Tell you what, I'll just do my own thing and leave you people in the dark, you don't need to know anything, I'm fine with that.
Who are the people that claim pool is on the down hill slide?
- Thread starter realkingcobra
- Start date
Tell you what, I'll just do my own thing and leave you people in the dark, you don't need to know anything, I'm fine with that.
It says on the road somewhere.... Well let's play some sir MR Road Player !!!!
Make money at pool ... guess u missed it bud . I'm 50 and retired lol I worked 35 years doing flooring and have one of the largest flooring companies in east Texas ! Bought me a 2018 RV 6 months ago and Really just like traveling now and playing strangers . I don't hind deer
I hunt wanna be pool players !!! Take care Mr Cobra and good luck grinding....That is simply not true. In Munich, Germany, about half of the pool places I've known 15-20 years ago have gone. Pretty good ones with 9-footers, mind you. I hear similar things about other major European cities. Poorer countries might be different.
The only thing that keeps pool alive are the clubs - they rely on membership dues and some guests playing occasionally. One great advantage we have over here is that a liquor/beer/wine license is dirt cheap and really easy to get compared to the US, so practically every pool place has one.
Purely commercial pool halls are close to non-existant nowadays. I can currently think of 2 in Munich, their equipment s***s and only the neighborhood people show up there infrequently. One of the 2 is actually a traditional Bavarian restaurant existing for over 100 years in a very good area downtown and belongs to the owners. The number of 9-footers has apparently been reduced since the last time I've been there. Once the current owners pass away I would not make any bets that the place will stay a pool room. The other place is mostly empty with lousy tables.
There were about 4 other large commercial pool halls with lots of tables - all of them gone.
The only places that are left are the ones that have clubs supporting them. This is an advantage compared to what I've seen in the US but my current club would most probably not exist if it did not have a pool enthusiast whose rich father (passed away) made him sponsor the club with € 100k per year. This guy is around 60/65. Let's see what happens when he is gone.
A few clubs (about 6-7 in Munich/suburbs) are still alive and kicking. Some of them with pretty high membership fees plus slightly reduced table costs for members. The way it has been going in the last 20 years I doubt that more than half of those will be around in 10-15 years.
Snooker really took off somewhat in Europe. If you talk to regular non-pool people, almost everybody has at least noticed that snooker exists. Why? Because Eurosport 1 (free tv channel) shows a nice selection of the current snooker championships. Even though there are no Germans worth mentioning taking part in these. Pool on tv? Zip, zero. If you mention that you play pool "normal" people either mention snooker or tell you that they have played it some time in their youth on a bar table or maybe once in the past ten years out of boredom in one of the very few bars that still have a lonely 6-footer with the occasional drunk playing a game.
Now, almost nobody plays snooker. Because there are maybe around 5 tables available in 2 or 3 places. Way too difficult to play for people with a passing interest. However, the tv programs draw relatively many people. Most of whom have never touched a pool cue, let alone a snooker cue.
I don't see anything except tv coverage making an impact on pool. The internet is a nice thing but the young people don't google "pool". I mentioned stuff like the MC and other major tournaments even to my pool-playing buddies - none of them has bothered to even look. They all have seen snooker games, though. TV still rules for the general public. Because you have those giant flat screens nowadays, it is "free" and all you have to do is use one finger on the remote control to "accidentally" hit a snooker program. Yes, you can set up all kinds of streams etc. on your tv. But this is only for the aficionados, not the general public. The people beyond the closely-knit pool community don't bother with that. They rather shop online, play video games or do Netflix etc. Pool is not on their mind when online.
Thus, I don't see 3-hour games on some PPV as a solution. It won't create any interest in pool beyond those few that are already and still interested.
