Wow Kind of Suprised to See This !!

[ShootingArts]

I don't know . . .

This makes a lot more sense IMO. "Let's go get those guys and show 'em we have game too!" Not, "Oh poor little me, I'm lucky I can play against those big bad boys. I hope they don't beat me too bad."

Jay,

I don't know the women's statement sounds a lot like Br'er Rabbit, "Oh no please please don't throw me in the briar patch, anything but that!"

Smart of the women's association to make nice but we all know that when the playing starts the BS stops.

Hu

 

[jay helfert]

I don't write their press releases but I will say this. If all the top women play, some guys are going to get a spanking, and they aren't going to like it.

 

[cardiac kid]

This is actually a pretty bold statement. Some people, I for one, would argue that women don't have a lower average skill level but that their player pool is much smaller and therefore it is more unlikely that one of them would rise to the absolute top (among men and women, that is). Can't think of any particular difference between sexes that would make a huge difference in the game as it is played today. (With soft breaks and all.)

Jarno,

Other than Jeanette Lee, I can't think of another women betting her own dollars against the men. Head to head. Technically you're correct. There is no reason why a woman can't beat a man at pool. Emotionally it is another story all together! Emotion, or the lack of it, is what this game is really about.

Lyn

 

[JarnoV]

Other than Jeanette Lee, I can't think of another women betting her own dollars against the men. Head to head. Technically you're correct. There is no reason why a woman can't beat a man at pool. Emotionally it is another story all together! Emotion, or the lack of it, is what this game is really about.

Yeah, but my point is that if the player pool of men and women were equally sized there would be ten "Jeanettes" and "Jasmins" and some individual of that group could compete with the any of the men.

To me, this is just statistics. (And speculation of course, because the situation is what it is.)

That said, I'm not sure how the amount of competitive players compare between sexes. I'm just assuming the difference is at least one order of magnitude, based on the amount of male and female players in Finland.

 

[justadub]

Jarno,

Other than Jeanette Lee, I can't think of another women betting her own dollars against the men.
Lyn

And why exactly does the inclination to gamble make one a better player? Does it make you "aim" better, or "stroke" better? It might ratchet up the pressure you put on yourself, but does it make you a better player?

I thought the idea of a tournament was to see who was the better player, at least on that particular day. I don't see where betting on yourself should affect that.

(I don't have any anti-gambling bias. I'm simply amazed by the fascination of gambling and pool, and how it is constantly linked to ability. And how folks keep wishing for pool to become more mainstream, all the while extoling the virtues of making a "score". A very complex philosphical conflict.)

IMHO, perhaps the lack of inclination to "bet" might just prove that the ladies have a better head on their shoulders. And that they are more interested in playing the game of pool, rather than the game of getting over on someone.

 

[mosconiac]

IMO, the women have the handicap of time.

Men have been competing at a high level for many decades. The latest generation of male competitors are standing on the shoulders of decades of predecesors.

Heated competition on the women's tour only ignited (in earnest) 15 years ago. Alison raised the bar and now the younger generation have a new yardstick by which to measure their game. Their overall knowledge & skills are naturally higher than generations previous to Alison.

The gap will continue to narrow as time marches on. As more women become successful, they will entice more women to play, which will yield more capable women...and on & on...

 

[deebee53]

I don't understand why this would surprise you. They are being realistic. /QUOTE]


Since when are press releases about honesty and realism?

They are about spin and promoting their product. It does not promote your own product very well to admit there are other, superior products out there.

They could have emphasized some of the success the women have had against male players, but they instead emphasized how the men are definitely better.

Surprising indeed.

 

[sarahrousey]

I'm sort of curious who gave that quote. While it is pretty much true, it is kind of giving the feeling that the women are in such awe that we should all bow down to the great male players. There are plenty of ways this could have been worded that would have been way more beneficial to the women and the WPBA in general.

I agree with forumghost, it should have said something like the women are going to try their best to compete with the best men, etc.

Sarah

 

[CreeDo]

wtf

I personally found that press release a little embarrassing, almost offensive. I wonder if a male or female wrote it? Either way they SUCK at their job.

There's a huge difference between having a tacit understanding that the top women aren't at the same level as the top men, and going waaaay out of your way to say it in a press release. There are a thousand better ways they could have worded that.

Their job is to PROMOTE women's pool. Basically they are advertising a product. This statement completely works against that. If I'm an aspiring female amateur who wants to go pro, and I read a statement like that... I walk away feeling discouraged, not happy and energized. That press release tells me "hey, you pretty much got no shot, and even if you win it would be a fluke. You should be thankful they even let you play".

It's almost like if you were selling a car and put in the ad: "come check out our new sport coupe! It's not as fast as other cars and there are definitely better deals for your dollar, but it's a great ride anyway."

