So how can OnePocket.org do more to support One Pocket?

[Renegade_56]

Pool is in the best shape its been since the old tv days. Lots of new events this year.

I agree, and I'm not sure what effect the coverage on TV back in the 60's helped, but it sure was cool to be able to watch a match occasionally, pre cable tv and internet mind you.

 

[crabbcatjohn]

I agree, and I'm not sure what effect the coverage on TV back in the 60's helped, but it sure was cool to be able to watch a match occasionally, pre cable tv and internet mind you.

Saturdays watching Fats and Mossconi etc was the bomb..

 

[BrookelandBilly]

When I was a kid I used to watch professional pool, mostly straight pool, on the wide world of sports on one of the 3 national networks, forgot which one, maybe NBC, on Saturday afternoons. There was advertising commercials for any number of things, many completely unrelated to pool. They had the attention of advertisers buying time because they had a national audience. The best pool we have today is played in bars, usually late hours of the night, and no live airplay except for streaming with maybe a few hundred viewers at best. Now that scenario is vitally important to pool, pool players, and pool room owners, but it's never ever going to grow a large public following to non pool players. Take a look at Snooker in the UK and more importantly the amount of money involved in it. Shit those players live a lifestyle akin to professional golfers in the US. The difference is they get the major tournaments out of the pubs and into Arena, look up the Crucible Snooker on you tube, it's an event, live tv coverage, family attendance, major sponsors of all kinds. Sponsors don't want to promote something that will be seen by 2 dozen people in a bar at 1 o'clock in the morning, so it's hard to get sponsors for local tournaments. Small tournaments weed out the field for the best players but there is nothing for those better players really beyond those tournaments. The US Open, The Derby, etc,,, and like tournaments should never ever be played in bars, they should be presented to the public in a suitable public place like other professional sports. This concept in my opinion should be applied to pool in general, not just 1p, but certainly including 1p. Pool will never again be respected as a professional sport until it is constantly promoted and presented to the public as one.

I’m always surprised to see professional players competing in tournaments played on bar tables. It’s degrading in my opinion to think that they will play in these events.

 

[gulfportdoc]

I’m always surprised to see professional players competing in tournaments played on bar tables. It’s degrading in my opinion to think that they will play in these events.

I agree. It does look a little incongruous. But the state of pro pool is that most of the players have to take advantage of any tournament with a decent prize fund.

 

[beatle]

the viewing audience is the league players and thats what they play on.

 

[Renegade_56]

I agree. It does look a little incongruous. But the state of pro pool is that most of the players have to take advantage of any tournament with a decent prize fund.

It just seems to me there should be another level. I'm not saying anybody should quit doing what they do, but maybe a TV event or 2 or three per year with the winners and top level players from certain tournaments competing for some grand prize, prime time viewership on actual tv channels, sponsors, etc, etc,,,

 

[BrookelandBilly]

It just seems to me there should be another level. I'm not saying anybody should quit doing what they do, but maybe a TV event or 2 or three per year with the winners and top level players from certain tournaments competing for some grand prize, prime time viewership on actual tv channels, sponsors, etc, etc,,,

Pool needs players with personalities to draw an audience. I can only think of a handful of players at most that are ready for prime time. Earl, with all of his issues, would be an example of a player that I would go out of my way to watch. Josh Filler and Corey Duel are clean cut youthful players that have stage presence. I coul name a lot of good players that need a good scrubbing, a wardrobe consultant and a good dose of culture training to make them ‘camera ready’. It all about appearances and creating stars of the show. After all who doesn’t want to watch Tiger, Brady, Nadal and Jordan!

 

[jrhendy]

I agree about the personalities, but we also need personality in the streaming booth. Billy I. only fills in occasionally, and JJ is busy as we all know with the Mosconi Cup. There are other good ones right below them, but I actually think we need a couple of good teams for each event that have some personality to keep people watching. The hard core players will always watch, but we need to keep beginners and even non players (Yet), interested. The commentators also need to pay more attention to the comments from the audience out there, and ask and answer questions IMO.