Make money at pool ... guess u missed it bud . I'm 50 and retired lol I worked 35 years doing flooring and have one of the largest flooring companies in east Texas ! Bought me a 2018 RV 6 months ago and Really just like traveling now and playing strangers . I don't hind deer
I don't know why I like this post so much but I do. The thought of a successful older guy roaming the country in a nice RV enjoying life and playing pool now and then is enticing to me. My chance at this life passed me by long ago. Although I did have a period of several years where aspiring players would jump on the unsuspecting tournament director who never hit a ball and try to hustle me. That didn't work out so well for most of them.:wink:
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=shopping+malls+as+entertainment+venues&t=ffab&atb=v53-2&ia=web
More old malls are redefining their spaces to include things like pool halls and other gaming places that are the main attraction now, since many big box stores have folded.
This means better pricing for space, I'd think, and this might be an avenue for your ideas to take.
fwiw,
Jeff Livingston
When is the last time anyone watched ANYthing on espn? Months ago for me, on espn 3, but that was just a stream, and that's a hint to the future.
TV won't be in this formula, I'd bet...at least not espn kind of tv.
Jeff Livingston
I haven't watched ESPN in many many years.....
That stance is almost as dumb. Not quite but close. Settle down and make a business plan and stick to it. I suggest you start a plan that doesn't:
A. Piss of your potential clients.
B. Piss off your potential distribution chain.
Good luck to you.
I agree with you on all but one thing here...50 is not older guy. 50 is the new 35.
Doesn't every poster get the same posts to read around here? Or do some get or not get some posts and so they can't read what the rest of us read?
What has he been talking about BUT his business plan?
Cripes. No wonder such good posters run away from here.
Jeff Livingston
I've been making plans for over 20 years buddy, including my King Cobra Adhesive. There's plenty of people who knew about my plans well over 10 years ago, everything I said I was going to do, I have done to get to this point in time.
Doesn't every poster get the same posts to read around here? Or do some get or not get some posts and so they can't read what the rest of us read?
What has he been talking about BUT his business plan?
Cripes. No wonder such good posters run away from here.
Jeff Livingston
I thought I was pretty clear laying out my plans, from sponsoring small Pro Tour stops, building up attention, drawing a line between Pro's and amateurs. Leading into building event centers to broadcast live events to the world in order to bring in the greatest sponsors there is, the viewers world wide. Supporting pool rooms world wide with in house regional tournaments to support amateur world events that lead into the event centers for live broadcasting to viewers, which in turn creates a circle of players, events, viewers, sponsors, that will continue to grow the cycle bigger and bigger with basically unlimited funding from the public viewers world wide. But, I guess not.
What I should probably do is just build the event center, set up the live broadcasting so I can pick up the viewers, then support the Pros in 1 event center, and skip trying to help anyone else, that's the American way isn't it, make as much money as I can, screw anyone else.
Doesn't every poster get the same posts to read around here? Or do some get or not get some posts and so they can't read what the rest of us read?
What has he been talking about BUT his business plan?
Cripes. No wonder such good posters run away from here.
Jeff Livingston
I didn't mean to insinuate he didn't have a business plan, because you're right we have been hearing about it for some time, I just suggested he tweak it to not include upsetting potential clients and posting private emails from potential distribution chains.
Do you disagree?
I hope it works out, chief. I get on a plane almost every week, it would be nice to be heading to a pool Supercenter instead of just work. As long as it doesn't cut into my fishing trips of course.
You sure do fail to understand me, I already HAVE a distribution network in place, it would just be nice to pick up Fastenal as a main distributor, but they're NOT a requirement. My plans have never included them, they were a last minute thought, that may, or may not pan out. I might have to build my sales up more before they get involved, who knows. Not picking up Fastenal is not going to change my plans. Reaching my goals fast or slow isn't going to stop me from reaching them.
The closing of pool halls may not be the best barometer to measure the pool world's health. It's possible that just as many people play today as they did 50 years ago however the majority of players now play in bars on bar tables rather than going to a pool hall. The direction of pool has certainly shifted however it may not be a bad thing.
For example, big box stores (Walmart, Kohls, Target, etc.) are not doing very good today. Does that mean that the shopping industry is down? No, it just means that people have been shopping online more since shipping costs are so minimal now.