Why pool may be better off small....

[mnorwood]

In other threads I have been characterized as being too idealistic and even naive. I often participate in threads that talk about why pool is small time and how it could be moved to the next level.

Of late I have reevaluated my thoughts on pool's condition as a sport. Yes monetary reward is small versus the amount of hours played. However, there are postive aspects of pool's character 1. If the money is small than that means that the people who play it do so because they love it which makes for a more approachable crowd 2. Interacting with top players does not cost anything "you actually get to meet your idols." 3. When things are corporate they lose all personality.

A good example of what I am talking about is the experience I had with college football. I went to a small 1-AA school- Northwestern State. Although it was a small time team with no national recognition I enjoyed it much better than following professional football or 1-A college football. The tickets were cheap, I could sit on the 50 yard line if I wanted to, I didn't have to pay or fight for a place to tailgate, the traffic was light leaving the stadium. I knew alot of the players and coaches on a first name basis. When the demons uspet the number one team in the nation in 1998 I was able to ride the goal post down because I did not have to fight through a mob of people.

My overall point is pool like my old college team is small enough for me to participate without paying large sums of money. Not to mention a human not corporate face is on the experience. I am not saying that pool making it big is bad, on the contrary, I would love to see it explode. What I am saying is the status quo is not the worst thing.

Many will think this is sentimental B.S., maybe it is.

 

[blah blah]

i am so with you on this

I don't think many people will agree with you on this, but I do.

Analogy: my office of 65 people had a huge industrial coffeepot. The biggies wouldn't pay for our coffee or filters, so if anyone of us thought of it, we'd bring our own and a huge CostCo bin of coffee. And we were never without coffee to drink or even to offer to visitors. Then our officemanager left and a secretary was promoted to that position. To prove her control and get things on a schedule, she wanted everyone to pitch in a certain amount every week towards coffee and filters. She divided the cost by the number of people in the office- fairly. Except some people didn't drink coffee, so they got mad. And some people were pitching in an others weren't. And they got mad. And guests were given coffee and the other staff got mad. Long story short, the huge coffee pot has been standing empty for over three years, now, and die- hards either have 4-cup pots in their cubes or a jar of instant in a drawer.

A similar analogy could be made about way back when baseball was a cheap weekly, pretty local event for dads and sons to go to and no one really cared too much about the sport as a major industry and players road buses. It was all love.

Every time someone goes off on how pool organizations should be run and how players should behave, I think we're just ruining it.

Anyone can see and talk to our pros. They're real people, and it's a real sport. Get it popular and famous and you'll have networks and bodyguards and dumb shit like clapping after every straight- in shot in a bucket pocket and people magazine telling us who's sleeping with whom and on what drugs.

It's much better this way, even with all of the irritations and hardships.

 

[Snapshot9]

You have a point ..

BUT, people are trying to make a living at this sport, and that takes money
and sponsorship and marketing. And I don't just mean the known pros, there
are thousands of semi-pro levels that count on Pool for at least part of their
income. And any sport that becomes popular with money in it goes the way
of corporate sponsorship and marketing. It's a fact of life in today's world.

No, I don't want to see corporate logos plastered all over every good players
cue case, but there is some give and take if a sport is to thrive in today's
world. It is costly for a player to 'go on the road' or to compete in big
tournaments on a regular basis, and the payback has to be there for them
in order to continue. Look at what a little thing like calcuttas have done for tournaments. They have made many many tournaments 'worth it' vs.
'not worth it' without them. (especially considering expenses vs. possible
profit). Look at what corporate sponsorship has done for Nascar's popularity.

To me though, the first order of business should be getting billiards as
a competitive sport in Junior and Senior Highs across the country. Same
goes for colleges, and to get it into the Olympics, then expand and
uniform all levels of the sport for amateurs, semi-pro, and professional
players.

It is a good sport, in some cases, a family sport for kids and adults alike,
played in a controlled environment which you can enjoy food and drink,
and have fun whether a fun player or a serious player. And one in
which anyone can compete without any dire restrictions.

