WPBA Fans/Commentators

DeadPoked

DeadPoked

Inadequate User
Silver Member
I like most of you have been watching the WPBA on TV tonight and was wondering if you guys felt irritated as I did.

First thing that annoyed me was every time a player made an easy shot, missed shape, or slopped a ball the fans were clapping like a bunch of lunatics.

And as always, Mitch and Dawn (the pro commentator...) seemed clueless on a lot of the shots and positional routes. They did not convey much knowledge of personal information of the players that viewers may find interesting. They definitely were not in dead stroke commentating.

Then the shot of the match of Kim vs. Corr was a 9-ball break that Karen made to get her within one game. Of course they wouldn't of put it as the cut shot on the 1-ball that let Kim run out the final game. Or one of the other skilled shots that either play made during the match. A 9-ball break is about the luckiest shot you can make. Geez!

I was glad to see Melissa & Kelly Fisher playing tonight. I was definitely rooting for Melissa to beat Karen as she was playing really well. Unfortunately she made just a few costly mistakes. Good luck in the future Melissa.

Anyways I think they could do some stuff that could appeal more to a wider audience. Their interviews with the players could be A LOT better. I like how they do it with poker on TV where they have an interview with the player separate from the crowd. And the video bio's of how the person made it where they are. It just doesn't seem like they're doing anything to advance the viewer ship of pool on TV.
 
Good post DeadPoked.

But this is the unfortunate reality of what we are stuck with. I think the commentators are doing the best they can, but it is what it is.

The game is very difficult to make interesting. So is golf. As you suggested with poker, they are constantly going away from the event and talking about the character of the participants.

I frankly think that our sport has incredible character, and stories to back up this claim. "Fats", "Miz" the "Professor", the "Scorpion", the new generation Alex, Charie, "Wild Max", and there are hundreds more.

Maybe in time, and it is good to talk about.

How about "Pool Player USA," like the sax player who never makes it big, just plays because of passion?


By the way DeadPoked, the bouncy boy picture is clever but very annoying. no offense, leave it there if you want. I'll work it out.
 
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They ask the audience to applaude like that
to make for good tv.

for the most part the commertators get the shot right
most of the time but, not all the time.

I've been to some wpba tournaments.
they were fun.
 
Nice post, Deadpoked. I agree with almost everything you wrote, but need to comment that I have no problem with fans who cheer slop and unearned results that advance the cause of victory. Fans are tyically rooting for one player or the other, and will tend to cheer for anything that advances the cause of victory for their favorite player.

It's the same in every sport. If your favorite baseball team gets a baserunner because of a defensive error, you still cheer. Yes, the baserunner hasn't been earned, but your team's chance of winning has imroved, so you cheer because you are happy. If your favorite football team intercepts a pass that was thrown right to one of the cornerbacks by the opposing quarterback, do you cheer or hold back because the turnover was an unearned gift? Are fans who cheer such an interception ignorant or are they just expressing their joy?

Let the fans cheer as often as they please. Every one of them is good for our sport.
 
DeadPoked said:
First thing that annoyed me was every time a player made an easy shot, missed shape, or slopped a ball the fans were clapping like a bunch of lunatics.
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DeadPoked,
I will reinforce the point that the tournament director asks for the fans to be animated. I viewed my first WPBA "television day" this year. Though I am usually quiet and reserved, I thought I would at least try to applaud and yell a little. In the first match a player made a very difficult kick shot, making successful contact - I started to applaud and cheer; but the cue ball made its way 2 rails and teetered into a pocket for a scratch - it sounded like I was applauding her misfortune, when I really just wanted to acknowledge a good kick. I was embarrassed - from now on I'll just shut up and watch.
 
DeadPoked said:
I like most of you have been watching the WPBA on TV tonight and was wondering if you guys felt irritated as I did.
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Deadpoke -

I watch almost all pool that is televised and for some reason or other, I got really irritated last night. First, I CANNOT stand Mitch Laurance. I lost count at how many times I must've yelled at the TV "Shut the *$%& up!" I don't know if maybe for some reason I paid more attention to listening to the commentators this go round than others, but it really bothered me.
 
