Mosconi Cup Unpicked Players Bail Out

When I found out where the MC was being held, I looked at the cost of airfare ~$1200.00. I would love to be there for the event.

I will be pulling for the American team. And I hope all American players on this forum will be too. And I'm sure the past players from earlier MC teams will be doing the same.

I feel it would be good to see 3 or MORE, American professional pool players there to support the team, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, to support OUR (I really mean OUR) country.

If I was chosen as the original 8, then I would have made arrangements with my employer. And chances are, my employer would be supportive of my role as a non playing team member. It would have been an honor to have made the list.

I too agree with an earlier statement, that as the day comes for the team to leave, those that were on the original 8, if they're not on that plane, they will have an empty feeling in their gut.

Good luck to the AMERICAN team. U S A!... U S A!...U S A!
 
elvicash said:
OK I hear the Mosconi cup players who were not picked have now bailed out on the team. All of the people interviewed as potential players were asked if you are chosen to be in the potential group but are not on the final team will you still support the team and stick with it so the team can stay together. They all said yes but now they are all backing out.

Mark Wilson and Matchroom had arranged for them to be involved with active roles and it would have added a lot to our efforts. They would have been there for support and to show a totally united team America to the world. Some people in the pool world knocked the thought and the titles or roles they would have played such as coach or assistant. Whatever the team would have been more with them involved.

They would have had their expenses paid and also been paid a decent sum of money paid to them with it increasing if the team won. This expense and player payment was raised with effort by Mark Wilson. We would have had a much larger contingent in a tough environment where it will be very loud and almost all pro Europe.

So I wonder what will OSCAR DOMINGUEZ, JEREMY SOSSEI, BRANDON SHUFF be doing that is so time consuming where they do not have the schedule or perhaps the backbone to support the team if they are not actually playing. To finish what they started. Why did they not do what they said they would do, stick with the team and show some solidarity.
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Insufficient data. If they aren't on the team how did the "back out" of anything?
 
JAM said:
Valid point, and I totally understand where you're coming from on this. :)

With that said, after last year's Mosconi Cup fiasco, the topic of which we've all beaten to death on this forum ad nauseum, Matchroom Sport has bent over backwards to accommodate the Americans as it pertains to a new-and-improved Team USA.

If the "chosen ones" to be considered in the selection criteria turn their back on the upcoming Mosconi Cup because they weren't in the top five, well, this speaks volumes to Matchroom Sport.

I would advise each and every one of you who enjoy collecting pool paraphernalia to purchase as much Mosconi Cup products this year as you can.
American professional pool is already circling the drain. This just may be the nail in the coffin for Matchroom Sport to move in another direction, and who could blame them?

But, hey, the players gotta do what is best for them. It's their choice. If they don't give a damn, then neither do I. And neither will Matchroom Sport in 2015. Life goes on . . .
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This might prove to be a very shrewd observation. With the breaking of ranks the US team have lost the biggest shell in their armory - the notion that they were a team. If the five can retain it,they still have a chance. But if they are crushed, what might happen? Believe it or not there is a higher authority than Matchroom.

Sky Sports have invested a lot of resources into the MC and might not come back in with another contract. The World awaits America coming good. They would not be interested in Europe against Asia or the Philippines.

That may not bode well for pool in general. So the decisions made by three players might cause a lot of collateral damage.

But I believe that for four out of the five (Shane excepted because he was always going to be on the team) would have followed the same path.
Corey would have bailed earlier if he had qualified as a snooker pro. The passports of the two Justins are probably not heavily stamped enough to indicate that they would go as non players. John, I don't know but I could hazard a guess.

But we should put that all aside and give them a chance to prove themselves. Mark is about to enter the final phase of what he has worked tirelessly to achieve over the last ten months. They can still make him proud of them.
 
Kid Dynomite said:
Lou,

One question for you and this above post! What came first the chicken or the egg???

