wow, facebook blowup

i've played with the cyclops skittles balls a handful of times now, and after about a rack and a half or so i adjust to the differences in throw they have. i've never noticed them skidding more or less, but that's also playing on worn in cloth instead of brand new cloth which could be part of the issue.
that said...in a world where guys can barely find sponsors to throw money at a dying sport, blow ups like this do nothing but hurt. not every golfer loves every course the pga tour plays on, but they still fill every field and with the exception of a couple here and there, nobody feels the need to voice their complaints. they take a professional attitude and just do what is best for them.
i enjoy watching shawn play, but this isn't the first time i've heard of or personally heard him blow up over things pool related. no big shock.
 
The only thing I really learned from that entire catastrophe called a thread is that I am a parasite. I didn't even have to post to be called one either.

Apparently, if you went to school and earn a living you are a parasite. Funny thing though...without these "parasites" I'd like to see how much, if anything, pro pool players would make.

He absolutely has the right to voice his opinion. I just find that his argument goes straight down the shitter when he has to resort to name calling and deleting people who don't agree with him.
 
On an aside, the hall I play an individual money league at has Centennial balls for all the Brunswick Tables but the cue balls have been changed out for the red circle ball.

I hate the red circle ball. I thought of trying to play my matches with a logo ball but decided I did not want to look like a prima donna or something. So I play using the red circle ball, but, I hate it because I know it's different & it acts differently.

In fact, there are even a few bank shots that can not be made with it that can be made with a logo ball or at least not have the cue ball come to rest in the same spot.

Because I know it's different, it's in my head & I have to constantly be thinking that it's the red circle ball or I'll shoot a shot as if it matches the set which it does not & mess up.

That should not be a part of the game.

All 16 balls should be identical.

Yes, it's the same for both players but one should not be put at a disadvantage (or have an advantage) due to that kind of equipment 'knowledge'.

So... I can sort of see Putnam's point. It's his choice to play or not play given the balls being used.

But... if Tiger woods refused to play in a tournament because of the type of flag or flagstick being used, guess what would happen.

But Putnam is not Tiger woods.
 
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My only Cyclop complaints are the six and seven ball colors and the translucient cue ball. Did notice CSI used the Measles Cue Ball for the "pro" events. The rest of us amateurs got the standard one.

Shawn is entitled to his opinion as are all the rest of us. Some of the posts were way off base. Mr. Griffin kept saying some posters didn't know the facts and should refrain from posting inaccuracies. If so many posters are wrong, then tell them why. The truth is liberating! Or is it we can't handle the truth :eek: ;) ?

This entire episode only shows why the world of professional pool is in such disarray. Did notice that most of the pro's in agreement with Shawn are the same ones barred from participating in CSI events. Or are they just not invited? Very, very sad. Another one bites the dust.

In closing, I watched Shawn miss the ball that precipitated his complaint. He missed it. Period. Get over it. Why would you hit a ball that hard with spin on a Diamond and expect it to fall when the object ball hits the rail before the pocket? There was no visible skid. Shawn played poorly and lost two matches, not one. He was the tournament favorite. Think embarrassment entered the equation.

Forgot to mention these are JMHO's.

Lyn
 
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cardiac kid said:
My only Cyclop complaints are the six and seven ball colors and the translucient cue ball. Did notice CSI used the Measles Cue Ball for the "pro" events. The rest of us amateurs got the standard one.

Shawn is entitled to his opinion as are all the rest of us. Some of the posts were way off base. Mr. Griffin kept saying some posters didn't know the facts and should refrain from posting inaccuracies. If so many posters are wrong, then tell them why. The truth is liberating! Or is it we can't handle the truth :eek: ;) ?

This entire episode only shows why the world of professional pool is in such disarray. Did notice that most of the pro's in agreement with Shawn are the same ones barred from participating in CSI events. Or are they just not invited? Very, very sad. Another one bites the dust.

In closing, I watched Shawn miss the ball that precipitated his complaint. He missed it. Period. Get over it. Why would you hit a ball that hard with spin on a Diamond and expect it to fall when the object ball hits the rail before the pocket? There was no visible skid. Shawn played poorly and lost two matches, not one. He was the tournament favorite. Think embarrassment entered the equation.

