I agree with Darren

[jamesroberts]

These Forums are patronised by many intelligent, knowledeable and friendly people but also a lot of closed minds.

Be honest - what have the USA brought to the World pool scene in the last 10-12 years?
On the playing side One World 9 Ball Champion.

World Class TV action - I'm still waiting.

The best tours are in Europe (Eurotour, GB9BT).
The best Challenge Matches are in the Philippines.
The best support for televised pool is in Asia.

The USA - Poker, Pool nd Pain - give Me A Break

Eurotour is the best?

 

[JAM]

Eurotour is the best?

Of course, Eurotour is the best, James. As long as you can afford to shoot pool professionally with no monetary payout, it's a great tour. Europeans love those tin cups. Damn right! :grin-square:

 

[jamesroberts]

My favorite tour is the 1 on 1 pool tour. But most of the europeans never heard of that tour

 

[Ratta]

Wondering whether this is meant seriously. Fatboy has been supportive of the game, contirbuting his money and his time (FYI, so have I, and I've done so for decades), and I admire him for it and appreciate it. But I doubt even he would agree with your post that he should be treated any differently than other posters on the forum.

We should appreciate him for his future contributions to the sport? Is this meant to be humorous? If so, take a bow because I laughed pretty hard. Fatboy may do something big for pool one day, and if and when he does, he'll earn the respect and gratitude of all those benefiting from his support of the game.

I graduated from an Ivy league school, had a succesful career in finance and retired at 50. But so what? In these AZB parts, I'm exactly the same as anyone else - a pool enthusiast with an informed opinion. There's no rank around here and those who cannot deal with that shouldn't post here. Ego massages are better obtained elsewhere.

Contrary to your opinion, Fatboy is exactly like other people. Respect is earned, never assumed, and, to be honest, I think he understands that completely. Give him a little more credit, and don't ask the forum to place him on a pedestal reserved for superstars. Fatboy is a good guy who has shown that he cares for and supports our sport. If anything, let's put him on a pedestal for that.

TapTapTap,

great posting!

lg
Ingo

Rep to you!

 

[Fast Lenny]

These Forums are patronised by many intelligent, knowledeable and friendly people but also a lot of closed minds.

Be honest - what have the USA brought to the World pool scene in the last 10-12 years?
On the playing side One World 9 Ball Champion.

World Class TV action - I'm still waiting.

The best tours are in Europe (Eurotour, GB9BT).
The best Challenge Matches are in the Philippines.
The best support for televised pool is in Asia.

The USA - Poker, Pool nd Pain - give Me A Break

I think the pool scene is very good here, why are there so many players coming here from other countries to play if it were not along with some living here? The Seminole Tour is the best tour in the US I think, not sure how the Euro Tours match up to it money wise. We do have the Joss Tour, Viking Tour, GSBT, and many others that people can mention. Challenge matches I think we have that covered here in the US with TAR, but we call them money matches, the exhibition stuff just does not really do much for anyone IMO, no real pressure.

Your right that Asia has the best support for televised pool, but our sports channels have NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB and other big money sports which other countries do not even come close to having so pool suffers for it here. People always ask why pool in America is not doing well, parents do not want there kids playing pool, its got a bad image and no money in it, over in Asia its totally different. We put our kids in little league, basketball, football and real physical sports while Asia and other places have billiard programs.

We are ahead of every place out there, our pools time to shine was 100 years ago with some resurgence here and there. Maybe 50-100 years from now the other parts of the world will have all the big sports that we have and we shall see how pool is doing in those countries at that time. I agree about PPP, I do not see anything happening with it, how long has it been?

 

[realkingcobra]

I've been working for 53 and I haven't ever heard of people doing things like this. Keep your trips to Zsa Zsa Gabor's house and all your cars.

Consumer Credit Services, Inc. (CCS), based in Las Vegas, Nevada, has agreed to settle charges that it defrauded consumers nationwide through the deceptive telemarketing of credit cards and lines of credit for an up-front fee. The Federal Trade Commission, joined by the State of Nevada as co-plaintiff, charged CCS and its president, Eric A. Peterson, with violating the FTC Act, the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR), and the Nevada Deceptive Trade Practices Act, by falsely representing that consumers would receive a major credit card or a $2,500 unrestricted line of credit in return for paying CCS an up-front fee ranging from $149.95 to $179.95. The settlement prohibits the defendants from engaging in the alleged deceptive practices, and requires them to pay $5,000 to the State of Nevada to be used for consumer protection initiatives.

Contrary to defendants' representations, the complaint alleged, consumers only received a package of materials from CCS that disclosed, for the first time, severe limitations on their ability to use the credit products promised. First, the $2,500 line of credit applied only to the use of defendants' "CashPlus" credit card (which was not a general credit card, but could only be used to purchase items from CCS catalogues); second, the cash advance was limited to only $10; third, consumers did not receive a VISA or MasterCard, only a form to request an application for a VISA or MasterCard that they must send to a bank; and fourth, CCS’s CashPlus card could not be used in an ATM machine.

