Oscar D Interview on Mosconi Cup, Shane's Absence, Bootcamps and Johan. Must Listen!

Cardigan Kid · Jul 25, 2018

I felt that this interview is full of so much information and insight into the Mosconi Cup, Johan as coach, the infamous boot camp selection process, and Shane's absence--that it requires it's own thread.

Mike Howerton gave us this gem of an interview with Oscar Dominguez who opens up and discusses many aspects of this upcoming Mosconi Cup that many here have pondered over.

Why is Shane not there?
Is Johan a good coach?
Why should players have to go to a boot camp?

The interview can be heard at this link:

http://www.poolpodcasts.com/2018/06/28/i-realized-how-much-i-sucked/

And the Mosconi talk starts at exactly the 20 minute point.

Oscar says Johan is the best coach he's ever worked with (and he's worked with many including his father).
Oscar ponders if Johan offered 16 players free training in Europe, there would be a waiting list a mile long, but in America he couldn't even get all 16 he invited. Why?

For many here that are scratching their heads at Shane's absence, let this interview stand as some clarity on the whole situation.

Thank you Mr. Howerton for all that you are doing in getting back into the saddle for American Billiard Radio. Gems like this are why what you are doing is so very important.
Thanks!

pwd72s · Jul 25, 2018

I started at the 20 minute mark. Very illuminating. Thanks for the heads up.

lorider · Jul 25, 2018

Can you give us the cliff notes for hearing impaired posters such as myself ? Thanks in advance.

ShortBusRuss · Jul 25, 2018

lorider said:
Can you give us the cliff notes for hearing impaired posters such as myself ? Thanks in advance.

I am gonna guess it amounts up to Oscar saying "I understand Shane's decision, and hope that there is a way that he can still be picked to participate, because we need him", and other similar politically correct, non-critical drivel.

Cardigan Kid · Jul 25, 2018

ShortBusRuss said:
I am gonna guess it amounts up to Oscar saying "I understand Shane's decision, and hope that there is a way that he can still be picked to participate, because we need him", and other similar politically correct, non-critical drivel.

18 minutes from 20:00 to 38:00....You should give it a listen. Oscar is polite as always but he disagrees with Shane and says he had a discussion with Shane about it all. If it was just politically correct drivel, I wouldn't have made this thread because like you, that stuff bores me to no end.
This interview, and I believe from Mike's really good questioning, gets into the meat of the situation. IMO it's pretty good at letting us all behind the curtain.

Cardigan Kid · Jul 25, 2018

lorider said:
Can you give us the cliff notes for hearing impaired posters such as myself ? Thanks in advance.

I'll try to get one going. Right now the stream is not working on my phone. But when it starts, I'll try to get some notes going for you.

Cardigan Kid · Jul 25, 2018

lorider said:
Can you give us the cliff notes for hearing impaired posters such as myself ? Thanks in advance.

This is the best I could do...hope you get the gist of the interview, but hearing it first hand from Oscar is a very good look into the Mosconi Cup selection process.

Interview (not verbatim...just highlights)

1. Going to Iowa for first boot camp session...Oscar likes the boot camp because Johan is trying to create structure and discipline in American pool.

2 16 people originally invited, but 14 accepted, Shane being one of the 2 that choose not to attend. Did not name the second player who declined the invite.

3. Does team USA have zero chance without Shane? Oscar says on paper, yes, because of the 1 on 1 factor. It's hard to play doubles with Shane. In a race to 5, 1 on 1, opponents will play tighter because of the reputation Shane has, but in a race to 5 anyone is beatable especially on the Mosconi Cup stage. So nothing is set in stone just because Shane isn't on the team.

4. Is Oscar on board with boot camp? Yes. Oscar says every single sport has an off season training camp. Why not pool? He has learned more with Johan than he has in years, and he has improved as a player. He loves the boot camps because he improves as a player.
Oscar wonders why wouldn't any player want to improve? He disagrees with Shane and told Shane all of this, who may be beyond the training and practice of what Johan is trying to do with the boot camps, but even if Shane learned one flaw/shot, then wouldn't it all be worth it?

5. Shane doesn't need the Mosconi Cup at his level. It means more to others who do not get that opportunity every year than it does to Shane.

6. Experience only takes you so far in Mosconi Cup. In Mosconi you need a shooter who is unafraid to fire at opponents than one who is hesitant over the ball. Oscar names a few players (Mitch Ellerman) who are relatively unknown and new but would be great for Mosconi because they fire at you.

7. Oscar doesn't expect to be on the team because of his poor performance last year, but he loves the opportunity to be considered and to learn and attend the boot camps.

8. Absence of Johnny archer, Rodney Morris wasn't too much of a shock to Oscar for not being considered because they are not active on the event schedule as much as others. The players who are on the list are the most active players in general. Johan and Jeremy did their homework on who can not only match-up but also work well with each other.

9. Oscar says he asked Johan for private training lessons (willing to fly to wherever Johan was in the states), and Johan said no because he doesn't want to show favoritism in the selection process. Johan doesn't talk to any players in regards to selection process and all players are on the same level at this point.

10. The boot camp is held in Des Moines and then Vegas...then team is narrowed to go to Russia, and then Belgium.

11. Johan is the best coach he's ever had and he'd say the same thing even if not picked. Oscar didn't ever think that someone who doesn't play at a high level could coach him, but he was totally wrong after working with Johan. He's extremely good and his knowledge is proven. Why wouldn't any player want to learn from a guy who's proven to coach some of the best players on earth? If Johan wanted to invite 16 players from Europe for free lessons, there would be a waiting list of players crashing at his door. Why not the same in America? Why wouldn't you want to learn from someone like this and it's a mistake on American players' part if they don't support this.

