Yet Another Opinion On The Hustlers Debut...

Kickin' Chicken

Kickin' Chicken

Kick Shot Aficionado
Gold Member
Silver Member
Thank you Cliff, for texting me at 8:58 to remind me this was coming on. :smile:

As I was starting to watch episode 1, it was feeling pretty cheesy to me and "The List" of the top 5 players in NYC was bothering me because it's not close to being true.

I kept telling myself to take a few steps back and view it like someone would if they had a mild knowledge of pool or maybe just landed on this show while channel flipping and were curious about it.

As others have said, we're already in, it's the general public who we're hoping to hook.

From that perspective, I think they did a good job and there's room to grow as we meet more cast members and learn more about the ones we've already seen.

I'm looking forward to hearing more from Scotty Simonetti & Mikey Frost.

Finnigan was good as "The Godfather of Pool", ha! A little overbearing but that's how Godfathers roll. :grin:

I really thought Mike Dechaine stole the show thus far with him being himself, playing world class speed with total comfort on how to make the right games.

Jennifer, Emily and Smiley are always going to be enjoyable to watch on a pool table and, hopefully, the producers can develop their characters and keep them in interesting situations.

If I were to change something, I think it might be to do aqay with the importance of "The List". I'm still wrestling with how the general public might view this, maybe it does add a needed element of drama. I think playing for the cash and game making and a little barking could provide enough drama, especially if we get to see how winning and losing the money can impact the players in their *real* lives.

It felt to me like everyone lacked a little intensity compared to what I'm used to seeing over whether or not they got the cash. Left me feeling the show may be supplying that $$$. ;)

The production quality seemed perfect.

The content of episode 2 seemed better than episode 1.

Where were they when they did the commentaries from the stool by the red clothed tables? :eek:

Oh, one other thing. I def did like when during a game they would do a darkened table with diagrams and player voiceovers that, in essence, teaches the viewers what shot options are available then what they decide. Excellent!

On the whole, I think it was a very good debut and I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that they will enjoy some success. Our sport can sure use such a shot in the arm.

Rooting for you, Hustlers!

best,
brian kc
 
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Kickin' Chicken said:
Thank you Cliff, for texting me at 8:58 to remind me this was coming on. :smile:

As I was starting to watch episode 1, it was feeling pretty cheesy to me and "The List" of the top 5 players in NYC was bothering me because it's not close to being true.

I kept telling myself to take a few steps back and view it like someone would if they had a mild knowledge of pool or maybe just landed on this show while channel flipping and were curious about it.

As others have said, we're already in, it's the general public who we're hoping to hook.

From that perspective, I think they did a good job and there's room to grow as we meet more cast members and learn more about the ones we've already seen.

I'm looking forward to hearing more from Scotty Simonetti & Mikey Frost.

Finnigan was good as "The Godfather of Pool", ha! A little overbearing but that's how Godfathers roll. :grin:

I really thought Mike Dechaine stole the show thus far with him being himself, playing world class speed with total comfort on how to make the right games.

Jennifer, Emily and Smiley are always going to be enjoyable to watch on a pool table and, hopefully, the producers can develop their characters and keep them in interesting situations.

If I were to change something, I think it might be to do aqay with the importance of "The List". I'm still wrestling with how the general public might view this, maybe it does add a needed element of drama. I think playing for the cash and game making and a little barking could provide enough drama, especially if we get to see how winning and losing the money can impact the players in their *real* lives.

It felt to me like everyone lacked a little intensity compared to what I'm used to seeing over whether or not they got the cash. Left me feeling the show may be supplying that $$$. ;)

The production quality seemed perfect.

The content of episode 2 seemed better than episode 1.

Where were they when they did the commentaries from the stool by the red clothed tables? :eek:

Oh, one other thing. I def did like when during a game they would do a darkened table with diagrams and player voiceovers that, in essence, teaches the viewers what shot options are available then what they decide. Excellent!

On the whole, I think it was a very good debut and I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that they will enjoy some success. Our sport can sure use such a shot in the arm.

Rooting for you, Hustlers!

best,
brian kc
Click to expand...
I have read everything people have been writing on here and they all try to be nice and positive. Unfortunately this show is a poorly conceived uninteresting train wreck that will come and go to be quickly forgotten. At least by the few who will have ever seen it. Sorry.
 
The Hustler

In the true sense of the word.., none of the present participants is a "pool hustler".
NYC Pool Action would be a better title.
 
Same

manopr350 said:
In the true sense of the word.., none of the present participants is a "pool hustler".
NYC Pool Action would be a better title.
Click to expand...

It like that on most reality programs, how many women on Mob Wives are actually married to a mobster.
 
macguy said:
I have read everything people have been writing on here and they all try to be nice and positive. Unfortunately this show is a poorly conceived uninteresting train wreck that will come and go to be quickly forgotten. At least by the few who will have ever seen it. Sorry.
Click to expand...

