2025 Reyes Cup, Oct 16-19, Manilla. Team Asia vs Team World
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Some stats for the Cup are now available
Really nice insight from Coach Johan Ruysink on the Window's Open podcast. He mentioned the "toxic" environment at MR events.
People who keep praising Miss Emily, mostly you educated and informed ones, are doing a disservice to the sport. MR needs to get over the shit that they dominate pool. Yes, production is good except for the shitty camera work that cut away from the table at critical moments. Predator does the same shit with their camera work also. Seems like they have too many cameras out there. End of rant.
People who keep praising Miss Emily, mostly you educated and informed ones, are doing a disservice to the sport. MR needs to get over the shit that they dominate pool. Yes, production is good except for the shitty camera work that cut away from the table at critical moments. Predator does the same shit with their camera work also. Seems like they have too many cameras out there. End of rant.
Agreed, it was refreshing to hear his and Appleton's views on the current state of the MC and pool in general, as opposed to people who are all in the MR inner-circle and will be biased to an extent, whether implicit or explicit. We need to hear the bad with the good, and so does Matchroom, because that is how change happens.
The one part that blew my mind was Jayson and Sky getting double money for being playing captains. It's obviously not a financial burden to MR to pay a Captain, so why not pay someone who actually knows how to be a coach and also doesn't have the stress of having to perform as well as coach at the same time. That decision is mind-boggling to me.
But basically he said he thinks it's due to MR wanting to keep someone in their inner-circle or who they have a close relationship with, to be captain, that way they can have more control. A person like Johan would want and should be given free reign to coach his team how he sees fit, but that might not align with what Matchroom wants. That's how I interpreted it at least.
Exactly! Matchroom desire for loyalty and control will be their downfall.
Yes I would think so, if they do it for the MC why not do it for the RC? I don't think JJ would do that for free (whatever it is he does).
sudocrushms
Well-known member
This was over shortly after it started. I think if ROW kept it close early there would've been more effort on both sides. Need more incentive (read: $$$$) for them to fight for every point.
The Biado/Manas dubs team was fun. Love seeing Carlo excited and having fun. Seems like a genuinely good dude.
sudocrushms
Well-known member
I don't think of it as an apology (come on, none of us apologize for being lucky...), it's just acknowledgement it wasn't intentional.
The hand raise to me is synonymous with "my bad".... That's how I've always used it. Most good players watching would know it wasn't intentional anyways, they don't need me to tell them that.
Me and my long time bud.
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I am definitely not in Matchroom's inner circle. I have virtually no contact with them, except to get my media pass. That said, I will continue to commend them, starting with Barry Hearn who had this vision for pro Pool. Emily is following his lead and working closely with Barry's son Eddie to continue to build our sport. There are things they have done (like change the ball colors) I do not agree with, but I see the bigger picture where they are growing the sport. The division between MR and the WPA is unfortunate but as I've said before competition has proven to be good for the marketplace with each side trying to outdo the other.
If I have any true allegiance it's to the players. They are the ones I root for and want to see do well. No matter where they come from. Being a long time pool player myself (and not a very good one by comparison) I have a lot of admiration for anyone who plays this game well. I know what it takes to get to this level. I don't play favorites either, be they from the U.S, Europe or Asia, I admire skill and good sportsmanship.
As for my opinion of the new young players I've seen in the last month, my pick for stardom is Moritz Neuhausen! He could win any tournament he enters imo.
One last thing, I was there at the Reyes Cup for the first two days and I saw nothing at all that looked like "toxicity." And I'm a very good observer of human behavior. I saw a group of people all working together to make the best show they could. There was a lot of laughter and camaraderie going on behind the scenes, and the entire crew seemed to be enjoying themselves. There was never any hint of animosity or anger, and I had access (as media) all over the arena. If there was any concern it was due to the lopsided score of the match and how they would handle it, both for the fans and the television broadcast.
If I have any true allegiance it's to the players. They are the ones I root for and want to see do well. No matter where they come from. Being a long time pool player myself (and not a very good one by comparison) I have a lot of admiration for anyone who plays this game well. I know what it takes to get to this level. I don't play favorites either, be they from the U.S, Europe or Asia, I admire skill and good sportsmanship.
