Would you help your opponent??

ChicagoRJ said:
OK, playing in league last night. It's a tough league, with 16 teams, and cash payouts. It is a "house league" that is sanctioned by ACS.

We are in 4th place, playing the 3rd place team, about mid season.

So, the other team is full of A players and a couple of strong B players, like most of the teams at the top.

I'm playing one of their top guys, and after his first shot, the cb gets right next to an object ball, so know he was to jack way up, but can't reach it... then begins looking for the bridge.

And I smile, cause I know the house bridge when turned sideways really suck as the cue slips around. Well, when he finds the house cue starts to realize it sucks, my teammate chirps up and offers him his "moose head" bridge to shoot the shot and he shoots a perfect safety on me.

I give me teamate a look like "wtf" dude. And when I start examing the table I ask tell him the guy might need some chalk too, and if you don't mind if he uses your break cue in his next game.... kinda laughing about it, but a little pissed.

After the match my teammate tells me it is the classy thing to do....

I tell him it is NOT. Calling your own foul would be classy, helping him find the house bridge would be classy, or picking up the chalk that dropped from his pocket might be classy. OK, I still won the game and most likely why I laughed it off afterwards... but c'mon ??

Heck, I have a pro-adjustabridge but it is ONLY available to my team mates.... Just like my break stick... anyone can use it IF they are on my team....

So, the question is would you give your personal bridge to a guy you were playing in a competitive league ? Or just let him use the house bridge knowing the house bridge sucks... What say fellow AZB'ers ??
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Yes. Because bridges are universal. I don't want to beat a person because he has to contend with the crappy equipment the house provides.

I am just not competitive enough to use EVERY advantage that comes up. Plus if I win after allowing my opponent to use my equipment then I never feel guilty about it.

I mean I get the other side as well and it's kind of like giving your opponent in a marathon a bottle of water when they are out. So if the goal is winning then don't offer any assistance at all. If the goal is winning chivalrously with class then sure, let the guy use the good bridge and play the game. Maybe he will be so embarrassed that he doesn't have his own that it will affect his play anyway.

In fact I find the best thing to do is give my opponent advice on how to play their shots........ :-)
 
I'd let him use it, I'd advise him on the best shot to screw me over, I'd even miss shots for him. Anything to let him stand a chance of beating me! Not.

If I was playing a new comer then I'd help them out. But to a rival team and one of their top players? Really? If his own team don't help him, why should your team? If he specifically asked for the bridge then I wouldn't say no.

Maybe I'm just cold hearted. :)
 
JB Cases said:
Yes. Because bridges are universal. I don't want to beat a person because he has to contend with the crappy equipment the house provides.

I am just not competitive enough to use EVERY advantage that comes up. Plus if I win after allowing my opponent to use my equipment then I never feel guilty about it.

I mean I get the other side as well and it's kind of like giving your opponent in a marathon a bottle of water when they are out. So if the goal is winning then don't offer any assistance at all. If the goal is winning chivalrously with class then sure, let the guy use the good bridge and play the game. Maybe he will be so embarrassed that he doesn't have his own that it will affect his play anyway.

In fact I find the best thing to do is give my opponent advice on how to play their shots........ :-)
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So, by your rationale you should let your opponent use your break cue, your jump cue, your hand towel, your Magic chalk, and your talcum powder?

What's next, when he has a tough shot when he has to load up on the "juice", I let him shoot with my cue with LD shaft so he has the best chance to make the shot ?

Unless he is a personal friend of mine, I'm not letting someone use my equipment..... I paid for it, I lugged it with me, it's mine, all mine :)
 
Unless I just dont like them I help the other team. Its not like we are making a living playing leagues. We have a few guys that take it way too serious, but Im there for fun in leagues. If we are gambling then it depends on how much we are playing for....$5 a game I will help $20 a game no.
 
The question isn't whether you would lend your opponent your equipment. That isn't what happened. A third party intervened.

If you are shooting a match do you want a spectator telling your opponent he's shooting at the wrong ball?

:cool:
 
You are either in a competition, or in a recreation.

If you are mixing the two, we will never come to an answer with a sound premise.
 
You said the house bridge was in good condition so what does it matter whether he used the house bridge or yours? The bridge isn't a finely balanced piece of equipment that affords a significant advantage to "seasoned players"....It's a piece of plastic stuck on a stick that sits stationary on the table. You could stick the same piece of plastic on the end of a tapered broom stick and it would serve the same purpose.

Kind of like chalk....you both use the same piece of chalk. Nobody seems to have an issue with that......or do they?

