Who cares about pro pool anyway?

bigshooter

bigshooter

<--vs Chuck Norris on TAR
Silver Member
Very few that's who. Outside of AZ world very few know or care about the state of pro pool. I know local league players who play competitively 3 times a week or more.The majority of them couldn't name three top players from the modern era.

I really have no idea why any manufacturer supports professional pool at any level. The pros have almost zero affect on the products that the average player buys. (in my estimation)

Of course they all know Jeanette Lee who is bright enough to hitch her wagon to the APA. Perhaps other pros should hook up with amateur organizations and create some loyal fans.
 
bigshooter said:
Very few that's who. Outside of AZ world very few know or care about the state of pro pool. I know local league players who play competitively 3 times a week or more.The majority of them couldn't name three top players from the modern era.

I really have no idea why any manufacturer supports professional pool at any level. The pros have almost zero affect on the products that the average player buys. (in my estimation)

Of course they all know Jeanette Lee who is bright enough to hitch her wagon to the APA. Perhaps other pros should hook up with amateur organizations and create some loyal fans.
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Make sense , possibly Mike Sigel's new adventure aligns with your thinking.
 
Thats quite a bit of Truth

bigshooter said:
Very few that's who. Outside of AZ world very few know or care about the state of pro pool. I know local league players who play competitively 3 times a week or more.The majority of them couldn't name three top players from the modern era.

I really have no idea why any manufacturer supports professional pool at any level. The pros have almost zero affect on the products that the average player buys. (in my estimation)

Of course they all know Jeanette Lee who is bright enough to hitch her wagon to the APA. Perhaps other pros should hook up with amateur organizations and create some loyal fans.
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BigShooter,
Wow, you hit a nail on the head. Seems you are right when I first started playing APA back in 2005 from being in pool retirement the focus was on Allison Fisher and that because the APA was backing her and all of the players wanted to see her play. We used to talk about watching her play as far as we knew there just wasn't anyone else because no one seemed to care about pool league players at the time except for of course Jeanette Lee.
 
bigshooter said:
Very few that's who. Outside of AZ world very few know or care about the state of pro pool. I know local league players who play competitively 3 times a week or more.The majority of them couldn't name three top players from the modern era.

I really have no idea why any manufacturer supports professional pool at any level. The pros have almost zero affect on the products that the average player buys. (in my estimation)

Of course they all know Jeanette Lee who is bright enough to hitch her wagon to the APA. Perhaps other pros should hook up with amateur organizations and create some loyal fans.
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sad, but true
 
The league's are a vast, untapped resource.

If pro pool is ever to regain any success, the league's need to be targeted. League players are already interested in the game. Give them a reason to be interested the pro game, and you have a base to build upon.
 
Well, the connection is like other pro sports. If there was no NFL, would little kids play as much football? Same question for the MLB? PGA Tour? Same question for any sport.

There will always be people who do things because they like it. Yet, there are also many people that get introduced to sports by watching the professionals, and then becoming inspired.
 
iusedtoberich said:
Well, the connection is like other pro sports. If there was no NFL, would little kids play as much football? Same question for the MLB? PGA Tour? Same question for any sport.

There will always be people who do things because they like it. Yet, there are also many people that get introduced to sports by watching the professionals, and then becoming inspired.
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You have a good point, but football, baseball and golf are all mainstream sports that you can find on TV just about any time (depending on the time of year)...you see commercials and advertisements all over. you cant help but to see these sports in one form or another... plus they have all of those sports in school (when was the last time you saw a high school pool team or billiards club?) ...you have to go look to be able to watch pool...how are the people supposed to be inspired by the pro's if they never get any coverage..

I agree...The leagues are doing more for pool than the pro's right now and it would be smart to find a way to channel the attraction by having the pro's endorse the leagues we play in...If it took off in the right direction it could lead to an APA-Pro tour <---- wishful thinking...
 
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Pool needs a grass roots campaign. The only place I ever see it advertised is in apa signs at bars. We can't control the promoters but we can do our part. Next time a pro will be in your room let ppl know. Put up signs spread the word. No promoter gets the average joe interested
 
All professional athletes would have to get "second jobs".

bigshooter said:
Very few that's who. Outside of AZ world very few know or care about the state of pro pool. I know local league players who play competitively 3 times a week or more.The majority of them couldn't name three top players from the modern era.

I really have no idea why any manufacturer supports professional pool at any level. The pros have almost zero affect on the products that the average player buys. (in my estimation)

Of course they all know Jeanette Lee who is bright enough to hitch her wagon to the APA. Perhaps other pros should hook up with amateur organizations and create some loyal fans.
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Yes, without TV no professional athlete would be worth much at all, and they would all have to get "second jobs".

Football players would be begging for protein shakes on the street corner without TV contracts. Baseball players would be grinding meat in Hot Dog factories without TV Contracts. Hockey players would be working construction and doing dental ads without TV contracts. MMA fighters would be teaching yoga and pilate classes without TV contracts...it would be very sad indeed.:sad:

The rule is "out of sight, out of mind" and pool's no exception, it's the "sample example"......not concentrating on the TV aspect was the single biggest mistake in the history of pocket billiards.........playing "one foul ball-in-hand" is a close second. ;)
 
You're right; in the leagues I play in their isn't a handful of people that can name 5 pros and a lot of these people have played all their life and play pretty good. Oh and meant to add; I asked around on Wed league night if people were going to watch the mosconi cup. They didn't have a clue what it even is. Pretty sad that people would spend so much time at a sport and not know anything about the levels above them.
 