The opinion I offered was honest and accurate. :)

best,
brian kc
 
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honestly...i was skeptical coming into this show myself. before it came on, though, i decided to give it a fair shake, and not watch it from a serious pool perspective. i actually enjoyed parts of the first episode (mostly mike being mike) and most of the second. it's trending in the right direction.
as for the comments about "the list"...it reminds me a little bit of the street racing show that's on another channel. a bit hokey, but i get what they were going for and i'm ok with it. the production value of the actual pool play was pretty solid. i was really worried this was going to be way too overly edited and chopped. and while it is pretty edited, the main parts of each match seemed to flow well enough.
idk...i think people being overly critical of it are probably the same people that are overly critical of everything else that could be viewed as a step in the right direction for getting pool back in the mainstream. take life a little less seriously and just sit back and laugh at mike dechaine being himself. haha
 
I must say that I really enjoyed watching the show. I am looking forward to up coming shows...... It is interesting to me to see how people live in NY watching a small part of their apartment living and then they go to a pool room every day. I wonder to myself how my life would of been if I would of choose that life style.
 
for all of you that did not like the show why don't you just watch the new show about getting cats out of trees lol
 
billf59 said:
for all of you that did not like the show why don't you just watch the new show about getting cats out of trees lol
Click to expand...

You know why news shows show car chases and cats in trees? Because they know that is what people like to watch.

If they want this show to be a success they would have needed to just copy what is already working. The other reality shows that do well deal with the business owners. Shows such as the pawn shop shows, there used to be a show about a gun shop and so on.

If they made this show about an interesting family run pool room and the family who runs it. Then mix in the various characters who inhabit the place and they would be copying what has proven to be a winning formula.

Instead they did this silly thing that no one can watch for more then 10 minutes before flipping. So far it is terrible and if this is the shows formula will not get any better. You often only get one shot and they may have blown it.
 
Kickin' Chicken said:
Thank you Cliff, for texting me at 8:58 to remind me this was coming on. :smile:

As I was starting to watch episode 1, it was feeling pretty cheesy to me and "The List" of the top 5 players in NYC was bothering me because it's not close to being true.

I kept telling myself to take a few steps back and view it like someone would if they had a mild knowledge of pool or maybe just landed on this show while channel flipping and were curious about it.

As others have said, we're already in, it's the general public who we're hoping to hook.

From that perspective, I think they did a good job and there's room to grow as we meet more cast members and learn more about the ones we've already seen.

I'm looking forward to hearing more from Scotty Simonetti & Mikey Frost.

Finnigan was good as "The Godfather of Pool", ha! A little overbearing but that's how Godfathers roll. :grin:

I really thought Mike Dechaine stole the show thus far with him being himself, playing world class speed with total comfort on how to make the right games.

Jennifer, Emily and Smiley are always going to be enjoyable to watch on a pool table and, hopefully, the producers can develop their characters and keep them in interesting situations.

If I were to change something, I think it might be to do aqay with the importance of "The List". I'm still wrestling with how the general public might view this, maybe it does add a needed element of drama. I think playing for the cash and game making and a little barking could provide enough drama, especially if we get to see how winning and losing the money can impact the players in their *real* lives.

It felt to me like everyone lacked a little intensity compared to what I'm used to seeing over whether or not they got the cash. Left me feeling the show may be supplying that $$$. ;)

The production quality seemed perfect.

The content of episode 2 seemed better than episode 1.

Where were they when they did the commentaries from the stool by the red clothed tables? :eek:

Oh, one other thing. I def did like when during a game they would do a darkened table with diagrams and player voiceovers that, in essence, teaches the viewers what shot options are available then what they decide. Excellent!

On the whole, I think it was a very good debut and I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that they will enjoy some success. Our sport can sure use such a shot in the arm.

Rooting for you, Hustlers!

best,
brian kc
Click to expand...

Appreciate the support and don't worry there is a ton more Scotty on the way and I get pretty active soon enough. I was on vacation at the beginning cause I put my woman in front of a TV show which I think most people can respect. The premier party was awesome and the people who watched with us had a ball.
 
I do not have TruTV and cannot find a torrent to watch the show. TruTV has 4 shows on their website you can stream from there but "The Hustlers" is not one of them.

IMO if they were to release at least the first few episodes as torrents they would attract a lot more viewers who would check the show out and maybe get hooked in. In the initial few weeks of a show you need to plaster the show everywhere and try to get as many early views as possible to get a dependable fanbase and get the word of mouth out there (on the streets and with the general public and the more general non-pool specific internet forums and social media).

I did watch the clips with the battle of the sexes and the doubles match with Mike and Jarrod. I would probably watch the first few episodes if it was possible, but I do not have TV/Cable and get all of my media viewing from the internet whether it be through torrents or streaming off of official producers sites complete with advertising breaks in the content.