 

[BRLongArm]

I’m always surprised to see professional players competing in tournaments played on bar tables. It’s degrading in my opinion to think that they will play in these events.

Degrading? Hardly. Long ago, the promoters learned the only way to fill a 128 bracket is to have a tournament where the shortstops will play also. And the format that has endured is race to 7 alternate break on a bar table. No other format has done as well. They aren't degrading themselves, they are trying to make a living at what they are best at. To play only 9 foot tournaments in the US means you have to beat all the Filipinos and Europeans that come here to play also. So far, only SVB and maybe Sky have been able to do that.

 

[beatle]

world championships should be totally open.
but all regular and not big sanctioned tournaments should have some kind of handicap if they want weaker players to play in them.

and with more players having a real chance of winning then they can raise the entry fees significantly and create more interest and big prize pools.

 

[BrookelandBilly]

Degrading? Hardly. Long ago, the promoters learned the only way to fill a 128 bracket is to have a tournament where the shortstops will play also. And the format that has endured is race to 7 alternate break on a bar table. No other format has done as well. They aren't degrading themselves, they are trying to make a living at what they are best at. To play only 9 foot tournaments in the US means you have to beat all the Filipinos and Europeans that come here to play also. So far, only SVB and maybe Sky have been able to do that.

In that case I’ll wait and see if Bryson, Brookes, Tiger and Rory show up to play in a miniature golf or Top Golf event.

 

[BRLongArm]

In that case I’ll wait and see if Bryson, Brookes, Tiger and Rory show up to play in a miniature golf or Top Golf event.

 

[BRLongArm]

Because Golf in 2021 is in the same place as pool. gotcha.

 

[LSJohn]

I believe you are advocating handicaps?
F!@# no.

No, I prefer no handicaps; it's been a long time since the post, but I think I was responding to how to do it.

Hi John, I don't disagree with you. All Im saying is if an event is handicapped properly, meaning when a player should get say 10-6 from a stronger player and he gets that spot he should have an equal change to win and advance. Which means if handicapped properly all players have an equal chance of cashing or winning the tournament. Whereas a tournament where the weaker player pays less to enter that weaker player does not have fair chance to advance and probably will never cash or win under that structure. Therefore he is dead money. If you were a weaker player would you rather get the fair weight from each better player you faced and have a fair chance to cash or would you rather save a few dollars on the entry fee and never or rarely cash??? Happy Holidays Keith

Above all, I don't want to hear whining about ratings.

 

[unoperro]

Some hear wine and think of cheese I hear whine and think of pool players.

 

[beatle]

those that whine often get the cheese

 

[vapros]

If you whine and it gets you the cheese you should definitely feel like a small turd. Unless you are John McEnroe.

 

[dmcparland]

It is great to see a discussion on how we can better support this game.

I was very fortunate to have people around me willing to play cheap or even for free when I was starting out. They let me ask questions, gave advice when I asked and supported me with encouragement early on. It was a big factor in understanding the game and falling in love with one pocket. Now I try to play with players newer than me. I don't know all that much but am willing to help when asked and have noticed these people playing more and more now.

It can be intimidating for average players like me to ask the better players to play one pocket. Even when we do, many times those folks that know the game want to make money from their skill and are trying to match up.

I think creating a way for new players to "match up" with someone willing to play cheap or even better for free would be nice. Something based on your location where you could input a zip code, put in a distance range and are provided wit ha list of people that have signed up as "mentors".

Not sure how feasible this is from an execution standpoint? And there would have to be enough good people, with good intentions, that sign up as mentors for it to work.

 

[beatle]

you are asking for lessons for free. usually free comes at a price.

 

[dmcparland]

you are asking for lessons for free. usually free comes at a price.

Some people are willing to help others, some people are not. It is to key to find those that want to help others.