Beer Pong Forums: the future of pong

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the future of pong

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Author	Message
getthirsty Joined: 05.10.2009 Age: 24 Total Games: 78 W/L %: 75.64 Avg CD: 1.71 Full Stats	Posted: Nov 23rd 2009, 02:58 am Post subject: the future of pong this is for the best players in the world, The NBA doesnt ban top notch players because there too good, they made the WNBA for them. I know this is a legitimate problem with numbers of teams showing up for tournaments but I think everyone is starting to think a little too much about the money involved instead of bringing the best players in the world together. Yeah your going to wean out alot of lesser players but what are they really going to do for the sport? How much publicity has Smashing Time brought to beer pong? Now tell them they cant compete because there hurting too many peoples feelings cause they thought they were good at beer pong before they showed up to a legit tournament with legit players
jvdenny Joined: 11.23.2009 Age: 25 Total Games: 13 W/L %: 61.54 Avg CD: 1.38 Full Stats	Posted: Nov 23rd 2009, 03:19 am Post subject: the future of pong I haven't read through all the posts but qutie a few and it has made me start realizing the situation at hand and I have at least an idea to throw out there but i apologize if someone has suggested this already........It seems as if the main issue is getting the teams that are out early to stick around or have an incentive to come out and a suggestion I have is freely putting every team that doesn't make the prizes into a drawing or raffel per say that is drawn at the END of the tournament that is like a bar tab or something that way even though they lose they still have to hang around and could potentially get something free.
jko4747 Joined: 10.08.2007 Age: 26 Total Games: 12 W/L %: 66.67 Avg CD: 0.75 Full Stats	Posted: Nov 23rd 2009, 09:20 am Post subject: the future of pong "DrunkenBear" Im sitll a fan of having to keep both feet on the ground regardless if it is part of the shot or not. I think that would help alittle wiht the lean. agreed
bneer Joined: 12.01.2008 Age: 27 Total Games: 28 W/L %: 64.29 Avg CD: 1.18 Full Stats	Posted: Nov 23rd 2009, 09:38 am Post subject: the future of pong "getthirsty" The NBA doesnt ban top notch players because there too good, they made the WNBA for them. This needs some love.
DrunkenBear Joined: 02.19.2009 Age: 26 Total Games: 82 W/L %: 50 Avg CD: -0.26 Full Stats	Posted: Nov 23rd 2009, 09:51 am Post subject: the future of pong From a players stand point - better competition less average teams, from an organizers standpoint more average teams less pros. No offense but I don't spend all the time I do on setting up venues, meeting with managers, making proposals, sending out emails, creating facbook crap, meeting with printers and etc for no reason.
dwissbrun2 Joined: 11.15.2006 Age: 32 Total Games: 113 W/L %: 51.33 Avg CD: -0.11 Full Stats	Posted: Nov 23rd 2009, 10:13 am Post subject: the future of pong "umdbeerpong" It will take some time and a lot of marketing and advertising. But think about how many college students are in the US, think about how many of them are bashing the videos on youtube (may 0.01%) and think about how many college students are out there that don't even know that organized beer pong leagues and tournaments exist. Then think about how many young professionals fall into these same categories. There are millions of people that we haven't reached out to who could become potential new teams. We need to accept our rules and equipment and focus on making the game more fun and raising awareness. Unified rankings and regional competition will raise rivalries and self pride that will keep them coming out even if they go 0-2 so long as there is also a fun factor involved. -Garrett i think all of this is along the right thought path. the tournaments need to be more FUN for teams that have no/very little chance of winning. I think we're all very focused on "winning" as the way to have fun at a tournament... this is our bias as "serious" pong players. you've got to try to step out of that bias. changing rules or equipment is just along the "winning" thought path... and i don't care what the rules or equipment are, there are a lot of teams out there who will suck no matter what. In the end people won't care what rules or equipment you're playing on, they'll get used to and accept anything... but only if they had fun while they were there and want to come back. also, my observations of most of the tournaments i play in are that the organizers rely on bpong, facebook, and maybe flyers posted in bars as their advertisements for the tournaments. i think there are more strategic ways to get the word out. pass out flyers by hand at the bar or on the street a week prior to an event. take out an ad in the local college newspaper. get contact information and either start an email list serve, or f'n actually call people to let them know about a tournament. i think the strategies differ depending on where you're hosting tournaments, but the point is to think outside of the current beerpong box. finally, i'll throw 2 cents on the "1 and done" idea... especially for my boy zen. perhaps you should consider making any team who has won bids before play all their games with 6 cups for the rest of the tournaments they enter that season. so if vince wants to play with a partner he's won with then he'll have to start with a handicap. if he wants to pair up with someone like Mike V (whose been offering him money to do so) then he'll get the full 10. i think you'd have to do the handicap on the team, not the individual though. b/c if i knew that i had a 6 cup handicap no matter who i played with, then i probably wouldn't make the 5 hour car ride again for that. Last edited on Nov 23rd 2009, 10:27 am
