Video With Mosconi leaves a lot to talk about

MapleMan

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3g0n2XP3IA

What happened to Brunswick's involvement in the game?

Wouldn't it be nice if great players took the show on tour to promote the game to the average joe?

Obviously somebody paid for Willie to do that kind of promoting back then.

I have never seen this video until a few minutes ago and I see its relevance. It touches upon image and promotion. It has a uniformed aspect to it. Maybe we can see where the ball was dropped. I don't know but I found this video interesting enough to share to those who may not have seen it.
 
Nice find and thanks for putting it up. That was a well done promo for its time for their tables and for pool. Many rooms were opened in the 1950's to 1980's with the help of Brunswick. I fact I've been in some of them that looked just like that. One thing they got wrong was that pool was going to grow in leaps and bounds for years to come. Did you catch the dresses on the women. Under each of those dresses were girdles. The were a pain to deal with. Johnnyt
 
Nice find and thanks for putting it up. That was a well done promo for its time for their tables and for pool. Many rooms were opened in the 1950's to 1980's with the help of Brunswick. I fact I've been in some of them that looked just like that. One thing they got wrong was that pool was going to grow in leaps and bounds for years to come. Did you catch the dresses on the women. Under each of those dresses were girdles. The were a pain to deal with. Johnnyt

The whole grow the game has really commanded this forum since the badi article. Felt such an optimistic video would be interesting
 
Nice video.

It's sort of funny but the one existing room near me still has the same chairs, wall racks, and even the same punch card machine that you see in this video. In many ways it's like walking right into the 60's.

Oh yeah....same tables too. One thing Brunswick got right was those Gold Crowns were built like tanks. They sure took and are still taking a lot of abuse.


I wonder who posted this???
 
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thats a crazy pool room, looks like you are in a spaceship. 60's glamour was crazy, id like to play in a room like that!
 
Why don`t we ever see Brunswick as a sponsor in any events?
They must be the biggest pool table manufacturer in the world...
 
Forget the poolroom. I curious how a soft break like that made the eight on the break at the beginning of the video?
 
Why don`t we ever see Brunswick as a sponsor in any events?
They must be the biggest pool table manufacturer in the world...

I also posted this video in a why pool is dying thread a couple days ago. During this era pool was promoted as a family recreation (as Brunswick was smart enough to know that's how pool could grow).


Today, they are a large company because of other things (not pool table related). Billiards is probably a loss for them financially, But they keep it around as that's what the founding of the company was all about, billiards.

They are no different than any other corporate sponsor, build the sport into something attractive for those sponsors, and they will come. It's that easy or hard, depends on how one looks at it.
 
Loved the video. They were riding the wave of the Hustler and the video could have been replayed in 1987. However they don't have a video for when pool is in a lull, maybe a 1976 or 2012 version.

But those places were to cool. IMHO those colored GC's were the nuts, and the blue and orange were great.

When was the last time you saw an owner or houseman in a suit?

JV
 
Why don`t we ever see Brunswick as a sponsor in any events?
They must be the biggest pool table manufacturer in the world...

Kim,
As an escapee from corporate america (retired) and a long time investor I wondered the same thing. Brunswick is publicly traded company and their revenue from the billiard / bowling segment is less than 15% of the total. Their largest business segments are marine (mercury engines and boats) and exercise (see life fitness).

The truth is I am sure they are under pressure from the investor community to bifurcate / spin off or sell the billiard / bowling segment because of its effect on metrics related to headcount ( the number of employees in the billiard / bowling segment is 25% of total count).

bert
 
Kim,
As an escapee from corporate america (retired) and a long time investor I wondered the same thing. Brunswick is publicly traded company and their revenue from the billiard / bowling segment is less than 15% of the total. Their largest business segments are marine (mercury engines and boats) and exercise (see life fitness).

The truth is I am sure they are under pressure from the investor community to bifurcate / spin off or sell the billiard / bowling segment because of its effect on metrics related to headcount ( the number of employees in the billiard / bowling segment is 25% of total count).

bert
Thanks Bert. I did not know that...
Still it makes me wonder how Diamond, a mom and pop shop compared to Bruswick can thrive and sponsor tournaments...
 
Recreation room!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3g0n2XP3IA

What happened to Brunswick's involvement in the game?

Wouldn't it be nice if great players took the show on tour to promote the game to the average joe?

Obviously somebody paid for Willie to do that kind of promoting back then.

I have never seen this video until a few minutes ago and I see its relevance. It touches upon image and promotion. It has a uniformed aspect to it. Maybe we can see where the ball was dropped. I don't know but I found this video interesting enough to share to those who may not have seen it.

