Mosconi Cup 2024, Nov. 30-Dec. 3, Orlando
- Thread starter Bob Jewett
- Start date
MC is about entertainment. If it was supposed to be about credibly finding out who the best pool players are then there wouldn't be race to 5 9ball scotch doubles matches in the tourney.
Billy is more entertaining than Oscar. And Filler's image is currently soured.
The decisions make sense to me, and are probably better for pool, as I'd bet most people who end up seeing the event on TV have no idea who these people are anyways.
We're better off with them bringing solid pool players with big personalities than just whoever shot the straightest all year imo.
Two different things at play here though.
- Billy is a captain's pick which I'm sure is on some level vetted by MR. Team USA already has a emotionless robot in Tyler that they can't deny based on qualification. No need to double down on that boredom with Oscar. I'm not a fan of Billy's game in the slightest and he is better served petting a rabbit during the pre-event interviews then being passed the mic. However, he will be the emotional leader without a doubt, and as someone earlier said. If he can fire up his teammates then he'll indirectly effect their performance.
- Filler is being taught that if you nip at the hand that's attempting to feed you, then you won't be offered desert. This has nothing to do with Filler's image and everything to do with MR opting to take a promoter's stance on someone who has to some degree hurt their promotion efforts. It's that simple. If anything the choice was a hard one for MR. Hate sells, and there's no higher concentration of hate for FIller than in the US.
Yes, and maybe. The mosconi may just be the one event all year that is produced in such a manner that may catch the eye of the "channel surfer". I for one couldn't care less about pro darts, but admit I'll stop and take a gander when you see those crowds in the background.
100% agree.... skill aside, this is the reason you will see Mr Shaw at this event until he gets bored of it.
Yes, major shame. For fans of Oscar and for the NA pool scene. The continued captains (you're my buddy) favoritism in the USA picks throughout the last several years is what has made this event a joke. It hasn't been about your best team for a very low time. That said, you do have Tyler playing. Although not a Mosconi juggernaut, he has earned it.
Filler skipping an event = bad
MR forcing Filler out of 2 massive events(viewer wise) = good??? Make it make sense
Apparently Filler skipping an event isn't that important .
Not directed at you, just thinking out loud
Then let's have Strickland. Billy's Fargo is 774 and Earl's is 773. While neither pick can be justified based on their play in 2024, Earl brings much more electricity to the Mosconi Cup than Billy ever could.
Billy would have been a good coach of Team USA if he can fire up those around him.
All these points aside, while I feel terrible for Oscar, I'm happy for Billy and will cheer hard for him at the Mosconi.
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Of course... the promoter wants to have the best product possible.
Over stating this... MR isn't forcing Filler out of anything. They simply aren't inviting him to their invitational events. Which also happen to be big paydays just for showing up.
Regarding viewership. Do you think the numbers are actually going to be lower based on Filler not playing..? Far more likely it's the subpar product on display from this side of the pond that's hurting the show. Grand scheme... Filler not playing makes this a slightly better contest. Still, in theory, the Euros should win. However the only carrot that might pull viewers as well as hate, is hope. Americans still have Shaw to complain about. The increased hope probably equals out the loss of hate some would love to pour onto Filler.
Probably not, but MR still has the right not to provide a bonus to someone undermining their promotions.
It's the same Team Europe that lost to Team Asia a few weeks ago. Those guys lost nearly two-thirds of their matches, so Team USA should have no trouble beating them.
(right?)
if filler garnered the points he deserved to be on the team
He more than qualified which means they are removing him
He beat Hennessy after that, his playing good.
Kinda like Oscar for the americans..? I know, I know.... Oscar was low enough that he fell into one of the captain's choices. That's different to some degree.
However that's the thing about the Mosconi that always confused me. The Euros always seemed to use and adhere to a points system. Whereas in earlier years (not the most recent ones) the Americans appeared to throw whatever team met the captain's fancy, with obvious choices being included. I'll have to bend a knee to what I'm told here. As I've never been very intense about Mosconi and don't have the inclination to correct my possibly misguided point of view via personal research.
Regardless, MR holds the keys. They've set the format, They write the cheques. Use whatever word you want to describe their action.
The unknown here is what, if any, verbage is in the player's agreement. If what you two are implying is "true" then Filler has legal recourse. We all know that's not the case, but "un-invited" doesn't suit the narrative.
I still don't like it
Interesting/realistic viewpoint, I've thought the same, but.
Mr. Styer is not getting worse each year, I don't know the man But results/traveling/getting out there tell me he's putting in the time to improve, this aspect of what's going on in his life, feels like me and Jeff Carter during Jeffs prime & reached his protentional. He was never a natural player, his game was a taught procedure.
USA, when instruction first came on scene after Varner/Daddy Warbucks (Hubert Cokes) then JJ and the Red Raider in Houston.
But instructors only taught you mechanics back then, they were not coaches. Tho some thought they could, not many tho.
I'd prefer Styer over Dominguez because he's improving a little each year.
And if he's younger, all the better.
I don't watch Styer or Oscar that much.
That's just me, prefer faster play, like Bustamante.
The Cup has it's character.
When there's one in the group that's too quiet, it's up to the team to ''support'' talk and help and get em to ''open up'' a little more change his character just a little, it'll lighten the load on all.
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Thread 'Mosconi Cup -- Career Records of Everyone Who Has Ever Played on Either Team'
https://forums.azbilliards.com/thre...ne-who-has-ever-played-on-either-team.464772/
The fact is that Oscar has an awful history at the Mosconi Cup. His 22% rating in AtLarge’s summary is the worst of anyone with more than one appearance except Mike Dechaine (19%), whose Mosconi record is infamous.
Billy is worth a shot.
https://forums.azbilliards.com/thre...ne-who-has-ever-played-on-either-team.464772/
The fact is that Oscar has an awful history at the Mosconi Cup. His 22% rating in AtLarge’s summary is the worst of anyone with more than one appearance except Mike Dechaine (19%), whose Mosconi record is infamous.
Billy is worth a shot.
yes, team europe had basically a merit system while team USA had "hook a buddy up" to a degree. of course making players coaches could lead to that again, as many are implying here with sky - billy.
but other ppl too have been putting billy's name in there for this year, because of intangibles like team spirit. maybe there's a case for those factors, idk, hard to measure. i would say that oscar's best game is without a shot clock, and that billy is faster paced. but overall i still think oscar would be better because of current form.
