Pool Cue News and Review

Well, it seems that the WPBA will be without one of their higher profile players next year.  Barretta has skipped almost every WPBA tournament this year, so unless the WPBA comes up with some special exemption, she’ll be losing her touring card and will have to go back to the Q-School.  As I understand it, you need to finish in the Top 40 to keep your WPBA tour card and with her current ranking of tied for 70th, we can safely work under the assumption that this is the last we’ll be seeing of Barretta for a while.

According to someone in the know (does some anonymous poster on AZ Billiards count as a source?) Ms. Barretta is going to focus on raising her kid and might do some league play in down the road.  No, I’m not going to bash Jennifer for quitting pool to focus on her kid.  I actually think its a pretty solid move.  She got about as far as she could in the WPBA and she’s doing solid by her family.  Nothing wrong with that, although I’m guessing some of her sponsors aren’t doing a jig knowing that she’s pretty much done with pool on a professional level.

Where I do have a problem though is with the WPBA.  See, the WPBA decided they would put Jennifer on the cover of their media guide alongside the two other faces of pool, Allison and J-Diddy.  If you want to put a hot chick on the cover of your magazine, at least choose someone who’s playing on the tour.  They had to know that Barretta wasn’t going to strap her kid in the BabyBjörn and hit the tables.

So why not put another hot chick up and comer on the cover.  Its not like you don’t have any to choose from.  Ga Young Kim, Xiao Ting Pan, Jasmin and of course the dreamy Liz Ford and Sarah Rousey.  Hell, I’d even be down with putting Anna K. on the cover.  Sure she doesn’t understand the concept of wearing appropriate clothes to matches, but she is pretty damn cute and is clearly a force on the tables.

WPBA, the times they are a changing.   You’ve gotta start focusing on the players who are highly visible and up and comers.  Who are people talking about?  Who is approachable?  Who hangs with the fans and does PR?  I don’t have a problem with the WPBA hanging on to J-Rida since she really is the face of women’s pool, but put her with two up and comers.  Don’t stick Allison on the cover for the 37th straight year.  Allison is the A-Rod of pool.  She’s extremely gifted, but completely unapproachable.  All she seems to want to do is play and get paid.

Bleh… I’m off ranting again.  Probably shouldn’t write before I’ve had my AM coffee.