Just wondering if you've ever gambled for money playing pool and won? Did you claim your winnings as "Taxable income" if you did....you nit! Who gives a shit about what Eric did to make his money...he didn't put a gun to ANYONES head and say..."GIVE ME YOUR MONEY"! People spend money stupidly everyday, at least he DIDN'T take a "BAILOUT" from the government like the banks and automakers did!!!! Get over it, life is what YOU make of it, not what it makes of YOU!

Glen

 

[billbOK]

...The Seminole Tour is the best tour in the US I think, not sure how the Euro Tours match up to it money wise...

The Eurotour is a 7 events per year tour. The organisation was injecting a bit less than 500k $ in prize money per year, and for years, until 2010. Since then the prize money was reduced to around 400k per year, due to the crisis and the consecutive decrease of participants.

Now, there is usually around 170 players form everywhere in Europe per event. Before the crisis, it was usual to have a full field of 256 players.

 

[Fast Lenny]

The Eurotour is a 7 events per year tour. The organisation was injecting a bit less than 500k $ in prize money per year, and for years, until 2010. Since then the prize money was reduced to around 400k per year, due to the crisis and the consecutive decrease of participants.

Now, there is usually around 170 players form everywhere in Europe per event. Before the crisis, it was usual to have a full field of 256 players.

Thanks for the info, sounds like a great tour, the Seminole I think adds around 200K a year but I could be wrong and I am too lazy to look at last years schedule. :embarrassed2:

 

[sjm]

Yes they did. He was their first choice. They ran it past three of the team and if they did not approve then they would have gone to their second choice who also fitted the age demographic

Thanks for the info. I did not realize this.

 

[JAM]

Dennis Hatch was up for running as being the captain of Team USA. With all of his spirit and ethusiasm that he displayed in the previous Mosconi Cups, it sure is a shame he was not selected as the captain. :sorry:

I guess Johnny, et al., chose Charlie because they wanted him to be a part of their Mosconi Cup experience. :grin-devilish:

As far as excitement goes, Dennis would have complemented the entire event. Everybody loves Dennis.

I think Johnny, et al., made the wrong selection. That's my opinion, and I'm sticking with it.

 

[Fast Lenny]

Dennis Hatch was up for running as being the captain of Team USA. With all of his spirit and ethusiasm that he displayed in the previous Mosconi Cups, it sure is a shame he was not selected as the captain. :sorry:

I guess Johnny, et al., chose Charlie because they wanted him to be a part of their Mosconi Cup experience. :grin-devilish:

As far as excitement goes, Dennis would have complemented the entire event. Everybody loves Dennis.

I think Johnny, et al., made the wrong selection. That's my opinion, and I'm sticking with it.

I had the opportunity to go to the Mosconi Cup when Hatch played but my road partner flaked out so I missed out on one of the best Mosconi Cups, the Euros are afraid of The Hatchetman I think. :grin-square:

 

[JAM]

I had the opportunity to go to the Mosconi Cup when Hatch played but my road partner flaked out so I missed out on one of the best Mosconi Cups, the Euros are afraid of The Hatchetman I think. :grin-square:

Dennis is passionate about pool and has good team spirit. Who can ever forget his first Mosconi Cup in Vegas?! For those who didn't know who Dennis Hatch was at that time, they sure fell in love with him after seeing his strength, abilities on a field of green, and passion for pool at that Mosconi Cup. He played strong, and he was voted MVP.

Why Johnny, et al., bypassed Dennis for Charlie Williams seems odd to me. I guess it's a win-win for Dragon and Charlie. He gets a piece of Dragon players' winnings as well as 100 percent of his own. You can't beat that!

 

[Fast Lenny]

Dennis is passionate about pool and has good team spirit. Who can ever forget his first Mosconi Cup in Vegas?! For those who didn't know who Dennis Hatch was at that time, they sure fell in love with him after seeing his strength, abilities on a field of green, and passion for pool at that Mosconi Cup. He played strong, and he was voted MVP.

Why Johnny, et al., bypassed Dennis for Charlie Williams seems odd to me. I guess it's a win-win for Dragon and Charlie. He gets a piece of Dragon players' winnings as well as 100 percent of his own. You can't beat that!

I would have never thought of Charlie, people are just in disbelief. I do not know him personally but its obvious there were many better choices that the fans would have liked to see. Grady Mathews, Earl Strickland, Nick Varner, Dennis Hatch, Tony Robles and many more guys out there. Either way it is what it is and all the complaints wont change a damn thing so lets just root USA on and hope next year we get to vote someone on. :thumbup:

 

[The Saw]

Dennis Hatch was up for running as being the captain of Team USA. With all of his spirit and ethusiasm that he displayed in the previous Mosconi Cups, it sure is a shame he was not selected as the captain. :sorry:

I guess Johnny, et al., chose Charlie because they wanted him to be a part of their Mosconi Cup experience. :grin-devilish:

As far as excitement goes, Dennis would have complemented the entire event. Everybody loves Dennis.