You omitted the timeline and date of that post? Why? Sequentially, this press release was several months after being selected and released on Oct, 21 2014! These guys were named on the original 8 man teams on March 21, 2014! Again, they were never given the fine print and told what they would be obligated to do or preform prior to joining. A very key point to any argument against them and their actions! Additionally, they we're under the impression there would be a "merit" based system of selection and the coach failed to utilize or implement the selection process and nullified any obligations associated with them.



KD
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I didn't timeline things because I'm working off a phone and it's not so easy to go back and forth to different screens for me because I'm a bit dyslexic.

As to the merit based stuff, I believe that those associated with the inner workings of putting the team together have always known Matchroom would have strong input. There's no surprise there.

Lou Figueroa
 
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lfigueroa said:
And one more thing. Central to the revolving question of what is wrong with pool is the fact that there are too many guys that don't understand that your word is your bond.

There are too many guys in pool that don't understand that, from the players that break their word and fail to live up to their commitments, to promoters that make empty promises. And the only thing worse than that are apologists who say: it's OK, the money wasn't enough anyway, they have a job, he eventually pays off, or whatever other excuse you can dream up.

What is wrong with pool is the culture that condones the scam, the hustle, the empty promise.

Lou Figueroa
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Just wondering Lou, are you going to England to support the team or will you be staying home too? We all want to know since you stand for everything that's right about pool in America. :rolleyes:
 
(((Satori))) said:
Here is where I think the confusion lies. It is my understanding that the players agreed that IF THEY MADE THE TEAM, they would be ok with giving the guys who did not make the team part of the money to come along. As not to be greedy they agreed. This is drastically different than saying I will come along if I don't make the team. Maybe Mark took this as an "agreement" I don't know and NEITHER DO YOU, but that don't stop you from getting knee deep in the drama and talking about "a man's word" in your adult kind of way.

And that's another thing... who are you to talk about adult discussions? You are like a 60 yr old Mexican Bart Simpson with the childish Shit you write on here daily... that and you also have no chin.
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Like I said some of us are trying to have an adult conversation. Bringing what you imagine my heritage is into the conversation gives you permission to be excused and to return to the kiddie table.

And for the record, I was born in San Francisco and my parents immigrated from El Salvador.

Lou Figueroa
 
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jay helfert said:
Just wondering Lou, are you going to England to support the team or will you be staying home too? We all want to know since you stand for everything that's right about pool in America. :rolleyes:
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Not this year, Jay, but it is on my bucket list.

I have been to several MCs here in the States though. Gail loves to go too. And it doesn't take a paycheck to get me there :-)

Lou Figueroa
 
I don't get it. I'm sure Matchroom knew that Sky Sports was thinking of BAILING the cup because the American team had lost 6 out of 7 before Mark Wilson was picked to run the show. If it was me I'd have went with a team like SVB, Corey, Mike D, the 2 Justins, and Skyler. It seems like 99% of the damage has been done already with Sky Sports, so why put it 100% on the backs of the also rans that are not on the team or a new team that nobody knows how 4 of them are going to play. Johnnyt.
 
Wow

Celtic said:
They did not opt out, they had that done for them by being told they were not on the team.

Expecting them to show up and shake red white and blue pom poms and give high fives to the players that "did" actually make the team is absurd and TBH highly disrespectful to those three. They are professional pool players, not cheerleaders and not coaches and they would be doing nothing more then acting like a fan or the wife of a player rooting them on from the bleachers and they bloody well know it.

Anyone with any self respect would have passed on this and simply wished the team the best of luck. It would have been a weird and uncomfortable situation for "everyone" including the 5 "actual" team members.
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Yes, it would be like the backup NFL quarterback standing with a clipboard next to the head coach learning and then working hard to become the starter next year. Or a tenth man on a NBA squad sitting on the bench and working towards a starting role next year. Both of the above cheering on their "TEAM" and enjoying the success or comforting their team mates in the times of rough going.

You are correct...why in the world would we expect the other three Mosconi Cup non playing team members to do that!

Wedge
 
I really think this eight man team thing was a misstep on Mark's part. I think he's making way more out of this team concept than what is practical or even necessary. One team event a year does not make a team sport!

