Why should we care?
Would you care if Accu-Stats did a 1pocket tournament on a 6x12 snooker table? What is the attraction? How does it relate to the average 1pocket player? What is there to identify with when what is being shot has next to nothing to do with what you are *ever* going to shoot?
Lou Figueroa
I don't know who the "we" is that you refer to but I'll tell you why most should or do care.
Most of "us" sports fans love watching players do things that we cannot do. Whether it's "Magic" throwing no-look passes, "Bird" hitting a long, off-angle 3, Michael doing what Michael did, Bobby Fischer playing 12 move combinations to checkmate, Montana or Bradshaw throwing a football where it didn't belong, Tyson having guys beat before they stepped into the ring, Arnie, Jack, Phil or Tiger shooting phenomenal shots, Gretzky doing his thing, John Holmes doing Marilyn Chambers, all of them have one thing in common for us regular guys; they can do things that we cannot do. That's the reason we watch them.
Would you want to watch Tiger & Phil or Jack & Arnie play miniature golf? Would you want to see Bird & Magic play half-court or 3 on 3? Your neighbor hammer his wife? Of course not. You want to see the best at their chosen game/sport tested to the max. All of the best one-pocket players in the past played on a 5 x 10 and that's where the players of today can show how they match up with the players of yesteryear.
In the "Twilight Zone" episode "A Game Of Pool", Jessie Cardiff says to Fats Brown: "I don't need a challenge". Fats Brown replies: "Everyone needs a challenge. Someone from the past who says "match this boy and make it better". This is what the players are up against and trying to do. Some are just trying to eat tonight and some are trying to match-up with long-gone heroes & legends.
As to your question about 6x12 snooker table one-pocket: I have played it a few times but I much prefer a 5 x 10 snooker table for that game. It was a big game here for quite awhile and to my knowledge it was the only game that Paul Brusilof would play for big money. At least until the Rack closed down.
I realize that most today can't relate to one-pocket on a 5 x 10 but they can't relate to playing at Augusta either, or playing in the Super Bowl or World Series. Bottom line to me is that I want to see the greatest players of today tested to their limits and see who comes out on top. It will change from week to week and year to year but it's what I love seeing.
No golfers ever complain about the Masters being a course where they will never play or the British Open being on courses they will never set foot on. The history that is there is respected and revered by all. We only watch to compare ourselves to the greatest while we prepare to go in to work tomorrow
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Dennis