This in my opinion is terrible for Table Tennis. First of all it defines the space that a Pro player needs as just the Table versus the actual court. Second it basically makes fun of TT saying that he had a career as a professional at the sport that lasted for 6 minutes. Third I just have to say that he could be better at the sport if he actually trained correctly as he's athletically capable enough to train for it, but because TT isn't good enough for him he should just stick with Basketball. Lastly his monologue and montage is just terrible for the growth of the sport because he thinks that training yourself is how you become a professional.
Pretty much the only thing I liked about it was that it shows how Soo Yeon could literally be texting or applying make-up and would still dominate a poor player such as him.
I get it's supposed to be satire, but as a general question of whether this is good for TT I would have to say not at all.
Richard, consider this:
It is the lowest level of players (who happen to be the MAJORITY of players in any club organization) that keep the clubs running. There are not enough USATT 2000-2800 types in any one locale in USA alone to run/operate even a 5 table club full time. The NEWBs are the lifeblood, period.
Of what level of TT expertise will the future viewership be comprised of? USATT 2000-2800 peoples? Probably not.
Our sport needs NUMBERS at the lowest level in order to move up from there. Our sport needs an infastructure that does not immediately tune out new players. (Our sport at the club level demotivates the NEWBS the first night in the club as even USATT 1000 level players wipe the floor with them) Our sport needs something to inspire players to show up and discover the love for the game on their own.
It is EXACTLY the type of couch potato who gets motivated to start playing or at least check out TT at even the lowest rec center level with even a crappy coach around - this kind of new player is the pipeline to build the numbers, the viewership, the popularity, the need for infastructure, the desire to make leagues, the desire to get serious about the sport... You see where this leads to.
All to often, the problem with failing to grow the sport is OUR FAULT. Yes, OUR fault. As it is right now, take a hundred new players into clubs and let them play. First off, let's see how many O1600 USATT players (that is still a level where the play is ackward and mistakes are galore) will even want to have a hit with a NEWB. How many O2000 player will hit with them? Even if a USATT 1200 player has a hit, they get crushed, realize that there is a LOT to learn about the sport, and QUIT that day. That is a direct result of how WE AS CURRENT PLAYERS acted.
Table Tennis carreer: 1 night.
People can see someone they like taking a crack at the game and see it was FUN, enjoyable, and a chance they can be much better than Blake Griffin. Guys like to go up against hot looking women. (Good chance of finding that in USA, but maybe in time, no?)
Not everything in USA is a bummer for TT. New clubs like Austin, TX (ATTC) how specific nights just for new players with players who are willing to play just them and show a proper attitude. Their TT hall of 16 tables is probably by now too small of a facility. Mitch in MN organized some High School championships for his state and now it has really snowballed into something the schools look forward to and often, they bring CHEERLEADERS and a desire for the sport on par with FOOTBALL itself.
I am not saying we are killing the sport singlehandedly, but we ALL (myself included) need to do more and have a more newb friendly attitude.
It is obvious from the vid all the noise about the pre-training is a joke. Look at how the camera prominately catches the Red Bull logos. I remember an advert a decade or so ago where some very overweight policemen in civilian sports clothes are on the bench of teh Houston Rockets trading barbs with teh star players like Hakeem A. and so on offering them donuts and coffee. The did ZERO to make the sport unpopular, it increased it. That advert was ROFL. So is this one.
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