Let's not make mountains out of mole hills.
 
My team uses my hubs break cue. I can't think of any reason to let an outsider use it. If it breaks down then we'll be out of the cue. We also have the moose head and the same rules apply if you don't have your own use the house provided items.
If they screw up they are liable to blame us for it.

Part of me wants to say yes lend it out... But part of me says no
Loren

Sent from my RM-820_nam_att_100 using Board Express
 
Unless I highly disliked the other player I would offer the use of my bridge and have in the past. But if you are a big butthead you are on your own...
 
Last week in my 9 ball match, my opponent was shooting the wrong ball, and I stopped him. He looked shocked. Not only do I feel better about it, I will no doubt get better cooperation from him in the future, if something comes up. We are regular opponents in both 8 and 9 ball leagues....

(As altruistic as I seem to sound, I would probably let him shoot the wrong ball if it were the playoffs....)

I have friends on a couple other teams that like my break cue, and I let them use it, even against us. It's nothing special, so they really aren't gaining any big advantage. We are friends first.

I enjoy league, and am as competitive as anyone, more than most. Still, I can walk into and out of the room feeling good about it. These are my people. I enjoy my league nights so much, and look forward to them.
 
justadub said:
Last week in my 9 ball match, my opponent was shooting the wrong ball, and I stopped him. He looked shocked. Not only do I feel better about it, I will no doubt get better cooperation from him in the future, if something comes up. We are regular opponents in both 8 and 9 ball leagues....

(As altruistic as I seem to sound, I would probably let him shoot the wrong ball if it were the playoffs....)

I have friends on a couple other teams that like my break cue, and I let them use it, even against us. It's nothing special, so they really aren't gaining any big advantage. We are friends first.

I enjoy league, and am as competitive as anyone, more than most. Still, I can walk into and out of the room feeling good about it. These are my people. I enjoy my league nights so much, and look forward to them.
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I find it difficult to conceptualize the combination of recreation and competition.

I would be anxious to say that if you assist your opponent, then you are no longer competing.
 
And I will add that your assistance to your opponent will only induce a calming effect on their disposition.

If you were competing, you would wish your opponent to be uneasy, anxious, fearful, trembling, and nervous.

You would not accord your actions with that which would put your opponent at ease. So if you do choose to provide comfort to your opponent, then you are not longer competing.
 
If I am playing Earl Strickland in a tournament, part of his advantage is that I am feeling somewhat nervous being on the same stage as one of the all-time greats.

If Earl then offers me the use of his break cue, offers to buy me a coffee, allows me to take additional break periods, then he is working to eliminate my nervousness. Would Earl ever do this? No. This behavior is not in accordance with someone who is competing.
 
ChrisBanks said:
And I will add that your assistance to your opponent will only induce a calming effect on their disposition.

If you were competing, you would wish your opponent to be uneasy, anxious, fearful, trembling, and nervous.

You would not accord your actions with that which would put your opponent at ease. So if you do choose to provide comfort to your opponent, then you are not longer competing.
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Perhaps I should spit at him, too? Make disparaging remarks about his girlfriend? Anything to make him "less at ease"?

Bovine excrement.

We are people first. If I can't beat him by shooting my best, then I didn't deserve to win that match. And yes, he beat me. Although the match was there for the taking. I simply dogged an easy 9 that I should have made, which would have put me into the next rack for the win. All my fault.
 
justadub said:
Perhaps I should spit at him, too? Make disparaging remarks about his girlfriend? Anything to make him "less at ease"?

Bovine excrement.

We are people first. If I can't beat him by shooting my best, then I didn't deserve to win that match. And yes, he beat me. Although the match was there for the taking. I simply dogged an easy 9 that I should have made, which would have put me into the next rack for the win. All my fault.
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We shouldn't spit at our opponent. If we did this, we would be harming ourselves. Harming our mind. And this is something we should try to avoid.
 
ChrisBanks said:
We shouldn't spit at our opponent. If we did this, we would be harming ourselves. Harming our mind. And this is something we should try to avoid.
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Now you're just playing...

In your earlier comments, you said you want to make your opponent uneasy.

Where do you draw that line? What is acceptable, and what isn't? After all, it is a competition, right?
 
justadub said:
Now you're just playing...

In your earlier comments, you said you want to make your opponent uneasy.

Where do you draw that line? What is acceptable, and what isn't? After all, it is a competition, right?
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We should use our judgement. Do you believe you should spit on your opponent? If you truly believe this, then by all means spit.
 
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