Why isn't pool in the olympics?

nineballsafety8

nineballsafety8

6ft 5" 285, hits 'em hard
Silver Member
I find it strange that a WORLDWIDE sport such as pocket billiards hasn't made it into the Olympics. I know that the pool culture in the US is not doing the best, but European and Asian countries are alive and strong... If table tennis and curling have a place in the Olympics, I see no reason that Pool/billiards can't be as well.

Is the issue that what games are played depend on country? I know Europe and Australia are big on snooker and billiards, but why not poll the international players and agree on a middle ground?
 
The Olympics is a big business. It chooses events by 1) potential viewership, i.e. advertising revenue, or 2) tradition (curling is still a winter Olympic sport out of tradition even though its viewership is small).

Billiards would be a Summer Olympics sport, and the competition for a new spot in the Summer Olympics is fierce.
 
bdorman said:
The Olympics is a big business. It chooses events by 1) potential viewership, i.e. advertising revenue, or 2) tradition (curling is still a winter Olympic sport out of tradition even though its viewership is small).

Billiards would be a Summer Olympics sport, and the competition for a new spot in the Summer Olympics is fierce.
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More people play pool in the winter......plus pool isnt considered a sport by many people.
 
It's an Olympic Exhibiton Sport

bdorman said:
The Olympics is a big business. It chooses events by 1) potential viewership, i.e. advertising revenue, or 2) tradition (curling is still a winter Olympic sport out of tradition even though its viewership is small).

Billiards would be a Summer Olympics sport, and the competition for a new spot in the Summer Olympics is fierce.
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_______________________________________

Andreas Huber, the German National Head Coach of Pool/Billiards has told me Billiards been classified as an Summer Olympic Exhibiton Sport.

-CP
 
Woof Biscuit said:
Because nobody will watch it.
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for mens' events I would have to agree for the most part... but Women's pool could actually draw some attention.

It is somewhat sad to say, but the reality is, that a decent number of "viewers" of the olympics are men just trying to see cute girls, that are in shape... and not have their wives question them about it...

<--- guilty
 
Pool doesn't use or require any athleticism like the other Olympic Sports......it'd be like proposing Holdem Poker as a new Olympic event....just my opinion.

And now guys don't go lecturing me about the endurance, eyesight, steadiness of a stroke, etc.........pool is not a sport....zero athleticism is involved.......and
I've been playing pool for >50 years.....seen the best of the best....all the greatest pool players that ever lived....any nary a one could be considered an athlete.
 
Bavafongoul said:
Pool doesn't use or require any athleticism like the other Olympic Sports......it'd be like proposing Holdem Poker as a new Olympic event....just my opinion.

And now guys don't go lecturing me about the endurance, eyesight, steadiness of a stroke, etc.........pool is not a sport....zero athleticism is involved.......and
I've been playing pool for >50 years.....seen the best of the best....all the greatest pool players that ever lived....any nary a one could be considered an athlete.
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On one level I agree, but on another level archery and target shooting sports are Olympic events which seem to be on the same level of required athleticism as billiards.
 
slide13 said:
On one level I agree, but on another level archery and target shooting sports are Olympic events which seem to be on the same level of required athleticism as billiards.
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good points. pool is a sport, just not an "athletic" sport requiring speed or freaky strength... it is a skills, but not all skill sports make it.

Baseball is not even an Olympic sport, it was for a short time, but no more.
 
Getting pool into the Olympics is essentially what the WCBS (and by extension the WPA) is all about, to satisfy one of the IOC requirements that any sport must have a world federation governing body. They are for sure working on it but it is a long process and not easy, especially since pool can only be considered for the Summer Games and there is essentially a moratorium on considering any new sports for the Summer Olympics. Every sport that's on the outside is fighting to get in.

"Billiard Sports" is designated as a recognized sport by the IOC, and the WCBS is the recognized world federation for the sport. The sport has made it into the World Games and Asian Games in the past, but that's as far as it's gotten. This is just my view, but one of the potential problems with billiard sport is that it is not limited to pool, but includes carom and snooker as well. So inclusion requires a lot of logistics and expense. In it's favor is the fact that pool has become very popular in Asia and would bring some countries like the Philippines into the Olympic spotlight that don't currently have much of a presence.

The argument about whether billiards is a sport or not is mute. Officially it is as far as the IOC is concerned, and that's all that matters. It is eligible for consideration.

If you want to read some history on the subject here's a couple of links:

http://www.billiard-wcbs.org/... Click on the "History" tab on the left.

and:

http://www.wpa-pool.com/web/wpa_history


If Mr. Jewett sees this thread perhaps he can contribute his knowledge. He probably knows as much if not more about this topic as anyone.
 
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Bavafongoul said:
Pool doesn't use or require any athleticism like the other Olympic Sports......it'd be like proposing Holdem Poker as a new Olympic event....just my opinion.

And now guys don't go lecturing me about the endurance, eyesight, steadiness of a stroke, etc.........pool is not a sport....zero athleticism is involved.......and
I've been playing pool for >50 years.....seen the best of the best....all the greatest pool players that ever lived....any nary a one could be considered an athlete.
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When people argue about this, they choose their own definition of "sport" or "athlete" and then fight about how your definition doesn't match my definition.

Here's what dictionary.com says:
sport
noun
1.
an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.
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I think pool requires physical prowess.

Let's also look at what it means to be athletic:
of or pertaining to athletes; involving the use of physical skills or capabilities, as strength, agility, or stamina
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Pool doesn't need strength or agility, but it definitely uses physical skills not listed here.
 
ChicagoRJ said:
Two words: Drug Testing :)
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Hmm... so I wonder how those darn snowboarders got in there (wouldn't surprise me if Skiers smoked the doobie)? It's not wonder that skateboarding or surfing would not make such a hoopla as an Olympic sport (which both clearly are an athletic sport) - which are just marred by the drug usage. :rolleyes:
 
Bavafongoul said:
Pool doesn't use or require any athleticism like the other Olympic Sports......it'd be like proposing Holdem Poker as a new Olympic event....just my opinion.

And now guys don't go lecturing me about the endurance, eyesight, steadiness of a stroke, etc.........pool is not a sport....zero athleticism is involved.......and
I've been playing pool for >50 years.....seen the best of the best....all the greatest pool players that ever lived....any nary a one could be considered an athlete.
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Things change...

Learn to accept that. :shakehead:

WCBS
= Not a proper source but an introductory one, at least.
 
SlickRick_PCS said:
Hmm... so I wonder how those darn snowboarders got in there (wouldn't surprise me if Skiers smoked the doobie)? It's not wonder that skateboarding or surfing would not make such a hoopla as an Olympic sport (which both clearly are an athletic sport) - which are just marred by the drug usage. :rolleyes:
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WOW. I guess pool players really don't have a sense of humor.... geez :rolleyes:
 
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