I use the foam earplugs at work everyday, and I have no problem hearing someone talking. Besides, if I have them in my ears, people don't talk to me as much, because they think I can't hear:grin:. Gotta love em!
About the "no earplugs" rule at the US Open 10Ball event
- Thread starter SUPERSTAR
- Start date
I use the foam earplugs at work everyday, and I have no problem hearing someone talking. Besides, if I have them in my ears, people don't talk to me as much, because they think I can't hear:grin:. Gotta love em!
Yeah, SUPERSTAR, I'm pretty sure he was referring to me when he was talking about the man crush on Larry. Blah blah blah, I've heard it all before.
By the way, I don't have a huge problem with SVB (I'm not a fan of his but I don't despise him in a John Schmidt kinda way either) but I have talked with a few players, well known and respected players, that flat out don't like SVB. Just because he's a popular player doesn't mean that everyone has to like him. Each person can have their own opinions and for some reason a lot of the fools here on AZ don't think that's the way it should be.
Oh, and to keep this thread on track, Shane should have to keep his hearing aid turned up because, although it's unfortunate that he has to wear it, it is and unfair advantage. After Bartram played Lee Van on the TV table he and I were looking over the tournament chart and JCIN came up and asked Chris if he could hear any of the commentary going on. Chris said he could hear Billy. Billy always talks (as he should) about the way he thinks players should shoot a shot or how they messed up a previous shot and other such things. So why should Chris and other players have to hear that and SVB shouldn't? If they are going to allow him to turn down his hearing aid while playing then other players should be allowed to wear an iPod or ear plugs to even things out.
By the way, I don't have a huge problem with SVB (I'm not a fan of his but I don't despise him in a John Schmidt kinda way either) but I have talked with a few players, well known and respected players, that flat out don't like SVB. Just because he's a popular player doesn't mean that everyone has to like him. Each person can have their own opinions and for some reason a lot of the fools here on AZ don't think that's the way it should be.
Oh, and to keep this thread on track, Shane should have to keep his hearing aid turned up because, although it's unfortunate that he has to wear it, it is and unfair advantage. After Bartram played Lee Van on the TV table he and I were looking over the tournament chart and JCIN came up and asked Chris if he could hear any of the commentary going on. Chris said he could hear Billy. Billy always talks (as he should) about the way he thinks players should shoot a shot or how they messed up a previous shot and other such things. So why should Chris and other players have to hear that and SVB shouldn't? If they are going to allow him to turn down his hearing aid while playing then other players should be allowed to wear an iPod or ear plugs to even things out.
Ok. Good to know.
Let me add this to my journal.
Entry: spanky79 - has no idea what he is talking about.
Last edited:
earplugs
I did notice hatch was using the foam ear plugs in his matches as well. Actually, I thought it was a good idea. I wouldn't think it was an unfair advantage if my opponent had them. No more than an arm brace, glasses that light up like a miner's helmet and, of course, ass weights.
I did notice hatch was using the foam ear plugs in his matches as well. Actually, I thought it was a good idea. I wouldn't think it was an unfair advantage if my opponent had them. No more than an arm brace, glasses that light up like a miner's helmet and, of course, ass weights.
Haha this is the most rediculous thing I've ever heard. A rule forcing SVB to turn on his hearing aids... wow
So what if he just didn't use hearing aids? Would the tournament director tell him he can't play unless he wears hearing aids? That is ridiculous...All players with good eyesight should have to wear glasses that lower there eyesight down to the player in the field with the worst eyesight. Now we're talkin!! What if a player comes on tour who is 100% deaf? Will he not be allowed to play? I mean shit we better hurry up with these rules before professional pool is taken over by deaf players 
100 % agree.
I m a bit wondering that this could be a point of a serious discussion. If someone has a handicap (here just a popular name like SVB-) this is absolutley no reason to discuss about for any reason imo. Just disrespectful.
> Here I go LOL.
I INTENTLY listen the the sound of the hit when I'm serious about playing. My particular Schon has a very distinct musical "ping" to the hit when I hit a ball ball real clean. The sound lets me know if I hit it good WAY before I see the end result.
As a result of probably overthinking about it,I've noticed this also causes me to hear a LOT of shit I shouldn't even acknowledge. Buddy Hall has told me himself his hearing does the same thing when he's playing,but it obviously hasn't affected his play any,LOL.
The places where background noise and actual chatter have caused me to be distracted are actually places where it's NOT a "loud" environment,so things stand out more.
