Mika

[JAM]

The InsidePOOL article claims that Mika is the 76th World 14.1 champion. A champion, he is for sure. The title of "world," however, comes in dispute in some circles, but that's not the reason for this thread.

This is to celebrate the almighty win. Though Mika Immonen is from Finland, he has resided in the Big Apple for 15 years. Most European champions who come to the States decide they want to take up house here, even though today most of the lucrative pool events are not here in America. They are around the world.

Earl posted on Facebook his disappointment in playing pool for five consecutive days and wining a mere $4,000 for second place. I empathize with his stance. Staying in New York City is damn expensive. Been there and done that. As it is with most pool events, you must come in first, second, or third place to break even, unless you're sleeping in a car and eating fast food at McDonald's.

I'm not going to take anything away from Mika, though. He's a very deserving winner, and my hat is off to Earl for rising to the top too. As is the case when Earl competes, this event was not without fireworks

But that's not the topic of this thread. We have enough threads about that subject matter elsewhere on this forum, don't you think? :wink:

Interesting shoe choice by the third-place winner, Taiwan’s Lo Liwen, on his bronze medal performance in his first World 14.1 event.

A picture speaks a thousand words. Notice the gap between Mika and Earl in this photo. The thrill of the victory and the agony of defeat. :thumbup:

Photo courtesy of Joseph Ratka.

 

[JAM]

Straight Pool Hall of Fame inductee Pete Margo congratulates Mika after commentating on his match. They had developed a bond after meeting earlier in the week and Margo had been texting him well wishes in his matches.

Photo courtesy of Joe Ratke.

 

[JAM]

In the Earl v. Jayson match, I wondered why Earl didn't slice the 15 in the side pocket instead of the 10 -- or was it 2? -- in the corner.

Cleary said these tables had really tight side pockets, and he was right, according to this snippet: The Rasson TV table has super tight side pockets but the players have adjusted to it – Strickland ran a 135 and out on the table while Immonen had two runs in the fifties and a 69 and out in his semifinal match. Today’s final match is to 300 points, so they will likely be playing at least 35-40 racks. We should therefore be treated to every kind of layout imaginable, and we should see a mix of every kind of scenario, from long runs to defensive battles for the table.

Hey, is that the sleeping referee on the sidelines? He's awake for this one.

Photo courtesy of Joe Ratke.

 

[JAM]

I did not realize InsidePOOL was still available, but this article appeared on their website:http://www.insidepoolmag.com/201609/billiard-news/mika-immonen-is-the-76th-world-14-1-champion.html

It will be great to read all about it in the next Billiards (with an "s") Buzz on this website.

 

[Ken_4fun]

Its funny that Earl would complain about prize money. IMO, he is a contributing factor for the lack of sponsors.

I will never forgive him for quitting mid-match against Corey Duel at Romines while the sponsors were in negotiations with the men's pro tour (remember when we had that?) :angry:

Ken

 

[JAM]

Its funny that Earl would complain about prize money. IMO, he is a contributing factor for the lack of sponsors.

I will never forgive him for quitting mid-match against Corey Duel at Romines while the sponsors were in negotiations with the men's pro tour (remember when we had that?) :angry:

Ken

Sponsors love Earl. He brings in the spectators. If you go to a pool event, the majority of railbirds surround Earl's table. Believe me, industry peeps want to bring as many people in the door as they can. If Earl's in the house, people will come.

 

[Scott Lee]

Ken...What's strange is that you jump on Earl, when he is right. $4K for 2nd place in an allegely "world championship" event is sick. The fault there belongs with the promoter. As far as your other statement about the Camel Tour...that's nonsense. RJ Reynolds had already decided that they were not going to continue with sponsoring pro pool, when their contract commitment was up...which is exactly what they did. Mackey's lawsuit was the final nail in the coffin. While I don't condone Earl's behavior during the finals of that event, he did come back at the banquet and apologize to everyone. Again, that had nothing to do with Big Tobacco deciding to pull out of pro pool.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

Its funny that Earl would complain about prize money. IMO, he is a contributing factor for the lack of sponsors.