wianek Joined: 08.20.2008 Age: 27 Total Games: 47 W/L %: 80.85 Avg CD: 2.30 Full Stats	Posted: Nov 23rd 2009, 11:03 am Post subject: the future of pong "dwissbrun2" also, my observations of most of the tournaments i play in are that the organizers rely on bpong, facebook, and maybe flyers posted in bars as their advertisements for the tournaments. i think there are more strategic ways to get the word out. pass out flyers by hand at the bar or on the street a week prior to an event. take out an ad in the local college newspaper. get contact information and either start an email list serve, or f'n actually call people to let them know about a tournament. i think the strategies differ depending on where you're hosting tournaments, but the point is to think outside of the current beerpong box. I definitely agree with you guys on the FUN aspect and these are all good marketing strategies. However, assuming you do get new players to attend the tournament, 90% of them are immeidately turned off during warm up games because the tournament regulars are "dunking" the ball. Then they play their first tournament game and get swept off the table by a team that goes 10/12. I think quite a few of you guys are missing the main point of equipment changes. Adding the bar that Foster suggested won't help average teams beat the good teams, but it will change their perception of the game. For one, new tournament players will feel more comfortable because they will essentially be playing "elbow rule" and won't have to worry about players leaning half way across the table. Just this last Firday a couple of tournament newbies nearly started a fight with me because I was "dunking" on them - the guys seemed passionate about the game, but I can guarantee you they won't be showing up to anymore tournaments solely because of the perception of the lean. Secondly, and I've stated this before, average shooting percentages will drop with the extended tables. Getting smoked by a team that goes 10/12 is very discouraging. 10/18 or even 10/15 isn't nearly as bad. This once again gives the lesser teams the perception they can compete. Peter Rusch mentioned this before - he went into WS II believeing he could compete because he watched videos of the WS I final and players were missing left and right. How many players are going to think they can compete after watching Smashing Time hiot 10/12 last year? Again, I completely agree that the good players will win regardless of the equipment, but adding the extension bar to essentially enforce elbow rule and decrease shooting percentages can go a long way in how the lesser players perceive the game. It will give them more motivation to practice on the equipment the "pros" use since it will be more so to what they are used to compared to the current tables. And yes, as others mentioned beer pong events need to become more FUN! Last edited on Nov 23rd 2009, 11:04 am
dwissbrun2 Joined: 11.15.2006 Age: 32 Total Games: 113 W/L %: 51.33 Avg CD: -0.11 Full Stats	Posted: Nov 23rd 2009, 12:03 pm Post subject: the future of pong "wianek" Secondly, and I've stated this before, average shooting percentages will drop with the extended tables. Getting smoked by a team that goes 10/12 is very discouraging. 10/18 or even 10/15 isn't nearly as bad. This once again gives the lesser teams the perception they can compete. Peter Rusch mentioned this before - he went into WS II believeing he could compete because he watched videos of the WS I final and players were missing left and right. How many players are going to think they can compete after watching Smashing Time hiot 10/12 last year? yeah, i don't want to dismiss the idea that people perceive the lean as bullshit, and instantly never come back because of that. it's a problem... but there are always going to be problems along these lines. if you extend the table to say 12 feet (with bars or just with a longer table), then the problem is going to be that all these morons who have been playing on 6ft tables in college (with elbow rule) are going to show up and say "what the fuck, nobody can hit cups on a table this long." If you change the rules then they'll just say "what the fuck, these rules suck." people like the ones you mentioned before are never going to be pleased until you play the way they do... and even then they'll come up with excuses. people that get so pissed that they want to fight... i don't even want them at tournaments. beyond that... extend the table, keep both feet on the ground, draw a tape line, make a rubber mat, put in the elbow rule, or whatever you think will work. i guarantee that Pop, Ron, Vince, Dane, and anybody else who has the time to practice and the motivation to succeed will become dominant players on the bigger tables. then you will have made the game harder for the spanks, no different for the beasts of the game, and probably harder for middle of the road guys like me... and still no one is any happier than before.
