Why pool struggles

CocoboloCowboy said:
Corporate Americas BEAN CRUNCHERS know the numbers, and the average Pool Player has a low credit score, drive a old car, is not a homeowner,and is low income.
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Thanks for the analysis Cowboy!!! Now I know that I'm a better than average pool player :wink::grin:!!!

Maniac
 
pooltchr said:
Imagine a pro golfer missing putts on purpose, in order to keep his ranking down.

Imagine a pro bowler missing a couple of pins each frame so nobody would know how good he was.

Imagine a quarterback tossing a couple of interceptions to keep his quarterback rating down.

Imagine a pitcher intentionally missing the box just a little bit, so his team wouldn't move up too far in the standings.

Imagine any athlete in any sport holding back and not giving their best performance every time they get in competition.

Now, imagine if pool players actually tried to play their best game every time they are at the table.

Steve
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I see this original post as a league anti-sandbagging thread. If the above listed athletes did what you described, then they or their team would likely suffer a loss. In a handicapped pool league, you can purposely NOT play your best, and still succeed. Face it, handicapped league pool is probably the easiest sport in the world to successfully cheat in. And as long as human beings can manipulate the rules to WIN, it's ALWAYS gonna be a part of the problem with handicapped pool leagues. You can't change the fact that there is such a premium attached to "winning" and such a stigma attached to "losing" (especially in America) that this ain't about to go away anytime soon.

Maniac
 
There's no $$$$$ in pool that's why I quick when I was 24 yrs old opnly!!! pool life suck!!! you have to really love the game for you able to play alot of pool!!! you don't play it for the $$$ cause there is no $$$$$$$$$ in pool.
 
CocoboloCowboy said:
Pool needs am image change, and it start with the people who want to change Pool for the BETTER.

Most people who do not play Pool but would be in a position to SPONSOR POOL, and have been in a Bar or Pool Room with most local Tournament Play would shy away from Pool because of the negative image, credit score a lot of players have.

Corporate Americas BEAN CRUNCHERS know the numbers, and the average Pool Player has a low credit score, drive a old car, is not a homeowner,and is low income.

Why would corporate America spend advertising dollars to promote products most player could not buy.

I would say over 50% of the people who play in most local tournament in my Valley nightly are on GA, Working under the Table, unemployeed, living off SSI, or some other government program.
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Its not good to sterotype. I'm a average pool player, my cars are not new, 02 mustang gt convert., 97 Safari van, 2 900ss ducatis, 65 corvair, a few others and I own every one of them, the house will me ours in a few years and I have put in 40 plus years of working.

Pool struggles because NO ONE has the vision of where to take pool and I don't mean pool tournments.
 
pooltchr said:
Imagine a pro golfer missing putts on purpose, in order to keep his ranking down.
Imagine a pro bowler missing a couple of pins each frame so nobody would know how good he was.
Imagine a quarterback tossing a couple of interceptions to keep his quarterback rating down.
Imagine a pitcher intentionally missing the box just a little bit, so his team wouldn't move up too far in the standings.
Imagine any athlete in any sport holding back and not giving their best performance every time they get in competition.
Now, imagine if pool players actually tried to play their best game every time they are at the table.

Steve
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Steve,

I'm guessing you are talking about APA/handicapped league pool....I'm also surprised by your post - I believe you've often been on the defending end of APA/league pool. We've seen numerous posts on here where someone is pissed about sandbagging, and in that same post, several people defend sandbagging and say that is the way to win and everybody should do it...

Personally, it pisses me off and makes me sick, but APALO and the few other posters in control of the APA do nothing about it. They've done nothing about it for years and years. They'll do nothing about it going forward. I think the APA is a great concept and so is handicapped league pool to draw people to the sport, but until LO's and teammates across the board make sandbagging unacceptable, it's going to continue. There is an unspoken majority, not on AZ, that sandbag.....I would guess 60%+.....and those are the ones that go to Vegas.

Pool, even at it's lowest level and core, has become a sport of cheaters....take what you can, while you can, any way you can.....you have a housewife with 2 kids telling her husband to miss a few shots here and there so as to not increase his skill level.....somehow, that comes across to me as an all time low, and it happens every night :grin:

You are a teacher and what I would consider to be an expert on the sport....speak out and get this crap fixed....please....I would love to see more praise on the APA and other pool leagues....