I will never forgive him for quitting mid-match against Corey Duel at Romines while the sponsors were in negotiations with the men's pro tour (remember when we had that?) :angry:

Ken

 

[KRJ]

Sponsors love Earl. He brings in the spectators. If you go to a pool event, the majority of railbirds surround Earl's table. Believe me, industry peeps want to bring as many people in the door as they can. If Earl's in the house, people will come.

That's a fact. In Omaha, the fans could not get enough of him and he signed every autograph he could. Yeah, during the match he was carrying on a little, not as much as usual, but Johnny Archer was smart enough to know what to expect, and it didn't bother him in the least. Just ignored him. Earl won, but it was a great weekend, and even the fans that don't like him, still wanted his autograph

 

[Scott Lee]

I agree JAM. Congratulations to Earl for his 2nd Place finish. While I don't agree with some of his behavior in this event, he did bring his A game, and was competitive, even all the way through the final match!

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

Sponsors love Earl. He brings in the spectators. If you go to a pool event, the majority of railbirds surround Earl's table. Believe me, industry peeps want to bring as many people in the door as they can. If Earl's in the house, people will come.

 

[pdcue]

I have no problem calling it a World Championship - the idea that the funds determine validity is
ludicrous. In the days of the PPPA, only the winner didn't lose money by playing in the Tournament.

However - claiming this is the 76th in a series of events is a flat out lie.

It has nothing whatsoever to do with 14.1 championships of the past.

 

[Nostroke]

I have no problem calling it a World Championship - the idea that the funds determine validity is
ludicrous. In the days of the PPPA, only the winner didn't lose money by playing in the Tournament.

However - claiming this is the 76th in a series of events is a flat out lie.

It has nothing whatsoever to do with 14.1 championships of the past.

If you are ok with the current event being a World Championship (of straight pool)- How can it not be related to the past World Championships (of straight pool)?

This is not to say i think the current event is a WPC- I don't.

 

[pt109]

I think there should be some disciplinary fines leveled for this tournament.
A G-note for Lo Liwen's shoes....
And $2500 for Pete Margo's shirt...:yikes:


Congratulations to all the players, especially Mika.
It would be nice if they were playing for a million dollars....
...but when the matches start, the money is forgotten.....
...these guys are POOL PLAYERS

:clapping::clapping::clapping:

 

[bdorman]

Sematics aside, IMHO the common sense definition of a World Championship is "were the top competitors in the world involved?"

Given that 14.1 isn't a very popular game these days, this event probably had about as good a field as could be expected.

Is there another 14.1 event that has a stronger field? (I don't follow it, so I honestly don't know).

I don't see how the prize money has anything to do with it. My local players club could have a $100,000 prize fund, but the winner certainly wouldn't be World Championship caliber.

 

[pwd72s]

The pic above should be used in the how to books. Filed under "perfect stance".

 

[GideonF]

Sematics aside, IMHO the common sense definition of a World Championship is "were the top competitors in the world involved?"

Given that 14.1 isn't a very popular game these days, this event probably had about as good a field as could be expected.

Is there another 14.1 event that has a stronger field? (I don't follow it, so I honestly don't know).

I don't see how the prize money has anything to do with it. My local players club could have a $100,000 prize fund, but the winner certainly wouldn't be World Championship caliber.

Two things. First, if your local players club had a $100,000 prize fund, the top players would find it! The amount of prize money does directly contribute to the strength of field. If there was a significantly bigger prize fund, I think you would have seen all of the top Euros (where was Niels, for example) and top Asians/Pinoys.

Second, while I am not a big fan of the WPA, being recognized by the WPA and carrying significant WPA points would likely influence some players to come to the event who didn't. I am thinking primarily of those for whom WPA rankings are important, such as those with billiards federations/government sponsorship monies available.

So while this may be the best 14.1 tournament around, I don't think it is a WC. I don't even think it is correct to call the DCC 1P or banks divisions world championships, and those are much bigger events with all the best players in those divisions.

 

[Shawn Armstrong]

Sematics aside, IMHO the common sense definition of a World Championship is "were the top competitors in the world involved?"

Given that 14.1 isn't a very popular game these days, this event probably had about as good a field as could be expected.

