What The BCA needs to do for Pool

Island Drive

Island Drive

Otto/Dads College Roommate/Cleveland Browns
Silver Member
Here's what the tennis "industry" did in the 90's when tennis was dying. Leaders in the tennis industry, manufacturing, equipment makers, governing bodies and professionals, took the downturn as a challenge rather than match point. They decided instead of marketing individual brands they would market the sport of "tennis" pouring dollars into grassroots programs geared to promoting PARTICIPATION (wow what a concept :rolleyes:) everywhere. Participation in tennis is now at its height again, at its highest levels like back when Connors, Navratilova, Borg etc were playing, they even geared their products and equipment to smaller bodies (children, what a concept), they also made multi cultural participation a strategic priority and committed to include all ethnic groups in the sports growth (what a concept)...as you can tell I'm being synical. So here's a proven method to increase play/participation and product sales, so why doesn't the only organization on the planet that has the means...the "BCA" take it by the horns and make it work........I don't know, maybe it would be too much work, and increase sales, wow that would be even more work. I get it........they obviously don't.
 
Actually, the BCA does not have the means to make these things happen at the local level. They appear to be just a mouthpiece for the billiard industry. The BCAPL, APA, VNEA, TAP, ACS and their Canadian counterparts do have the means. Your question to them must be, do they have the will to make it happen?

Lyn
 
cardiac kid said:
Actually, the BCA does not have the means to make these things happen at the local level. They appear to be just a mouthpiece for the billiard industry. The BCAPL, APA, VNEA, TAP, ACS and their Canadian counterparts do have the means. Your question to them must be, do they have the will to make it happen?

Lyn
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There's allot of strength in numbers, if you could get em all to work together, how could it possibly make matters worse? It's obvious what they have done for decades has NOT incresed play, so why not try something another sport has tried and succeeded? I know they don't have the means like the ATP but I would think at one point in time the ATP was allot less sound than the BCA.
 
I think the BCA had a pretty good idea started with the All American Tour. What ever happened to that?
 
Myk said:
I think the BCA had a pretty good idea started with the All American Tour. What ever happened to that?
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Myk,

The All American Tour can be found at the American Cue Sports web site. John Lewis, currently head of the ACS, was formerly the head of the BCA pool leagues before they were sold to Mark Griffin, renamed BCAPL and now incorporated into Cue Sports International.

Lyn
 
In my burg, many tennis courts are found in public parks, either as dedicated tennis courts, or as conversions of outdoor skating rinks during the summer. All you need is a racket and tennis balls.

Nothing similar exists for billiards. Either find a friend with a table or a room owner who will donate table time, balls and cues.

Lots of tennis coaches, almost no cue coaches.

There are a few people here, like Fatboy, who have donated equipment when they have found organizations that will provide space. Every little bit helps, but there is a very long way to go.
 
Scaramouche said:
In my burg, many tennis courts are found in public parks, either as dedicated tennis courts, or as conversions of outdoor skating rinks during the summer. All you need is a racket and tennis balls.

Nothing similar exists for billiards. Either find a friend with a table or a room owner who will donate table time, balls and cues.

Lots of tennis coaches, almost no cue coaches.

There are a few people here, like Fatboy, who have donated equipment when they have found organizations that will provide space. Every little bit helps, but there is a very long way to go.
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Olhausen sells 30,000 tables a year and over 90% go in homes, as for the All Am Tour, I ran it successfully for two years but the BCA cut that program, wanted to get away from play, thats one of the other reasons they sold off the league system.
 
Why not Robin? LOL

Rockin' Robin said:
I aint gonna do it...(slaps wrist)...delete delete delete.....
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LMAO why not Robin? You know you want to! LOL


Well I know several people have said it before, but half the problem with pool is that their are too many governing bodies of pool! If they would all join forces then the combined effort would definitely help pool out and it could be promoted from a whole new level! But the problem is getting them to all work together! That would be harder than getting republicans, democrats, and independents to work together (Hahaha!)

It honestly doesn't matter what the rules are to the game because pool players adapt to whatever set of rules they are playing by. (yea we might complain but if we really want to play then we play by the APA rules, BCA rules, IPT rules, etc.)

So I think the main thing that would turn pool around is for all the governing bodies to swallow their pride and quit acting like their set of rules is the best. If they all got together and joined forces thing of all the marketing possibilities, and think of the man power or woman power that they would have to promote the sport?

N E way that is my 2 cents!

P.S. With the economic situation there are bound to be more pool players emerging since pool is a very affordable hobby! LOL
 
Island Drive said:
Olhausen sells 30,000 tables a year and over 90% go in homes, as for the All Am Tour, I ran it successfully for two years but the BCA cut that program, wanted to get away from play, thats one of the other reasons they sold off the league system.
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Bill

As I said to you privately, the BCA either needs to step aside or jump off a cliff.

They have steadily "moved away from play" for 20 years now, and they are nothing more than a trade organization. I'm not saying that is a bad thing, I'm just saying that the game deserves more than that.

