Mosconi Cup 2025, Dec. 3-6, Alexandra Palace, London

jay helfert said:
In my day, 60's and 70's, there were literally tens of thousands of poolrooms all across the country. Every small town had a billiard room, or two. And they were all 8' or 9' tables. Bar tables were exclusively in the bars and for adults over 21. You grew up playing on a full sized table!
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I liked the big tables, but I learned to play real good on a bar table with the big cue ball, too.

Back in the day, there was way more action in the bars than there was in the pool halls.

There was usually only one or two pool halls in most smaller places, but they normally had several bars, especially the towns that had nearby colleges.

You could cruise the bars at night and usually pick up some cash in many of them.
 
skor said:
Probably no one right now, but you need to look for the future and invest in kids, the next 10 years are lost, but if you start now you might get somewhere.
Maybe that won't help either... look at Savannah Easton, she's like the great white hype but I don't think that she'll get much further than where she's at, like Fedor, she's into self branding more than getting better at this game. That's another problematic attitude of today's America
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She could travel the country and lose to the male players in every room in the country....just like most females of the past except Corr and Fisher.
 
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Xdecemberguy said:
The real problem is America doesn't treat Billiards/Pool as a sport like the rest of the world. Ever since it was looked down on as a gambler/risky game back in the days it's been frowned upon. If America ever wants to be competitive in this game it needs to be introduced early and treated like a main stream sport is in middle school and high school. If not well never get another generation that would have a chance..were lagging behind in this sport compared to the rest of the world.
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We went from having pool halls be a home for millions of mostly single men who may or may not have worked steadily, gambling on pool playing tough games to handicapping on Valley barboxes playing housewives 4 games to 2 in the APA.
It's a joke.
After Shane retires....we got nothing.
 
SBC said:
We went from having pool halls be a home for millions of mostly single men who may or may not have worked steadily, gambling on pool playing tough games to handicapping on Valley barboxes playing housewives 4 games to 2 in the APA.
It's a joke.
After Shane retires....we got nothing.
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Where we are today is most pool fans/players have a table in their home. They don't need to go anywhere to practice/play. That's the big market in the U.S. for pool table companies - home sales. Not necessarily the best environment to learn the game and become a top player, but it could be done by an enterprising youngster who was dedicated enough from a young age. As my old friend Steve Mizerak loved to say, "Practice, practice, practice." a few years of that, maybe from age 8 to 12 and then get out there and play any league that has full size tables. Keep moving up! Every Formula 1 or Indy car driver started out in go-karts and progressed to midgets, 1/4 racers, Formula 4, etc. before making it to the big time, Formula 1 or the Indy 500. Are there any young players in this country who have progressed this way? Shane did. Maybe a few others will emerge one day.

I like to say there is always room at the top, if you're good enough. And if you make it to the top in pro pool today you can make a good living! Not golf or tennis money, but real money! Right now there are fifteen players who have earned over 100K this year in prize money. Several over 200K and one over 300K. Thirty more in the 50 - 100K range. Most (if not all) of them are being sponsored to play, with expenses paid. So the prize money is all theirs. Not so bad to play a game you love and bank a little cash at the same time. I can remember (not that long ago) when only one or two players might make 100K in a year and many years only one. No question the prize money is still going up too. I get tired of hearing there is no money in pool. That is simply a lie. I know I would like to make 40 or 50 thou in one week! How about 75, 100 and even 250,000! These guys winning (and finishing high) in these events are definitely not complaining when they get their check.

By the way, Pool is a good spectator sport. That old saw don't cut it anymore. I've been seeing packed houses all the years I've been involved in the game. The pool fans will turn out for a good event! I don't like to brag but I produced or co-produced dozens of pool tournaments where it was standing room only. TV ratings continue to go up as well. The more prize money, the more eyeballs on the game. Simple equation there.
 
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jay helfert said:
Where we are today is most pool fans/players have a table in their home. They don't need to go anywhere to practice/play. That's the big market in the U.S. for pool table companies - home sales. Not necessarily the best environment to learn the game and become a top player, but it could be done by a youngster who was dedicated enough from a young age. As my old friend Steve Mizerak loved to say, "Practice, practice, practice." a few years of that, maybe from age 8 to 12 and then get out there and play any league that has full size tables. Keep moving up! Every Formula 1 driver started out in go-karts and progressed to midgets, 1/4 racers, Formula 4, etc. before making it to the big time, Formula 2 and then 1. Are there any young players in this country who have progressed this way? Shane did. Maybe a few others will emerge one day.

I like to say there is always room at the top, if you're good enough. And if you make it to the top in pro pool today you can make a good living! Not golf or tennis money, but real money! I couldn't have said that a few years ago.
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Sorry, with all due respect, I stopped reading after the first sentence! Delusional!
 
SA96 said:

72 hours before the Titanic sank. Very insightful!
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Who were America playing in the exhibition match. Only person I recognised was Ayd the Apprentice who presents a lot of the Ultimate Pool stuff, but he can't actually play pool to save his life.

Team Europe played exhibition matches at the start of last week, but think they have been practising in private since then.

Billy seems like the living embodiment of the stereotype we have of American's being too loud in public spaces. Seems to have a real look at me attitude. Whilst Gorst and SVB, the 2 best players in the team just seem like humble normal guys.
 
jokrswylde said:
What legitimate sport are you thinking of that doesn't have colorful characters and controversy. Tiger Woods was a man-ho, Phil Mickelson is a degenerate gambler and led a coup against the PGA...golf is still relevant.

Don't even need to mention NBA and NFL. MLB had some of it's highest ratings when two juice heads were chasing a home run record...still relevant.