As for my opinion of the new young players I've seen in the last month, my pick for stardom is Moritz Neuhausen! He could win any tournament he enters imo.
One last thing, I was there at the Reyes Cup for the first two days and I saw nothing at all that looked like "toxicity." And I'm a very good observer of human behavior. I saw a group of people all working together to make the best show they could. There was a lot of laughter and camaraderie going on behind the scenes, and the entire crew seemed to be enjoying themselves. There was never any hint of animosity or anger, and I had access (as media) all over the arena. If there was any concern it was due to the lopsided score of the match and how they would handle it, both for the fans and the television broadcast.
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I probably will never be the Captain/coach of any of these teams and that's too bad. But in my heart I know I could lead a team to victory. I've done it before in other arenas and in pool I've coached many good players across the finish line. I know how to get the most out of their talent, and it's not as much about their particular set of skills as it is about their heart and motivation and will to win. Mix these three things together and you have a mentally tough player. That's my specialty!
i don't know, i think it's team culture as well. which is difficult to begin with, as "rest of the world" is such a catch all concept, but it's hardly aided by the lackadaisical and festive approach that fedor and skyler demonstrated. JJ has proved beyond doubt that he's not a good cup captain
I’ve never been a fan of the so-called "playing captain" in the Cups, but it’s Matchroom’s show, and they can run it however they see fit.
After listening to Johan on the Window’s Open podcast, I thought he dropped quite a few wisdom nuggets drawn from real experience. The question, at least in his mind (and many others), is this: What’s the best way to lead a team? Through a playing captain, a non-playing captain, a coach, or a true leader?
When asked who he thought would make good coaches for the Cups, he mentioned himself, Alex Lely, Niels Feijen, and Darren Appleton, all Europeans. He couldn’t come up with an American name, and therein lies the rub.
Johan also pointed out that American pride and the belief that Americans are the best at everything, including pool has been part of the downfall of American players. European and Asian countries, he said, take a completely different approach to developing young talent. They start training seriously at a young age, with structure, coaching, and professionalism. Meanwhile, many American players rely on raw talent and self-belief rather than disciplined preparation. His comments made a lot of sense.
Johan said he’s not interested in coaching the Cup again, not that he’d be asked, as he put it, but he’s now focused on developing youth and new talent at the training center he heads.
In sum, there’s a real difference between being a captain and being a coach in these events, but one thing’s for certain, whoever takes the reins must be a leader. Seeing a team member drop curse words on the mic or having the members scroll their phone on the rail while the Cup is underway is not a good look. At this point, “captain” feels like just a title, one that doesn’t necessarily come with meaning or purpose.
It was interesting to hear a European's take on American pool, and it sure did make sense to me.
After listening to Johan on the Window’s Open podcast, I thought he dropped quite a few wisdom nuggets drawn from real experience. The question, at least in his mind (and many others), is this: What’s the best way to lead a team? Through a playing captain, a non-playing captain, a coach, or a true leader?
When asked who he thought would make good coaches for the Cups, he mentioned himself, Alex Lely, Niels Feijen, and Darren Appleton, all Europeans. He couldn’t come up with an American name, and therein lies the rub.
Johan also pointed out that American pride and the belief that Americans are the best at everything, including pool has been part of the downfall of American players. European and Asian countries, he said, take a completely different approach to developing young talent. They start training seriously at a young age, with structure, coaching, and professionalism. Meanwhile, many American players rely on raw talent and self-belief rather than disciplined preparation. His comments made a lot of sense.
Johan said he’s not interested in coaching the Cup again, not that he’d be asked, as he put it, but he’s now focused on developing youth and new talent at the training center he heads.
In sum, there’s a real difference between being a captain and being a coach in these events, but one thing’s for certain, whoever takes the reins must be a leader. Seeing a team member drop curse words on the mic or having the members scroll their phone on the rail while the Cup is underway is not a good look. At this point, “captain” feels like just a title, one that doesn’t necessarily come with meaning or purpose.
It was interesting to hear a European's take on American pool, and it sure did make sense to me.