Billiards: A Sport For The Posh?
What do you picture when you think of the game pool
? I picture a large mansion room of an English gentleman with a billiards table in the middle (of course surrounded by countless volumes of leather bound books) or of a dimly lit bar scattered with grimly looking bikers.
So how and why did this table game sport cross the social gap to include both its original target market and later everyone on the communal ladder? The simplest answer is price and distribution.
Originally this sport was adopted by kings and queens. This obviously pushed the popularity of the game into other realms, but was still limited for a long time to those who could afford them.
Today however, is a different story. No longer do people have to join clubs or go to billiards halls in order to enjoy this mathematically complex or "bumpingly" simple game. The game has come to us.
Thank the public for starting this demand and thank the manufacturers for dealing with material rich countries, such as China, in order to supply us with more pool tables.
Of course, with the spread of games between classes comes a certain demarcation. What comes to mind are the countless movie scenes where bar fights erupt equaling pool cue stabs and jousts.
I recently saw, for example, an episode of the American version of the Office. In it, the boss Mr. Scott gets on top of a billiards table in an attempt to be funny. What do the professionals of this sporting game think of this form of desecration?
Similarly in the film Terminator 2, a barman attacks the robot played by Arnold Swarchenegger with a pool cue, shattering it across his metal back. Even though the popularity of these scenes might increase the circulation of the sport, does it help the games image?
Such scenes de-glamorize the game once reserved for King Louis XI. Still, does this change the sophistication one feels as they pop an 8 ball into a corner pocket to win? I answer thee, "nay".
There are some who would avoid the appearance of paucity or looking like most commoners (like driving a normal, un-luxurious automobile), yet billiards is not one of those things the wealthy have given up. The only problem with the games and leisure activities of the well-off is that they portray a life of idol play and frivolity.
When others of lower means see depictions of such, they are led to believe that with money comes relaxation, fun, and games (though it does come with that, a price is normally paid and that price is hard work). What people need to understand is that the appearance of wealth does not equal wealth. Spending less than you earn is wealth.
So if you can easily afford a game or activity of leisure, by all means indulge. However, if you want to acquire a pool table or any other type of "posh" game for your home, consider the reasons for doing so. Is it for the love of the game or for the appearance of prosperity and free time?
Regardless, billiards tables are more affordable than ever. Now it is less about the price of the object, but having the space to fully encapsulate it that concerns the public.
Largely, this old and established game is here to stay. Though it encapsulates the correlation of austere games such as gold and polo, it has become more and more available to the inclusion of every soul who wishes to grab a cue and pocket a win.
And so, whether you play in a bar against the leader of a biker gang, or in the manor of a mayor, play to play. Do not play to appear more sophisticated or refined.
Such intentions only lead to the nothingness of unpopular sports like polo (no offense intended, I might try the sport when I buy the stalls to house a horse, which I would also have to buy). Do what you do for the right reasons. Only you know what they are, but others see what they are not.
by: Tom Selwick
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