Another way to look at it... if a woman actually won, and someone went back and looked at the press release, the WPBA basically has egg on their faces. They look like they had no faith in the group they're supposed to be giving unconditional support.

Maybe it's politically motivated as joey said, but I was a little grossed out by the blatant condescension. Also a little grossed out that people actually are supporting it, like it's some refreshing bit of honesty. Refreshing honesty has its place, but that bit of PR definitely wasn't it.

A while ago jay made a point about an unlikely player winning a tournament, and phrased it like ..."they forgot to tell him he had no shot at winning". It'd be nice if the WPBA could also 'forget' to tell the ladies they aren't as good as men. Good things might happen.

 

[alstl]

I'm sort of curious who gave that quote. While it is pretty much true, it is kind of giving the feeling that the women are in such awe that we should all bow down to the great male players. There are plenty of ways this could have been worded that would have been way more beneficial to the women and the WPBA in general.

I agree with forumghost, it should have said something like the women are going to try their best to compete with the best men, etc.

Sarah

Good question. Best I can tell it is from somebody at insidepool.com, attributed here to admin, for insidepoolmag.com. Sounds to me more like someone editorializing than an official press release from the wpba.

By admin
for InsidePOOLmag.com

Published: May 3, 2010

Inclusion of Women in the US Open 9-Ball

The word is already spreading fast that Barry Behrman has decided to welcome women with open arms into the field of the 2010 U.S. Open. The WPBA wishes to send a big “Thank You” to owner, promoter, and producer Barry Behrman.

Though it is recognized in full that the gender barrier was broken roughly thirty years ago when Jean Balukas was permitted to compete in the main draw of the World 14.1 Championship, the truth is that significant female participation in open events has been quite limited over the years. Most serious pool fans are familiar with the successful exploits of Karen Corr on the star-studded Joss Northeast tour, the many successes enjoyed by Jasmin Ouschan against the men, most notably in the 2008 World 14.1 Championship, in which she beat Mika Immonen and Oliver Ortmann in back-to-back races to 200. In addition, nobody who was there will ever forget Yu Ram Cha’s 10-8 victory over Shane Van Boening at the Predator 10-ball Classic in Las Vegas in May, 2009.

Of course, the WPBA organization is not so foolish to think that the top women play at a level comparable to the top men, but the WPBA takes pride in the fact that its top players have dared to mix it up with the top men, and while doing so, have enjoyed some scattered successes. In point of fact, like the majority of men players, the ladies of the WPBA are awed by the skill of the top men, feel honored when afforded the opportunity to compete against them, and understand that doing so allows them to grow as players.



The word is already spreading fast that Barry Behrman has decided to welcome women with open arms into the field of the 2010 U.S. Open. The WPBA wishes to send a big “Thank You” to owner, promoter, and producer Barry Behrman.
Barry Behrman, it must be noted, has not only welcomed the women, but has generously guaranteed 16 spots to the top ranked WPBA players, four of which will be seeded. Other female entrants are invited to participate and can, for the month of May, enjoy a reduced entry fee offer of $450. Further equity with the men is realized by the invitation and seeding of previous champions (1984-1994) whose entry fees will be paid by Barry. Seeding will also be afforded to both male and female BCA Hall of Famers. No tournament in America is more renowned than the US Open for giving those who dare to dream a shot at the world’s most elite pool players, and here at the WPBA, we feel strongly that the inclusion of women in the US Open field brings this legacy to a higher dimension.

The WPBA is committed to supporting Barry in his trailblazing efforts and is equally committed to ensuring that its members will compete with excellence, dignity and sportsmanship. It is a long awaited WPBA vision of men and women pool players competing on equal footing, side by side, vying for the Championship. May the best player win!

 

[WoodyJ]

What's the betting line in Vegas for the women making it into the top 8? After this statement, it must be astronomical.:smile:

Heh, heh, heh. Whoever wrote the release might be hoping for some extra weight on their bets.

 

[sarahrousey]

I hadn't read the full press release before posting. I'm glad it wasn't in quotations as if someone from the WPBA said that.

 

[Jude Rosenstock]

I hadn't read the full press release before posting. I'm glad it wasn't in quotations as if someone from the WPBA said that.

I'm a little confused. Who else, other than the WPBA, would issue a press release for the WPBA? Admittedly, the language of this appears more casual than an official press release so I'm curious who wrote it, too.

 

[oldzilla]

Reads like somebody spreading "it" with a trowel. For whatever reason the women are a tiny step down from the men at the most elite level. They aren't as far down as some folks imagine and some of the women don't hesitate to mix it up in some pretty tough play. As far as I know she doesn't gamble but I'd like to see Jasmin mix it up with a man that isn't in the top dozen or so in a long grind. I don't know how it would come out but it would be fun to see.

Hu

Somewhere in a thread somebody suggested Chris Bartram play a challenge match against Jasmin !!! It could be very good i think.

