WORLD 10 BALL CHAMPIONSHIP (6-10 Sep 2021), Las Vegas, 9ft, Winner $35K
- Thread starter spartan
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Thats whad they all say lol
But whether do they match up for some serious cash is a different story .
Kaci is a smart guy , doubt he likes gambling his own cash with Mr Shane money boening with the exception of a backer.
But again with a backer, everyone wldnt mind matching with everyone
Thank you Stu. In my opinion, 9-Ball has not caught on with the general public because it appears too easy MOST of the time. Yes, there are games where safety play becomes important, but they may be the exception rather than the rule. In Ten Ball it is just the opposite, where most games have a degree of strategy involved at some point during the play. I think you might agree that more interesting and challenging situations come up more frequently in Ten Ball. Other than in the MC 9-Ball just hasn't captured the imagination of the public. I like that Predator (and others) are giving Ten Ball a chance to be seen being played by the very best pool players. No question in my mind that this is more a test of their skills. Will more people get interested after seeing some of these matches, that remains to be seen.
In my mind the only thing that is really holding back our sport is the lack of money to put on a cohesive pool tour that had regular airings on a specific network for a period of time. I still believe that if pool was put in front of people on a regular basis and on a major network, there would be an audience for it. Even decades ago, the Caesar's Tahoe, Palace and Boardwalk pool tournaments which were shown on ESPN got ratings equivalent to college football, over one million viewers for each show. Yes, it was 9-Ball
. Maybe the combined efforts of Matchroom and Predator will change all that. I'm hopeful.
I have never agreed with those who suggest nine ball has become too easy, although it can be in a rack your own format when the pockets are loose. When referees rack the balls without a template and the pocket size befits elite players, I'll take nine ball over ten ball all day long, although I agree that ten ball as played today is a stiffer test.Thank you Stu. In my opinion, 9-Ball has not caught on with the general public because it appears too easy MOST of the time. Yes, there are games where safety play becomes important, but they may be the exception rather than the rule. In Ten Ball it is just the opposite, where most games have a degree of strategy involved at some point during the play. I think you might agree that more interesting and challenging situations come up more frequently in Ten Ball. Other than in the MC 9-Ball just hasn't captured the imagination of the public. I like that Predator (and others) are giving Ten Ball a chance to be seen being played by the very best pool players. No question in my mind that this is more a test of their skills. Will more people get interested after seeing some of these matches, that remains to be seen.
In my mind the only thing that is really holding back our sport is the lack of money to put on a cohesive pool tour that had regular airings on a specific network for a period of time. I still believe that if pool was put in front of people on a regular basis and on a major network, there would be an audience for it. Even decades ago, the Caesar's Tahoe, Palace and Boardwalk pool tournaments which were shown on ESPN got ratings equivalent to college football, over one million viewers for each show. Yes, it was 9-Ball
That said, Jay, I'm not sure which game we prefer even matters. I think we're of exactly the same mind as far as the need to have a good balance between offense and defense in pro pool if we are to ever attract the mainstream fans. You can count me among the many that are put to sleep by breaking contests. I think snooker has just the right blend of offense and defense. A fight for control of the table usually precedes the offensive wizardry that snooker players so often produce, and it has certainly drawn me in as a fan who will watch the biggest snooker events on stream.
As far as TV coverage, the Catch-22 for me is "how can pool ever get coverage on a major network given the size and demographics of its current fan base?" I know the numbers and the case history with ESPN, too, but the demographic that pool always drew was older and lower income than the consumers marketing concerns try to reach. It's a very different demographic than what is drawn by a college football telecast, and that's why college football on ESPN has always attracted so many mainstream advertisers and pool could not. I'm of the opinion that if pool is to grow as a spectator sport, it must learn to draw a different kind of viewer than it has in the past.
Like you, I applaud the efforts of Predator, which has given so much to our sport for so long, and is stepping up to the plate once again to support the pro game. Predator and Matchroom are very positive influences in our sport and many of our hopes lie in their efforts. I just hope the pro players are smart enough to support them to the max, and I'm not sure they are all doing so quite yet.
Thank God for the 30 second clock or kaci would still be shooting
With respect for all that has been opinionated on this matter, I would like to offer a different perspective:
For a sport to be captivating, an interesting human dynamic is a requirement. It really does not matter what game is played, currently, all of our games are sterile, making pool dry and boring to the viewer.
I will make my point: Is there ever a good reason or is there even a need for two players to talk to each other, to make a decision on anything, in order for a game to proceed?
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You could say the same thing about golf or tennis with regard to conversation between the players. Hasn't seemed to hurt them too much.
Now, if you say we need to create some players as the "stars" of our sport, I tend to agree with that. The star players are the ones who attract fans to nearly every sport. Look at how well they are publicized by the teams they play for. What would Tampa Bay be without Tom Brady, Mahonnes to Kansas City or the Lakers without Lebron. In tennis we have Djokovic and in golf there will always be Tiger and Phil. The stars drive the sport forward.
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I think my point is missed here. When I speak of "human dynamic", I am talking about all interactions, mostly physical, conversation being the smallest part. Pool has no physical dynamic therefore limiting possibilities to the verbal of which pool has none again.
I don't purport to have an answer. I do believe that the structure of our sport can evolve to have an interesting and captivating human dynamic. It desperately needs it.