Snooker and match fixing, Higgins drunken outbursts...still relevant. Interesting post....
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Pool doesn’t seem to be able to entice Flies to stop by if they had a bowel movement, and they don’t know how to develop, promote, or choose a competitive Team, and it’s Shameful.
 
garczar said:
you really are clueless. none of these guys grew up on snooker tables.
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Jayson would have grown up on a combination of snooker tables and UK pool tables (which are smaller than American pool tables but also have tighter pockets).

I'm not 100% certain about the players from continental Europe, but suspect you're right. Snooker is more a British thing, and is sadly dying in Britain. More profitable to have a smaller table (either UK or American pool table) that is easier for amateurs.
 
HawaiianEye said:
My takeaway:

Who cares?

To me, it is nothing more than a glorified APA league match up.

Meant for entertainment purposes only.

Circuses are fun.

They should all swig a few pints and shots while it is going on.
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I'm pretty sure Jimmy White and Alex Higgins probably were drunk during the early Mosconi cups, back when America won it every year
 
jay helfert said:
A lot of chatter here about what's wrong with Team USA and what we need to do to fix it. I'm sorry but none of the above is the answer. There is a reason why Shane became Shane and not just another American player. He actually grew up playing on bar boxes but made the transition to big tables by devoting himself to the game and whatever it took to be the player he is. It did not happen by accident. Shane put in the twelve hour days for years to get where he is. There is no short cut to pool stardom. It takes work and lots of it!

I've personally witnessed the practice regime of some great players who stayed at my home for periods of time. For years I had a really tough Diamond Pro table and players like Dennis, Carlo and Shane would spend day and night on that table until they had it mastered, or close. I'd wake up in the morning to the sound of pool balls and go to sleep at night to the same sounds. I saw real dedication by guys who wanted to be the best.

It makes me think the current crop of U.S. players does not do anything like this. Maybe they go to the poolroom every day (or on their home table) and hit balls for a couple of hours and hang around and smooze with their friends there. I don't think they take the game as seriously as the aspiring Euro and Asian pros. To them (Euro and Asian) they see a way to make a good living if they can win, so they make the necessary sacrifices to get there.

P.S. Attendance looked rather sparse in there. Maybe even the Euros have begun to lose interest in this annual bloodletting.
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tyler and billy were playing great three cushion yesterday. maybe they put in the practice but on the wrong kind of tables?
 
Normally in pool leagues I've played in everyone picked their best players first to try to get momentum. But I've played in teams with a few captains who when they knew we were playing a better team would play the weakest players first. Yeah you have to come from behind, but you are giving your better players matches they are more likely to win and the weaker players were probably going to lose anyhow.

If I was in charge of Team USA I would have put Tyler and Billy on first. I think Gorst and SVB would have been favourites to beat Mouritz and Lubitis and you'd at least have 1 point. Team Europe was meant to be hampered by having 2 rookies and nobody would know how they'd deal with the atmosphere. You basically gave them a confidence boost the first day putting Tyler out against them
 
Sad to see so many Americans writing off this team.

It's only day 1 and things can only get better.

I have tickets for day 2, 3 and 4, because I believe in Team USA.

Skyler looked very upset at the end of day 1, so he will come out firing today.

My prediction for day 2 is 4-1 to USA.

So Europe 5-4 after day 2.
 
I don’t think the issue with Team USA is their skill level. The real problem seems to be the lack of chemistry. Team Europe is constantly talking, laughing, and supporting each other, while the U.S. side often looks stone-faced and disconnected. There just doesn’t seem to be any real camaraderie out there.
The team needs to spend more time together, or we need to start selecting players who actually mesh well. We also need someone with a strong, outgoing personality—similar to the role Shaw plays for Europe. Someone who’s not afraid to talk a little trash, get the crowd involved, and bring some energy when things start slipping. Sometimes that spark is all it takes to get a team back in stroke.
 
SA96 said:
Sad to see so many Americans writing off this team.

It's only day 1 and things can only get better.

I have tickets for day 2, 3 and 4, because I believe in Team USA.

Skyler looked very upset at the end of day 1, so he will come out firing today.

My prediction for day 2 is 4-1 to USA.

So Europe 5-4 after day 2.
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Stranger things have happened... I like the optimism
 
jay helfert said:
You lose then by not reading further.
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oh man where do I begin, I also think most of that you wrote is delusional to the next level! but I do understand it though, because pool is your life, your sport, you grew up between pool players, so logically what you said made sense inside of your head which is fine.

but man the third paragraph is obviously biased, pool is a spectator game? haha, bro I could let my wife watch chickens fight game rather than let her sit watch a whole game of pool, she just wouldn't do it, she constantly reminds me that pool is really boring to watch, she likes to watch snooker though. I know for fact that pool isn't a spectator game not only non-pool players dont want to watch pool and get bored by it, also pool players in the hall don't want to watch pool.

One time I was at the pool hall, lot of gangs there were playing "Hall regulars" some bangers and some good players, we had a big tv in the pool room and I happen to have access to the live PPV during the US Open, at the time the tournament was almost over, if I remember correctly the match streamed was semi-finals or something and I was begging for the guys to come watch, imagine they didn't want to...they rather play than watch pro players play pool, they get bored according to them if they sit and watch.

So not only non-pool players want to watch pool cause it bores them, also pool players don't want to watch pool...there are however the small minority who still wants to watch sometimes, but not any match though.

So no, pool isn't good for viewership nor spectatorship. I am sorry, I disagree with you on that based on experience from family/friends, and even pool players.
 
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