Mosconi Cup Team - USA

[sjm]

- Include additional disciplines beyond 9-ball on a 9-foot table. Include 8-ball on bar box, 10-ball on 10-footer, 15-ball, banks, 14.1, one-pocket, snooker, and possibly 3-cushion. Singles and scotch on applicable disciplines. If so many games is too complicated, each continent competing in a given year selects two disciplines.

Would be a better all-around test of a continent’s cuesports abilities.

Perhaps you are forgetting that the Mosconi is a Matchroom event. Matchroom has standardized the pro pool game, staging and affiliating itself with nine-ball events alone. I'd be shocked if Matchroom does anything that's not nine-ball in the remainder of this decade.

 

[telinoz]

Thanks for giving Shaw loads of table time in the US for straight pool record attempts!

Jokes aside, hoping it is competitive this year.

 

[buckshotshoey]

The MVP was on the losing team once, so you've got a chance.

[even if USA wins!]

When the money is split between the favorites, go for the long shot!

 

[westcoast]

Perhaps you are forgetting that the Mosconi is a Matchroom event. Matchroom has standardized the pro pool game, staging and affiliating itself with nine-ball events alone. I'd be shocked if Matchroom does anything that's not nine-ball in the remainder of this decade.

regardless, I'd like to see such an event, Perhaps somebody else could sponsor it

 

[benny-the-blade]

Was it Archer's undefeated campaign?

Mika won it in 2003, even though his side lost.

 

[AtLarge]

Was it Archer's undefeated campaign?

Mika won it in 2003, even though his side lost.

Yup, Immonen was MVP in 2003 when Team USA won the Cup 11-9. Immonen had 2 wins and a loss in singles and 2 wins in doubles.

Archer's 6-0 year was 2012, when Team Europe won 11-9 and Chris Melling won the MVP with 3 wins in singles, 2 losses in doubles, and Europe lost the Teams match.

 

[SEB]

Well done. Tyler clearly belongs on the team based on his 2022 form. Wishing him the best of luck.

I hadn’t thought much about Tyler this year until the US Open. But on Molina Mike’s podcast Tyler made a case for himself that I hadn’t really thought about. He said that he beats or goes hill-hill with the top guys and that none of the other Mosconi considerations do that on a regular basis. (He wasn’t referring to sky or SVB)

And i thought about it and he’s totally right on this. You never really hear about anyone other than Tyler upsetting anyone.

 

[Fatboy]

Was it Archer's undefeated campaign?

I’m 2012 archer went 6-0 in London. We lost.

Chris Melling was technically the MVP as the Euro’s won and he deserved it.

Chris told the audience the real MVP was Johnny, was a class thing that Chris said and did. I met him the year before as I recall, and always liked him. After that-he’s had my highest respect.

Johnny was never Mcup MVP in his career. That’s something that’s very important to him and he’s very disappointed he didn’t get that notch in his cue. For him playing on the Mcup was the pinnical of his pro career. Nothing meant more to him.

He’s rooting for America this year as well, all the politics aside he wants to see us win, as do I.

We were just talking 15 minutes ago about who’s on, who we like. And all things related to Mcup. We talk about that more than anything else in pool. I was lucky enough to be close to the team for a few years in a row. It was the highlight of my pool experience. I just don’t play near good enough to even be on the team. In a scotch match I can hold my own. In singles I’d get robbed 99.8263% of the time. But I was close as possible with the team and wow it was cool.

Best
Fatboy<——-good but not near good enough

 

[Fatboy]

Also in 2012 had it went hill/hill and JA was 6-0, he wasn’t going out to play Darren the hill/hill match. Which is what everyone expected.

Darren was up in the practice room, Melling and Yohan as well. I strolled in. Darren was tense, blasting balls. One thing about him is the more pressure the better he performs. The big stage, bright lights, millions watching will get the best out of Daz 8 days a week.

Anyways CJ was captain and I was rooming with him and Johnny. Johnny was tired. Shane was in perfect form and he was the pic to play Darren had it went hill/hill.

That’s a pool match that we’ll never see and probably the one I wanted to see more than anything. Slipping SVB in instead of Johnny (6-0) was a story in and of it self. Darren-no ody knew but me, CJ, JA, SVB. I heard last minute that was the move.

What a match that would have been. I’ll never forget that. I’m still sick it didn’t happen.

Who would have won?

Idk and I’ll always wonder. Daz doesn’t lose on the big stage often, SVB was winning everything in 2012. Who knows????

That’s the match that got away, never happened.

My uncle-my last blood family of any sort died the day we arrived in London, so my mind was on him-but I was immersed in pool there. He knew I lived pool and never go to funerals. He would have been happy. I mention this because as a tribute to him I made a point to memorize that Mcup and immerse myself in it.

That was the best pool thing I ever did-and I didn’t hit a ball-except in the practice room.

Great memories

 

[benny-the-blade]

Melling won that MVP solely based on his victory over Brandon Shuff on the final day. Chris pulled out two amazing shots to steal that game. USA had Europe on the ropes, but Melling came in to save the day. I had a lot of money on Europe that year, so I remember that match like it was yesterday.

 

[jokrswylde]

I’m 2012 archer went 6-0 in London. We lost.

Chris Melling was technically the MVP as the Euro’s won and he deserved it.

