
JV
I turned down being a player on Trick Shot Magic. I called Allen back months later and told him I would play after I realized I threw away 50K...
Cutting ESPN out of the equation and putting the $50k into the prize fund may sound like a great idea, but it's incredibly unrealistic.
Where do you think the supposed $50k comes from? Sponsors contribute money in return for the exposure that ESPN provides. Without the high viewership generated by TV, the $50k ceases to exist.
The broadcast world is in a state of flux. TV is slowly diverging towards internet streams, but this won't become commonplace for another decade or more. Simply put, the average viewer sits on their couch and watches typical broadcasts on a TV. They do not go to their computers to look for online streams, especially not for sports that they do not play regularly. This results in low viewership, which in turn generates poor sponsorship dollars. Until this changes (or the economy recovers), pool will continue to be stuck in rut.
In my opinion, all we can do right now is try to be realistic, and increase the quality of the streaming world. This way, when streaming becomes more commonplace for all other sports and sitcoms, the high viewership of TV will shift towards online, and pool will be ready to capitalize on these numbers. From there the sponsors will receive the exposure that they're after, and will once again be willing to contribute money into the sport.
For this reason I'm currently putting together a plan to offer a new service to major tournament/event holders. I will offer a broadcast quality streaming option that rivals that of TV, but at a fraction of the cost. It's my hope to jump-start this new trend, and show the world that online streams can and will look as good as TV.
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In two years, for a huge swath of our society, watching TV will be a totally different animal than it is today, and will be inclusive of Internet content in a much more integrated way than it is today.
That is great!! And a smart move.
So what are you charging to stream a 3 day event Nathan?
Agreed! The change is happening already, but it won't be the norm for another decade or so. I hope you're right though, the sooner it happens, the better it will be for our sport.
I'm still working out the price. It will include a production truss-based lighting system, 3 broadcast quality HD cameras with camera operators, live switching, fully animated overlayed graphics and scores, etc.
It won't be cheap, and will be for serious event promoters only. However it will still be a mere fraction of the cost of standard production companies.
Email me or PM me if you want an actual quote.
I'm not sure which I consider more nauseating, trick shots or listening to the audience watching the women play 9 ball clap after every friggin shot.
We pool players amount to a grain of sand on the beach of games people enjoy playing. Most of the tiny amount of people who do play pool are bangers who think trick shots are great.
If it helps the game, then let the majority of pool playing spectators enjoy it. ( I'd rather have bamboo shoots jabbed under my fingernails)
Now obviously golf must me much more popular than pool since it does have a dedicated channel. I often wonder how good that channel actually is doing. It would be great if pool could share that channel with golf and enhance it for both.
Aside from live match play, Accu-stats sure would have plenty of material to offer if a good arrangement could be made. However, conversely, the bangers (the majority) would be bored stiff ... first they make the one ball ...then the two ball ... then ...... In reality, it just ain't happening.
We pool players amount to a grain of sand on the beach of games people enjoy playing. Most of the tiny amount of people who do play pool are bangers who think trick shots are great.
If it helps the game, then let the majority of pool playing spectators enjoy it. ( I'd rather have bamboo shoots jabbed under my fingernails)
Now obviously golf must me much more popular than pool since it does have a dedicated channel. I often wonder how good that channel actually is doing. It would be great if pool could share that channel with golf and enhance it for both.
Aside from live match play, Accu-stats sure would have plenty of material to offer if a good arrangement could be made. However, conversely, the bangers (the majority) would be bored stiff ... first they make the one ball ...then the two ball ... then ...... In reality, it just ain't happening.
always great to hear folks trying to move the sport ahead, but out of curiosity if viewers dont watch the product now why do you feel that suddenly the masses will watch b/c its streamed?
its seems that i may be the only person person posting on this thread (except mr masse?) the enjoys watching trick shots and enjoyed that competition in CT both as a live event then as a televised event. does this call into question my the seriousness of my fanhood?
at least a couple of posters saw the value to the sport ("necessary evil"-jv) also in CT billiards internation produced and televised on ESPN the internation challenge of champions (gasp men on tv shooting pool) and the tournament of champions (ho hum ladies shooting pool on tv). I wonder which one of these 3 events got the best ratings? is there any way to find out? also folks complain that pool gets horrible time slots, but most of the time, at least the first run, is in a long block on sunday afternoons which is really prime time for sports viewing no?brian
Brian,
Cable and satellite TV are slowly shifting towards the use of technology that is common place in modern computers. At the same time, internet bandwidth technology is increasing, making it now feasible to watch HD footage streamed live on your computer.
As such, most people feel that TV will begin to shift towards a more computer based medium. In fact, this process has begun already. For instance, I don't have cable anymore. I use my computer to stream full TV shows to my TV now.
If this indeed the case, then it's only logical that streamed content will gain in popularity over the next handful of years. You just have to forget what we consider "streaming" in pool right now. I'm not talking about poorly lit low quality footage from some dingy pool hall. I'm simply referring to the process of being able to watch live content on your computer.
PS. No disrespect to current streamers. They're all doing a terrific job considering their limited resources.
so i get the technology part, but what i was really curious about is how you plan to gain viewership. i mean i'll watch a stream on my computer now (and if i wasnt so lazy i could hook it up to the tv) and some streams are pretty damned good. but pool is available on tv now. there is not a huge fan base for the product (otherwise there would be more pool on tv). although more pool players may be apted to watch a live steam right from the tourney over the internet, do you really see this (internet streaming vs tv broadcast) as improving the appeal of the product to the general public or just better serving the pool playing community?
brian
The key word is 'now'. TV contracts this past year have been almost non existent. Within 6 months, you won't see hardly any pool on TV except Matchroom events (World Pool Masters & the Mosconi Cup). Televised pool is a dying breed.
It's a bit of both.
The real increase in viewership will happen as TV technology evolves, and heads towards a computer based streaming medium. I can't do anything about this aspect except be patient.
In the meantime, I can try my best to change how people percieve the online streaming world. Currently, the average player thinks that a pool stream is a dark, single-cam, low-quality feed from a dingy pool hall. Not all streams are like this, and it doesn't have to remain this way. By raising the quality of streams to be on par with TV, we can break down this misconception, which will in turn increase viewership. It's not a perfect solution, but it's a step in the right direction.
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I think trick shots are for people who don't know much about pool. I've never had any interest in learning even one trick shot and i've been playing for years. They don't do it for me either, but like I said they're for the people who don't play. It's entertainment to them......
James
I was also there in person and this is exactly right. I am pretty sure that about three years or so later there was another live broadcast of a match on tv, but I can't recall for sure if it was from ESPN, and I wouldn't even bet my life that it happened for sure, but I'm almost certain that there have now been two live pool broadcasts on tv.
Nathan,
Thanks for all that you are doing, but ... I'll only support it if you put JoeyA and I on commentary. Ask around, I accept hamburgers as payment.
Nathan,
Thanks for all that you are doing, but ... I'll only support it if you put JoeyA and I on commentary. Ask around, I accept hamburgers as payment.
lol now you're talking pool player wages. I can work with that
