Billiards is one of the oldest competitive sports. It was being played outdoors in France in the 1300’s, as indicated by many medieval artists. Today, it is still a highly televised and popular sport, played by amateurs at home, in your local pub or professionals in high stake tournaments and yes, even celebrities. Many celebrities today are a part of or even hold billiard tournaments in their name to raise money for charity.
Over the years, there have been some pretty decent celebrity pool players in Hollywood, showing off their skills at the Billiard Den or Celebrity Billiards. Walter Alston, Manager of the LA Dodgers played a mean game of 14.1. Art Aragon, Famous Boxer, nicknamed “The Golden Boy,” played a fair game of snooker and loved to place a good wager from time-to-time. Fred Astaire; famous actor, dancer, singer, songwriter and television presenter was known to play occasionally and was better than an average 3-Cushion player. Buster Keaton played at old Hollywood Billiards. There was even a film clip from Silent Era where he shot pool, not missing a single shot. The list of celebrities who enjoy/enjoyed the game goes on and on: Elizabeth Taylor, Marlon Brando, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Babe Ruth, Bradley Cooper, George Clooney, Michael Douglas, John Elway, Joe Rogan, Taylor Swift, etc.
Billiards isn’t the only sport, celebrities tend to flock to. This year’s NCAA Basketball Tournament brought out many celebs such as Green Bay Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Actor Bill Murray showed up at the showdown of Xavier and Maryland. Actress Julia Louis Dreyfus was shown many times on TV to support her son, who played for Northwestern.
Of course, the NBA brings out many celebrities on a regular basis, typically there to support their city of LA. Celebrities like Avu Chokalingam, The Franco Brothers, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Adam Levine, John Legend and of course Jay Z and Beyoncé.
The Masters at Augusta also brought out many stars such as Caroline Wozniacki, who carried her boyfriend Rory McIlroy’s bags during the Par 3 contest. Condoleezza Rice, Lindsey Vonn, Paulina Gretzky, Janet Gretzky and so many more looked in on the action of the event.
As you can see, Billiard tournaments aren’t the only place for a celebrity spotting, many are also seen at other popular athletic events such as the NBA/NCAA Basketball Finals, The Super Bowl, The British Open, or even the Wimbledon.
Wimbledon, in 2016, was no different than any other year or sport for that matter. Celebrities were out in force; Rebel Wilson, Pippa Middleton, James Norton, Ellen DeGeneres, Bradley Cooper, David Beckham and Olivia Palermo just to name a few. David Beckham even took the time to smile and wave to his fans, signing autographs and such.
People like to see celebrities doing “normal things” such as attending a sporting event, spending time with their peers, and partaking in a good game of pool or even card games for that matter. It in some way makes them more relatable.
Pool, football, golf, tennis, soccer and so many sports pull celebrities in like crazy…so what is the draw? Is it simply for the press they expect to receive or is there a true love for the sport? I’m sure it is a combination of the thrill of the match, game or tournament, to raise awareness for their charity of choice and for the press they will receive.
Partake in some sports entertainment yourself, test your odds on Wimbledon 2017, and don’t let the celebrities have all the fun this year!
