John...it's much more complex than that...
john schmidt said:
i havent posted in a while,but im reading how the rest of the world is robbing the us .first of all i think the reason is country support.example players from some countries get certain amounts a month to live from government so they can practice and play in several events.when wu-cha-ching won world title he got a massive bonus from his country.if i win it im just going to get taxed.youget my point.lets look at some of the high finishers like dee adkins, he works a real hard job i believe doing constuction he has to do that because he has no sponsers,and believe me he plays like corey duell just ask corey.someone from alot of other countries that play like dee get money from gov and pampered like their the greatest thing on earth.the cost of living in us is high so alot of guys have to do something else to feed themselves.the reason the phillipinos dont have to do other things to make ends meet is because when they win 5000 in us thats enough to live on for awhile in their country.dont get me wrong their great players and nice people but their money takes them farther and their gov supports the hell out of them.myself for example i play golf and work with a friend that i live with to make money because i havent any sponsers .i see players from other countries with major sponsors and i would love to play them some 14.1,10ball,and onepocket for their sponsor money,as a matter a fact there is some us players with great sponsors that can get action too,they know who they are.also what cracks me up is when a pinoy comes over here the first thing americans do is put them up in their house,feed them,drive them everywhere,and then steer them around so they can win money off americans.believe me if i go to their country they arent going to do that.the reason we are not doing as good as people think we should is because we dont have any junior programs,we dont have many adults that are trying to get that great because up until the ipt their was no money.and the few adults like myself that are trying were getting no help from gov or billiard industry.instead i golf and work for money and i dont make much to speak of there either.anyway thats how i feel about some things and now im sure im going to get crucified by alot of people on here ,but hey im used to it by now.and yes i know i dont use proper punctuation and dont spellcheck but im to busy golfing and working to do that right also.bye for now
John...I'm not gonna "crucify" you, but you are very misinformed about how people live in the Phillipines. There is NO government support of pool. The top pros, like Efren, Bustamante, and a few select others, are paid privately by Puyat, who is a wealthy Phillipine businessman. The government has nothing to do with it. Yes, there is a lot of respect, nationally, for players like Bata and Django, but it does not extend to financial support. You are correct that the standard of living is a lot lower there, and as such, money goes a lot farther. However, there are many more people living in abject poverty there, than there are here in the U.S. The Phillipines, by-in-large, is a 'third world country', and cannot even be compared to the United States. They also do not live in a democracy like we have, and their citizens can be subject to their 'secret police', if you don't agree with the "party line".
Sponsorship in professional pool is based on one thing...public perception. Here in the U.S., the perception is that pool is a "second-hand" sport, and commonly associated with hustling and gambling (which it is, to a significant degree), and populated by legions of players who would "cheat their grandma" given the opportunity. True or not, too many players do nothing to dismiss this perception, and many even try to play it up (not pointing fingers at anyone in particular). Every top cuemaker out there has been ripped off by "big name" players...which is why there isn't even much cue sponsorship available to our pro players. It's another ding in the image of the game. As such, corporate America wants little or nothing to do with pool, at this time. That may change...only time will tell. The IPT is truly a "level playing field" opportunity for ANYONE to try their hand at playing pro. All you have to do is come up with the entry, and then play GOOD! Props to KT for putting up the big dough to make it happen. I only hope he makes millions from it, so that it continues forever!
The players getting sponsored in Europe or Asia, have made the attitude changes, and demonstrated the discipline necessary and desired, to move their game to where it needs to be, to pay off. American players, again, by-in-large, are lazy, and don't want to put out that kind of effort. I think if you really take a hard look at poolplayers here in the USA, you have to agree with me. Pool has never been much of a steady payday, with the exception of exhibition players like me. So, the smart pros have either figured out a niche, or work at something else to pay their bills, and play pool on the side. Truth is, there could be 100+ people out there, playing pool exclusively for a living, all making six figures (even without the IPT), right here in the U.S....if they had the right attitude. The work is there! I'm not really saying, "quit crying in your beer!", but quit crying in your beer! LOL Work hard, change the image (at least for yourself...and I know you're trying to do that), and play your best game always! Hopefully the rolls will go your way on some days, and YOU'LL get the big payday! Best of luck to you!
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
