The USA will win one of these Mosconi Cups, but they will be underdogs for many years to come unless America stops living in denial about the state of its professional play. The American professional playing community has been focusing on tweaking the game, the rules, and the equipment to suit themselves. As Jay Helfert has often said, no matter the equipment, no matter the rules, no matter the length of race, the cream rises to the top in competition. The same guys, for the most part, will win.
The worst part of what's going on with American pool is the relative absence of any young players who look like future world beaters. Shane is one of the greats already, Mike Dechaine looks like a very solid young player, and I'm impressed with what I've seen of John "Hennessee" Pinegar, but not many young American players are wowing me right now. I remember watching the 19 year old Earl Strickland, the 18 year old Allen Hopkins, and the 23 year old Mike Sigel. Despite their youth, each of them could take on virtually all comers way back when. Where are the young Americans who can do the same? Only Shane qualifies.
The American system is not producing many premier players anymore and the reasons nees to be studied. Time honored methods for instruction, practice, and preparation need to be reviewed, critiqued, and where necessary, revised, if we're ever to catch up with Europe and Asia. If it is broken, fix it!
