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Few other sports, if any, have enjoyed the long lasting appeal of billiazds. For
<br />example, baseball has only been played since the turn of the century, yet billiazds, in one
<br />form or another, can be traced back to the 14th Century. The game of pocket billiards has
<br />never garnered as much visibility and attention as it currently commands. All across the
<br />country, in newspapers and magazines, on television and radio, in cities and small towns
<br />from coast to coast, people aze talking about billiards, one of today's hottest and fastest
<br />growing sports. A recent survey of the BBIA found that over 36 million people played pool
<br />last year. This ranks pocket billiards as the third most popular sport in this country, close
<br />behind bowling and basketball.
<br />In 1961, Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason starred in The Hustler. As wonderful as
<br />the film was, it set in stone the sport's seedy image. Billiard pazlors were seen as dark dens
<br />where men gathered and women weren'.t welcome. But times have changed. Women have
<br />polished up on the game, and billiazd parlors have polished up their image. In recent times,
<br />billiazds has emerged to appeal to old and newcomers alike. Most rooms have dress codes,
<br />non-smoking sections and quality ventilation. Thanks to these kinds of changes, the game is
<br />fast becoming a hit with millions who, only a few years ago, would never have set foot in a
<br />pool hall. Women can now feel comfortable, and even bring the kids along. Part of the
<br />sport's undeniable appeal for women is~the'opportunity to compete with men on an equal
<br />basis. It's a game where strategy, concentration and a good eye mark a skilled player, not
<br />size or strength. And nowadays, the only tough guys in the room aze those framed on the
<br />wall. You'll find all types of players on any given night, father and son, mother and
<br />daughter, you get the picture. The whole family can get in on the fun.
<br />"I've been shooting pool for over 40 years, now, off and on, and the changes I've seen in
<br />the sport over that period of time has been dramatic. From when I was a youngster, going
<br />in the back door of a pool hall in St. Louis, to today is like day and night."
<br />"WeII, like a lot of people, I have a stressful job, and playing pool in the evenings,
<br />especially where I have to work, is a really good way for me to wind down, forget about
<br />what I was doing at wock, and get out with some of my friends who I don't see during the
<br />day, and just enjoy myself and calm down before I go home."
<br />"It seems that the concept of pool hall no longer exists today. Now, in the billiard pazlor
<br />you see entire families playing, you see kids, you see women, you see men: It's a very
<br />y relaxed, comfortable, safe environment."
<br />~ "My family plays, all my family plays, I met my daughter last Saturday and we had a good
<br />~ time for about four hours at another place similar to this here in town."
<br />"Once in a while I like to bring a date. It's something a little different than the typical
<br />t movie date, it's a lot of fun, we compete against each other without having to be fierce, it's
<br />just a lot of fun. Sometimes she wins, sometimes I win."
<br />1 "I think men and women can compete evenly when playing billiazds..It doesn't require a
<br />~ great deal of power or muscle like many other sports do, it's just not a real physical sport."
<br />;~ Page 50
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