Lyn
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I saw Dechaine miss a ball to the side pocket and he went ape shi t b/c the cueball was different size . Stock cyclop set of balls.
Sorry, they're sub-standard.
Can you imagine the MLB using sub-standard balls ?
 
cardiac kid said:
My only Cyclop complaints are the six and seven ball colors and the translucient cue ball. Did notice CSI used the Measles Cue Ball for the "pro" events. The rest of us amateurs got the standard one.

Shawn is entitled to his opinion as are all the rest of us. Some of the posts were way off base. Mr. Griffin kept saying some posters didn't know the facts and should refrain from posting inaccuracies. If so many posters are wrong, then tell them why. The truth is liberating! Or is it we can't handle the truth :eek: ;) ?

This entire episode only shows why the world of professional pool is in such disarray. Did notice that most of the pro's in agreement with Shawn are the same ones barred from participating in CSI events. Or are they just not invited? Very, very sad. Another one bites the dust.

In closing, I watched Shawn miss the ball that precipitated his complaint. He missed it. Period. Get over it. Why would you hit a ball that hard with spin on a Diamond and expect it to fall when the object ball hits the rail before the pocket? There was no visible skid. Shawn played poorly and lost two matches, not one. He was the tournament favorite. Think embarrassment entered the equation.

Lyn
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I did not see it & do not know what cue ball was being used...

But the red circle cue ball will throw an object ball differently than a logo ball...

So...could it be possible that that is why he missed the shot with spin?

And...that is why he is so upset?

The red circle cue ball is only a couple or a small few grams lighter than the object balls BUT...it is made of a different phenolic composition & thus reacts very differently.

I'd imagine the Cyclops are similar since they too are made from a different phenolic.
 
ENGLISH! said:
I did not see it & do not know what cue ball was being used...

But the red circle cue ball will throw an object ball differently than a logo ball...

So...could it be possible that that is why he missed the shot with spin?

And...that is why he is so upset?

The red circle cue ball is only a couple or a small few grams lighter than the object balls BUT...it is made of a different phenolic composition & thus reacts very differently.

I'd imagine the Cyclops are similar since they too are made from a different phenolic.
Click to expand...

The pros have no problems with the red circle cue ball. It actually makes playing easier. You don't have to pound the ob as much .
The problem with cyclop cueball is it's not perfectly balanced .
 
We have to get beyond the corrosive idea that we have to agree with others on everything in order to cooperate on anything,
Pool people unite and work with each other to make the game better.
 
JoeyInCali said:
I saw Dechaine miss a ball to the side pocket and he went ape shi t b/c the cueball was different size . Stock cyclop set of balls.
Sorry, they're sub-standard.
Can you imagine the MLB using sub-standard balls ?
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Joey,

Never noticed the difference is ball size. All the 9 ball matches I played at the BCAPL's were using Magic Racks. If Diamond racks or something similar were used, a difference is size might show up in the difficulty racking the balls tight consistantly.

Whether Cyclops are sub-standard or not is not for us to decide. They are an event sponsor. Guess we'll all just have to get over it and learn how to play with them. They're not going away soon.

Lyn
 
Stones said:
Being color blind, I could care less what kind of balls are used as long as everyone is playing on/with the same equipment.



Funny thing is, most of my life, everyone thinks when I walk around studying the layout on the table, I'm looking at angles and such.



Nope, most of the time I'm looking at the numbers on the balls. LOL





Stones
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OMG me too! I'm also colorblind and need to pay attention to the numbers on balls...
 
It's just another example of why "pro pool" sadly needs to be forgotten. To focus on creating/improving things for the .5% of the industry is just bad business. The tail cannot wag the dog.
 
cardiac kid said:
Joey,

Never noticed the difference is ball size. All the 9 ball matches I played at the BCAPL's were using Magic Racks. If Diamond racks or something similar were used, a difference is size might show up in the difficulty racking the balls tight consistantly.

Whether Cyclops are sub-standard or not is not for us to decide. They are an event sponsor. Guess we'll all just have to get over it and learn how to play with them. They're not going away soon.

Lyn
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They're not going away but they should examine their production of those balls .
 