It is too bad that so many Pool organizations are so narrowly focused
on 'their' goals only, and not working on the best goals for the overall
sport as a whole. They, unfortinately, put the cart before the horse
in many cases, and wonder why the cart does not get pulled along.
( a business example of this would be OUTSOURCING going on in our
country .... It will come back to bite them in the ass in the future).

The next question I have is, why don't these people in charge of the
major Pool organizations in this country 'GET A CLUE?'. Yes, they will
tell you they are working on it, BUT it never HAPPENS (and yes, I emailed
the UPA quite a few times and was answered as to what they are doing
to benefit OUR sport). You can not have a blueprint for the master
bedroom and build a house from it. I know because I designed my own
house that I had built and used to have.

Why do you have some sports that get popular with a profit being made,
because they put the RIGHT people in the right slots in the organization
THAT ARE QUALIFIED to do the job, and sometimes you have to go
'OUTSIDE' the box to do that. For example, putting an advertising guy
ahead of an organization or business where a business manager or leader
should be is not good business sense, and your business will end up suffering
because of it. Another example, when a business jet maker put a
marketing guy as the corporate president (I worked there over 18 years),
and he does not have the knowledge needed to run the manufacturing
plant. And the business DID suffer as a result of that decision.

And I am no longer sure that ALL men are created equal nowdays,
because so many people do not use their brain or even common sense
in a lot of cases anymore. Example, the person that plays Pool for
30 years, and never progresses past a level 4 on a 2-12 rating scale
for 9 ball. And so, you are left with the question, 'Why can't they
figure it out, it is not that difficult, and in most cases just common
sense.'

 

[mnorwood]

who did they beat that was number one?
sure wasnt the crimson tide!

It was the number one I-AA team-McNeese State. But the Crimson tide has been beaten at home by lousiana tech the same year. LA tech another small team.

 

[Travis Bickle]

I am not saying that pool making it big is bad, on the contrary, I would love to see it explode. What I am saying is the status quo is not the worst thing.

Many will think this is sentimental B.S., maybe it is.

That's definitely the bright side. It's kind of like being a fan of jazz and blues. People want the reflected glory of being involved with something wildly popular, but a lot of great things are lost when the corporate money machine and the media begin to hype something.

Next thing you know, you're in the upper deck, squinting down at that local band or that minor league baseball slugger.

 

[landshark77]

I agree somewhat. I like EVERYTHING small and secluded. When stuff gets sold out it pisses me off....especially music. However, as Snapshot9 said, people are trying to make a living at this...players, promoters, cue builders, table/lighting manufactures...thus the need for it to grow more popular. When the BCA changed the layout of the trade show, it was somewhat scrutinized, but really it increased pool's awareness, somewhat. Not only are the folks in the pool industry looking at spas, but the people in the spa industry are looking at pool. If people were making money, I don't think the popularity of the sport will be questioned, as the advertisement wouldn't need to be there. Kinda like Jimmy Buffett...you don't hear a real Buffett song on the radio or see a video on TV. His concerts are not advertised, yet they sell out in seconds. If pool were like Jimmy Buffett, I think it would be set. It doesn't need to be in Britney Spear's league.

 

[sjm]

Though I agree that the smallness of pro pool gives it the kind of charm that many associate with small time college sports or minor league baseball, I'd have to say that I basically disagree with the original post.

Pool is big. It is played by millions and millions of people, but pro pool is small because it has, for reasons often discussed on this forum, failed to capture the imagination of those millions. If pro pool were big, more would invest in it, more young people would aspire to become proficient at it, and more parents would encourage their children to take it up as a hobby.

 

[DaveK]

And I am no longer sure that ALL men are created equal nowdays,
because so many people do not use their brain or even common sense
in a lot of cases anymore. Example, the person that plays Pool for
30 years, and never progresses past a level 4 on a 2-12 rating scale
for 9 ball. And so, you are left with the question, 'Why can't they
figure it out, it is not that difficult, and in most cases just common
sense.'

So what should we do with these people, scott, the slow learners or those not as dedicated as 'the shot' ? Ban them from the pool halls ? Chastise them for not using their brains ? Pound a little common sense into them with the butt end of your cue ?

BTW, I too am convinced that some people do not use their brains much at all, or perhaps very well. The indicators however have nothing to do with skills at the game of pool, rather I have a look at what they say and do.

