What Pool Really Needs

C

chalka99ict

Registered
The great few of us that love the game of pool isn't enough, we need to get rest of the world involved. Pool needs something that will catch the attention of the couch potatoes of the world. Something that'll stop the remote control clicks dead in their tracks.

I've got a friend who ownes a 7ft Diamond. We used to hang out all the time and shoot pool. His house is in the middle of town and there were lots of people who would come to just hang out. Lots of these people were bangers. People who aren't any good and dont really care to be. The pool table for them was part of a social atmosphere. Something to do while drinking a beer. Maybe one game and that was it. They never saw it like we saw it. They didn't understand why we didn't talk much or why we tried to concentrate so hard. Usually after a game or two they would wonder off to enjoy the rest of the evening. Pool becomes boring to watch to the great majority of people. Something I did notice was when we would get a 3 ball game going something clicked with these people. They loved watching us go for crazy 2 in one or 3 in one shots, and if we happend to pull them off it was wild. I've seen people more interested in quarter 3 ball games than in 100$ sets.

I think 3 ball or something like it could be a great help to the future of telivised pool. It holds all the parts that seem to work the best so far. It has a break shot, run outs, and lots of trick shots.

Just my opinion
 
thrasher789 said:
what is 3 ball? I feel nuts here asking but I have no idea what it is.
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3 ball is when everybody ante's up and each person gets a chance at running 3 balls in the lowest number of shots. If 2 people tie nobody gets paid and everone ante's again.
 
bruin70 said:
selected women's nude pool, no brideges allowed.
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I believe the key word here is "selected". LOL

Of course, the ladies would want equal rights, so guys, get ready for the full monty.

The idea of a bunch of women yelling "PUT IT ON, PUT IT BACK ON!" wouldn't do much for my ego, so I guess we're out of luck.

Stones
 
3 ball?

Break and run out?

Winner breaks?

Shoot we've been playing that here for a week. Me, and you and your buddies. :) It just hasn't gotten around to your turns yet, btw, its time to pony up. :)

I'm just joking with you of course, but I do believe that pool just by its nature is far to difficult a game for most to try and enjoy without complete frustration initially. Even embarassment becomes an issue when its played with others around.

When I had the pool room, I could see countless couples come in who couldn't even address the cue ball well enough to have it roll across the table, let alone hit another ball.

Poker took off so quickly when it got the heavy TV exposure because anyone was able to play it.

I think bowling is a much more likely candidate for popular involvement since it is much easier for most to play and even it hasn't become all that popular.

I don't know, I think pool would have to see some extreme major TV time, like all the time on multiple channels to even stand a snowballs chance in August.

I wish it were much more popular, in my retirement, the thought of opening another room keeps crossing my mind. :)
 
3andstop said:
...I wish it were much more popular, in my retirement, the thought of opening another room keeps crossing my mind. :)
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The pool rooms that I see that are successful and make money are the ones that are located near colleges and universities OR host league teams at their facilities.

Snookers pool room in Providence, Rhode Island, is a good example of location, location, location. There are over 30 colleges and universities within 30 miles of their location. Good food, good equipment, and other entertainment options like a separate music room for dancing, make this a win-win for the owner and the pool player.

There's a pool room in Frederick, Maryland, that hosts league teams every night of the week. I asked them if they would ever entertain the notion of hosting a professional pool tournament, and their reply was that they make their money from the league players. Professional pool doesn't seem to attract enough interest from their regulars, but the leagues sure do.

In sum, location of pool room and pool leagues -- amateur players, if you will -- is where success, monetarily speaking, can be had if you own a pool room in the year 2007.

JAM
 
I don't really understand why amateur leagues flourish here in the US while the
pros are left to fend for themselves. Amateur leagues are a dime a dozen while
professional tournaments, that offers chump change and bread crumbs are far
and few in between.

No wonder only a handful aspire to be pros, there's really nothing to look forward
to. Pool here in the US is on life support...
 
Pool is hard to get good at and people don't like things that are hard anymore. People don't want to spend the many years it takes to get good at pool.

I used to teach people to fly airplanes and I saw this same fall off. When I would tell a perspective student it takes about a year to get a pilot's license many of them would just walk away. They did not understand much of the fun is in the learning, much like pool. Yes it takes many years and much frustration to get good at pool but most people wimp out at the idea of spending more than 10 minutes at anything.

I think we can all help pool by introducing people to it and if they show an interest encourage them by offering what advice and support we can.
 
gopi-1 said:
I don't really understand why amateur leagues flourish here in the US while the
pros are left to fend for themselves. Amateur leagues are a dime a dozen while
professional tournaments, that offers chump change and bread crumbs are far
and few in between.

No wonder only a handful aspire to be pros, there's really nothing to look forward
to. Pool here in the US is on life support...
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Pro pool just doesn't make anyone very much money. Even the pro players.
Imagine if the BCA or APA with its tens of thousands of members started a grass roots national wide support of Pro pool ! They could have 15 or 20 big tournaments per year and host regional qualifers to send local players to each event to compete. With the support of Budweiser,Miller or some big tobacco company this could be very marketable.
 
kevin s said:
Pro pool just doesn't make anyone very much money. Even the pro players.
Imagine if the BCA or APA with its tens of thousands of members started a grass roots national wide support of Pro pool ! They could have 15 or 20 big tournaments per year and host regional qualifers to send local players to each event to compete. With the support of Budweiser,Miller or some big tobacco company this could be very marketable.
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Great idea, but what do you play on? A 7ft table or a 9ft table?