Mid sixties our next door neighbors, Fred and Hazel Douglas had a room in OKC. My dad would take me there and Fred let us play free!! He open up a snooker room in downtown Edmond giving us two snooker rooms on the same street. He jumped on that Brunswick bandwagon and opened up a RECREATION center. My dad said Fred wanted me to work for him and the addiction began. Fred knew all games and helped everyone learn weather you wanted his help or not. Hazel was like Aunt Bea on Andy Griffith. I blamed Fred on my being a C student in hi school. Fred insisted on me using a closed bridge most of the time and tought me something called stroke?!?! I retired, got me a GC and shoot with a Tucker! Life is good. Thanks Fred!
 
Nice video.

It's sort of funny but the one existing room near me still has the same chairs, wall racks, and even the same punch card machine that you see in this video. In many ways it's like walking right into the 60's.

Oh yeah....same tables too. One thing Brunswick got right was those Gold Crowns were built like tanks. They sure took and are still taking a lot of abuse.


I wonder who posted this???

You're right, identical
 
Post

I also posted this video in a why pool is dying thread a couple days ago. During this era pool was promoted as a family recreation (as Brunswick was smart enough to know that's how pool could grow).


Today, they are a large company because of other things (not pool table related). Billiards is probably a loss for them financially, But they keep it around as that's what the founding of the company was all about, billiards.

They are no different than any other corporate sponsor, build the sport into something attractive for those sponsors, and they will come. It's that easy or hard, depends on how one looks at it.

-

That's spot on in stone.


Rob.M
 
Brunswick, as were others, positioned themselves to take advantage of a growing middle class at the end of WWII ... the rest of the planet was basically rubble and the US economy was miles ahead of others..

I believe if you graphed the growth, then the flat line and finally decline of disposable income per capita focusing on the middle of the income distribution curve, in the US, it would trend nicely with the rise and decline of the "stand alone" billiard room.

Seeing growth of large scale rooms or recreation facilities in places like China today also trends with the growth of their middle class.

Maybe someone could get a PHD or at least a MS on doing analysis based on billiards as a forward indicator of whether a society / economy is on the rise or decline.
:confused:
 
Brunswick, as were others, positioned themselves to take advantage of a growing middle class at the end of WWII ... the rest of the planet was basically rubble and the US economy was miles ahead of others..

I believe if you graphed the growth, then the flat line and finally decline of disposable income per capita focusing on the middle of the income distribution curve, in the US, it would trend nicely with the rise and decline of the "stand alone" billiard room.

Seeing growth of large scale rooms or recreation facilities in places like China today also trends with the growth of their middle class.

Maybe someone could get a PHD or at least a MS on doing analysis based on billiards as a forward indicator of whether a society / economy is on the rise or decline.
:confused:
Spot on. U don't need a phd for that study that title would just add credence to the report. I just can't believe we argue all of the time about how to fix pool when Brunswick figured it out. Market to men and women. Promote it as healthy. Have professional ambassadors like Willie get on the grassroots trail. It's crazy how far they got. Hopefully when the economy improves so will pool
 
Fantastic! I wonder if that $1.50 sale at the end of the video was 3 hours of play for that couple, or just a pack of gum!
 
Fantastic! I wonder if that $1.50 sale at the end of the video was 3 hours of play for that couple, or just a pack of gum!

Hey Dan,

Nice cue butt...

Anyways.. two other things struck me in the video...

Not ONE single minority is in it.. FYI if you don't believe me watch it again.

Everyone was dressed respectfully... wow all the men looked like men, all the boys looked like Opie, the women didn't look like Kardashians or rejects from the Jersey Shore.

The tables were covered and there were no table lights. Must all be hi and bright lighting.

JV
 
Brunswick

You could not say it any better.

I played in many of these bowling alley/free standing rooms . They were clean ,open and FULL OF PEOPLE, ALL THE TIME.

Thank you for posting this Brunswick promo,my father was sponsored by Brunswick as a bowler 50's and 60's and it brought back some great times /


Brunswick, as were others, positioned themselves to take advantage of a growing middle class at the end of WWII ... the rest of the planet was basically rubble and the US economy was miles ahead of others..

I believe if you graphed the growth, then the flat line and finally decline of disposable income per capita focusing on the middle of the income distribution curve, in the US, it would trend nicely with the rise and decline of the "stand alone" billiard room.

Seeing growth of large scale rooms or recreation facilities in places like China today also trends with the growth of their middle class.

Maybe someone could get a PHD or at least a MS on doing analysis based on billiards as a forward indicator of whether a society / economy is on the rise or decline.
:confused:
 
Hey Dan,

Nice cue butt...

Anyways.. two other things struck me in the video...

Not ONE single minority is in it.. FYI if you don't believe me watch it again.

Everyone was dressed respectfully... wow all the men looked like men, all the boys looked like Opie, the women didn't look like Kardashians or rejects from the Jersey Shore.

The tables were covered and there were no table lights. Must all be hi and bright lighting.

JV

Joe - did you ever have that Bushka tribute cue made with the blue/green rings?
 
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