Dave "The Great" K

 

[Travis Bickle]

If pro pool were big, more would invest in it, more young people would aspire to become proficient at it, and more parents would encourage their children to take it up as a hobby.

Good point, sjm. I've got 2-year-old twins at home. They already know exactly where the ball return is, but would I encourage them to play the game seriously a few years down the line? That's a tough call, knowing what that's likely to lead to as things are now. Actually, not too tough ... I'll probably keep them away from the game until they've learned to read and write, established some decent study habits, declare a major! Too many scary stories.

 

[Snapshot9]

What I would do ...

So what should we do with these people, scott, the slow learners or those not as dedicated as 'the shot' ? Ban them from the pool halls ? Chastise them for not using their brains ? Pound a little common sense into them with the butt end of your cue ?

BTW, I too am convinced that some people do not use their brains much at all, or perhaps very well. The indicators however have nothing to do with skills at the game of pool, rather I have a look at what they say and do.

Dave "The Great" K

Is try to guide them along the way nicely, and if they were interested, give
them a few pointers or lessons. But, I would think that they would get
tired of getting beat so much over that length of years, and that it would
hard to sustain an interest in the sport. Many people play pool for a variety
of reasons, recognition from other people, love competition, can't stand to
lose at anything, just plain fun, a vehicle to make some money (under the
table money at that most of the time), individual or team sport, to spend
time with a good friend or sweetie.

That is why I am such an advocate for getting billiards into our public
school system as a competitive sport, so they can learn the right way,
and pursue it as much as they want to. At least it is a sport you can
do all your life with no normal threat of physical injury (like football, baseball,
basketball, soccer, hockey, etc.) and regardless of gender and size, and
that you are only limited by your imagination.

I know that I enjoy something a lot more when I am good at it rather
than being poor at it. It usually is more work, but it is also more fun.
What should we do, outsource all the playing to the Taiwanese? You
will have to excuse me, I am old school and I still like the old fashioned
American 'can do' attitude.

 

[DaveK]

Is try to guide them along the way nicely, and if they were interested, give
them a few pointers or lessons. But, I would think that they would get
tired of getting beat so much over that length of years, and that it would
hard to sustain an interest in the sport. Many people play pool for a variety
of reasons, recognition from other people, love competition, can't stand to
lose at anything, just plain fun, a vehicle to make some money (under the
table money at that most of the time), individual or team sport, to spend
time with a good friend or sweetie.

That is why I am such an advocate for getting billiards into our public
school system as a competitive sport, so they can learn the right way,
and pursue it as much as they want to. At least it is a sport you can
do all your life with no normal threat of physical injury (like football, baseball,
basketball, soccer, hockey, etc.) and regardless of gender and size, and
that you are only limited by your imagination.

I know that I enjoy something a lot more when I am good at it rather
than being poor at it. It usually is more work, but it is also more fun.
What should we do, outsource all the playing to the Taiwanese? You
will have to excuse me, I am old school and I still like the old fashioned
American 'can do' attitude.

The majority of pool players are recreational players. My guess is they have no interest in you 'guiding them along'. If they wanted that, they would find someone to help them ... but they don't. The serious players will search out qualified teachers or mentors. I'm not sure if you'd qualify, the players would be the judge. How many active students do you have now ? This is pretty much the way of most sports and games. Not everyone wants to be like 'the shot' dude !

Getting pool into the schools is a noble idea, but I seriously doubt if you could convince the publicly-funded democraticly-governed school system to add or divert sports funding for pool. An independant development system is much better, imo ... it is dedicated to one and only one thing, pool in this case. Schools are for education and organized sports are lower on their priority list (hopefully, and here for sure, I don't know about areas where the $value of these amateur sports endeavors gets quite significant). Here in Saskatchewan we produce more than our fair share of top hockey talent (most recently in the news, Mike Babcock announced as Detroit Redwing Head Coach). We do not have any hockey (to speak of) in the K-12 schools. All young hockey players learn and compete outside of the school system. I think pool too would be much better served by a dedicated organization.

I'm glad you enjoy pool, I do too.

Dave