World Summit of Pool - Yuck!

[Kerry Impson]

And more different men play in the finals then just the two or three women I see in the ladies tour finals, if you know what I mean. (Allison and Karen)

Thus I think you'll be very happy with the last two WPBA events when they are shown on ESPN - the Windsor Classic, which Julie Kelly won, and the U.S. Open, which Ga-Young Kim won (and three of the final four are new faces for the TV cameras!!!!).

 

[sjm]

Alas, the catch-22 of televised pool. To get ratings, you need a good production, usually requiring a significant investment. But without ratings, who will chance spending real money on producing a pool event? The only solution is to continue to raise the profile of the game we love.

 

[cardiac kid]

I think most everyone would like to see smaller pockets and so would the players who play in these tournaments as well. Does espn make the bowling balls bigger and the pins smaller when airing bowling? I didn't think so either, so why should they make the pockets bigger. The tv matches have the best players playing at that time of the event and so should the equipment. I really do not think we would see alot of missed balls with 4.5 inch pockets..........

Hi justplay,

If the World was perfect..... I guess you never watched an entire Women's event. We know who the cream of the crop are. Some of the Women still can not run a rack of balls on the loose equipment. If they tightened up the pockets, you would have much longer matches time wise. Having said that, some of the "new" group of players, a few of whom post here, are making things more interesting. They have been brought up and coached on much tougher equipment than even five years ago. Still, there are women who do not measure up and, just as in the men's events, are field fillers. I know something about that.

As far as seeing few missed shots on 4.5" pockets. Players who for years have made a living out of "cheating" pockets have a very tough time with correctly shaped small pockets. They can not hit the shots as hard. Spin sometimes takes the object ball out of the pocket. As I mentioned before, some of the recent events held on loose equipment have brought out high finishes for players that have rarely done well in recent times. Whether the two are connected or not is debateable. What tight pockets do is bring the best talent to the right side of the chart faster.

Your comparison to bowling is interesting. What you don't see is the lane condition. As scoring is of prime importance, the lanes are blocked. There is a well established groove on both sides of the alley center. Once the bowlers find it, the scores go up. If the bowler misses, even by one half board, the results are catastrophic. Multi-pin splits. Whole blocks of pins standing while the ball drives straight through. Seven and ten pin taps on seemingly solid hits. Don't be fooled that the balls aren't bigger. There are other ways of accomplishing the same results!

 

[trophycue]

Oh pleeeeassse. Have you never heard of Alex Higgins? At least Earl never pissed in a potted plant while he was playing. Higgins makes both Strickland and McCready look tame.

As noted earlier Higgins was dealt with accordingly..........and it cost him the twilight of his carrear> just as the money exploded in the U.K........cost him very dearly........... I have wittnesed both Earl and Higgins in person..........Higgins cant hold a candle to Earl's antics.......

 

[JustPlay]

Hi justplay,

If the World was perfect..... I guess you never watched an entire Women's event. We know who the cream of the crop are. Some of the Women still can not run a rack of balls on the loose equipment. If they tightened up the pockets, you would have much longer matches time wise. Having said that, some of the "new" group of players, a few of whom post here, are making things more interesting. They have been brought up and coached on much tougher equipment than even five years ago. Still, there are women who do not measure up and, just as in the men's events, are field fillers. I know something about that.

As far as seeing few missed shots on 4.5" pockets. Players who for years have made a living out of "cheating" pockets have a very tough time with correctly shaped small pockets. They can not hit the shots as hard. Spin sometimes takes the object ball out of the pocket. As I mentioned before, some of the recent events held on loose equipment have brought out high finishes for players that have rarely done well in recent times. Whether the two are connected or not is debateable. What tight pockets do is bring the best talent to the right side of the chart faster.

Your comparison to bowling is interesting. What you don't see is the lane condition. As scoring is of prime importance, the lanes are blocked. There is a well established groove on both sides of the alley center. Once the bowlers find it, the scores go up. If the bowler misses, even by one half board, the results are catastrophic. Multi-pin splits. Whole blocks of pins standing while the ball drives straight through. Seven and ten pin taps on seemingly solid hits. Don't be fooled that the balls aren't bigger. There are other ways of accomplishing the same results!

I am in favor of big pockets for the women (but who really watches them anyway on tv). However, the mens tv tables should have tighter pockets. 4.5 inch pockets are not that tight only one ball as to go into it. Just watch a DCC accu-stat tape. those pockets are 4.5 inches and rarely was a ball missed by the players because of samller pockets. Also as I have stated before in many post, Pool on tv is just a dead issue and will never be a main event on tv. It never has been in the past and currently it is no different and the future looks the same....

 

[cardiac kid]

I am in favor of big pockets for the women (but who really watches them anyway on tv). However, the mens tv tables should have tighter pockets. 4.5 inch pockets are not that tight only one ball as to go into it..... Just watch a DCC accu-stat tape, those pockets are 4.5 inches and rarely was a ball missed by the players because of samller pockets....

For the next year or two, it appears that looser pockets will be the case for the women. Eventually, they will begin asking for better equipment. They deserve it. Incidently, I watch the women play. So do lots of the "I'm just changing channels to see whats on" crowd. Without them, there never will be a better day in pool.

I disagree with your comment regarding the TV table. I think every table in the event should be the same ( am I misreading your comment?). I don't know why, but the results I have on tight tables always appears to be better than on run of the mill equipment. The looser the tables, the more trouble I have finishing well! Can it be my imagination? I loved the tables at the DCC. For me, I did well. Top six in each big table mini and top 32 in the main nine ball. The one match I played on the TV table, I missed one ball on the way to a win. Got any suggestions?

As you have done, I've given up on watching pool on TV. The applause from the crowd when a player makes a simple shot. The fake joy from the analysts. "Wow, what a shot" on a simple cut. The lack of real insight into why a player did so and so. I appreciate Grady, Danny, Buddy and a couple of others on the AccuStat tapes. The current TV guys are aweful. It won't get better soon.

 

[JustPlay]

Cardiackid,

I agree that all the tables, mens and womens should have tighter pockets and not just the tv tables. The commentators on espn make pool to be more complex than it is and that the tv viewer shouldn't try this at home. They shouldve' had the accu stats commentators commentating on these matches. At least they make you feel that with a little practice you too can play like a pro. That is partly what pool on tv lacks a lack of encouragement. Also, there really is no excitement to pool and that also hurts the game as presented on tv. Sports like football, baseball and basket ball have some excitement for the fans....They don't have to sit there like they are in church....Thats why pool should be a live event not a taped event, which in my mind ruins pool on tv...........

 

[JAM]

The commentators on ESPN make pool to be more complex than it is and that the tv viewer shouldn't try this at home. They should have had the Accu-Stats commentators commentating on these matches.

JustPlay, Jim Wych was one of the commentators for the recent World Summit match in NYC which was on ESPN. He also works for Accu-Stats. I like his style, and I've heard him on several DVD's and tapes.

Some pool players, veteran pool players, make good commentators (IMO). As an example, Billy Incardona knows just about all of the players, which provides him a knowledge base to fill in some "pregnant pauses" that come up during matches at times. I recently had the opportunity to listen to Danny Diliberto, and he's a hoot! Both Danny and Billy know the game, inside and out.

Having said that, the style of commentating on national TV commands a variety of skills set, and I do believe that any one of the Accu-Stats folks could do a good job, as Jim Wych did recently.

Here's Jim Wych below talking to Jose Parica after a TV match at the 2003 U.S. Open.

JAM