maha said:

why would you pay to learn. make games with players that you can win at.

winning is more fun.

you can watch better players and see what they do. and learn from that.

Click to expand...

IMO, if you're really interested in being competitive and improving your game, you have to take the ocassional beating.

You've got to see and experience the situations better players come up with, develop responses, execute said responses, and see what you get back.

There's is no substitute.

Lou Figueroa
you can't learn much
clubbing baby seals

jbart65 said:

Online is funny. Lots of outrage over Yapp omission and Januarta inclusion. Some complaints about Manas too.

You'd think Albert was a chump, not a rising star and potential superstar.

As I said before, I suspect Frazer talked to Yapp. She probably talks to several players to feel them out.

Naturally she and Matchroom are being accused of playing ... politics! God forbid.

Molina Mike loves to drum up these conspiracies. He loves to blather on about how the captains are basically stooges and have no say. Frazer makes all the wildcard and captains picks, he insists time and again.

Frazer talks about players with the captains, sure. The captains might even feel subtle pressure to pick this player or that. But I doubt Busty, Niels, Johan just go along with a charade and have no input whatsoever. I am sure they have lots of say.

Whatever the case, Team Asia is still very strong. Average Fargo of Team ROW is 844 to 825 for Team Asia.

Click to expand...

I think Januarta is a defensible pick, even if not based solely on merit. AJ is clearly a teacher's pet pick.

But who is that teacher?

I have spoken with people who would know exactly how picks are made. Hate to be vague, but can't put anyone on the record. The consensus:

"Emily always gets her way."

You assume she's involved but not overbearing. Why? That is the opposite of what people who have worked directly with her have said, the opposite of her publicly shown personality, and the opposite of what rational thought about the power structure would suggest.

Who pays the money? Matchroom. What is the golden rule?

"He who has the gold makes the rules."

I don't know who made these decisions. But I do know it was as much Emily's choices as she wanted it to be.

jbart65 said:

Eklent Kaci feels disrespected. He writes on FB:

Five Mosconi Cup appearances. Won my last three. Delivered points in tight situations.
2018 Qualified through ranking, becoming youngest player to ever make the team.
2019 Qualified
2020 Captain’s pick
2021 Captain’s pick
2023 First in the ranking, but missed out due my arm injury.
2024 Qualified
2026
3rd Premier League
3rd European Open
3rd Florida Open
2nd World 10

Click to expand...

...lost to a 65 year old at the US open...

Online is funny. Lots of outrage over Yapp omission and Januarta inclusion. Some complaints about Manas too.

You'd think Albert was a chump, not a rising star and potential superstar.

As I said before, I suspect Frazer talked to Yapp. She probably talks to several players to feel them out.

Naturally she and Matchroom are being accused of playing ... politics! God forbid.

Molina Mike loves to drum up these conspiracies. He loves to blather on about how the captains are basically stooges and have no say. Frazer makes all the wildcard and captains picks, he insists time and again.

Frazer talks about players with the captains, sure. The captains might even feel subtle pressure to pick this player or that. But I doubt Busty, Niels, Johan just go along with a charade and have no input whatsoever. I am sure they have lots of say.

Whatever the case, Team Asia is still very strong. Average Fargo of Team ROW is 844 to 825 for Team Asia.

Eklent Kaci feels disrespected. He writes on FB:

Five Mosconi Cup appearances. Won my last three. Delivered points in tight situations.
2018 Qualified through ranking, becoming youngest player to ever make the team.
2019 Qualified
2020 Captain’s pick
2021 Captain’s pick
2023 First in the ranking, but missed out due my arm injury.
2024 Qualified
2026
3rd Premier League
3rd European Open
3rd Florida Open
2nd World 10

And it feels like i’m not even being considered for a wild card.



****

Mike Pannozzo then chimed in. Mike said he and Feijen had talked several times about wild cards and Kaci's name definitely did come up.

***

Eklent is 12th on the points list, trailing well behind six or seven other players. Sure seems like he's lobbying!


Does he deserve a spot? His younger brother is ahead on points, 44,700 to 31,585.

Looks like FSR, Filler and probably Pecelj will get the three automatic bids based on points.

After that, Kledio Kaci has as good a case as anyone. David Alcaide has a better claim than Eklent, too. Alcaide is well ahead on points and has a good Mosconi record as well.