 

[Eric.]

I don't see anything discriminatory. It's discrimination if there's hatred or unfair treatment, which in this case doesn't exist. Stereotyping maybe, but discrimination no. Stereotyping is meant to generalize, not single out case by case. It's nothing more than somebody calling a spade a spade. I personally find it refreshing to see people speak their minds without fear of criticism.

Stop stirring the pot, man.

Hey, you ready for Vegas??


Eric

 

[jay helfert]

Good question. Best I can tell it is from somebody at insidepool.com, attributed here to admin, for insidepoolmag.com. Sounds to me more like someone editorializing than an official press release from the wpba.

By admin
for InsidePOOLmag.com

Published: May 3, 2010

Inclusion of Women in the US Open 9-Ball

The word is already spreading fast that Barry Behrman has decided to welcome women with open arms into the field of the 2010 U.S. Open. The WPBA wishes to send a big “Thank You” to owner, promoter, and producer Barry Behrman.

Though it is recognized in full that the gender barrier was broken roughly thirty years ago when Jean Balukas was permitted to compete in the main draw of the World 14.1 Championship, the truth is that significant female participation in open events has been quite limited over the years. Most serious pool fans are familiar with the successful exploits of Karen Corr on the star-studded Joss Northeast tour, the many successes enjoyed by Jasmin Ouschan against the men, most notably in the 2008 World 14.1 Championship, in which she beat Mika Immonen and Oliver Ortmann in back-to-back races to 200. In addition, nobody who was there will ever forget Yu Ram Cha’s 10-8 victory over Shane Van Boening at the Predator 10-ball Classic in Las Vegas in May, 2009.

Of course, the WPBA organization is not so foolish to think that the top women play at a level comparable to the top men, but the WPBA takes pride in the fact that its top players have dared to mix it up with the top men, and while doing so, have enjoyed some scattered successes. In point of fact, like the majority of men players, the ladies of the WPBA are awed by the skill of the top men, feel honored when afforded the opportunity to compete against them, and understand that doing so allows them to grow as players.



The word is already spreading fast that Barry Behrman has decided to welcome women with open arms into the field of the 2010 U.S. Open. The WPBA wishes to send a big “Thank You” to owner, promoter, and producer Barry Behrman.
Barry Behrman, it must be noted, has not only welcomed the women, but has generously guaranteed 16 spots to the top ranked WPBA players, four of which will be seeded. Other female entrants are invited to participate and can, for the month of May, enjoy a reduced entry fee offer of $450. Further equity with the men is realized by the invitation and seeding of previous champions (1984-1994) whose entry fees will be paid by Barry. Seeding will also be afforded to both male and female BCA Hall of Famers. No tournament in America is more renowned than the US Open for giving those who dare to dream a shot at the world’s most elite pool players, and here at the WPBA, we feel strongly that the inclusion of women in the US Open field brings this legacy to a higher dimension.

The WPBA is committed to supporting Barry in his trailblazing efforts and is equally committed to ensuring that its members will compete with excellence, dignity and sportsmanship. It is a long awaited WPBA vision of men and women pool players competing on equal footing, side by side, vying for the Championship. May the best player win!

Something's fishy about this whole thing. I think the women of the WPBA are entitled to know who is writing crap like that about them. If it's one of their own, they need to give that person a lesson in good public relations, because this definitely isn't. Someone with the WPBA board should be reading this stuff before it goes out. Kind of makes you wonder where it's coming from.

 

[hang-the-9]

Somewhere in a thread somebody suggested Chris Bartram play a challenge match against Jasmin !!! It could be very good i think.

Yea but even then Chris is not in the top men category (no offence but true), whereas Jasmin may be the top woman player or close to it. I have never ever seen the women string multiple racks (3-4-5) or play good lock-up safeties in a match. In fact, ESPN had some women's matches on last couple of weeks and they had issues running out one rack, and almost every single safety left a full ball open to hit.

This is a very odd press release, does not sound like something from official channels. I mean can you imagine Microsoft saying something like "As you all know, Apple has a better operating system, but we hope you try Windows anyway".

 

[Jude Rosenstock]

Something's fishy about this whole thing. I think the women of the WPBA are entitled to know who is writing crap like that about them. If it's one of their own, they need to give that person a lesson in good public relations, because this definitely isn't.

Honestly, I think the author was simply trying to be humble. Of course, knowing who the author is would be helpful in determining this.

 

[jay helfert]

Honestly, I think the author was simply trying to be humble. Of course, knowing who the author is would be helpful in determining this.

Jude, humble is one thing, but being subservient is another.

 

[Johnnyt]

And the silence continues on as to who wrote this. Do we not have a right to know who wrote it and who OK'd it? I guess not. Oh wait a minute. If it was someone at the WPBA (player or board member) their not allowed to answer questions about the tour on here. Johnnyt