The game needs active leadership. The game needs leadership that is motivated to push the game forward every minute of every day of the year. Anything less should not be tolerated.

In the game of pool, we need to push out the people that cause dissention, and support the people that are building bridges.

I believe that the BCA needs to seriously consider stepping aside if they are content with "moving away from play". This game is needs play, and it needs an organization that understands why we need "play".

As far as I am concerned, the time has come for them to make that decision, and I believe that there are those in a position to take over and provide the leadership that we so desperately need at this moment.

Just keeping it real.
 
As of late I have been thinking a lot about the problem pool in the US faces in regards to getting organized and moving forward. It has me in a sour mood. As I look around and see people doing things that make absolutely no sense or even unethical things and being supported while some legitimate efforts go by with not even a modicum of support I just shake my head.

I have an idea of what it will take to move pool forward but I am sure many people would not like it and I am also sure no one is going to risk that much time, money and effort to suffer the slings and arrows it would entail. Pool is fractured into many little fiefdoms in the US and never the twain shall meet. It is frustrating but I can see why some people will not work with others. It is because some people are greedy, dishonest, untrustworthy and sometimes just plain old too dumb to work with.

Add in the fact that in the US in the pool industry it is a very small group of people who have been working in close proximity to each other for years and all of the feuds and grudges that accrue over time are now in play when it comes to decision making. It is easy to say "Everyone work together" till you are in the spot of having to work with someone who screwed you over or lied to you previously.

<-----already working on his grudge list
 
Blackjack said:
Bill

As I said to you privately, the BCA either needs to step aside or jump off a cliff....
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LOL! :grin:

I think it sucks a big weenie that those who have helped others get their sea legs, so to speak, devoting their time and resources -- FOR FREE -- are thereafter stepped on as if they're trash when they receive a helping hand -- MONEY -- from others. They seem to have short memories.

It's hard to forget. :angry:
 
In Golf, you have the USGA as a governing body, the only one. In tennis, it's the USTA, the only one. (in reality golf has men's and women's, but all governed by the USGA, and the same with tennis)

How many can you count in pool? And we expect to be organized as a body?

I don't know it's the BCA's fault or the fact that pool becomes fragmented because of the numerous different games and played in bars, poolrooms and bowling alleys.

Our sport or game is a unique one, but you have to look at promoting the game from the ground up, and that means getting more children involved, and also uniting the organizations to promote pool for television. This, of course may be impossible. Pool on TV brings all the boats in the water up to the higher level, so billiard supplies do better, pool rooms, leagues, manufacturers, etc.
 
Danny Kuykendal said:
In Golf, you have the USGA as a governing body, the only one. In tennis, it's the USTA, the only one. (in reality golf has men's and women's, but all governed by the USGA, and the same with tennis)

How many can you count in pool? And we expect to be organized as a body?

I don't know it's the BCA's fault or the fact that pool becomes fragmented because of the numerous different games and played in bars, poolrooms and bowling alleys.

Our sport or game is a unique one, but you have to look at promoting the game from the ground up, and that means getting more children involved, and also uniting the organizations to promote pool for television. This, of course may be impossible. Pool on TV brings all the boats in the water up to the higher level, so billiard supplies do better, pool rooms, leagues, manufacturers, etc.
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Wish I would have said something similar to that! LMAO:rolleyes:
 
Danny Kuykendal said:
In Golf, you have the USGA as a governing body, the only one.
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I'd disagree with that...

You have the USGA, the PGA and the LPGA. Many times the PGA and LPGA will follow USGA rules but not always.

Also on the world side almost everyone except the US/Mexico follow the rules of The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (R&A).

One of the goals of the PGA was to setup a standard set of rules to get as close as possible to a combination of the R&A and USGA rules...

And, you have the same battle between the USGA and manufactures that you have in pool. Manufactures are always threatening lawsuits against the USGA for rule changes relating to clubs.

Brian
 
All American Tour

The BCA stopped doing the All American Tour (as I understand it) because it caused the BCA (trade assn) to be in competition with its own members.

Those members felt it was not fair that they had to compete with their own trade group. And that argument has merit.

Lyn had part of it correct. It was founded by the BCA. And when I bought the leagues from them in 2004, John Lewis tried to highjack the whole enchilada. (Does anyone remember the Billiard Cuesport Alliance???)

He was successful in grabbing the name All American Tour. He was also successful in copying all of the referree lists and soliciting them to join his referee ranks.

Maybe I am old fashioned - but it is hard to forget someone who is so unethical - especially when they are stealing from you.

Mark Griffin

(reminder to self - maybe you DO need to mellow out in your old age) - lol
 
BCA etc . . . . .

Robin - I think you should shed some light on the 'new crowd' - history has a way of repeating itself.

Forewarned is forarmed - or something like that.

Most of the people on AZ do not know what you would be talking about. They need to know.

All of this took place about 20 years ago.

Mark Griffin
 
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