tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7154379823495059142.post5841288547975335660..comments2024-03-25T22:20:33.828-05:00Comments on Untold Stories: Billiards History: Pool & Gambling: The Debate ContinuesR.A. Dyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203284748098418423noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7154379823495059142.post-18821104239508192522010-03-18T22:23:18.399-05:002010-03-18T22:23:18.399-05:00I'm not at all opposed to mano-a-mano contests...I'm not at all opposed to mano-a-mano contests. As Mr Collett notes, they are exciting, and generate an audience. What bothers me about them is that the contestants are putting up their own money, often lots of it, and the result is more like gladiators than a sporting event.<br /><br />Losers in tournaments or sponsored exhibition matches live to fight another day, but in gambling, losers are hurt, and can sometimes have a tough time coming back.<br /><br />But TAR matches aren't the problem. I've been linking to the TAR site off my blog for a long time. It's the less controlled gambling that takes place all across the country, where the hustling and cheating take place regularly that are hurting pool's reputation, not TAR.<br /><br />It's certainly true that many non-pool players are fascinated by this underworld of nefarious and unscrupulous hustlers. But the show the same interest in TV or movie criminals like Tony Soprano, without having any real interest in the actual mob. Fast Eddie Felson may be a romantic character to some, during a movie or even for a little while after, but then they go back to thinking he's just a dishonorable bum who can shoot pool.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01395640766585518825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7154379823495059142.post-26871447601247357112010-03-18T10:12:05.427-05:002010-03-18T10:12:05.427-05:00Mr. Collett's assertion that no one has done a...Mr. Collett's assertion that no one has done as much coverage of pool as TAR is missing the point. <br /><br />It's not about quantity, it's about QUALITY of coverage.Michael McCaffertyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06551762165327568554noreply@blogger.com