“I beat myself…”

easy-e

easy-e

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Heard a guy talking about his performance in a recent tournament. He said “I beat myself, he didn’t beat me.” I’m starting to really dislike that phrase. Just give the other guy a little credit. Next time I hear this guy talk about a match or tournament he wins I’m going to correct him, “you didn’t win, your opponent lost”.

Any other phrases out there that are getting old to you?
 
I DIDN'T KNOW THAT?

This above statement was ''thee'' most common Problem/statement, while refereeing at the ACS nationals at the Tropicana this past May 2023.
Ironically, the VERY first rule, in the rule book is this.

1.1 Player’s Responsibility

It is the player’s responsibility to be aware of (all rules,) regulations and schedules applying to
competition. While tournament officials will make every reasonable effort to have such
information readily available to all players as appropriate, the ultimate responsibility rests
with the player.
 
"What about so and so?" From my perspective, we have raised several generations who are unable to accept responsibility for their own failures or misdeeds. It's as though everyone feels that if they should be the last one caught or else the system is rigged and unfair. When I was coming up, there were the closely related concepts of "suck it up", "man-up", and "take it like a man" (sorry girls, but that's the way I learned it). Nowadays, it seems like we are incapable of simply accepting responsibility for anything. I do not like this direction in which our society is apparently heading.

OTOH, Happy Thanksgiving everyone, and please pray for, and personally advance, peace and justice everywhere.
 
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I don't care for it either. For those that cling to it, they're also hurting their ability to view their play objectively.

Not pool-related but funny to me....have a coworker who is a diehard Ole Miss football fan, and almost invariably when they lose, he responds by saying, "We should have won that game, missed two key 3rd down conversions, missed field goal, etc."
 
Two things that bother me the most are, Saying good luck. People don't mean it .
I just prefer to say to my Opponent Shoot Well because I certainly don't want them getting Lucky.
The other thing is when someone lucks in a ball and raises there hand in a gesture like to say Sorry that happened.
No your not just continue shooting LOL
 
easy-e said:
Heard a guy talking about his performance in a recent tournament. He said “I beat myself, he didn’t beat me.” I’m starting to really dislike that phrase. Just give the other guy a little credit. Next time I hear this guy talk about a match or tournament he wins I’m going to correct him, “you didn’t win, your opponent lost”.

Any other phrases out there that are getting old to you?
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This always bothered me. Even if I felt it was true, I'd never say it. Always give your opponent credit.

Those who exercise poor sportsmanship devalue the game of pool, plain and simple. They will also have fewer potential practice partners.
 
Biloxi Boy said:
Hey now, look at how badly 'Bama fans complain. I guess they just don't lose as often as we do, so it does not seem as bad.
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He has converted me to pull for Ole Miss as I like an underdog, and enjoy his reports on the general favoritism Bama enjoy.
 
The one i hear a lot is, you got lucky. And why, is it always against me. Those kind of phrases, always go around the room, at a tournament. after a match, guys, always seem to forget its part of the game. Alot of people just can't handle, accepting they lost.

That phrase, ''i beat myself'' i don't like, I'd rather be honest, and say to my opponent if we have a chat after. I wasn't good enough. And all the best for your next one. No point moaning about it. Its done, its gone. Move on, In those double elimination tourneys, you got to forget, pretty quick.
 
gerard soriano said:
Two things that bother me the most are, Saying good luck. People don't mean it .
I just prefer to say to my Opponent Shoot Well because I certainly don't want them getting Lucky.
The other thing is when someone lucks in a ball and raises there hand in a gesture like to say Sorry that happened.
No your not just continue shooting LOL
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Yep.

I never say "good luck". Always "play well".
 
easy-e said:
Heard a guy talking about his performance in a recent tournament. He said “I beat myself, he didn’t beat me.” I’m starting to really dislike that phrase. Just give the other guy a little credit. Next time I hear this guy talk about a match or tournament he wins I’m going to correct him, “you didn’t win, your opponent lost”.

Any other phrases out there that are getting old to you?
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Agree given the context. But…. Recently I have on more than one occasion heard the quote from Bill Belichick and others that takes different forms. Basically it is that the first thing to do to win is stop losing games. More games are lost than won/ you lose more games than you win.

Sometimes a player just has such a good performance or is so much better they clearly win. But many times in any relatively close game or match a mistake loses it. But when you think about it, it has to be this way because of the nature of things and us. Think of the very best you play. The best break and solid run out. It happens. How often? Think of the worst. Missing shape with bih and blowing a 3 ball out. Missing the money ball, etc…. What happens more? So yeah, you beat yourself. But how many times did you win where the other guy made a big mistake?

So I totally agree with giving the opponent credit. If only for sportsmanship sake, but also because he probably beat you - avoiding a mistake or two that you didn’t. It’s part of the game even if not spectacular. I also agree that when people say this stuff it can be pride/ego/mental game weakness that is unpleasant and misguided. It shouldn’t be said. But I doubt correcting them - unless you are a friend or they are genuinely seeking advice- will change them.
 
I like it when an opponent makes an error near the finish of a rack or match and says "I was supposed to win that game/set".

If it's someone I don't know I say nothing, but when it's a friend or student I'll push back a little bit. I'll say "So you were supposed to win because you weren't supposed to miss the 8 ball, is that right?" Right. So then I'll say "What about the 3 ball I missed earlier this rack. Had I made that and run out you wouldn't have had a shot at the 8 ball in the first place. Wasn't I supposed to make my 3 ball?" They might hesitate.

So I boil it down to this: "It seems like what you're saying is that if I had made all of the mistakes I made that set, and you didn't make all of the mistakes you made that set, you would have beat me. Well, you are absolutely right about that. Great point. Where I come from there is only one response to this: If my aunt had balls she'd be my uncle."
 
Tin Man said:
I like it when an opponent makes an error near the finish of a rack or match and says "I was supposed to win that game/set".

If it's someone I don't know I say nothing, but when it's a friend or student I'll push back a little bit. I'll say "So you were supposed to win because you weren't supposed to miss the 8 ball, is that right?" Right. So then I'll say "What about the 3 ball I missed earlier this rack. Had I made that and run out you wouldn't have had a shot at the 8 ball in the first place. Wasn't I supposed to make my 3 ball?" They might hesitate.

So I boil it down to this: "It seems like what you're saying is that if I had made all of the mistakes I made that set, and you didn't make all of the mistakes you made that set, you would have beat me. Well, you are absolutely right about that. Great point. Where I come from there is only one response to this: If my aunt had balls she'd be my uncle."
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Or if "If's and buts were candy and nuts; it would be Christmas every f**king day!
 
I like that Alamosa. I heard that so long ago, I forgot.
Enjoy your family time.

bm
 
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