Rethinking the Man Cave

Having watched a lot of shows on the theme of Man Caves and talked to a lot of guys, I guess there are a lot men who want this kind of room.  I think, at some   I have had visions of pool table, hockey tables, pinball machines and a full standing Galaga machines.  Of course, I also need room for the train set. 

level, I too fall into this category.

No doubt, TV has played a lot into this stereotype.  TV shows have glorified the Man Cave and raised it to an art form.  No longer is the big screen TV and a couple of La-Z- Boys enough.  I remember when the pinnacle of a Man Cave was a bar fridge.  Oh how times have changed.  Now, you practically have to hire a designer to get things done.  You need a theme, hidden sound systems, and fully integrated remote controls.  Start budgeting now.

What got me thinking of the Man Cave was my latest obsession.  As anyone who ready my last post knows, I have become hooked on darts.  Darts require a dartboard and some kind of set up, or at least an inconspicuous wall to hang the dartboard on.  It kind of goes with the whole pool table set up.  At least, I think so.  Of course, I may have been conditioned to think so.

Above I mentioned all the things I would like to have in my Man Cave, but the truth is, it is unlikely to ever happen.  I just don't have the space or the extra money to fulfill this dream.  Yes, if I stopped having hobbies and blowing my money on them, I might have the financial wherewithal to fund the Man Cave--but without the interest in hobbies, there really wouldn't be a need for a Man Cave.  There would still be a need for a library full of books, though.

The Number Four Hobby I Would Take Up

If I had enough room in my basement I would love to have a true "man cave" like I see them build on those supposedly reality based TV shows.  I would love to have the bigger than big screen TV, the well decorated and stocked bar, the array of La-Z-Boy recliners for me and the buds, the deluxe table hockey game, and of course a fantastic pool table with the balls to play snooker, 8 ball and 9 ball.

I have seen Paul Newman as Fast Eddie in The Hustler many times--I even bought my father the book last Father's Day.  I love watching those incredible shots the pool sharks make, and I would love to be good at pool.  I would love to be able to walk into a pool room, assemble my cue and beat the best in the house.  I would love to be a ranked player playing matches on television.

I have loved playing pool since I was a child.  I have ventured into pool halls of questionable character, and played at bars.  I have always dreamt of having my own table, and my own cue.  Nothing marks a person so clearly as a two or three piece cue slung over their back as they are mixing with the huddled masses of the public transportation set. 

 

Of course, there are several obstacles to these dreams.  Money and space seem to be the two biggest of them.  I could barely fit a 4X8 table in my basement (and then I would probably have to relocate both the television and the train set.  So making it a "man cave" seems to be out of the question unless I move to a bigger house, or at least a house with a bigger basement.

As far as money goes.  I think if one is going to buy a pool table they should buy a good one.  A crappy pool table with thin slate and low quality felt would quickly become old and undesirable.  If you have to replace it quickly then it really wasn't worth the money--at least that's how I look at it.

As far as becoming a great player.  I would need a lot of practice, and that would eat into my other hobbies.  In addition, I am probably too old to ever become great at pool--but at least I would be able to beat my friends when we went out to a bar.