What I do is fast becoming the way of the future, live cable TV will ultimately be merged into live and/or on demand internet streaming. Things like Netflix are trying to swing the on demand internet streaming onto the TV, but the final swing will be the other direction and streaming content directly off your Apple or PC computer onto a TV or projector via Bluetooth (or the next gen wireless transfer systems) will be the ultimate endgame and "cable TV" will go the way of video rentals. Even live sports will move that direction you will simply stream the Superbowl live and the advertising will all be incorporated right into the stream with the ability to click links to learn more about the products or even sign up on the spot. Now you won't only watch a Geico ad, you can actually click on a interactive Gecko and buy yourself some life insurance between chicken wings while watching the half time show and downloading that song you are hearing for your 22nd generation i-device off of i-tunes for $0.50 along with 5 million other viewers.

Yeah, so anyway (the tangents I go on...), someone upload some torrents or someone with the show get on those producers to get this onto the TruTV streaming site.
 
macguy said:
You know why news shows show car chases and cats in trees? Because they know that is what people like to watch.

If they want this show to be a success they would have needed to just copy what is already working. The other reality shows that do well deal with the business owners. Shows such as the pawn shop shows, there used to be a show about a gun shop and so on.

If they made this show about an interesting family run pool room and the family who runs it. Then mix in the various characters who inhabit the place and they would be copying what has proven to be a winning formula.

Instead they did this silly thing that no one can watch for more then 10 minutes before flipping. So far it is terrible and if this is the shows formula will not get any better. You often only get one shot and they may have blown it.
Click to expand...

....well based on people's opinions around here there are quite a few of us that made it past 10 minutes without flipping. idk...i think people expected too much from this show. i'd rather listen to mike and the loud brit bark at each other than listen to a pool room owner talk about his dying business.
 
Chops02 said:
honestly...i was skeptical coming into this show myself. before it came on, though, i decided to give it a fair shake, and not watch it from a serious pool perspective. i actually enjoyed parts of the first episode (mostly mike being mike) and most of the second. it's trending in the right direction.
as for the comments about "the list"...it reminds me a little bit of the street racing show that's on another channel. a bit hokey, but i get what they were going for and i'm ok with it. the production value of the actual pool play was pretty solid. i was really worried this was going to be way too overly edited and chopped. and while it is pretty edited, the main parts of each match seemed to flow well enough.
idk...i think people being overly critical of it are probably the same people that are overly critical of everything else that could be viewed as a step in the right direction for getting pool back in the mainstream. take life a little less seriously and just sit back and laugh at mike dechaine being himself. haha
Click to expand...

I agree with you comments on editing. The teaser clip we got to see in advance had me worried what the episodes might be like but it ended up being done well, imo.

That seems to be what pool needs to be watchable for the general public - speed it up to avaoid all the waling around the table analyzing and chalking - just get to the shots, mix in some trash talking, and the occasional teaching moments with the shot diagrams. :thumbup:

best,
brian kc
 
I saw the re-run sat at 11pm. Its difficult to review the as an average non pool player or casual player would, so I won't.

From my perspective what glared out to me was the corny color of money camera shots that were obviously staged. Also the blatantly fake arguments and shoving, and choreographed fake conversations.

I personally have absolutely no interest in seeing any further episodes. Just another fake / true tv
 
Every "real" hustler I've ever met made loosing an enjoyable experience (like going to a casino to gamble and have a good time).

A hustler's goal is to take your money while you have a smile on your face (see "casino" comment, above).

There's no skill in name calling and acting like a fool, unless the dialog is scripted or you're really, really good friends with all involved. In either case, I found those scenes to be offensive.

- - - - -

As an aside, I thought Earl Strickland was the house pro at Steinway. What's his role in this TV show?

Shoot safe.

John
 
I enjoyed it but I'm not looking to it as a documentry of pool or expect it to be an indepth show about pool. It's meant to bring in the general public. I'm lucky to have a good group of people in my area so they checked it out. There were a good amount that liked it and some that didn't. The ones that didn't care for it told me they would still dvr it or have it on another tv just because they think it could get more people into pool if it's on air.
 
Just watched both episodes.

My thoughts:

-The List is a great idea. It allows the viewer to pick their favorite horse and root for someone. Who cares if it's not real...everybody already knows that; just like the ridiculous profits made on Storage Wars. This is TV and you need to nurture the viewer's emotions.

-Too much pool lingo. Nobody understands what "the 6" means. They should handicap with games, not balls. It would work well with the scorecard too. Reminds me of that show "Pinks." The only reason why anyone understood the language in that show was because it was explained in The Fast and the Furious; also, that show failed.

-Too much pool in general. Is this supposed to be an instructional show? No. The diagrams are cool, but use it to show exciting shots (like draw to avoid the scratch, or 2 rail banks to fire at the cheese), not one rail safety play. I like the slow-motion action shots, but the pool drags on for way too long. It gets boring watching balls go in the hole.

-Great job on picking the girls: the lady champion, the up-and-comer, the annoying girlfriend. And they all look good on camera.

-The guys aren't bad either. The List makes it interesting. Hopefully Finnegan develops into more of a stakehorse than just a commentator. We like Ross and hate his girlfriend. But we need another guy to like so that it sparks the "Edward or Jacob" debate.

Overall, I think they did pretty well.
 
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