Derby Daze … # 3

sunnyone

cum grano salis
Silver Member
Dear Gentle Readers,

Well.

As tout le monde knows, the Talk of the Town is Jeffrey Ignacio. Those eyes, those oh-so-kissable lips, that chin. Does he speak English? I’m not actually that much older than he is.

As it turns out, that 22-year old can play some pool too. Skill? Certainly. But he also has a certain insouciance as he glides around the table.

Oh well.

The two highlights, for me, so far, have been the Morra v. Bustamante hill/hill safety battle and my new heartthrob’s (Jeff!) triumph over Dennis. Where Jeff won one game by putting the three-foul rule to good avail.

The Derby stream continues to function mostly freeze-free for me. But it better not act up once one-pocket kicks off. Grr!

That Rack Track graphic provides an interesting perspective. As do the TPA stats.

Would someone mention to a certain player that the torn jeans / dress shoes look is a bit twee? Thank you. And, there’s a nice gent who could use some neckwear intervention.

Thanks to those of you who reached out to me to explain why the Big Foot is taking up so much Arena time. Accu-Stats will end up with some for-sale DVDs of some of the top players in the world. If it’s a business decision that helps keep Derby going - - whether in Indiana, back to Louisville or Atlantic City, I’m all for it.

Some wit and wisdom from Sunday …



“He made it! He made it! No he didn’t. Hey, I can argue with myself.”

“Shane is kind of a loner, he doesn’t hang much with the other players.”

“The top players from every era would be competitive. But there are more top players today than ever.”

“More players are getting better because of Accu-Stats and the commentators.”

“Even though he won the Big Foot last year, Shane doesn’t like playing on the 10-footer.”

With the 8, 9, and 10 arrayed in a certain way … “He’s playing one-pocket now.”

“You’ll notice the fitness level of Shane. He works out at the gym, which is important in a long tourney like the Derby.”

“I’m gonna bet he makes it.” Miss. “I’m not gonna bet much.”

SVB was kicking for the 17th time in his match … “Shane is like a race horse and you’re making him plow.”

An oldie but goodie … “He’s mad at his money.”

“Alex plays a lot of snooker. This 10-footer is like a big bar table to him.”

“On a 5 x 10 beat the table by playing angels.”

“When the choice is between using a draw shot and a follow, always follow.”

On Ignacio … “He didn’t treat that shot with the respect it deserves.” (This became one of the themes of the match.)

“Play position to run out, rather than just fall on the next ball.” (Another theme.)

Back to Ignacio … “He has the best break in the tourney.”

“The score shouldn’t dictate the choice of shots.”

“Greg Sullivan is the best tournament director in the country. He and Mark Griffin should be in the Hall of Fame.”

On Dennis remaining calm as he won a game while far behind … “Let’s wait until he has a real chance to win the match and then take his blood pressure.”

“Mika plays much better in front. Sometimes he goes into a death spiral.”

On when to actually stroke the ball …”Respiratory Pause.”

“Mika is on the poker-player verge of being on tilt.”

“Never be lazy around the table.” (Darren Appleton quote.)

“Filipino rotation players get on the right side of the object ball.”

On Dennis, toward the end of the match … “Rack carefully, this is the last dance.”



Wanting to see a lot more of Jeff Ignacio is my life,

Sunny

P. S. I so fear for the innocent One-Pocket.org lads who journeyed to Derby seeking nothing more than a fun and fair match. They have wandered, poor lambs, into hostile territory and ruthless knaves may well take advantage of their naiveté.

One worries, doesn’t one?
 
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