ENGLISH! said:
I did not see it & do not know what cue ball was being used...

But the red circle cue ball will throw an object ball differently than a logo ball...

So...could it be possible that that is why he missed the shot with spin?

And...that is why he is so upset?

The red circle cue ball is only a couple or a small few grams lighter than the object balls BUT...it is made of a different phenolic composition & thus reacts very differently.

I'd imagine the Cyclops are similar since they too are made from a different phenolic.
Click to expand...

Think the viewer count on TVmike.TV was about 65. Not sure how many others watched the stream and also post on AZ. Mike re-played the match between Shawn and Dave Grau late on Sunday as well. There were a few comments on the translucient cue ball on the stream. Guess they were using the Cyclop cue ball not a red dot. Dave Grau should be back in Rochester today. I'll try to get more information from him.

Lyn
 
klone said:
OMG me too! I'm also colorblind and need to pay attention to the numbers on balls...
Click to expand...

Klone,

Just turned Seventy today. The colors are a problem for me. Only practice 9 ball with any nine balls out of the ball return. Only way I remember which numbered ball to play next!

Lyn
 
klone said:
OMG me too! I'm also colorblind and need to pay attention to the numbers on balls...
Click to expand...


Me three.

As a colorblind person the color "differentiation" of the Cyclop balls on the live stream is 1/10.
Aramith Super Pro is 5/10
Centenials is 6/10
Aramith Tournament is 8/10

I wrote a letter to accustats letting them know this, regarding color "differentiation" on camera and they actually were in full agreement.

The moral here is if a colorblind person can tell apart the balls on an Aramith Tournament set, then those shades of colors would be superior for most viewers.
 
What Mr. Putnam doesn't realize is that he has no leverage.

He didn't play in many tournaments in 2014 because (according to him) he didn't have a chance to get on the Mosconi Cup team. Did his absence affect anything? Nope.

I normally don't reply to threads like this but this comment by Putnam has pissed me off:
I hate these parasites on here that get a guaranteed paycheck every week and then criticize the Pro's for wanting great equipment to play with. U parasites have went to college for 4 years to obtain the skills for your job that u hate. We have been perfecting our skills for over 20 years to try and make money at a job we love.
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This guy wants to make a living playing a game and has the balls to call people with regular jobs "parasites." Whatever. Good luck with your boycott, Mr Putnam. Your absence in 2014 wasn't missed, it won't be in 2015 either.
 
Alright...I read through the entire thread and there's really only two points worth addressing.

The big one -- Shawn Putnam doesn't like the balls AND if you read through the entire thread you would notice that none of the other pros that chimed in like the balls either. Why is that you think?

The minor one -- Shawn referred to working folks with 4 year degrees as "parasites". I'm guessing this was just a clumsy post on his part but he really should clarify it. If he chooses not to I'll just believe it was a typical clumsy post that you see on Facebook. Oh well.

So why do so many pros not like the balls??? Even if many of them just complain about the cue ball that's sort of a big deal isn't it?

Is there a post somewhere out on the internet by a well-known pro player that praises these balls? There must be one somewhere right?
 
I agree with his opinion of cyclops balls but pool players can't be too picky about the limited number of sponsors.
 
BasementDweller said:
Alright...I read through the entire thread and there's really only two points worth addressing.

The big one -- Shawn Putnam doesn't like the balls AND if you read through the entire thread you would notice that none of the other pros that chimed in like the balls either. Why is that you think?
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I have never played with Cyclops balls but there are so many people with different experiences that they have a quality control problem if nothing else.

The minor one -- Shawn referred to working folks with 4 year degrees as "parasites". I'm guessing this was just a clumsy post on his part but he really should clarify it. If he chooses not to I'll just believe it was a typical clumsy post that you see on Facebook. Oh well.
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I think you're under-stating this calling it "minor." Perhaps it really was just a clumsy post born from frustration and anger, but he really needs to clarify it soon. But then I found this gem:
Shawn Putnam Oh, and if your offended by my Parasite post, then u are one. "Just Saying"
Click to expand...

If a professional athlete on the level of Tiger Woods or Lebron James said something like this the backlash would be huge. The only reason it hasn't exploded is that no one knows (or cares) who Shawn Putnam is.
 
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