wianek Joined: 08.20.2008 Age: 27 Total Games: 47 W/L %: 80.85 Avg CD: 2.30 Full Stats	Posted: Nov 23rd 2009, 12:21 pm Post subject: the future of pong "dwissbrun2" if you extend the table to say 12 feet (with bars or just with a longer table), then the problem is going to be that all these morons who have been playing on 6ft tables in college (with elbow rule) are going to show up and say "what the fuck, nobody can hit cups on a table this long." If you change the rules then they'll just say "what the fuck, these rules suck." I disagree. In reality most college kids play on 8' (plywood) or 9' (ping pong) tables. Put the bar 1ft behind current tables to decrease the perception of the lean and "dunk" and I guarantee these people will be way more happy. "dwissbrun2" i guarantee that Pop, Ron, Vince, Dane, and anybody else who has the time to practice and the motivation to succeed will become dominant players on the bigger tables. then you will have made the game harder for the spanks, no different for the beasts of the game, and probably harder for middle of the road guys like me... and still no one is any happier than before. I also guarantee that you won't lose to these guys anymore often than you do now. They just won't be shooting at demoralizing percentages. Last edited on Nov 23rd 2009, 12:22 pm
WBPT_Neil Joined: 12.02.2008 Age: 25 Total Games: 40 W/L %: 62.5 Avg CD: 1.23 Full Stats	Posted: Nov 23rd 2009, 12:36 pm Post subject: the future of pong I agree, I think changing the equipment or rules isn't the answer, no matter what we do there will always be people who complain about the rules and wont play again. Which is fine, obviously competitive beer pong isn't for them. Making the tournaments more fun is something that everyone who is running leagues/tournaments needs to consider. I remember my first Wbpt tournament I played in, before working for the company. We didn't do too well, but after we got knocked out, we started playing pong with some of the Beer Pong Divas. Who were very outgoing and flirtatious. Talking to them made us stick around, then they asked if we were going to be at the next tournament. We didn't even know about the next one until they told us, and if a hot girl is asking you to come to the next tournament, you better believe 99% of guys will come. The point I'm making is obviously what many people have said in this thread, girls will bring guys. It may be a little expense at the cost of the bar/organizer, but its worth it. Find outgoing social girls that know a lot of guys and have them bring their friends to the event. Pay them some commission for recruiting teams. Make sure they are mingling and making sure the guys are having fun during the event. The main reason why I played in so many Wbpt tournaments before working for the company was obviously to win, but besides that, whenever I traveled a bit to a different tournament, I wondered how the divas were going to be or how many there were etc. This is something that us at Wbpt have been losing focus at recently to try to cut back on costs, but due to the rapid decline of players in tournaments, I'm going to be hiring/recruiting 3-5 divas for all of my upcoming events.