About the "no earplugs" rule at the US Open 10Ball event

[SUPERSTAR]

Isn't this kind of over the top?

Not everyone is capable of tuning out noise/terrible-music/loud voices that carry.
Can someone please give me a valid explanation for this aside from the "it's for appearances sake"?

Plus, isn't this rule kind of in an indirect way, giving SVB sort of an unfair advantage when he can just turn the hearing aid down (noise cancellation) to tune things out, when no one else is afforded that luxury?

If someone is going to say that earplugs cause conflicts with people not hearing things that are said to them, that's just not a valid issue and is a pretty weak argument.
Just ask the people who use them.

Some insight please.

 

[Steve Lipsky]

Superstar, on this one issue I must disagree. I think the wearing of earphones is incredibly disrespectful to your opponent, as well as to a paying audience.

I would never applaud a shot made by someone who is intentionally making it so he can't hear me.

- Steve

 

[PoolSharkAllen]

Plus, isn't this rule kind of in an indirect way, giving SVB sort of an unfair advantage when he can just turn the hearing aid down (noise cancellation) to tune things out, when no one else is afforded that luxury?

If someone is going to say that earplugs cause conflicts with people not hearing things that are said to them, that's just not a valid issue and is a pretty weak argument.
Just ask the people who use them.

Some insight please.

People who wear hearing aids wear them out of necessity. Obviously they could turn down the volume if needed.

If you think that wearing hearing aids gives someone a competitive advantage, then perhaps you should spend hundreds of dollars and get yourself a pair of hearing aids so that you too can have a "competitive advantage" over the players that don't have them.

Come to think of it, don't players who wear contact lenses or have corrective eye surgery have a competitive advantage over those who just wear glasses?

 

[Jason Robichaud]

I like the rule. The mental game is the biggest challenge becoming pro and short cuts shouldn't be allowed, I see it no different than drugs to calm down.

 

[Thunder Thighs]

Plus, isn't this rule kind of in an indirect way, giving SVB sort of an unfair advantage when he can just turn the hearing aid down (noise cancellation) to tune things out, when no one else is afforded that luxury?

SVB's unfair advantage is his stroke, not his use of a hearing aid. After the match over, he has to continue wearing that hearing aid every day. So I don't think it's a "luxury".

 

[sk8ordie]

Superstar, on this one issue I must disagree. I think the wearing of earphones is incredibly disrespectful to your opponent, as well as to a paying audience.

I would never applaud a shot made by someone who is intentionally making it so he can't hear me.

- Steve

I think Superstar was referring to earplugs you would wear in a swimming pool(which come in flesh color), not iPod earphones.

 

[dedstroke38]

Isn't this kind of over the top?



Plus, isn't this rule kind of in an indirect way, giving SVB sort of an unfair advantage when he can just turn the hearing aid down (noise cancellation) to tune things out, when no one else is afforded that luxury?

I would hardly say that someone who has nearly all of one of their senses gone has a luxury. I noticed your comments during the SVB v Lee Van match. Whats your problem with SVB? Lots of pretty negative and just plain wrong comments about an extremely gifted player who is wonderful for the game.

 

[ShootingArts]

ummm

I like the rule. The mental game is the biggest challenge becoming pro and short cuts shouldn't be allowed, I see it no different than drugs to calm down.

Drugs to calm down, you mean like nicotine?

In response to another poster, Shane's disadvantage in most things gives him an advantage in a noisy background. Not something he chose, something that exists. However, if he fails to hear an instruction or official's command due to having the hearing aids turned down I do think this was his responsibility and he should be the one to suffer the consequences.

I am hearing impaired myself to the point that people around me often wish I would wear hearing aids. Unless you are in front of me and I am aware you are talking to me you will probably be ignored. I hear noise fairly well at some frequencies, very poorly at others. That often means that background noise defeats what little accurate hearing I have and leaves me at further disadvantage not the hearing impairment being a gift.

Hu

 

[CreeDo]

IMO it's overly sensitive to feel offended or disrespected by the opponent wearing earplugs. They don't mean it personally, so why take it personally?

If I'm at a major event and my opponent chooses to wear them, I'm not worried about the fact that they can't hear me... because 99% of the time, there's absolutely nothing that needs to be said. At the pro level, players know whether something is a foul or not (close hits notwithstanding). They'll know when it's their turn to shoot. They don't need prompting to get the rack. If I need to get a ref, it's easy enough to get in their line of sight to get the attention. The entire match can go smoothly without a word being spoken.

I've always found the arguments about shane's 'advantage' kind of absurd. If someone offered you the chance to trade your hearing for an advantage at pool, would you take it? I mean, let's get real here. How is a ref even entitled to demand someone wear a special piece of electronic equipment while they shoot? His hearing aid is his property and he can use it (or not use it) as he sees fit. Nobody can DEMAND he use it. Are they really even gonna check it? How embarrassing for everyone involved.

Pool is funny because it's one of the few non-team sports where a player is expected to block out crowd noise, music, etc. Can you imagine Tiger being asked to perform his best with a jukebox and talking spectators? Even looking at other "bar sports"... watch any of the majors... there's no music. Everyone shuts up. But somehow in pool it's accepted and even expected that music is blaring across the room. Why should I be forced to listen to music I don't like while playing for 10 or 20,000 dollars?! Talk about sharking. Ideally I shouldn't have to listen to anything at all.

