Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Steve on January 4, 2011 at 17:24

Given the economic climate right now I would doubt it, however poker maybe the way... these guys are making money right now. Then it would go back to TV coverage like we see with Fox Sports, but it would then I believe need to be snooker or nine ball. Don't get me wrong 2 shot is a tactical game and a good one, but I am yet to see it on Fox or ESPN.

What companys did you have in mind?

 I can not belive how many people even know who Neil Robertson is let alone Ben Noonan or Lydall Hulley etc, Walter Lindrum got more coverage before TV and Internet.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by The Giant Killah 187 on January 4, 2011 at 17:38

I think Neil got a bit more then Walter....... he was on so many shows radio's even done a victory lap at a AFL Match. 

 

Also when we were out in sydney we had people come up asking if he was the Neil Robertson lol.

 

There are alot of players who know big business people but have not do anything about it, i know of a few guys who said they were gonna get this gonna get that but didnt come up with the goods.

 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bill Vassiliou on January 4, 2011 at 17:49

Agree with all u say.But 8 ball is an under rated skill.When i first watched 9 ball on foxtel,i was in awe,esp when players were drilling balls in along the rail until i saw the size of those bucket pockets that grossly exaggerate the potting skills of 9 ball players.When i recently purchased my new 8 ball table,i had 2 long shots on a 9 ball table and slammed them both in along the rail with both shots hitting the rail at least 1 inch b4 it reached the pocket,"a joke",so surely we can eventualy get 8 ball in the mix.In regards to viewers on tv,if 8 ball was promoted in the correct manner and somehow got a foot in the door of tv,it would win viewers over as it is faster and more exciting than snooker which occasionaly has frames that can go 1 hour if they become tactical.8 ball just needs a foot in the door because it is just as skillfull and exciting as 9 ball.8 ball at least deserves a go,it is fast,exciting,and with the confined space,u need white ball control to avoid snookering yourself.Other cue sports criticise 8 ball to simply keep it down so their sport dominates tv coverage,"agenda driven",so it's time 4 change and give it the same coverage,and people will soon know who Ben Nunan is !!!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bill Vassiliou on January 4, 2011 at 17:52

I mean seriously,if u pot the 9 of the break,u win,lol,lol,lol.That in it self is a joke!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bill Vassiliou on January 4, 2011 at 18:08

P.S.It certainly is more exciting watching the Nunans and Mifsuds of the world finishing a game of 8 ball in a few minutes than it is watching even the best snooker players take around 25 minutes for a single frame.It's just that other cue sports dominate coverage and sponsorship which they certainly do not want it to slide.It's not that 8 ball is not as good.Give viewers just a sample of a few hours of top players on tv,and they may just become hooked.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Steve on January 4, 2011 at 21:15

Mmmmm.....but it gets the $$$$$$$ and TV. Maybe since its so easy you should go to the US Open win it (cause it's just that simple!) and donate the $50,000 first prize you take, as a two shot prize in OZ.

You will be very popular! lol

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bill Vassiliou on January 5, 2011 at 14:03

Thanks for your input Steve.I am not saying 9 ball is an easy game,i'm referring to the fact that side pockets in 9 ball are buckets and many of the balls potted on tv hit the rail before they reach the pocket yet still go in.If the same shots were played in 8 ball,they would not only miss but likely to land safe,so balls along the rail are definetly more difficult to pot in 8 ball than they are in 9 ball,"i'm sure everybody would agree".Yes,viewers on tv want fast and exciting action to watch cuesports.8 ball is exciting but frames take a fraction longer,"not much though",and we must surely leave some of the art of the game of cuesports alive.I have seen more than the odd game of 9 ball where 1 or 2 shots after the break,the 9 lands near a ball near the h*** and a cannon is played onto the 9 and game over,"THAT IS NOT SKILL",if u pot the 9 of the break,u win,"THAT IS NOT SKILL",but viewers with little knowledge of cuesports do not see this so if 8 ball can be explained in the right manner,given time and persistence,there is no reason why we should not keep trying.9 ball simply would not like that cos it would cut into their market,"BAD LUCK".So to all 8 ball lovers,let's unite and reignite this great game which is every bit as good as 9 ball.9 ball is where it is on tv cos it initialy got a foot in the door,right,so no different to us trying the same.We can get around rubbish arguments such as 2 shot rules,bla,bla,bla,they are just trivial matters that can be sorted and it's not a bad rule anyway.2 shots would not sway viewers either way cos 8 ball is still a fast game.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by hollywood on February 5, 2011 at 15:33

if the pockets are so big. why do they miss? it takes great skill to not make a mistake in a race

