I just wanted to post an observation I had at the Super Billiards Expo Players Championship.
In the finals, Van Boening was playing Jonathan Pinegar. I was very impressed with Pinegar's game all weekend. Shane got out to a strong start, and soon is was something like 5-1. I went out for coffee. When I came back, Shane was on the 10 ball in another game. So I cautiously stayed still far away from the play area. However, I saw Pinegar up out of his seat, perhaps overanxious to rack up the balls. When I sat down, my friend said "He (Pinegar) keeps getting up while Shane is at the table." I didn't think much of it. Next thing I know, I can hear Frank Del Pizzo getting somewhat heated on the microphone with Pinegar. He was saying "when he's up, your down", basically telling Pinegar to stay in his seat until Shane was done at the table, a reasonable request. Next Pinegar is racking the balls (for himself). Del Pizzo pointed out that he was racking the balls high. Pinegar seemed a little upset with this, and a couple of people in the crowd, clearly on Pinegar's side, piped up and told Del Pizzo that he wasn't checking the rack for Shane. Rather than play that game, Del Pizzo said that he saw the racks for both of them, and that the person in the crown could leave if they wanted to get involved.
Next it was Shane's rack, and actually Del Pizzo did tell Shane that his rack was high. Perhaps Shane corrected it, or else didn't hear him, because a few moments later he completed the rack without incident. However, while doing so, Pinegar got up as if to verify for himself that the rack was good. Del Pizzo firmly told him to sit down, "I am the referee, not you; you have been warned." Pinegar attempted to offer some explanation while still standing and Del Pizzo cut him right off and authoritatively told him to sit down. "When he's up, you're down. That's the way the game is played". This elicited a round of applause from the crowd.
I should point out here that I don't think Pinegar was intentionally trying to shark Shane or anything like that, and I am certainly not out to bash him (if anything, he seemed like an OK guy and a damn fine player). However, the point of my post is to applaud Frank Del Pizzo for taking the attitude that far too few referees take, which is this: "you will do as you are told, I am running this show, I don't care who you are, comply or be penalized." He just chopped right through any BS that might have been going on. His request was clear, and Pinegar, regardless of his motivations, was not following it. I personally believe it is bad sportsmanship to get up out of your seat when your opponent is on the game ball. The defense is that you are just trying to move things along and are getting ready to rack the balls. However, I believe the only reason you should stand up or really do anything other than what you were doing when they were on, say, the 5 ball, is if you are conceding the game. Whether you intend it or not, you are changing the dynamic on the shot when you get up and begin to move towards the table when the opponent is on the game ball. You are basically implying to your opponent that the shot is a mere formality. If you as the shooter approach the shot this way, there will come the day when you miss it because you treated it as a formality.
I don't know Jonathan Pinegar at all, so I will therefore assume that he meant nothing by his actions. However, I still must recognize the excellent refereeing by Frank Del Pizzo. Nice job sir!!
KMRUNOUT
In the finals, Van Boening was playing Jonathan Pinegar. I was very impressed with Pinegar's game all weekend. Shane got out to a strong start, and soon is was something like 5-1. I went out for coffee. When I came back, Shane was on the 10 ball in another game. So I cautiously stayed still far away from the play area. However, I saw Pinegar up out of his seat, perhaps overanxious to rack up the balls. When I sat down, my friend said "He (Pinegar) keeps getting up while Shane is at the table." I didn't think much of it. Next thing I know, I can hear Frank Del Pizzo getting somewhat heated on the microphone with Pinegar. He was saying "when he's up, your down", basically telling Pinegar to stay in his seat until Shane was done at the table, a reasonable request. Next Pinegar is racking the balls (for himself). Del Pizzo pointed out that he was racking the balls high. Pinegar seemed a little upset with this, and a couple of people in the crowd, clearly on Pinegar's side, piped up and told Del Pizzo that he wasn't checking the rack for Shane. Rather than play that game, Del Pizzo said that he saw the racks for both of them, and that the person in the crown could leave if they wanted to get involved.
Next it was Shane's rack, and actually Del Pizzo did tell Shane that his rack was high. Perhaps Shane corrected it, or else didn't hear him, because a few moments later he completed the rack without incident. However, while doing so, Pinegar got up as if to verify for himself that the rack was good. Del Pizzo firmly told him to sit down, "I am the referee, not you; you have been warned." Pinegar attempted to offer some explanation while still standing and Del Pizzo cut him right off and authoritatively told him to sit down. "When he's up, you're down. That's the way the game is played". This elicited a round of applause from the crowd.
I should point out here that I don't think Pinegar was intentionally trying to shark Shane or anything like that, and I am certainly not out to bash him (if anything, he seemed like an OK guy and a damn fine player). However, the point of my post is to applaud Frank Del Pizzo for taking the attitude that far too few referees take, which is this: "you will do as you are told, I am running this show, I don't care who you are, comply or be penalized." He just chopped right through any BS that might have been going on. His request was clear, and Pinegar, regardless of his motivations, was not following it. I personally believe it is bad sportsmanship to get up out of your seat when your opponent is on the game ball. The defense is that you are just trying to move things along and are getting ready to rack the balls. However, I believe the only reason you should stand up or really do anything other than what you were doing when they were on, say, the 5 ball, is if you are conceding the game. Whether you intend it or not, you are changing the dynamic on the shot when you get up and begin to move towards the table when the opponent is on the game ball. You are basically implying to your opponent that the shot is a mere formality. If you as the shooter approach the shot this way, there will come the day when you miss it because you treated it as a formality.
I don't know Jonathan Pinegar at all, so I will therefore assume that he meant nothing by his actions. However, I still must recognize the excellent refereeing by Frank Del Pizzo. Nice job sir!!
KMRUNOUT
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