 

[UrackmIcrackm]

I think Superstar was referring to earplugs you would wear in a swimming pool(which come in flesh color), not iPod earphones.

I think Steve Lipsky was referring to either or.

I've heard a few players grumbling about Shane having an advantage at tournaments when they were told ear plugs were not allowed. Shane's handicap is just that - a handicap. Pool is probably the one thing in his life where his handicap isn't a hindrance. Not being able to hear or hear well is a disadvantage in all other aspects of life. I'm sure he would gladly go back in time and give you his hearing loss so that he could grow up hearing and learning and not being tortured by kids in school or disadvantaged in adulthood.

Shane does not play as well as he does because of the handicap. If Shane had perfect hearing and the ones complaining about him having an advantage were wearing ear plugs the outcome would still be the same. Shane would still win more times than not (against the ones that I've heard complain about him having an "advantage").

 

[AtLarge]

... Pool is probably the one thing in his life where his handicap isn't a hindrance. ...

Do we know for sure that his deafness actually helps him in pool? I'd think that the sense of hearing actually helps in pool -- hearing the tip hit the ball, hearing the balls collide, hearing the ball fall in the pocket. I wonder whether SVB feels he plays the same, better, or worse when (if) he turns off the hearing aids.

 

[spanky79]

Larry Nevel is superstars man crush, so why does it surprise you that he hates on a good guy like SVB.
Super only likes the guys who trow things and curse.

 

[irock]

I think you should be allowed to wear earplugs. I have played in a lot of places that the music is way too loud, and it was extremely hard to concentrate. If you might miss something important, no one to blame but yourself. Shane is a credit to the sport, and if he does have an advantage with his hearing, I am sure he would gladly trade that advantage any day, to anyone complaining, for their normal hearing.

 

[TheBook]

During league nights I will wear ear plugs because the juke box is too loud. I try to protect my hearing plus I don't like listening to that gangstra rap.

One night in one bar they were playing some crap and the only words were

F U "N", "N" over and over. I don't know how that could be played and it was in a bar in the inner city.

 

[mnorwood]

I watched the finals and I must say that TAR did a fantastic job...... However, with the all bad music going on in the background and the pissing match between Billy and the Freezer earplugs should have been required equipment. You have to consider mental health and other safety concerns. Know what I mean???? Oh yeah was Billy drunk????

 

[SUPERSTAR]

Superstar, on this one issue I must disagree. I think the wearing of earphones is incredibly disrespectful to your opponent, as well as to a paying audience.

I would never applaud a shot made by someone who is intentionally making it so he can't hear me.

- Steve

Actually, I am not talking about headphones.
I am talking about sponge plugs that people use to reduce noise.

It's more of a tuning out the unwanted noise issue that happens as a result of loud music, spectators who feel the need to talk loudly/SHARK people during a match, etc etc.

 

[chris_williams]

I dont know SVB personally but I am pretty sure he would rather have his hearing than an "unfair advantage" in a pool match.

 

[SUPERSTAR]

I would hardly say that someone who has nearly all of one of their senses gone has a luxury. I noticed your comments during the SVB v Lee Van match. Whats your problem with SVB? Lots of pretty negative and just plain wrong comments about an extremely gifted player who is wonderful for the game.

First off, i don't have a problem with SVB. Great player.
But if your gonna get all bent out of shape cause people were rooting for LVC instead of SVB, that's not my problem.

If you can't handle a little "VAN VAN WILL WIN!", or when someone misses, a nice healthy "CHIHUAHUA" Or just flat out calling a player terrible when they dog it (which i also said about Lee Van, (WHO I WAS ROOTING FOR), when he missed, if you were paying attention), then you are just overly sensitive and take things too seriously.

NOT ONCE, did i ever attack the mans character, and if that is what you are suggesting that i did, it is a flat out lie.
And i am confident that if i DID attack the mans character on the stream, that the MODS would have booted me off the stream because that's just wrong.

But i have to say, that it is HIGHLY ENTERTAINING, how when someone doesn't jump on the SVB bandwagon in a chat with SBV fans, how the SVB groupies got all bent out of shape.

Now back to the issue.
I used SVB as an example, um...uh..., now bear with me cause this might be too complicated for some people...
BECAUSE HE'S DEAF!!!!!!

If there were 2,3, or more Pros who were deaf and had hearing aids, i would be using THEM ALL as examples if they were turning their hearing aids down, while others were unable to use earplugs to also tune foul noise out.

Sorry if your hero just happens to be the one who is deaf, but regardless, it is a fact.
THAT is why he is used as an example.
If you can find me some other world class top shelf pool players that are deaf and have hearing aids, then please tell me their names, so i can also use THEM as examples.

When discussing "the zone" with other players and how for some, it's easier when you are able to tune things out, SVB IS at an advantage over others who are distracted by noises who can't do anything about it.

Period.

 

[SUPERSTAR]

Larry Nevel is superstars man crush, so why does it surprise you that he hates on a good guy like SVB.
Super only likes the guys who trow things and curse.

If you could please cite where you got this information?
Cause i honestly don't know what you are talking about.

Link it please.

 

[Dead Money]

I think he means Supernova..............