HomeAbout Billiards DigestContact UsArchiveAll About PoolEquipmentOur AdvertisersLinks
From the Publisher
By Mike Panozzo
Mike became editor of Billiards Digest in 1980 and liked it so much that he bought the company. He has served on the Billiard Congress of America board of directors and as president of the Billiard & Bowling Institute of America.


Archives
• March 2024
• February 2024
• January 2024
• December 2023
• November 2023
• October 2023
• September 2023
• August 2023
• July 2023
• June 2023
• May 2023
• April 2023
• March 2023
• February 2023
• January 2023
• December 2022
• November 2022
• October 2022
• September 2022
• August 2022
• July 2022
• June 2022
• May 2022
• April 2022
• March 2022
• February 2022
• January 2022
• December 2021
• November 2021
• October 2021
• September 2021
• August 2021
• July 2021
• June 2021
• May 2021
• April 2021
• March 2021
• February 2021
• January 2021
• December 2020
• November 2020
• October 2020
• September 2020
• August 2020
• July 2020
• June 2020
• May 2020
• April 2020
• March 2020
• February 2020
• January 2020
• December 2019
• November 2019
• October 2019
• September 2019
• August 2019
• July 2019
• June 2019
• May 2019
• April 2019
• March 2019
• February 2019
• January 2019
• December 2018
• November 2018
• October 2018
• September 2018
• August 2018
• July 2018
• June 2018
• May 2018
• April 2018
• March 2018
• February 2018
• January 2018
• November 2017
• October 2017
• September 2017
• August 2017
• July 2017
• June 2017
• May 2017
• April 2017
• March 2017
• February 2017
• January 2017
• December 2016
• November 2016
• October 2016
• September 2016
• August 2016
• July 2016
• June 2016
• May 2016
• Apr 2016
• Mar 2016
• Feb 2016
• Jan 2016
• Dec 2015
• Nov 2015
• Oct 2015
• Sept 2015
• August 2015
• July 2015
• June 2015
• May 2015
• April 2015
• March 2015
• February 2015
• January 2015
• October 2014
• August 2014
• May 2014
• March 2014
• February 2014
• September 2013
• June 2013
• May 2013
• April 2013
• March 2013
• February 2013
• January 2013
• December 2012
• November 2012
• October 2012
• September 2012
• August 2012
• July 2012
• June 2012
• May 2012
• April 2012
• March 2012
• February 2012
• January 2012
• December 2011
• November 2011
• October 2011
• September 2011
• August 2011
• July 2011
• June 2011
• May 2011
• April 2011
• March 2011
• February 2011
• January 2011
• December 2010
• November 2010
• October 2010
• September 2010
• August 2010
• June 2010
• May 2010
• April 2010
• March 2010
• February 2010
• January 2010
• December 2009
• November 2009
• October 2009
• September 2009
• August 2009
• July 2009
• June 2009
• May 2009
• April 2009
• March 2009
• February 2009
• January 2009
• October 2008
• September 2008
• August 2008
• July 2008
• June 2008
• May 2008
• April 2008
• March 2008
• February 2008
• January 2008
 
July: Losing Our Way
July 2010
IT'S PROBABLY only a rumor that the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) is going to prohibit member nations from referring to the game as "American 9-ball" in the future, but I have to admit I wouldn't blame them if they did.

It's really gotten that bad.

Name the last American-born player to win a "major" championship, men's or women's. Not easy, is it?

(Answer: Shane Van Boening, U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship, Oct. 2007; and Monica Webb, WPBA San Diego Classic, April 2009.)

The fact of the matter is that, even with those wins, American pool players are almost an afterthought these days when oddsmakers and railbirds begin sizing up the favorites prior to the start of a big international pool tournament.

And that's sad.

Granted, elephants were still running for cover from billiard ball companies when I started with Billiards Digest, but the swiftness with which America's pool "cred" has disappeared is staggering.

Right on through the mid-1990s, the U.S. still maintained a stranglehold on the sport. The first three WPA World 9-Ball Championships featured all-U.S. finals in the men's division (after which the Pro Billiards Tour-led boycott of the WPA took the top men out of play until 1997), and in the first four WPA women's finals, seven of eight finalists were American-born.

That's only 15 years ago!

How bad is it? At the recent World Pool Masters in Las Vegas, the U.S. fielded 15 players in the 64-player field, and saw only one player (Charlie Williams, who tied for fifth) reach the quarterfinals. What's worse, no one seemed surprised.

The 128-player U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship featured slightly better representation, with Van Boening finishing third. Williams and Rodney Morris tied for seventh, but again those three were the only Americans in the top 12.

These days the American ladies of the Women's Professional Billiard Association Classic Tour aren't faring much better. Aside from Webb, who posted one win at the tail end of 2008 and her second at the start of 2009, the last American woman to win a Classic Tour title was Jeanette Lee. Know when? The Billiard Congress of America Open 9-Ball Championships in 2001! That was also the year Lee won the World Games gold medal. The last American-born woman world champ? Loree Jon Jones, 1993.

Now, granted, the Allison Fisher era rendered pretty much every country titleless for nearly a decade, but come on! This is OUR game, dammit!

At this point the problem has gone way past the "other countries have established sports programs for pool," and "Americans aren't hungry enough because they've dominated the sport for so long" stage.

There are many factors that go into the U.S. title drought, and the pair mentioned above still have at least some credence. The more formal, technical training done in other countries has, indeed, produced loads of solid, young players.

Then again, the Philippines isn't exactly noted for state-run training facilities and coaching, and the slew of talent coming off that little island shows no signs of easing up. And how about players from the United Kingdom? Appleton, Peach, Boyes, et al, are making their presence felt in all the big events.

From my perch, it looks like a simple case of commitment and dedication. Do our players, male or female, put in the time required to be champion? Or do they still think they can be part-time players and still win?

America does have some young talent, like Van Boening, Oscar Dominguez and Sarah Rousey. But we're going to have to find a way to cultivate and nurture a lot more.

If not, we're going to need a spot just to compete in our own game.

MORE VIDEO...