You can reverse the names of the responders and the ko's with Shane and this thread is a repeat of so many Shane and America basher threads of the past...
That you and others couldn't see that, makes me laugh out loud, literally...
Jaden
First of all, I almost never pay attention to which names are which, particularly when people are making stupid points. So I have no idea if particular posters are taking different positions on the Ko brothers' recent results compared to Shane's results in other countries.
But if someone asked if SVB sucked because he didn't do well in a particular foreign event I would think it was equally stupid.
That said, one (but only one) measure of the overall ability of great players is their ability to perform well in different formats and in different locations. One event means little, but many events can become significant. So it was legitimate, for example, to raise SVB's inability to shine off of American soil over many events and many years as a possible weakness in his game. That does not mean he "sucked" by any stretch of the imagination.
SVB's recent win at the world pool masters and his runner-up finish in Doha show he clearly can win anywhere (and I have previously said I thought he played better than Ko in the finals and Ko caught a bunch of rolls).
By the same token, if the Ko brothers win or place very high in a major US event, that would strengthen their resumes (in my eyes) more than another win in an Asian event.
Finally, of course, none of these great champions have anything to prove to the pool nerds like us who obsess over who is better than who.
Gideon