Is there another 14.1 event that has a stronger field? (I don't follow it, so I honestly don't know).

I don't see how the prize money has anything to do with it. My local players club could have a $100,000 prize fund, but the winner certainly wouldn't be World Championship caliber.

A league night in Germany would probably have more high runners at 14.1 than this "world championship".

 

[Poolhall60561]

The pic above should be used in the how to books. Filed under "perfect stance".

His rear leg is braced rigid, I'm having trouble doing that, uncomfortable, but when I do, I seem to shoot straight.

 

[Nostroke]

Sematics aside, IMHO the common sense definition of a World Championship is "were the top competitors in the world involved?"

Given that 14.1 isn't a very popular game these days, this event probably had about as good a field as could be expected.

Is there another 14.1 event that has a stronger field? (I don't follow it, so I honestly don't know).

I don't see how the prize money has anything to do with it. My local players club could have a $100,000 prize fund, but the winner certainly wouldn't be World Championship caliber.

Cmon- No Ralf, Oliver, Feijen, Engert VDB, Albi, Jasmin and a ton of others

 

[xianmacx]

Sponsors love Earl. He brings in the spectators. If you go to a pool event, the majority of railbirds surround Earl's table. Believe me, industry peeps want to bring as many people in the door as they can. If Earl's in the house, people will come.

Great post JAM and thanks for the pictures.

I may be the minority, but I love Earl. I love to watch him play, I love to watch him chirp and float around the table. It adds color and drama, exactly what this boring spectator sport needs.

Earl is the only reason I watched the finals of the straight pool tournament. If it was Jayson and Mika, I would have been doing yard work or taking a nap.

I hope Earl is at the derby this year again and I'm sure all the sponsors do as well.

Ian

 

[AtLarge]

Two things. First, if your local players club had a $100,000 prize fund, the top players would find it! The amount of prize money does directly contribute to the strength of field. If there was a significantly bigger prize fund, I think you would have seen all of the top Euros (where was Niels, for example) and top Asians/Pinoys.

Second, while I am not a big fan of the WPA, being recognized by the WPA and carrying significant WPA points would likely influence some players to come to the event who didn't. I am thinking primarily of those for whom WPA rankings are important, such as those with billiards federations/government sponsorship monies available.

So while this may be the best 14.1 tournament around, I don't think it is a WC. I don't even think it is correct to call the DCC 1P or banks divisions world championships, and those are much bigger events with all the best players in those divisions.

I agree; nice post.

In these "World 14.1" tournaments, only about half of the field really belongs in a world championship from a skill standpoint. The other half is sort of necessary these days to provide "dead money." But if we had a big-time world 14.1 championship with big money, both qualifying for the event and the resulting field would be quite different.

Only a handful of players who do not live in the USA played in this most recent event. I imagine the expenses of traveling from overseas and spending a week in NYC, compared with the prize money that was available, nixed it for many players. Good 14.1 players from abroad who were absent included Ortmann, Souquet, Engert, Filler, Wirsbitzki, Fulcher, Feijen, Bustamante, Reyes, Kiamco, Pagulayan, Ouschan (x 2), Stepanov, Stalev, Chinakhov, Van den Berg, Sniegocki, Alcaide, See, He, and on and on. If the prize money was significant, many other top cueists from Asia would also learn the game and compete.

Even many of the top players from the USA chose to play somewhere else or not at all that week: Morris, Dominguez, Hatch, Dechaine, Eberle, Davis, Deuel, Bergman, Woodward, Sossei, Louie. And if the money were big, might we not still be seeing legends like Hopkins, Varner, Sigel, and Rempe compete in 14.1?

But at least we have a tournament each year. Actually, we now have 3* significant 14.1 events each year in the US -- the "World" event, the American Straight Pool Championship in Virginia, and the US Open 14.1 Championship (if Mark Griffin keeps that going). That's good for 14.1 competitors and fans (maybe not financially, but in other ways).

The world is far from having a truly big-time world 14.1 championship that draws all the current top 14.1 players and creates an interest in other top cueists to play the game.

[*Edit -- And I probably shouldn't forget the DCC 14.1 Challenge.]