Shane Van Boening at Mosconi is pointless!

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Blue Jam

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Now the whupping is complete, SVB leaves London without a single point to his name. Tough break for such an accomplished player, but it highlights the gulf in class between the two teams. Can't see a US victory coming anytime soon without the leading qualifier stepping up to the plate.

Bergman finishes as joint highest point scorer having conducted himself brilliantly. Was a joy to watch Woodward and Morris enjoying their doubles match yesterday. The only way back to winning ways for USA is to install more of that love of playing throughout the rest of the team.
 
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BasementDweller

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Woodward and Bergman are bright spots. I think they looked the best at the table but I'm not certain if the stats will back that up. Woodward potted some really difficult, high pressure balls but things just didn't go his way. If the U.S. can somehow find a couple more players of their caliber and we can have Shane playing as the 5th man until he regains some confidence we may have a chance to make this competitive sometime in the next 10 years.
 
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John Disque

John Disque

Banned
I don't think anyone has the right to speak for Shane

I'm trying hard not to speak for anyone... but I'm going to take a guess here...

Pool is NOT a natural team-sport. A lot of people pick the game up in their youth so they don't have to deal with humans, and.... when they do - It's them against the world. "Kill or be killed."

From the things I know - as a kid... Shane was being bullied in school and found solitude, peace and respect in the pool-rooms. The result was: the game came almost natural to him and it was used "as an escape from the brutality of the real world."

Uniting back with humans and working with-them, instead of against them...... might just be the most unnatural thing he's ever tried to do.

^^^^This is nothing but "my best guess at what could be wrong and what everyone might be missing." Take it for whatever it's worth.
 
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garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
John Disque said:
I'm trying hard not to speak for anyone... but I'm going to take a guess here...

Pool is NOT a natural team-sport. A lot of people pick the game up in their youth so they don't have to deal with humans, and.... when they do - It's them against the world. "Kill or be killed."

From the things I know - as a kid... Shane was being bullied in school and found solitude, peace and respect in the pool-rooms. The result was: the game came almost natural to him and it was used "as an escape from the brutality of the real world."

Uniting back with humans and working with-them, instead of against them...... might just be the most unnatural thing he's ever tried to do.

^^^^This is nothing but "my best guess at what could be wrong and what everyone might be missing." Take it for whatever it's worth.
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You could be right. Going from "lone gunman" to "rah-rah" teamplayer may be a tough transition. He may also care TOO much and just gets in his own way.
 
PhilosopherKing

PhilosopherKing

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
i'm sure the producers make a point of telling the players to look alive. sucks for an introvert. it's like making an arachnophobe play with a spider on his bridge-hand. they should leave him be and get their value out of his game.
 
jasonlaus

jasonlaus

Rep for Smorg
Silver Member
Still doesnt explain why he loses his singles matches. I just dont believe all the BS about being a "team" just get up there and win YOUR match.

If Shane wins half his matches we are at 9 - 5 right now with Shane in the next 2 matches, so at half we would be 10 -6 and still alive.
Jason

4 games won instead of lost is 7 - 7. Think about that
Jason
 
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Prince H

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Blue Jam said:
Now the whupping is complete, SVB leaves London without a single point to his name. Tough break for such an accomplished player, but it highlights the gulf in class between the two teams. Can't see a US victory coming anytime soon without the leading qualifier stepping up to the plate.

Bergman finishes as joint highest point scorer having conducted himself brilliantly. Was a joy to watch Woodward and Morris enjoying their doubles match yesterday. The only way back to winning ways for USA is to install more of that love of playing throughout the rest of the team.
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I think leaving Shane out of next year's Mosconi would be good as a sort of "investment." His problem is clearly mental, so forcing him to watch Mosconi from the sidelines might be enough to bring his hunger back. I think knowing that Mosconi is one of the only hills he couldn't climb would be enough for him to say "eff this" and bring out the beast mode he so often talks about.
 
PhilosopherKing

PhilosopherKing

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
jasonlaus said:
Still doesnt explain why he loses his singles matches. I just dont believe all the BS about being a "team" just get up there and win YOUR match.

If Shane wins half his matches we are at 9 - 5 right now with Shane in the next 2 matches, so at half we would be 10 -6 and still alive.
Jason

4 games won instead of lost is 7 - 7. Think about that
Jason
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it's not the playing on a team, it's the asking him to smile for the camera be and be an actor.

if earl were there he could be shane's mouthpiece and lift the load off.

maybe he's on some level worried that if he plays well, the neanderthals in the stands will target his hearing disability? who knows?
 
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S

Str8PoolMan

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Cup of Blunder...

To be fair, it was rather pointless for the entire American team to be at the Mosconi Cup.
 
Bank it

Bank it

Uh Huh, Sounds Legit
Silver Member
A true disappointment, not only in his play but also the seemingly apathetic attitude. Never have been a fan, couldn't quite pinpoint why, just not.
 