For all practical purposes pool is a quiet, solitary pursuit of perfection. Trying to turn it into something other than that is like trying to put a square peg in a round hole. None of us should be surprised that these unchosen team members don't want to be the square peg.

I think Mark could restore some honor and dignity to U.S. pool simply by holding individuals accountable for their actions, and not by trying to turn them into the New England Patriots.

I will admit that team chemistry does account for something, but not missing balls is much more important. If not having these 3 additional cheer leaders there means we are going to miss more balls then we are in more trouble than I realized.
 
Wedge said:
Yes, it would be like the backup NFL quarterback standing with a clipboard next to the head coach learning and then working hard to become the starter next year. Or a tenth man on a NBA squad sitting on the bench and working towards a starting role next year. Both of the above cheering on their "TEAM" and enjoying the success or comforting their team mates in the times of rough going.

You are correct...why in the world would we expect the other three Mosconi Cup non playing team members to do that!

Wedge
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I agree with your point. Despite having ten months, some still can't grasp the concept of "team". To me, it shows that some were never really there as a team, but for their own glory. American pro players, for the most part, are too much ego driven. They can't handle not being the limelight, not being the "best". Having someone picked over themselves. They have no concept of what being a team even means. The glory of even being picked as one of the eight was quickly lost when they weren't picked as one of the five playing members. If they didn't get to actually play, forget the team concept, they are out of there.

The ultimate in "sore losers". It's me, me, me, or forget you. To me, their attitudes now only showcase why they weren't picked as playing members to start with. But, I doubt they will even understand that concept.
 
lfigueroa said:
The rest of us do not know the reasoning and it is difficult to accept, on blind faith, a player backing out of a commitment.

In my book it'd have to be a pretty good reason.

Lou Figueroa
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Post of the thread (POTT). We the AZB readership are in a mere "supposition" position (read: don't know sh*t), and therefore do not know the backchannel story of why those three backed out of the decision to be with the team. It had to be a unanimous thing, and I'm thinking the thoughts of those 3 not wanting "charity" or otherwise compromising the money payouts coming to the 5 actual players (win or lose), shows a lot of respect in my book. I don't know Oscar, but I know Jeremy, and've bumped into/chatted with Brandon, and I can tell you these guys are extremely thoughtful and respectful human beings.

(EDIT: fixed mistake in this "I don't know..." sentence of saying "Justin" when I meant Oscar. Thanks, AtLarge!)

Here's the dilemma they were presented with: do you accept the offer to go, and know that the 5 actual players are more or less obligated to share their winnings with you? Or do you go with the plan to turn down the money which has a soft-spoken effect of thumbing your nose at Mark? Or do you not go to show respect for the 5 actual team players, and *know* that your are thumbing your nose at Mark as a consequence?

Any way you slice it, there's fault with your decision. Especially in the eyes of AZB readers. ;)

-Sean
 
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Wedge's football example would be more accurate if the cut quarterback was asked to come back next week and stand next to the coaches and pretend to be one.

Backup quarterbacks serve a meaningful function on a team. They need them for their practices and they need to be prepared in case they are actually called upon to play. Neither of those two hold true for these unchosen players.

This is the problem with pretending that pool is the same as these other team sports or even heavens forbid -- we compare it to being a part of an elite military unit. A unit where each member is needed to ensure they all stay alive.
 
Honest answer.

Here's a theory and that's all it is because I have no inside info other than knowing that Mark will ask tough questions to see if you will drop a politically correct softball or go with the tough honest answer.

Maybe all eight were asked if they would still go if they were not selected and 5 said it would too much to bear and would not be able to do it and 3 gave the pc answer of absolutely I would go. Selection process. Take the 5 who answered honestly.

Personally I think it's a mistake for these guys not to go. I would go and be involved in an capacity as I think it's a chance of a lifetime. I'm not in their shoes though and only the 3 players and maybe Mark Wilson know for sure their reasons.

Whatever their reasons are I'm not gonna sweat it, I'm going to support the 5 remaining team members 110% and look forward to seeing them off from Breese, IL this Tuesday. I hope ALL of you will join us.

Ray
 
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