This was my point in the other thread. Not trying to start an argument, but the APA players play on 7ft barboxs.

The 9ft table is the 'pro' standard for the world.

Since it would be an APA event with APA members, could the pros suck up their ego and play on a 7ft table?
 
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Okay, (let's do this on Spike TV), We get two good men players and two "Hot No Playin' Women" to be the team racker. The game is nineball, and the men on each team will play, the woman the designated racker. Each woman starts out with a certain number of items of clothing. Every time their partner loses a game, they lose an article of clothing. Race to whatever. People would tune in to this that didn't even play pool. Oh... and they'd get together and cheer like madmen at the strip club. That safety play would be appreciated then, wouldn't it?
 
Bugz said:
Great idea, but what do you play on? A 7ft table or a 9ft table?

This was my point in the other thread. Not trying to start an argument, but the APA players play on 7ft barboxs.

The 9ft table is the 'pro' standard for the world.

Since it would be an APA event with APA members, could the pros suck up their ego and play on a 7ft table?
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There are bar-box tournaments. At the Super Billiards Expo, aside from the Pro event, there is a Pro/Am tournament that is played on the bar table.

JAM
 
Seriously, though.

crawfish said:
Okay, (let's do this on Spike TV), We get two good men players and two "Hot No Playin' Women" to be the team racker. The game is nineball, and the men on each team will play, the woman the designated racker. Each woman starts out with a certain number of items of clothing. Every time their partner loses a game, they lose an article of clothing. Race to whatever. People would tune in to this that didn't even play pool. Oh... and they'd get together and cheer like madmen at the strip club. That safety play would be appreciated then, wouldn't it?
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All it needs is a big sponsor. Nextel? 84 Lumber? Lowes? Home Depot? You know, the average Joe's kind of sponsor.
 
crawfish said:
All it needs is a big sponsor. Nextel? 84 Lumber? Lowes? Home Depot? You know, the average Joe's kind of sponsor.
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Mike Janis at the Viking Tour attempted to get outside sponsors (non-pool-related sponsors), and did get a hotel chain to provide discounts, et cetera to traveling pool players.

Let's not forget what happened when the Hilton Hotel chain decided to have a pool tour. It folded after two events.

I am beginning to think that money may not be the answer for pool, at least in the States. Rather, pool needs to grab the attention of mainstream America first. Then the monies may come forth.

JAM
 
Relatively Inexpensive

JAM said:
Mike Janis at the Viking Tour attempted to get outside sponsors (non-pool-related sponsors), and did get a hotel chain to provide discounts, et cetera to traveling pool players.

Let's not forget what happened when the Hilton Hotel chain decided to have a pool tour. It folded after two events.

I am beginning to think that money may not be the answer for pool, at least in the States. Rather, pool needs to grab the attention of mainstream America first. Then the monies may come forth.

JAM
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I just feel with the right promotion (money) coming from a reputable company, where everyone knows they will get paid, the men would take the "tour" more seriously. There would be stipulations on playing in unsanctioned events, also. This would promote wanting to be labeled a "pro." The money would have to be there, though. Let's say a field of only 120 designated pros, based on performance. Just like golf. They'd have to make the cut for an event. Double elimination cutting the field to 64? At the end of the year, the following year's field would be chosen (120). There would have to be an "end of the year" payout, thus promoting playing in all of the events, kind of like in NASCAR. This would take a lot of moolah and organization. But, it would work. All of this would make the "tour" a serious "pro" tour. These mini self invited events would cease, if the big sponsor stipulated to play in only aka "Nextel" events. But the money would have to be there. People would work to be in the 120 designated pros. It could finally be respected. To enter the field of 120, how about a qualifying event at the end of each year for the bottom 30% finishers, allowing new competitors, any and all to compete (with a pretty hefty entry fee) to keep the field serious.
 
BCA sanctions instructors, but, as far as I know, has nothing for the public.

The vast majority will never find an instructor. They end up soaking up misinformation from their misinformed buddies. Without the right information they will not improve. If you don't know how to improve, how can you?

If they try to go beyond the buddy system, they encounter many poorly produced books, with contradictory information, or missing that essential nugget, and have no idea which is the best choice. They are even less likely to encounter comprehensive video with good production qualities. Stuff on the web suffers the same problems.

When I watch golf or skiing programs, they usually have an instruction segment. Instruction rarely turns up on pool broadcasts, and when it does it is usually Hopkins with a trick shot (don't know if he is a BCA instructor) and never has a plug for sanctioned instruction or information of how to find it.

I used to belong to the Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance: four levels of instructors and the gods (examiners); regular requalification. I was working on an assignment in Calgary with a Texan. On the weekend took him out to Sunshine Village to ski - he had never been on skiis before. I spent some time taking him through the baby steps. Then I went skiing and he went into a lesson from the ski school. When we hooked up later, he said the lesson was exactly what I had shown him. And I said that is how it should be. The next day he had his family fly up from Texas so they could go play on the slopes for the duration of his assignment. I doubt if anyone who has gone into a pool hall for the first time has decided that it is something the entire family would enjoy or would have available the tools to learn even the most rudimentary aspects of the game.

In contrast, consider the description of what is required to become a professional snooker player, and the resources available - clubs with coaches.:D

http://www.planitplus.net/careerzone/areas/?PID=nf&SECL=24SP&ID=600
 
JAM said:
There are bar-box tournaments. At the Super Billiards Expo, aside from the Pro event, there is a Pro/Am tournament that is played on the bar table.

JAM
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Never saw one on T.V.
 
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