PhilosopherKing

PhilosopherKing

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Bank it said:
A true disappointment, not only in his play but also the seemingly apathetic attitude. Never have been a fan, couldn't quite pinpoint why, just not.
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apathy and sometimes abrasiveness are self-defense mechanisms for introverts. it's how they mask shyness under social pressure.
 
JCIN

JCIN

TheActionReport.com
Gold Member
Bank it said:
A true disappointment, not only in his play but also the seemingly apathetic attitude. Never have been a fan, couldn't quite pinpoint why, just not.
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Shane hates losing. Pathologically. After years of getting his nuts kicked in at the Cup its not that hard to figure out why he looks unhappy. Dude is batting .500 in winning US Opens. He's entered ten and won five. No one knows how to win more than Shane. That his performance has been so bad is a clue there is something that is off with him in that format or in that dynamic.

The dynamic on most American cup teams puts the fun in dysfunctional. From Charlie Williams making guys meet to go play tennis to Archer basically not really doing much of anything to Wilson treating it like a high school baseball team. Is it that hard to figure out how an introverted, driven person with a ridiculous passion to win might not like being in a situation he can't control and historically loses at?

I think Shane should take a break from the Cup. Just don't even worry about it.
 
Kim Bye

Kim Bye

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Don`t you think Shane has thought about this himself?
As I understand you qualify for the Mosconi cup, by your stats in competitions throughtout the year, Shane is the most winning American player and he certainly want turn down a Mosconi invite, but that does not mean that he is the best team player or best pick for short, shotclock 9 ball tournament on a table with buckets.
 
J

JAM

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
JCIN said:
Shane hates losing. Pathologically. After years of getting his nuts kicked in at the Cup its not that hard to figure out why he looks unhappy. Dude is batting .500 in winning US Opens. He's entered ten and won five. No one knows how to win more than Shane. That his performance has been so bad is a clue there is something that is off with him in that format or in that dynamic.

The dynamic on most American cup teams puts the fun in dysfunctional. From Charlie Williams making guys meet to go play tennis to Archer basically not really doing much of anything to Wilson treating it like a high school baseball team. Is it that hard to figure out how an introverted, driven person with a ridiculous passion to win might not like being in a situation he can't control and historically loses at?

I think Shane should take a break from the Cup. Just don't even worry about it.
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I have to agree with much of this post. I am actually a strong Shane fan, but it is obvious that the Mosconi Cup format is not his cup of tea when it comes to pool. I think he prefers to be in control of his destiny and not be dependent on a team.

There is nothing wrong with Shane's ability to shoot pool. None whatsoever. He will continue to win championships, and like other champions before him, he will go down in the history books as being one of the best when it comes to legendary American thoroughbred players. :cool:
 
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Sam at TAP

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Some players are team oriented and some are not

I only half hearted agree with the comment pool is not a team oriented sport. I think it is to the majority of players such as the amateurs. If not then you would not have all the leagues having such growth and one is the TAP league that I have been involved with for going on 20 years but I will say some of the pros that make their living as a singles player it might be a hard adjustment to make since they have that "lone wolf" attitude to make a living. No one here can question SVB's ability on the table. Maybe its a mental block. No one here and not I am to say. I personally dont think they have the best players in the USA on this team, regardless of point standings. Just because some of the better players cant make these events does not mean they are not the best. Experience in these sorts of competitive situations has just as much weigh as point standings. Just my opinion.
 
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justinb386

Banned
jasonlaus said:
Still doesnt explain why he loses his singles matches. I just dont believe all the BS about being a "team" just get up there and win YOUR match.

If Shane wins half his matches we are at 9 - 5 right now with Shane in the next 2 matches, so at half we would be 10 -6 and still alive.
Jason

4 games won instead of lost is 7 - 7. Think about that
Jason
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Yeah, but even in the singles, he has the pressure of not only losing the games or the match for himself, but the pressure of losing for the entire team. That is 5 times the pressure I think. It may be a pressure issue. I never liked playing for a team, and always played better in singles competition. I never played as good in team competition. It just puts so much more pressure on the player. Skyler might be the strongest team player out of the past 2 years that he has been on the team. I see that he is fearless, and handles the pressure very well. When he misses a ball, or makes a mistake, it has nothing to do with the pressure (in my opinion). Sorry if my reply was off topic.
 
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justinb386

Banned
Prince H said:
I think leaving Shane out of next year's Mosconi would be good as a sort of "investment." His problem is clearly mental, so forcing him to watch Mosconi from the sidelines might be enough to bring his hunger back. I think knowing that Mosconi is one of the only hills he couldn't climb would be enough for him to say "eff this" and bring out the beast mode he so often talks about.
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I do not know, but he might not care to watch the Mosconi Cup, if he was not on the team. He might not even want to be on the team, and only doing it for the sake of his image, and maybe the $10,000 that he is guaranteed to get out of participating. I do not think he is really serious about the event. I might be wrong though.
 
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mcsock

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Shane didn't play well at all. But that happens. What is really bothering me is his attitude has to be bring down the team. We all saw how fired up the other team was. They were pump up as a team. Other than a few times with Rodney, Sky and Justin, I didn't see that from USA team.
 
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