I think Johnny, et al., made the wrong selection. That's my opinion, and I'm sticking with it.

Amen sister...... I've always been a big fan of how Johnny plays but since the economy has gotten tight Johnny has made some bad decisions for his image, all in the name of a buck. The recent US Open boycott fiasco and then signing with Douchebag Promotions. Johnny has proven to me with recent decisions he's more on board ith the US $ than the US Team. Gotta keep the new boss happy!

 

[lfigueroa]

I would have never thought of Charlie, people are just in disbelief. I do not know him personally but its obvious there were many better choices that the fans would have liked to see. Grady Mathews, Earl Strickland, Nick Varner, Dennis Hatch, Tony Robles and many more guys out there. Either way it is what it is and all the complaints wont change a damn thing so lets just root USA on and hope next year we get to vote someone on. :thumbup:

I think the more folks applaud the current team selections, the more likely it is, they will see more of the same in the future.

Lou Figueroa

 

[Fast Lenny]

I think the more folks applaud the current team selections, the more likely it is, they will see more of the same in the future.

Lou Figueroa

I agree we should not applaud the selection but we have several threads on here bashing CW and Mosconi Cup along with Johnny Appleseed and atleast for this year it will do no good. They took notice and will either do it over next year or maybe let the fans choose who they want us Captain. Getting us involved in the voting process like they did with Hatch was kind of fun really.

 

[JAM]

I would have never thought of Charlie, people are just in disbelief. I do not know him personally but its obvious there were many better choices that the fans would have liked to see. Grady Mathews, Earl Strickland, Nick Varner, Dennis Hatch, Tony Robles and many more guys out there. Either way it is what it is and all the complaints wont change a damn thing so lets just root USA on and hope next year we get to vote someone on. :thumbup:

For sure, I agree that we should all root for the home team. That's what the Mosconi Cup is truly about: Team Spirit. I agree that that's a given.

I cannot help, though, but think that many, if not the majority, Americans share the same opinion as it pertains to the selection of this year's team captain. The word "outrage" comes to mind. :angry:

As an American, we shall all root for USA, all the way. And I, for one, will always appreciate Matchroom Sport for everything they do for pool in my lifetime. :smiling-heart:

And whether Doug knows it or not, I appreciate him sharing his nuggets of wisdom. He's one of the good guys, and he is an asset to this forum. :yes:

 

[JAM]

Amen sister...... I've always been a big fan of how Johnny plays but since the economy has gotten tight Johnny has made some bad decisions for his image, all in the name of a buck. The recent US Open boycott fiasco and then signing with Douchebag Promotions. Johnny has proven to me with recent decisions he's more on board ith the US $ than the US Team. Gotta keep the new boss happy!

Pool politics at its finest for sure! :wink:

 

[lfigueroa]

I agree we should not applaud the selection but we have several threads on here bashing CW and Mosconi Cup along with Johnny Appleseed and atleast for this year it will do no good. They took notice and will either do it over next year or maybe let the fans choose who they want us Captain. Getting us involved in the voting process like they did with Hatch was kind of fun really.

The problem is that some parties will take the endorsement of one (the team) to be, (by extension) an endorsement of the the other (the process and final selection). I'm not saying it's right, I'm saying that's the way it will be perceived by some.

Lou Figueroa

 

[Taco]

Doug, I get your point and empathize with your stance on some of the opinions shared on this forum. Not all of them are representative of mainstream America, IMO.

That said, there must be some reason why those robotic-like European tournament soldiers come to the United States to live. If it ain't for our pocket billiards community, then it must be something here that attracts these pool players from around the world.

"GREAT" Britain may be well known for its snooker players, much more so than this side of the pond, but we have our share of legendary pool players, much more so than your side of the pond, going all the way back to the early 20th century. I am reminded of legendary pool players like Wimpy, Murphy, Steve Mizerak, Louie Roberts, Cornbread Red, Irving Crane, Willie Mosconi, Fats, et cetera, et cetera. (END QUOTE)


"Robotic-like European tournament soldiers" is an interesting turn of phrase, but you could also view it as "focused, determined, undistractable," unlike, say, Strickland, who's as naturally talented as anyone on the planet but his own worst enemy.

And putting "GREAT" in ironic quotation marks seems a little xenophobic.

FWIW, I live on this side of the pond and will be rooting for team USA, CW or no CW.

Sorry, but IMO being "representative of mainstream America" means being accepting and welcoming of people from other countries. Without that, there wouldn't be an America.

I agree that we have a history of great pool players. But the world has changed. Fifty years ago, they didn't play much pool in the Philippines or Finland or Taiwan or the UK. The talent pool has swelled from 300,000 Americans to 7 billion people around the world, and in many of those countries pool is a real sport, not something you play on a date in a bar on Friday night. Inevitably, we're going to lose our hegemony.

Go Team USA.