If the Fargo rating system existed back in the 70's, 80's, and 90's, how many of those top Legendary players do you think would have been an 800?

I was watching the 1998 US open finals and was surprised by how visibly less good the players were back then.

No disrespect to them of course, but it is mind blowing how far the game has come in just a few decades. But I do agree with those who day that the players are more robot like these days (for better or worse).

It was still a more enjoyable game to watch back then, right? They were not all robots.

If the Fargo rating system existed back in the 70's, 80's, and 90's, how many of those top Legendary players do you think would have been an 800?

Unfortunately, no. You simply would not have enough archived data to build an accurate ecosystem of play, going from the top pros down to the 400s and 500s-level players.

While we might be able to piece together some data for a top player (which would be painstaking) it would be almost impossible to then piece together how all of the players they played did against the players they played, and so on.

Consider: Joshua Filler has 14,869 games in the system. Other top players have similar numbers. The average guy in my league (which also contribute to the very same ecosystem that Filler's Fargo depends on) have anywhere from 200 to 2,000 games (easily). The guys I play with also play with Anthony Meglino (12,914 games), so there is a line from guys like Filler to the guy on the table next to me on a Monday night.

we could never recreate that level of interconnectedness for players from the 1980s and '90s.

Wow, and I thought that 6,000 games in the system was a lot. I looked at some of the ratings of some of the players who signed up for a 650 and under capped event, and was shocked to see that they had over 6,000 games in the system. I guess odds are that they will be staying a 650, for example, like, for a very long time.

If the Fargo rating system existed back in the 70's, 80's, and 90's, how many of those top Legendary players do you think would have been an 800?

This just isn't true or even almost true.The best from yesteryear would have absolutely no chance (well of course this isn't true, it would be non-zero) against the best today. They would adjust immediately - have you actually watched them and seen how good they are?

Even if they could not take their current equipment with them? And, had to play with what was available, in 1990, for example? Back then, there were no LD shafts, or Layered tips, or high tech break cues, and jump cues.

If the Fargo rating system existed back in the 70's, 80's, and 90's, how many of those top Legendary players do you think would have been an 800?

I agree that Fargo is extremely accurate.

Still, it wasn't that long ago that there were zero players in the world that had a Fargo of 800. I think Shane and Wu were the first two, and that was in 2010 or so.

Actually, I think the 780 of fifteen years ago, who would have been a top ten player in the world at the time, would have had no trouble staying with a 780 of today. The 780 of today, however, is about the 150th best player in the world and makes a very marginal income from competition.

I guess this is all because there are far more really great players.

If the Fargo rating system existed back in the 70's, 80's, and 90's, how many of those top Legendary players do you think would have been an 800?

It doesn't matter how good the individual player is, there still would have been 850 FR players in every era. FR isn't based on how well you pocket balls or play the game, only how well you perform against your contemporaries.

Yeah, very good point.

What’s going on in Poland?

I saw today where there are more players in the top 100 from Poland than the USA. When did pool get popular in Poland? Where do people play it? Do they have a strong juniors program? Is the game supported by the government? Is it league, gambling or tournament oriented? I think this is a really interesting development.
they have a strong federation.
they have good coaches
they have junior programs
they treat pool as a sport, as an Olympic sport, not a bar pastime game
they do not play on 7ft tables
Add to this eastern European mentality towards sports.
They started gaining strength about 20 years ago, back then they had one player that was pro level - Babica
What you see today is the fruits of a 15-20 years effort with kids that are now the players that you see.

A Couple Of Diamond Professional Observations

A couple of things I have noticed about this Diamond Professional table now that I've had it for over three months.

First, balls go in on the break. I am breaking with the 9B on the spot and I am placing the CB just off the rail on the right side about 2-3 inches. The right side facing the rack is what I mean. I consistently make a ball, and alot of times 2-3 balls. The 1B goes into the side pocket and the wing ball into the corner pocket consistently on this table.

Second, the side pockets on this table are very unforgiving. If you are facing this shot on the 3B that I have diagrammed below you better not hit it with any speed. Or else you need to hit it near the center of the pocket. If it hits the facing it is going to pop out.

r/DCP

making balls on the break have little to do with the table if a rail is not hit first or the size of the pockets are significantly different.
It's about racking, breaking angle and speed, where exactly you hit the 9ball and the cloth and it's condition and humidity.
The 1ball goes to the side without hitting a rail... so the table doesn't mater. Assuming that you always rack the same and break the same, you might need to adjust in a few months as the cloth gets worn and winter comes.

Pocket size also have little to do with the table brand as you can customize them on installation.

But it great's a great reminder to us all that you got a new Diamond ;)

Filter

Back
Top