It's not my intent to demean any pro player. It is a figure of speech. But thanks for sharing your opinion about one phrase contained in my lengthy post, with photos, about the Derby.
SJM at the 2023 Derby City Catastrophe
- Thread starter sjm
- Start date
His play was superb but I wouldn't say he played like the Efren of old. A few, including Pijus Labutis, had him beat and let him off the hook. Efren can still beat anyone to the shot at one-pocket but can't execute the offense at the most elite level anymore.
I said little more than hello to Efren. We've never known each other very well.
I tip my hat to Greg Sullivan, Allen Hopkins, Pat Fleming and Barry Behrman. and a lot of others to different extents. They spent lots of time and money , trying to grow the sport,
I guess my main complaint is the casino. I could even fade that ,if it wasn't such a toilet and they act like it is the Monte Carlo
I guess my main complaint is the casino. I could even fade that ,if it wasn't such a toilet and they act like it is the Monte Carlo
I hope you were joking, but I'm not so sure. As Jay stated, who the hell is Dave714? Who f-ing cares!
Who the hell is SJM? Well the guy that started this thread for one. And he is the guy that always gives us his perspective and recap on the Derby. Thanks Stu! If you don't know 714, his name is STU and not SAM. That being said, I still hope you were joking, but if not then you should learn to listen before you speak. Stu is a huge pool fan with a lot of knowledge, attends most major events and usually sits in the premium seats. His perspective and insights are valuable to us. Stu is an asset to our pool community and deserves to be respected.
To address other matters, I wasn't there this year, but yes I agree food options are limited. The hotel/casino doesn't give a shit about the pool players and don't forget that. They are only interested in their own best interest. As Fatboy said, with out a car, you are a prisoner there. They can and will serve the prisoners whatever they want because they can. To digress on this issue, this conversation should focus on pool. Would it be best to move to another venue? Possibly, but that's the call of the people who run the event.
Some of us have been to pool tournaments and been lucky enough to experience the finals. It is usually less than climactic to say the least. We know that there are other factors involved like venue contracts, scheduling problems, shoestring funding, fatigue, plane flights, etc. That being said, there is no excuse for what happened. The DERBY is a MAJOR event and has been run for 20 plus years. It is disgusting that the players were put in this situation. IT SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN! My hat is off to Fedor and he looked, well, like the 22 year old fenom that he is. Shane on the other hand looked so tired and beaten. It is not fair to put a 40 year old against a 22 year old in that situation. I guarantee you neither were expecting to play that long. It was literally sad to see and the fans were deprived too. Frankly I'm not sure it isn't or could be considered a form of abuse or at minimum a breach of contract. What other sport or circumstance is anyone required to perform 27 plus hours straight? There are laws that truckers can only drive so many hours a day because fatigue is a factor. Why should we expect pool players to be put through extraordinary situations? This is and all other situations are all the tournament director(s) fault. I'm very aware of the financial motives and contractual obligations associated with their decisions, but this is just not acceptable period. Solutions and contingency plans should be made. I hope this situation doesn't go unnoticed and swept under the rug. Unfortunately, it is likely it will happen again.
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If I recall correctly, Fedor was at number 10 before the Derby. He jumped to #2. In my opinion, he will be the world number 1 very, very soon. As filler recently said to Shane, "There is a new King." Well, Josh, step aside because Fedor will reign soon. I was so, so, so impressed with his performance at Derby! This kid is something truly special. As great as Shane, Filler, and Shaw are, Fedor might just be on a different level. That is a scary thing to say. I don't see anyone beating him anytime soon. Opinions?
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Yes, but we know that going in.
Worse comes to worse, you can get a 30 minute ride into town to hit the WalMart.
Just deciding which 1.5 -2 hours you’re going to choose is the difficulty.
Don't sell him short as just a fan. As far as I can discern, he was/is an accomplished pool player in his own right--good enough for Jennifer Berretta to seek him out for coaching.
Doordash a medium 2-topping pizza from Pizza Hut and 2 orders of breadsticks to the hotel costs 80 dollars... don't ask me how I know.Yes, but we know that going in.
Worse comes to worse, you can get a 30 minute ride into town to hit the WalMart.
Just deciding which 1.5 -2 hours you’re going to choose is the difficulty.
That is true and acknowledged. Never intended to sell him short!
Thanks, Bob. So, the change was made in the hope of long-term WPA sanctioning that disappeared after a single year.
I mean hey, I would love AC and a color of money type feel. I just worry that a substantially smaller field of dead money people will hurt it overall.
And here I thought my paying $30 for a watermelon was outrageous.
The things we do for pool
Judging Fedor by ranking is a mistake. Lest we forget, he was ineligible for many of the majors in 2022, so his ranking dropped while the level of his play did not.
I have believed for a while now that only Filler (4th in banks, 5th in one pocket, 5th in 9ball at the 2023 Derby) is in the conversation with Gorst for best player (although if Sanchez-Ruiz repeats his 2022 performance in 2023, I may change my mind).
It is well within reason for anyone to say that Fedor is THE best player in the world RIGHT NOW, although my sense of things is that Filler is his equal. I don't feel Shane and Shaw, who are magnificent players, are in the conversation for best.
Filler and Shaw are amazing shot makers for sure. As Jayson said pre-Mosconi Cup, they shoot straighter than the Americans. I can't deny this isn't true. Jayson and Josh at two of the purest shooters on the planet. They do get out of line sometimes but are so good at recovering and that why they are so dangerous. On the other hand, Fedor's position play is unparalleled. Of course he is a phenomenal shooter as well, but he rarely misses or gets out of line. His demeanor, composure, and attitude are so mature for his age. With all of these factors, I would put him above Filler as well. Time will tell, but my money is on Fedor in the future.
Yeah, that’s what I recall. When you wrote differently I went searching for the news article and for the life of me could not find it. I do remember at the time I was not happy about the change, because I was playing in it (as a banger
) and would have much preferred the race to 7. If you go on the DCC site now, it does say BCA/WPA points in the 9 ball section. However, I bet that has been copy/pasted since the year it changed to 9, and isn’t true anymore. (Maybe the BCA points still is?)
Agreed that Fedor is on the short list of the greatest pattern players along with guys like Buddy Hall, Jim Rempe, Ralf Souquet, and Darren Appleton.
I still feel Josh is a slightly better tactical player than Fedor.
L.S. Dennis
Well-known member
Change of venue? don't suppose it would be possible to move DCC to Reno? I know just wishful thinking....