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Brendan Connors on January 4, 2011 at 19:14

There are a few issues when it comes to big money sponsorship, the primary is "what is my return on investment"? A major hurdle is what's going to look good on tv (or appropriate medium) and keep viewers interested so that in turn can generate sponsorship for the broadcaster so they can make a return. Easy to understand rules, whether it be 2 shot, 9 ball, 10 ball etc is a must, having played 2 shot for 7 years in the UK it does take some time to understand the tactics involved and this may not always be seen as good for tv. I have intimate knowledge of the Winfield & Rothmans sponsorship days as my Godfather was CEO at the time, they had loads of cash to invest but government legislation came in, those good old days are gone so other avenues need to be explored. Although these are hurdles I personally believe the way forward is the web. Cueball.tv has been noticed by a few influential people overseas who are keeping an eye on the site, so let's hope the Friday/Sunday showdowns start up again soon cause this has the potential to develop into something big further down the track, time will tell.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bill Vassiliou on January 4, 2011 at 19:39

Agree fully Brendan,but we must not give up.8 ball rules are not that complicated and good quality 8 ball is exciting to watch.It would be interesting to see just what an audience reaction would be if 8 ball just got a foot in the door and somehow got a start on foxtel.Just imagine say a match in the final of a big t/ment between, Ben Nunan and Steve Mifsud showing on fox sports,even if there were only a limited amount of viewers,at least we could have a guide as to how it would go down.I believe 8 ball at least deserves a go as it is fast and exciting.It is no less exciting to watch than 9 ball so why 9 ball on foxtel and not 8 ball,it has been around far longer than 9 ball and no less skillfull.I don't believe major sponsorship for 8 ball is impossible because as i stated earlier,if the right sales pitch was put forward  with possible sponsor benefits explained,u never know.Perhaps a betting agency such as sportsbet or bet247 would be a possibility as they do bet on snooker to begin with.All hurdles aside,i believe 8 ball deserves a go.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bill Vassiliou on January 4, 2011 at 19:53

At the end of this years AFL home and away matches,i finished 1st in bet247 tipping and won $5,000.A few weeks later i put forward to them about sponsoring my 8 ball team in the Mornington summer league and explained how showing the bet247 logo on our t-shirts would be a benfit to them.Now granted that we only got 25 t-shirts with no cash,the person i spoke to actualy u/stood how a betting agency could benefit this way as betting and having a drink go hand in hand and i bet it's the first time a betting agency has given t-shirts to a pool team for showing their logo.To get a mob like bet247 to jump on board with major s/ship would be more difficult but at least i got them involved which is a start.My point is i got them to listen so it's not too dissimilar to say party poker sponsoring 9 ball like it does,so why not 8 ball.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Brendan Connors on January 4, 2011 at 20:22

Don't disagree with you at all William, 2 shot is actually my preferred game but no-one plays it in Sydney. The reason 9ball has flourished is due to the same rules around the globe, it can also be over in a flash with a golden break which makes it exciting. It is also widely played in Asia so it captures an emerging market which has potential to convert into real $$ for promoters and distributors. The issue 8ball has had in the uk is due to the clash of rules between Blackball (old EPA) and World Rules, it's been a major inhibitor for a number of years. The EPA (English Pool Association) would not allow it's members to play in Blackpool sanctioned Tournaments or you would incur a ban (not sure if this is still current but was 2 yrs ago) so you would not be able to play for England. It's certainly not impossible but you have to keep asking the question, what's in it for the people throwing in the dough. Once you can say to a company, this is how you will benefit, then you have a product that can deliver tangible results thereby justifying investment (e.g let's approach a dating website and offer a free date with some of our more eligible pool players lol).

• ▶ Reply

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• …
• 9
• Next ›
• Page