Chris told the audience the real MVP was Johnny, was a class thing that Chris said and did. I met him the year before as I recall, and always liked him. After that-he’s had my highest respect.

Johnny was never Mcup MVP in his career. That’s something that’s very important to him and he’s very disappointed he didn’t get that notch in his cue. For him playing on the Mcup was the pinnical of his pro career. Nothing meant more to him.

He’s rooting for America this year as well, all the politics aside he wants to see us win, as do I.

We were just talking 15 minutes ago about who’s on, who we like. And all things related to Mcup. We talk about that more than anything else in pool. I was lucky enough to be close to the team for a few years in a row. It was the highlight of my pool experience. I just don’t play near good enough to even be on the team. In a scotch match I can hold my own. In singles I’d get robbed 99.8263% of the time. But I was close as possible with the team and wow it was cool.

Best
Fatboy<——-good but not near good enough

It is crazy that 10 years ago JA is dominating the MC and now he is nowhere on the pro pool radar....

Being a high school pool nut from the south during the '90's was awesome! JA was like a superhero.

Nostalgia always hopes that the heroes of yesterday, Earl included, would screw the cue together, hit the practice table, and make one more Fast Eddie-style run for glory. (Cue the training montage!)

I would just be interested to see how the Scorpion would do if he got in dead stroke, 100% pool focused, and entered the big tourneys for a year.

 

[Fatboy]

Melling won that MVP solely based on his victory over Brandon Shuff on the final day. Chris pulled out two amazing shots to steal that game. USA had Europe on the ropes, but Melling came in to save the day. I had a lot of money on Europe that year, so I remember that match like it was yesterday.

So do I, I was seated front row. Was a good bet you made.

 

[Fatboy]

It is crazy that 10 years ago JA is dominating the MC and now he is nowhere on the pro pool radar....

Being a high school pool nut from the south during the '90's was awesome! JA was like a superhero.

Nostalgia always hopes that the heroes of yesterday, Earl included, would screw the cue together, hit the practice table, and make one more Fast Eddie-style run for glory. (Cue the training montage!)

I would just be interested to see how the Scorpion would do if he got in dead stroke, 100% pool focused, and entered the big tourneys for a year.

That’s not going to happen. He’s happy and was completely burned out with pool. He still follows pool, watches old and some new matches. But he isn’t playing at all. He was among the best 9B players ever. Nobody would have the best of it playing him in his prime-unless he had an off or bad day. Everyone is beatable. But age robbed every old pool player at any level

 

[easy-e]

So who do you guys think is getting the 5th spot? Let me know who you THINK will get it, and who you WISH would get it.

I think Wolford will get it.
I wish Earl would get it.

 

[FastManners]

So who do you guys think is getting the 5th spot? Let me know who you THINK will get it, and who you WISH would get it.

I think Wolford will get it.
I wish Earl would get it.

I would like Earl, as he has a higher upside and he is also by far the biggest US name for UK audiences, which will help increase the tv ratings.
Personally, I would love Matchroom to reserve one spot for a "classic player", such as Jimmy White for Europe and Earl for the US. That would certainly help the ratings and even up the match a bit.

 

[sjm]

So who do you guys think is getting the 5th spot? Let me know who you THINK will get it, and who you WISH would get it.

I think Wolford will get it.
I wish Earl would get it.

If Earl gets it, it will be to compensate him for what happened a year ago. Last year, he played in just one Matchroom event. Realizing that his non-participation seems to be the key to Mosconi selection, he played in none of the Matchroom events this year, so if we apply last year's formula, Earl is a lock for selection.

If competitive performance has anything to do with selection, the Wolford pick would be as good as any, Shane came 6th at the Derby City 9-ball, in which he played Josh Filler super-tough in a late round. He also reached Stage 2 at the World Pool Championship and reached Stage 2 again at the US Open 9-ball.

Politics or performance? We shall see.

 

[Fatboy]

If Earl gets it, it will be to compensate him for what happened a year ago. Last year, he played in just one Matchroom event. Realizing that his non-participation seems to be the key to Mosconi selection, he played in none of the Matchroom events this year, so if we apply last year's formula, Earl is a lock for selection.

If competitive performance has anything to do with selection, the Wolford pick would be as good as any, Shane came 6th at the Derby City 9-ball, in which he played Josh Filler super-tough in a late round. He also reached Stage 2 at the World Pool Championship and reached Stage 2 again at the US Open 9-ball.

Politics or performance? We shall see.

Very unlikely Earl will be there.

However I’d like to see him play in it. But it’s not gonna happen from my understanding. Hope I’m wrong.

Idk who the pick would be. We were talking about that last night. No idea

Best
Fatboy

 

[benny-the-blade]

You HAVE to put Earl out there in front of the home crowd! Holy sh*t that would be awesome. He would obviously get paired up with Shane in a doubles match. Remember, he doesn’t have to play a lot in this event. Anyone remember how few matches Bergman played in the last time he was on the team? It was like he was in witness protection.

Wolford can be on the team in 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026…

 

[Scrunge19]

My money is on Shane Wolford leaving Billy as odd man out. Nothing against Billy, I just think he lost too much time to his ban to be considered this year.

 

[abbassi]

Earl might be good to go as an assistant coach of sorts.