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bigshooter said:
Very few that's who. Outside of AZ world very few know or care about the state of pro pool. I know local league players who play competitively 3 times a week or more.The majority of them couldn't name three top players from the modern era.

I really have no idea why any manufacturer supports professional pool at any level. The pros have almost zero affect on the products that the average player buys. (in my estimation)

Of course they all know Jeanette Lee who is bright enough to hitch her wagon to the APA. Perhaps other pros should hook up with amateur organizations and create some loyal fans.
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I play leagues in an area that is rich in league participants, and I bet 90% of them wouldn't know who Shane...or Earl...or Johnny was if they were standing right in front of them.

They'd be far more likely to know who Mike Massey...or Tom Rossman was, simply because they tour and actually show up at the area pool halls....and with prior advertisement.

Jeanette and Allison......no-brainers.....they are well know by many....but then, they've been marketed.

Maniac
 
.so much potential, and opportunity, it's only a matter of time

Houstoer said:
You're right; in the leagues I play in their isn't a handful of people that can name 5 pros and a lot of these people have played all their life and play pretty good. Oh and meant to add; I asked around on Wed league night if people were going to watch the mosconi cup. They didn't have a clue what it even is. Pretty sad that people would spend so much time at a sport and not know anything about the levels above them.
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It's only a sign of the promotional state of the game....so much potential, and opportunity, it's only a matter of time before someone "real eyeses" there's a hundred million laying on the "pool table". 'The Game will be the Teacher'
 
CJ -- I'm sure you'd agree that if anyone thinks about all the sound reasons that baseball, football, hockey, and soccer *are* regularly seen on TV -- that immediately provides the simple explanation why pool is not.

Arnaldo
 
Rackemep said:
You have a good point, but football, baseball and golf are all mainstream sports that you can find on TV just about any time (depending on the time of year)......
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You are naming what are actually considered "sports" programs.

People do not necessarily consider pool to be a sport...not even here on AZBilliards... when a poll was made there wasn't an overwhelming opinion that pool is a sport...even HERE among hard-core pool players.

Other than the Mosconi Cup (which doesn't exactly bring hundreds, let alone thousands of spectators), when is the last time a large tournament with all the major players playing in it sold at least a thousand spectator tickets??? I'm real curious as to the answer of this question.

We just cannot get it through our thick skulls that people no longer want to watch it...live, or on TV. Only the very hard-core are interested, and that's probably going to change when we start losing them to attrition.

Maniac
 
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It is fascinating how many times this thread happens here.

Think about it. At least once a week. I wonder if anyone has ever actually learned anything or if we all just keep saying the same things to the same people?

I have a pretty good guess. I wonder what would happen if instead of people writing the same "Whats wrong with pool" post for the 100th time if they took that time and wrote an email to some company that sponsored an event they enjoy saying they noticed their support or to a tv network like Spike/Fox Sports saying you want to see pool content.

I'm sure it wouldnt change a thing but neither will this thread. Again.
 
JCIN said:
It is fascinating how many times this thread happens here.

Think about it. At least once a week. I wonder if anyone has ever actually learned anything or if we all just keep saying the same things to the same people?

I have a pretty good guess. I wonder what would happen if instead of people writing the same "Whats wrong with pool" post for the 100th time if they took that time and wrote an email to some company that sponsored an event they enjoy saying they noticed their support or to a tv network like Spike/Fox Sports saying you want to see pool content.

I'm sure it wouldnt change a thing but neither will this thread. Again.
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The DEAD HORSE is the teacher!!!

Maniac
 
JCIN said:
It is fascinating how many times this thread happens here.

Think about it. At least once a week. I wonder if anyone has ever actually learned anything or if we all just keep saying the same things to the same people?

I have a pretty good guess. I wonder what would happen if instead of people writing the same "Whats wrong with pool" post for the 100th time if they took that time and wrote an email to some company that sponsored an event they enjoy saying they noticed their support or to a tv network like Spike/Fox Sports saying you want to see pool content.

I'm sure it wouldnt change a thing but neither will this thread. Again.
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If every league player emailed spike and asked for tv pool they would consider it. Then they wood have to watch. I like the idea. It's something the masses can do to contribute
 
Luckily there's other ways to present pool, and it will take some changes........

arnaldo said:
CJ -- I'm sure you'd agree that if anyone thinks about all the sound reasons that baseball, football, hockey, and soccer *are* regularly seen on TV -- that immediately provides the simple explanation why pool is not.

Arnaldo
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Sure, they all are able to create an emotional attachment in people and pool, because of the rules and format can not.

It's actually very simple, pool is like watching football with no yardage markers, and you just get one down before you have to punt.

Pool is like watching baseball where you have to hit a home run and then the player bunts 7 times in a row.

Pool is like watching Hockey where they can't make any contact.....in other words we've taken the exciting factors OUT of professional pool and that's a big problem.

I'm just making the point that watching a player break and run 7 easy shots is boring....and it always will be. Luckily there's other ways to present pool, and it will take some changes, but without changes it remains the same.....obviously. ;)

6e881e09a5ad72258137e898ef64f4ab.jpg
One Foul 9 Ball is in the Circle..... think "outside the circle" to be successful!!!
 
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