+++Was there any Press for Mosconi Cup !!!+++

[oldzilla]

I have not heard or seen anything at all on tv or newspapers !

COME ON !!! This IS our ryder cup our world series our super bowl.

I cannot help feeling shunned by the mainstream media unless I am missing something here.

Did anyone see anything anywhere? Do you feel the same way?

 

[asmith74]

It seems the Mosconi Cup is as important as the international ping pong championship to most people. Not a mention on anything mainstream that i've seen. Major bummer!

 

[s0lidz]

Yeah, we are right up there with the Freestyle Walking World Championships. Maybe Dennis Hatch and Johnny Archer should go hook up with a few mistresses, then we could get some decent coverage.

 

[Rich93]

Nada!

I did a search on Google News. The only articles in english are from Billiard Digest, Inside Pool, AZBilliards and SkySports (a Brit site). There were also three articles in Dutch.

 

[JAM]

I have not heard or seen anything at all on tv or newspapers !

COME ON !!! This IS our ryder cup our world series our super bowl.

I cannot help feeling shunned by the mainstream media unless I am missing something here.

Did anyone see anything anywhere? Do you feel the same way?

I used to feel the same way as you do today, but now I just accept the things I cannot change.

Years ago, I exerted a lot of effort writing to TV stations, radio stations, print media about upcoming pool events. I basically was told that "pool is not a sport."

In the autumn of my life, I accept pool for what it is, a recreational game that is enjoyed much like bowling. Mainstream America, to include the non-pool-related media, would rather watch a hot dog eating contest than see the Mosconi Cup.

Sometimes the truth hurts, but that's the truth.

I hope you continue to keep your enthusiasm, Oldzilla. When you get beaten down and beaten up as I have BY A POOL INDUSTRY MEMBER WHO STEPPED ON ME AND MINE TO ADVANCE THEIR OWN CAUSE, only later to be forgotten, you may understand where I am coming from. I hope it never happens to you. I enjoy reading your posts!

 

[nthamix]

mgm

mgm had no posters,flyers,banners or any information on this event posted. I even asked a few workers in the lobby and they had no clue on what I was talking about.

I found a booth that sold tickets to events/shows and they pointed me in the right direction.

Very sad...



Brian

 

[jay helfert]

mgm had no posters,flyers,banners or any information on this event posted. I even asked a few workers in the lobby and they had no clue on what I was talking about.

I found a booth that sold tickets to events/shows and they pointed me in the right direction.

Very sad...



Brian

And yet the venue was a sell out every day! The only advertising or promotion that the MGM Grand did was to list the Mosconi Cup on their in-house television screens. It did show up on the in-house channel that showed all the events going on at the MGM and this channel played on television screens throughout the casino.

I asked someone who worked for MGM in stocking billboards etc. why the Mosconi Cup was not put on any of the billboards. He said that only events where they need to sell tickets is promoted this way. If the Mosconi Cup had been in a larger venue that may have happened. As it was, the venue used which seated 400 people, sold out all four days. so there was no need for additional advertising.

What bothers me more (and also enthuses me) is that there is worldwide television coverage of the Mosconi Cup to over 60 countries in Asia and Europe! This same coverage is LIVE for five to six hours a day for four days! The audience is huge, over thirty million viewers, and maybe peaking at over fifty million! Yes, you read this right, millions of people watching pool. This is what drives all the Matchroom events, the vast television audience worldwide.

So you ask what bothers me about this? It is played in the USA and this is one of the only countries that does not carry the Mosconi Cup. If it is to be seen at all, it will be in edited segments, perhaps on Fox Sports some time down the road. There is virtually no chance that American viewers will ever see the entirety of the matches, where the real drama takes place.

Once again, pool remains an important television sport worldwide but not in the USA. The explanation given me is that our country is consumed with football, baseball and basketball and has little interest in other sports. This is the best information I can give you at this time. Not what you want to hear I'm sure.

 

[Bob Jewett]

... Once again, pool remains an important television sport worldwide but not in the USA. The explanation given me is that our country is consumed with football, baseball and basketball and has little interest in other sports. This is the best information I can give you at this time. Not what you want to hear I'm sure.

Compared to European sports TV, the US situation is pitiful. Most of ESPN broadcasting seems to be worthless sports talk. How about broadcasting actual sports? I wonder what it is about the European TV economics that is different.

 

[oldzilla]

I used to feel the same way as you do today, but now I just accept the things I cannot change.

Years ago, I exerted a lot of effort writing to TV stations, radio stations, print media about upcoming pool events. I basically was told that "pool is not a sport."

In the autumn of my life, I accept pool for what it is, a recreational game that is enjoyed much like bowling. Mainstream America, to include the non-pool-related media, would rather watch a hot dog eating contest than see the Mosconi Cup.

Sometimes the truth hurts, but that's the truth.

I hope you continue to keep your enthusiasm, Oldzilla. When you get beaten down and beaten up as I have BY A POOL INDUSTRY MEMBER WHO STEPPED ON ME AND MINE TO ADVANCE THEIR OWN CAUSE, only later to be forgotten, you may understand where I am coming from. I hope it never happens to you. I enjoy reading your posts!

Thanks Jam ! You obviously know exactly how i feel. I've been kicked around with the SPORT all my life of 58 years. But I do still hope I live to see a major event (like this one) make it to a LIVE network broadcast nationwide !

Jay knows we are in the back of the bus. Up front is baseball and football and basketball and golf and hockey and.........................................
We are in the back a few seats behind dodgeball !

 

[Island Drive]

And yet the venue was a sell out every day! The only advertising or promotion that the MGM Grand did was to list the Mosconi Cup on their in-house television screens. It did show up on the in-house channel that showed all the events going on at the MGM and this channel played on television screens throughout the casino.

I asked someone who worked for MGM in stocking billboards etc. why the Mosconi Cup was not put on any of the billboards. He said that only events where they need to sell tickets is promoted this way. If the Mosconi Cup had been in a larger venue that may have happened. As it was, the venue used which seated 400 people, sold out all four days. so there was no need for additional advertising.

What bothers me more (and also enthuses me) is that there is worldwide television coverage of the Mosconi Cup to over 60 countries in Asia and Europe! This same coverage is LIVE for five to six hours a day for four days! The audience is huge, over thirty million viewers, and maybe peaking at over fifty million! Yes, you read this right, millions of people watching pool. This is what drives all the Matchroom events, the vast television audience worldwide.

So you ask what bothers me about this? It is played in the USA and this is one of the only countries that does not carry the Mosconi Cup. If it is to be seen at all, it will be in edited segments, perhaps on Fox Sports some time down the road. There is virtually no chance that American viewers will ever see the entirety of the matches, where the real drama takes place.

Once again, pool remains an important television sport worldwide but not in the USA. The explanation given me is that our country is consumed with football, baseball and basketball and has little interest in other sports. This is the best information I can give you at this time. Not what you want to hear I'm sure.

Maybe whomever put the bug in the BCA's ear to hold the HOF banquet at the US Open (Great Idea it was) could also get them involved with the Mosconi Cup. Since the BCA likes not getting there hands dirty supporting our sport in many ways, this may be a good move and Luke I'm sure has the stats etc. to answer any board questions/obejtions that may arise.

 

[Paul Schofield]

My goodness! You guys just do not get it. The interest abroad in the Mosconi Cup has little to do with pool. It is about us-US-The United States. The entire world wants to see us beat in anything and everything. Do you think for one minute that the mass populous, the rest of the world understands the strategy of Nine-Ball? They do not know or care about Nine-Ball. Do you think that the 50,000,000 viewers are going to go run and find the nearest pool table and play Nine-Ball?

We are a their focus. We are the target. It is them playing us that balloons their ratings. Us playing them does little for us.

 

[sunnyday]

And yet the venue was a sell out every day! The only advertising or promotion that the MGM Grand did was to list the Mosconi Cup on their in-house television screens.

As much as I would love to see pool get more recognition, you can't blame MGM Grand for not supporting pool.

That same week on 'ONE' evening, Andrea Bocelli held a concert in MGM Grand Garden Arena and was a near sold out with seating form $75.00 to 400.00! MGM proudly boasts to seat 16,800 comfortably in their Garden Arena and $400.00 seats were all sold out. For your general information, Mosconi Cup seats about 300 daily x 4.

I'm in pool biz and would love to have seen more promo but we're just not a box office seller... truth hurts:frown:

S.

 

[jay helfert]

My goodness! You guys just do not get it. The interest abroad in the Mosconi Cup has little to do with pool. It is about us-US-The United States. The entire world wants to see us beat in anything and everything. Do you think for one minute that the mass populous, the rest of the world understands the strategy of Nine-Ball? They do not know or care about Nine-Ball. Do you think that the 50,000,000 viewers are going to go run and find the nearest pool table and play Nine-Ball?

We are a their focus. We are the target. It is them playing us that balloons their ratings. Us playing them does little for us.

Paul, this probably has a lot to do with it, but not entirely. In Asia, sports fans truly appreciate all sports with sticks and balls - Golf, Tennis, Ping Pong and Billiards for instance. You will see more of these sports on television all across Asia (with its billions of viewers) than baseball or basketball. Football and Hockey are rarely shown, if at all.

 

[Paul Schofield]

Paul, this probably has a lot to do with it, but not entirely. In Asia, sports fans truly appreciate all sports with sticks and balls - Golf, Tennis, Ping Pong and Billiards for instance. You will see more of these sports on television all across Asia (with its billions of viewers) than baseball or basketball. Football and Hockey are rarely shown, if at all.

There probably is more to this than "Let's root against the Yankees". Frankly-I know little about pool abroad.

 

[LoGiC]

Simply put, there is no market for billiards in the US- why would they put money into promoting it here? It simply does not do well here.

 

[Guerra Cues]

I have been involved in TV Broadcasting and radio for over 20 years and I do feel that if we had a subscription channel on cable or satellite this thing could really pick up. If anybody that is reading these lines needs some inside let me know. It will take a while but the project is perfectly doable. It just needs to be funded, that is all. Also, it does mot need a whole lot of money... Look at Food Channel... It started on a small office.

 

[gpeezy]

I have not heard or seen anything at all on tv or newspapers !

COME ON !!! This IS our ryder cup our world series our super bowl.

I cannot help feeling shunned by the mainstream media unless I am missing something here.

Did anyone see anything anywhere? Do you feel the same way?

I was thinking the same thing. Pool has nothing in the media. It is amazing the people I knw that play pool seriously enough and had no clue about the Mosconi cup all together.

 

[Scott Lee]

Jay...I agree with you, and hence the REASON why there is no press on the event anywhere in the mainstream U.S. media. We can't watch it, so why would they report on it? I said this before...the fault lies with who controls tv programming in the U.S...and it's certainly not ESPN. It's Comcast and GE, which are merging, to create an even larger entity. Between the two of them, they own 90% of all channels, cable and broadcast. Get a pool advocate in the cable industry and we might start to achieve some equity. Without it, like they say in Chicago...fuggeddaboutit! LOL

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

What bothers me more (and also enthuses me) is that there is worldwide television coverage of the Mosconi Cup to over 60 countries in Asia and Europe! This same coverage is LIVE for five to six hours a day for four days! The audience is huge, over thirty million viewers, and maybe peaking at over fifty million! Yes, you read this right, millions of people watching pool. This is what drives all the Matchroom events, the vast television audience worldwide.

So you ask what bothers me about this? It is played in the USA and this is one of the only countries that does not carry the Mosconi Cup. If it is to be seen at all, it will be in edited segments, perhaps on Fox Sports some time down the road. There is virtually no chance that American viewers will ever see the entirety of the matches, where the real drama takes place.

Once again, pool remains an important television sport worldwide but not in the USA. The explanation given me is that our country is consumed with football, baseball and basketball and has little interest in other sports. This is the best information I can give you at this time. Not what you want to hear I'm sure.

 

[Roy Steffensen]

Did someone talk to local media?

For example, did anyone contact some local newspapers or tv-stations in the areas where Oscar, Dennis, Johnny, Corey and Shane are from?

That's the first step. Someone have to inform the local media about local players. That will almost always result in some articles.

But someone have to do it.

 

[Johnnyt]

I've always said that a Billiard Channel on cable in a large area of pool players and tournaments would be the start of Pool on TV. Something like $15-$20 a month.

I have contacted all the Tampa Bay area TV stations and newspapers many times letting them know whem the Seminole Tour played and asked if they might be interested in covering it. I never got one answer back out of about 50 replys. Johnnyt