Jason
 
If pool could be like poker it would be much different. Imagine a WSOP for 9 ball or 10 ball where your entry is $10k, but if you make it to the top 10 you walk out a millionaire.
 
Big Perm said:
Steve,

I'm guessing you are talking about APA/handicapped league pool....I'm also surprised by your post - I believe you've often been on the defending end of APA/league pool. We've seen numerous posts on here where someone is pissed about sandbagging, and in that same post, several people defend sandbagging and say that is the way to win and everybody should do it...


Jason
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I have no problem defending the APA, and at the same time, pointing out the problems within it. I think the APA is great for pool. I think sandbaggers suck! They give league pool a bad name, and screw it up for those who actually go out to league to have fun.

I don't see any problem supporting an organization that promotes the game the way the APA does, and coming down on the cheaters who just try to manipulate the system for personal gain.

And believe me, whenever I have someone's ear who might be in a position to address that problem, they do hear it from me!

I don't believe the APA is perfect by any means, but I haven't seen anyone else (maybe the BCAPL) that does as much to promote the game to the masses. I would like to see it become even better.

Steve
 
When players that need a few dollars are able to go over into the corner of the tournament room and bet on matches, they might make their much needed 500 dollars but in turn cost the pool world 50,000 dollar sponsors.

You reap what you sow, period. You can't plant an apple seed and expect an orange tree to come up... that is just plain stupid. And until they separate the gambling scene from the pool tournament scene the stupidity will continue.
 
pooltchr said:
I have no problem defending the APA, and at the same time, pointing out the problems within it. I think the APA is great for pool. I think sandbaggers suck! They give league pool a bad name, and screw it up for those who actually go out to league to have fun.

I don't see any problem supporting an organization that promotes the game the way the APA does, and coming down on the cheaters who just try to manipulate the system for personal gain.

And believe me, whenever I have someone's ear who might be in a position to address that problem, they do hear it from me!

I don't believe the APA is perfect by any means, but I haven't seen anyone else (maybe the BCAPL) that does as much to promote the game to the masses. I would like to see it become even better.

Steve
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Sandbagging in the APA is only allowed when the League Operator sticks his/her head in the sand. Our Leageue Operator doesn't allow this and the League Reps are constantly looking for sandbaggers. When one is found they move them up a rating and these sandbaggers eventually quit which is ok by the other players. Our league has 600+ teams and any team can win Regionals and no team dominates. Needless to say our league is a blast to play in.
 
GMAC said:
Imagine first place at the US OPEN was a million dollars I promise every pro would give it their all. Different circumstances require different responses to survive. Pool struggles because it lacks sponsorship plain and simple. All the pro's would act the part if they were properly rewarded for their effort.


Imagine practicing 10 plus hours a day for half your life and you can't afford an apartment or a car.

Imagine always having to have people put you in box because you can't work and keep your game at a level to compete with people from other countries who train all day to beat you.

Imagine dedicating your whole life to something because you love it and are great at it to find out all of your work was for a dead end.

Imagine we stopped blaming pool players for the demise of the sport when in reality it is simple, sponsor don't back the sport because they don't see an ROI. Until someone shows them a productive ROI pool will remain a fringe sport that people struggle to survive in, unless you are brilliant like Janette or superman or woman like Mika, SVB or Allison.

Imagine televison invested in pool like golf and had ten cameras at the US Open and did it live and went from table to table as great shots happened with no long breaks so people didn't get board. The cameras would always be going and they would catch all the great shots and not just one match. The key to golf is they don't follow two people around all day they have cameras all over catching all the great shots.


I imagine someone who taught pool would be a bit more gracious and understanding to the struggling pool player.
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If first place at a pool tournament was a million dollars, the field would split it up. Most people are unable to appreciate the intricacies and nuance of pool. It is a game that has no pofessional orginization, hence no following. The average viewer cannot identify with the players.
 
i bet if there was a reality show following some players traveling around the country it would be a big hit....
 
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