The time for tuxes and bowties has long since passed. They were staples of the top straight pool events, and with a few notable exceptions, were gone by the end of the 1980s.
In the nine ball era, however, a tasteful shirt with a collar, untorn long pants, a reasonably groomed appearance, and avoidance of profane behavior and language would be more than enough for Emily Frazer in her quest to present American pool players as more professional.
The road player will always be around in America, but the professional must present themselves differently in both competition and in poolrooms.
I recall a time when I was considering sponsoring a pro player some years ago. It seemed every time I saw them, they were wearing a T-shirt that advertised some type of hard liquor. I particularly remember their "Jose Cuervo Tequila" T-shirt. I felt I had to ask them if they had an issue with alcohol, and it turned out they didn't even drink alcohol. I explained to them that these T-shirts were beneath the standards of how a pro should present themselves to their public (no doubt, there's someone out there who disagrees). To this player's credit, they stopped wearing these T-shirts (which, it turned out, they'd been given for free by someone who worked for a major liquor distributor) and, in my opinion, they gradually became one of the best dressed pros out there. No, I won't offer their name.
Self-respect doesn't seem to come naturally for the American pool players and it's definitely, in part, because, far too often, their roots lie in the seedy world of action pool, in which a slovenly appearance is not only common, but in which a slovenly appearance is often viewed as a means of hooking an unsuspecting victim. So the answer to your question is yes, the image and life of the road player is, at times, obstructing the process of developing pro players.
As for the nine footer in the poolroom, I doubt it's on the endangered list. Sadly, some pool halls will go under, but in the end the supply will rise up again to meet the demand for serious league pool, and as far as I can see, the demand hasn't dropped significantly due to the pandemic. Still, it may take a few years for things to return to normal.