mlalum
Banned
1) Dippy Dave. Saw Mr. Peat in action first hand. HE IS NOT LAYING DOWN TO ROB EVERYONE like people in the forums are speculating. As he says he wants to be a pool playa and the best way he can do that from his view is by trying to beat the best. Pool players are lined up around the block wanting to play him but he tells them all no unless their names are Gabe, Scott, Corey or people just as good. I watched the end of a 12 hour set against Corey and Dippy Dave was trying his heart out. He doesn't like to lose. But he did. He's smart, knows the game and can move. He just can't shoot very well. In Arizona handicap language he would be a six as a shooter and a 7 as a mover. But he's definitely the most skilled woofer at Pool Sharks. As he handed over a couple gobs of money to Corey a much much bigger glob almost fell out of his pocket. Dippy Dave is just trying to have fun. He's very stuck. And he just doesn't care.
2) I read where people were criticizing how the arena was set up for the 10-ball. I didn't mind it. I felt that it spaced the customers out making it easier to get good seats for particular matches. Obviously space got tighter toward the end.
What I did not like was the
3) Frigid artic like temperatures inside the arena. It was really cold. I swear I saw Roberto Gomez wearing a snuggy when it wasn't his shot. I hadn't been that cold watching a sporting event since attending an amateur hockey match in the 80s.
and
3B) The damn music. The Rivera was broadcasting a 60s satellite station throughout the building including the playing arena. I don't mean the best of the 60s. I mean every single song recorded in the 60s. And turns out 75 percent of the music recorded in the 60s sucked. Who knew. We're talking Cowsills and the Leader of the Pack. I found myself hoping for a Monkeys song or even 3 Dog Night after a dose of do0wop or 50s style crooning. Of course my teeth where chattering so...
4) I met the legendary AKA Trigger. She was as gracious in person as she is on the forums.
5a) I was surprised at how close in talent/skill all the top 16 players are.
5b) I was also puzzled at how each player could play so differently from set to set. One of them would dominate a set. And the very next match they would struggle in comparison. I finally came to the conclusion that they sometimes just play perfect. And when they don't it looks like they're struggling when really all they're doing is not playing perfect.
6) Which players watched other players the most. Very few watched at all. Some of it might have been because of the sub freezing temperatures in the room. No. 1 watcher: Shane VB. No. 2 watcher: the young Pinoys. No. 3 watcher: Tony Drago. I have no speculation for any of this.
7) I knew LeeVan was a great player. He's won tournaments and people have told me he's a monster for the money. He won, I just don't know how. He didn't seem to play as spectacular as others, he just won.
8) If you told me I had to pick one player out of the field and bet $10K on him to beat the best player from the rest who would I pick? I'd say Busti but I really can't tell you why.
9) An interesting business analysis note that's probably only interesting to me. Turnout for the 10 ball tournament was very respectable. Next door in the very next room, however, 6500 tournament players participated in the BCA. A big turnout. But only a fraction of those people walked down the hall and bought a ticket to watch the best players in the world. To me that's a sympton of the biggest issue in the business of pool - the disconnect between league players and men's professional pool. And it seems to me that until that huge gap is bridged the pool business is going to have a hard time of it.
10) Everyone whines about bad rolls. We all do it. The pros do it. The hustlers do it. The league players do it. After Superman Gomez got about 10 good rolls against Shane VB in a match Shane started talking to the audience next to him big time. And you know what he was talking about.
Still it's so unsightly. I wish we could all stop. If it wasn't for a little luck in pool you know who'd win all the tournaments - Phil Helmuth.
2) I read where people were criticizing how the arena was set up for the 10-ball. I didn't mind it. I felt that it spaced the customers out making it easier to get good seats for particular matches. Obviously space got tighter toward the end.
What I did not like was the
3) Frigid artic like temperatures inside the arena. It was really cold. I swear I saw Roberto Gomez wearing a snuggy when it wasn't his shot. I hadn't been that cold watching a sporting event since attending an amateur hockey match in the 80s.
and
3B) The damn music. The Rivera was broadcasting a 60s satellite station throughout the building including the playing arena. I don't mean the best of the 60s. I mean every single song recorded in the 60s. And turns out 75 percent of the music recorded in the 60s sucked. Who knew. We're talking Cowsills and the Leader of the Pack. I found myself hoping for a Monkeys song or even 3 Dog Night after a dose of do0wop or 50s style crooning. Of course my teeth where chattering so...
4) I met the legendary AKA Trigger. She was as gracious in person as she is on the forums.
5a) I was surprised at how close in talent/skill all the top 16 players are.
5b) I was also puzzled at how each player could play so differently from set to set. One of them would dominate a set. And the very next match they would struggle in comparison. I finally came to the conclusion that they sometimes just play perfect. And when they don't it looks like they're struggling when really all they're doing is not playing perfect.
6) Which players watched other players the most. Very few watched at all. Some of it might have been because of the sub freezing temperatures in the room. No. 1 watcher: Shane VB. No. 2 watcher: the young Pinoys. No. 3 watcher: Tony Drago. I have no speculation for any of this.
7) I knew LeeVan was a great player. He's won tournaments and people have told me he's a monster for the money. He won, I just don't know how. He didn't seem to play as spectacular as others, he just won.
8) If you told me I had to pick one player out of the field and bet $10K on him to beat the best player from the rest who would I pick? I'd say Busti but I really can't tell you why.
9) An interesting business analysis note that's probably only interesting to me. Turnout for the 10 ball tournament was very respectable. Next door in the very next room, however, 6500 tournament players participated in the BCA. A big turnout. But only a fraction of those people walked down the hall and bought a ticket to watch the best players in the world. To me that's a sympton of the biggest issue in the business of pool - the disconnect between league players and men's professional pool. And it seems to me that until that huge gap is bridged the pool business is going to have a hard time of it.
10) Everyone whines about bad rolls. We all do it. The pros do it. The hustlers do it. The league players do it. After Superman Gomez got about 10 good rolls against Shane VB in a match Shane started talking to the audience next to him big time. And you know what he was talking about.
Still it's so unsightly. I wish we could all stop. If it wasn't for a little luck in pool you know who'd win all the tournaments - Phil Helmuth.
Last edited:
