Mainstreamness

This month's topic for PoolSynergy is "Pool and the Mainstream."

I wonder what my fellow bloggers of PoolSynergy will share this month?? It will be very interesting to read what they have to say about this great topic! You can find all their articles about Pool and the Mainstream at this link: http://nycgrind.com/?p=9778

I follow pool tournaments across the country through the printed billiard magazines and online billiard news sources. I admit, when I look through a magazine, I look for tour results first, instruction second, then whatever else is in the magazine.

Therefore, I was shocked about a discussion I had with a leaguemate a few weeks ago. He asked me, "I heard you went to Tulsa. What was going on there?"

"There was a big One Pocket tournament up there. I had a blast watching the great matches!" I replied.

"Who won?" he asks me.

I answered, "Sylver Ochoa."

He looked at me in all dead seriousness and said simply, "I don't know who that is."

I was like, WHAT?! How can you possibly not know who that is? He name is everywhere right now and he's been the top player in Texas on the regional tours! OMG, I was speechless after that.

If we can get to "these" league players, I truly beleive we can become mainstream. Of course, if we could also get to the Friday night wanna-be players who play with their friends and *think* they can play, can you imagine how mainstream pool would be? That is my overarching thinking - if we can somehow reach the league players and pool hall players, pool would magically become mainstream. Yes, I say: magically!

I have a friend who is a photographer for Foosball tournaments. Foosball! He has been to Paris for the big tournaments of Foosball. Foosball! It got me thinking: Do they have an Allison Fisher of Foosball? I have another friend who plays putt putt competitively. Putt putt! Do they have a Johnny Archer? What about Darts? There are dart leagues at my pool room. Do they have an Efren Reyes? I bet they do and yet *I* have no idea who their top stars are. I hear complaint after complaint, b1tch and moan, and whining after whining that pool isn't mainstream. Hey guess what? We aren't the only ones!! The best dart player could walk in the pool room tonight and I would have no idea who he/she was. I could see a few guys playing Foosball and one of them could be the best player in the world! Yet, I would have no idea.

Pool isn't mainstream. I get that. Neither is a lot of other sports, though! Can we change the world in the near future; prolly not. Are we gonna try? Yes! There are lots of ideas out there from great folks in the pool world and great folks who simply love pool that may be able to make pool mainstream some day for all of those who complain that pool isn't mainstream. I swear, some people lose sleep over this topic! I love pool, yes. Would I love to see it mainstream some day - sure! But I am okay with it as it is today.