What if mosconi's high run was broken?

S

socopool

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Would the person who broke the record become synonymous with the outside billiard world? Or would they remain known only to the hardcore billiards community?
 
Good question.

Set up a 4x8 table with standard pockets and let the Champs go at it...

The record of 526 balls pocketed was accomplished on that equipment I believe...

No negativity intended here, just fairness and keeping things equal for the one attempting to break the record...

Mr. J.
 
If Mosconi's run were to be broken, I'm sure it would make it on ESPN or something.

Mosconi's run was on a 4x8 Brunswick with 4 7/8" pockets. FWIW, Mosconi's run is the highest "officially recognized" run. Michael Eufemia has an "unofficial" run of 625 (on a 4.5 x 9) and Arthur "Babe" Cranfield has an "unofficial" run of 768.
 
Unless it involves powerless "royalty" in England getting married or airheads in Hollywood doing drugs or another pro baseball/football player beating his wife...no one will notice.

Hence, John Schmidt could run 650 at this years 14.1 Worlds & it wouldn't even make the local sports section...forget about ESPN. EPSN would say, "What is straight pool? Is that what the Black Widow plays with the Dutchess of Doom?"
 
I think it might get a small mention on ESPN, but that is about it. The general public really does not care too much about pool. Nobody is ever going to play better then Minnesota Fats, so it doesn't really matter. ;)
 
socopool said:
Would the person who broke the record become synonymous with the outside billiard world? Or would they remain known only to the hardcore billiards community?
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I bet if you stopped 10 American people on the street today and asked them who Willie Mosconi was, 9 out of 10 wouldn't have a clue.

If Willie's record got broken, ESPN might televise about 60-70 of the balls made (editing), but it wouldn't air until 3 months later :(.

Maniac
 
socopool said:
Would the person who broke the record become synonymous with the outside billiard world? Or would they remain known only to the hardcore billiards community?
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There was a lot more to Mosconi then one run; that most people who could tell you who he is would have no idea about the run. If they want their name to become synonymous out side the hardcore players; all they have to do is win multiple championships, travel a million miles and do tens of thousands of hours of exhibitions. Then people will remember who they are.
 
Maniac said:
I bet if you stopped 10 American people on the street today and asked them who Willie Mosconi was, 9 out of 10 wouldn't have a clue.
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Better yet, ask 10 random people walking down the street if they know who Efren Reyes is.
 
I don't think a 527 ball run would make headlines even if Lindsay Lohan did it.

Informer: "Ok, I got some new dirt on Lindsay Lohan, and I got pictures too."

Newspaper man: "Sweet Jesus! I'll pay you whatever you want for the story! What did she do this time?"

Informer: "She ran 527 balls at straight pool, breaking a long-standing record by the late great Willie Mosconi!"

Newspaper man: "Oh... so she didn't steal a bottle of Strawberry Hill from Hy-Vee?"

Informer: "Nope."

Newspaper man: "Or fall down drunk, flash her beav, and take a dump on a public sidewalk?"

Informer: "Huh uh."

Newspaper man: "Never mind. Not interested."

Aaron
 
mosconiac said:
Unless it involves powerless "royalty" in England getting married or airheads in Hollywood doing drugs or another pro baseball/football player beating his wife...no one will notice.

Hence, John Schmidt could run 650 at this years 14.1 Worlds & it wouldn't even make the local sports section...forget about ESPN. EPSN would say, "What is straight pool? Is that what the Black Widow plays with the Dutchess of Doom?"
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Sad, but true.
 
Aaron_S said:
Even better, ask 10 random people at the pool room on league night if they know who Efren Reyes is.

Aaron
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But as someone else already said, I guarantee you the league players will all know who Jeanette Lee and Allison Fischer are.

In professional pool, the women are more well known than the men. Sad, but true.

And what's even sadder, is that 9 out of 10 people on league night will not even know what straight pool is or what a 526 ball run is.
 
Aaron_S said:
Even better, ask 10 random people at the pool room on league night if they know who Efren Reyes is.

Aaron
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I was just about to post the same thing. :thumbup:

And I'm a league player. (Although I know who Efren is, hee.) I had a similar discussion with another player not long ago, someone who has played league for over ten years now, and is fairly involved in playing, not just on league night. I mentioned SVB and someone else, can't recall now but it was a high-level player, and this person had no idea who they were.

Sigh.

The pro's are missing a big opportunity with the leagues, and the leagues are missing a big opportunity with the pro's.

As to the topic at hand, if Mosconi's run was broken there would be a MAJOR furor over it here on AZB, with people picking up sides to argue whether or not it was legit or not. Whether the equipment made a difference, the pockets too easy, the cloth too easy. It would be debvated endlessly, with harsh words used and names being called.

Or as we like to call it, another day at AZB. :p
 
That is funny!!!

mosconiac said:
Unless it involves powerless "royalty" in England getting married or airheads in Hollywood doing drugs or another pro baseball/football player beating his wife...no one will notice.

Hence, John Schmidt could run 650 at this years 14.1 Worlds & it wouldn't even make the local sports section...forget about ESPN. EPSN would say, "What is straight pool? Is that what the Black Widow plays with the Dutchess of Doom?"
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That is FUNNY Sir!!!!!!!!!!

It also makes me sad!

Mike
 
Aaron_S said:
Even better, ask 10 random people at the pool room on league night if they know who Efren Reyes is.

Aaron
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Why would they know, pool exists in a vacuum. Heck, they don't even send out tournament results that can be picked up by a news wire and maybe even be read by the general public. They never do any press releases or at least no one reads them I guess and publishes them. When was the last time you saw a pool player on a talk show; mean time they will put on some guy who has a dog that sings and devote 10 minutes to it. Pool is where it is through it's own doing. Pool is waiting for someone to come knock on the door and give them a hand out. Ain't going to happen, ever.
 
You know, I'll bet the same is true for bowlers on bowling leagues. Do you think they'll know who the top bowlers are? How about darts? Will they know who the top dart players in the world are? The funny thing is, I bet players at the local chess club all know who Garry Kasparov is! :p
 
Samiel said:
You know, I'll bet the same is true for bowlers on bowling leagues. Do you think they'll know who the top bowlers are?
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Maybe not in your typical Sunday Night Mixed League, but I guarantee you all the guys in the high-powered scratch leagues know who the pros are. Heck, a lot of the guys I used to bowl with went to a regional once or twice a year.

PS - the 846 in my screen name is my high 3 game series (267-279-300) ;)
 
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Winston846 said:
But as someone else already said, I guarantee you the league players will all know who Jeanette Lee and Allison Fischer are.

In professional pool, the women are more well known than the men. Sad, but true.

And what's even sadder, is that 9 out of 10 people on league night will not even know what straight pool is or what a 526 ball run is.
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I bet even more have heard of Minnesota Fats which speaks volumes about how he could capture someones attention.
 
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