12. When Oscar first started working with Johan he found out how much he sucked. He found out the flaws in his game and things he needed to work on.

13. Oscar realized that he had to work on a lot of things on his game in order to improve as are other players, so there will be improvement but there is not just pressure on the team, but pressure on Johan as well, especially with a program that parted ways with the best player in the country.

pwd72s · Jul 25, 2018

Good nutshell review. Like I said, the interview itself was illuminating.

Cardigan Kid · Jul 25, 2018

pwd72s said:
Good nutshell review. Like I said, the interview itself was illuminating.

Yes, I thought so too.
It also dissolved some of the myths regarding the selection process that were bouncing around.

I thought (from reading various threads/Facebook posts) the boot camps involved a commitment from all players to go to locations in the states and Europe on their dime.
In reality, it is two boot camp sessions in Iowa and Nevada, then the team will be narrowed before Europe (like last year, the team that went to Russia was the final cup team, minus Skyler who had a family issue).

Like Oscar said, this is as close to professional off-season training that pool will ever get, and, IMO, having this as an ongoing part of American pool structure would be an asset.

us820 · Jul 26, 2018

Off season boot camps in sports makes sense - when guys are being paid the entire year by the team or if you are high school little rich kid with daddy footing all your bills all summer.

The idea of the team leaving off arguably one of the best players that ever lived during his prime due to “ lack of comittment “ is laughable.

jasonlaus · Jul 26, 2018

us820 said:
Off season boot camps in sports makes sense - when guys are being paid the entire year by the team or if you are high school little rich kid with daddy footing all your bills all summer.

The idea of the team leaving off arguably one of the best players that ever lived during his prime due to “ lack of comittment “ is laughable.

That's the same short-sighted gimme right now thinking that has ruined pool in America and caused them to become shortstop players when compared to the rest of the world.

Enjoy the insanity, you know the definition.
Jason

lfigueroa · Jul 26, 2018

I think, some players can benefit from being coached, at a boot camp and/or one-on-one. Some guys are just great natural players and may not have the required capacity for self awareness and introspection to break down flaws and inconsistencies to improve even further on their own. A coach can help.

But other guys are so self-aware and so introspective that the last thing they want or need is someone messing with their carefully constructed technique. I could be wrong but I think SVB falls into this category.

Lou Figueroa

BassMasterK · Jul 26, 2018

I agree this was a great podcast. I just found out that it had been restarted after the passing of Mr. Bond and have really been enjoying all of the episodes while catching back up. This one however, really stood out because it felt like Oscar was very honest about how he felt and how he viewed this newer path to the Mosconi Cup.

PhilosopherKing · Jul 26, 2018

jasonlaus said:
That's the same short-sighted gimme right now thinking that has ruined pool in America and caused them to become shortstop players when compared to the rest of the world.

Enjoy the insanity, you know the definition.
Jason

If a person is trying to break down a concrete wall, and they hit it over and over again with a sledgehammer, expecting different results, is that really so crazy?

us820 · Jul 26, 2018

jasonlaus said:
That's the same short-sighted gimme right now thinking that has ruined pool in America and caused them to become shortstop players when compared to the rest of the world.

Enjoy the insanity, you know the definition.
Jason

The guy has got to eat.If he has deals to do other things in place and then they change everything to make the boot camp, I would take care of my sponsors as he is doing as well.

Leaving CLEARLY the best US player off the team is crazy.

pocket · Jul 26, 2018

Shane is currently not on the list of hopefuls by HIS choice, not Johan or anyone associated with team USA.

I'd bet a glass of beer that he ends up playing.

alstl · Jul 26, 2018

I'm guessing the "boot camps" are a way to promote the event more than to help the players improve. If it's supposed to help the player win it isn't working based upon results.

TheMarsMan · Jul 26, 2018

I believe people need to look at the Mosconi cup from SVB.s perspective.

Some of the dates that they have scheduled boot-camps and trips conflict with tournaments that he has already committed. Some of these tournaments pay for his travel / expenses so any money won is all profit. Even if everything is paid for the events required for the Mosconi cup it would potentially cost him thousands of dollars in revenue.

Shane is committed to his sponsors to be at as many events as possible to support their interests, going to boot-camps where they don't interact with the public doesn't get him exposure. Obviously being on the Mosconi cup is good for his sponsorship, but the trade offs outweigh the benefit.

Could you imagine if the Olympic basketball team have eight practices all over the world where the players would have to miss actual games or they couldn't play for their country? Then leave off Lebron or Curry because they didn't want to miss games.

Oscar is right the Mosconi opportunity is greater for other players like himself that don't have sponsors paying them cash and tournaments paying their travel expenses.

easy-e · Jul 26, 2018

Wasn’t the other player who was “invited but declined” Jeremy Sossei? Pretty sure I read that somewhere on here.

easy-e · Jul 26, 2018

pocket said:
Shane is currently not on the list of hopefuls by HIS choice, not Johan or anyone associated with team USA.

I'd bet a glass of beer that he ends up playing.

You’re right, but wasn’t he one of the original 16 on the list?

Oscar D Interview on Mosconi Cup, Shane's Absence, Bootcamps and Johan. Must Listen!

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