Hmmm... I see what you're saying, but at the same time, I think there's another way of looking at this entirely.
Kamui, for instance, sponsor every darn pool tournament and industry event out there. They put a lot back into the industry - they may not sponsor Fred Bloggs, but they might be sponsoring a tournament that Fred Bloggs plays in, like the BWPPA tour.
...Or they might be sponsoring a free video live stream from the USA that Fred Bloggs really likes watching.
...Or they might sponsor Fred's favourite pool website that depends on sponsorship to continue among other things.
...It may simply be that Fred Bloggs just likes the brand.
Frankly, there are many people who are simply not able to attract sponsorship at that level - maybe they are more of a fan status. If you're not getting TV exposure then you might not have much to offer in return for sponsorship.
Remember, not everyone who wears a football shirt is a player or sponsored by the company with the logo on the front. If you ride a Harley Davidson, you might buy the shirt too. Many people were very happy to buy and wear Pro9 T-Shirts and we were very grateful that they did that.
So why not say thank you... Show some loyalty to your favourite brand to thank them for investing back into the sport.... Admittedly, there are only a few that return nothing - but others give a lot.
Give something extra to the ones that do this and maybe more pool industry companies will give it a go. Wear a patch for a product that you like and a brand that you respect.
If Kamui or whoever sponsor Pro9, then feel free to wear their patch and know that we at Pro9 appreciate you supporting our sponsors very much.
Basically, what I'm saying is that all players ARE already benefiting from these companies... Every company that advertises on Pro9 deserves a look, they deserve the first chance for your business, they are our partners, investing in European pool.
So why not buy a patch... Prices are dropping today too!
[ This message was edited by: BigDave on 2012-08-29 10:39 ]