Banker Burt said:
By the way DeadPoked, the bouncy boy picture is clever but very annoying. no offense, leave it there if you want. I'll work it out.
Click to expand...

If you click on the "STOP" button on your browser it will stop the animation temporarily.
 
well, i know its hard to get TV interest into Pool, unless your somewhat into playing pool.

but i do kinda have to admit, i think those shirts they wear (or have worn in the past) during the Mosconi Cup are pretty goofy. i mean, would you wear a shirt around that said "Iceman" or "Scorpion" or "Terminator" or "Pearl" on your back for the whole world to see?

i wouldnt.
i thought that was somewhat silly, some people from here at the office commented about that when it was shown. not sure if they did that this year or not.

just my $.02
DCP
 
Personally, I am glad to see any pool on TV. Mitch does have a way of sounding like a complete pool idiot sometimes and Dawn sure had a problem spotting the 2 ball. I don't have a problem with the crowd, either. I'm sure they were trying to make it look more exciting for TV. When I went to a WPBA tournament (during the week with less than 100 fans in attendance) I noticed that the crowd favorites got way more reaction than the lesser known players. I thought that was kind of crappy. Certainly we want to cheer on our favorites, but I think that we should show our appreciation for all good play, whoever it is, especially with a smaller crowd. As far as interviewing the players, what they do now is a joke in my opinion. Often during the match the announers will wonder what the player was thinking when they made certain shot. Why not ask them when the match is over? That would be interesting. Almost every other sport they take time at the end to interview the players. Why not in pool? This would be good filler for when a match runs short instead of cutting out games to make it fit in a one hour time slot. They need to do something(s) to make it more interesting for the non fanatic.
 
DeadPoked said:
Anyways I think they could do some stuff that could appeal more to a wider audience. Their interviews with the players could be A LOT better. I like how they do it with poker on TV where they have an interview with the player separate from the crowd. And the video bio's of how the person made it where they are. It just doesn't seem like they're doing anything to advance the viewer ship of pool on TV.
Click to expand...

I enjoyed the way they did the interviews on the FL matches. IMHO, they should do something similar everytime.
 
I love it when the player makes the shot. Not a very hard one, everyone claps and the cue ball rolls behind another ball. What is going on here? Idiotic.

I am one that is not a big Mitch fan. They need to get someone that is a little more knowledgible on pool. In his defense though I think a lot is due to the producers. Mitch will say this is really a hard shot. Watch the stroke. Then the camera switches to that damm pocket camera. Then Allen will say wow we really got a good look at the ball going into the pocket. Lets see that again. Come on. Show the stroke. Show the grip. Show the place where they are hitting the cue ball. I don't need to see a ball rolling into a pocket from the pocket camera.
 
I think for pool to gain interest with the general public, they HAVE to go the way of poker. They have to cut away from the pool playing action that we all love so dearly, and get personal into lives of our pros. We always say how colorful the pool world is, well damnit we need to show the general public what they are missing.

If we want to see real pool, well we have Accu-stats, BCN, and others that are for real pool players as you and I.

Who says pool is not a spectator sport? I've read many books about pool, and its days gone by, and the OLD-timers recall having thousands of people packed into huge immaculate buildings. They talked of people who would be waiting for the morning newspaper to see who won a match. When is the last time you've seen pool covered in a newspaper?

Billiards and pool were huge in the days of Hoppe and Greanleaf. People back then must have been more educated and not had their heads stuck up of the ass of reality TV that pollutes the mind.

If Golf can be viewed by millions of people every event, pool can too! You can't play a safety in golf. You can't knock another players ball in the rough. Speaking of Golf, if a player hits a ball into a bunker, you don't hear the crowd clapping do you?
 
DeadPoked said:
Speaking of Golf, if a player hits a ball into a bunker, you don't hear the crowd clapping do you?
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I wonder if this is because the general population has a better understanding of golf, where as the non playing pool spectators don't understand leaves, safteys, postioning and what not. The general "ballbangers" tend to get excited when they pocket a ball...heck I have a friend that is overjoyed each time she makes contact with the OB, LOL. IMO, everyone knows a bad "leave" in golf.
 
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