For example,if you've ever been to the U.S. Open 9-ball,you know that bleacher spectator seating makes ALL kinds of racket,whether you are a player OR a spectator. I've been on both sides of the curtain. Those are random things that cannot be eliminated,and if it happens at just the right split-second,that can cause ANYONE to miss. Sure,there is low conversation in the stands and such,but not enough "background" noise such as music or whatever to mask that,so things like opening a drink can stand out more.
Remember the incident a few years ago where Fong Pang Chao's cell phone rang at full-blast while Ortmann was running out for the match late in the World 9-ball Championships? He missed a pretty easy shot by a full diamond.
If that had happened in a loud poolroom or a bar with a live band,the cell phone probably wouldn't have been heard.
These are the places I might feel that wearing foam earplugs might be helpful. If that is the case,I ALWAYS have some in my case,I will not feel the least bit bad about wearing them,and will only remove them if told by the TD that it is a rules violation.
I've never used them however,in places where the background "noise" is just LOUD music,like a bar with a live band. You don't hear people dropping cups and stuff like that in those places.
Besides,even the bad-ass ones I have (NRR 35+) don't EVER make you totally deaf,not even close,but they do muffle out "junk" noise,and that's all I'm trying to do with them. You can still communicate with me,you just have to speak louder or stand up and speak your mind.
The subject of using earbuds and an MP3 player is a totally different ball of wax. You can make yourself OBLIVIOUS to the outside world with those cause of the volume,or at least I can with mine. You could walk up behind me with a vacuum cleaner and I wouldn't hear it until you got within a few feet.
There is NO communication with someone playing with those in unless you walk right up to them or step in front of them. That should NOT be allowed.
As far as Shane goes,I've never met him,but can't imagine why someone wouldn't like him from what I've seen.
My question is,how bad is his deficiency? Is he totally deaf without his hearing aids turned on? Has there ever been a documented case of him refusing to respond to a foul or whatever? Tommy D.
I INTENTLY listen the the sound of the hit when I'm serious about playing. My particular Schon has a very distinct musical "ping" to the hit when I hit a ball ball real clean. The sound lets me know if I hit it good WAY before I see the end result.
As a result of probably overthinking about it,I've noticed this also causes me to hear a LOT of shit I shouldn't even acknowledge. Buddy Hall has told me himself his hearing does the same thing when he's playing,but it obviously hasn't affected his play any,LOL.
The places where background noise and actual chatter have caused me to be distracted are actually places where it's NOT a "loud" environment,so things stand out more.
For example,if you've ever been to the U.S. Open 9-ball,you know that bleacher spectator seating makes ALL kinds of racket,whether you are a player OR a spectator. I've been on both sides of the curtain. Those are random things that cannot be eliminated,and if it happens at just the right split-second,that can cause ANYONE to miss. Sure,there is low conversation in the stands and such,but not enough "background" noise such as music or whatever to mask that,so things like opening a drink can stand out more.
Remember the incident a few years ago where Fong Pang Chao's cell phone rang at full-blast while Ortmann was running out for the match late in the World 9-ball Championships? He missed a pretty easy shot by a full diamond.
If that had happened in a loud poolroom or a bar with a live band,the cell phone probably wouldn't have been heard.
These are the places I might feel that wearing foam earplugs might be helpful. If that is the case,I ALWAYS have some in my case,I will not feel the least bit bad about wearing them,and will only remove them if told by the TD that it is a rules violation.
I've never used them however,in places where the background "noise" is just LOUD music,like a bar with a live band. You don't hear people dropping cups and stuff like that in those places.
Besides,even the bad-ass ones I have (NRR 35+) don't EVER make you totally deaf,not even close,but they do muffle out "junk" noise,and that's all I'm trying to do with them. You can still communicate with me,you just have to speak louder or stand up and speak your mind.
The subject of using earbuds and an MP3 player is a totally different ball of wax. You can make yourself OBLIVIOUS to the outside world with those cause of the volume,or at least I can with mine. You could walk up behind me with a vacuum cleaner and I wouldn't hear it until you got within a few feet.
There is NO communication with someone playing with those in unless you walk right up to them or step in front of them. That should NOT be allowed.
As far as Shane goes,I've never met him,but can't imagine why someone wouldn't like him from what I've seen.
My question is,how bad is his deficiency? Is he totally deaf without his hearing aids turned on? Has there ever been a documented case of him refusing to respond to a foul or whatever? Tommy D.
I'm with SS on this. If you want to wear ear plugs, even the certified ones for high decibal areas, knock yourself out. They don't make it so you can't hear they just lower your hearing significantly, at least in my ears they do.
Something about a lot of these posts really bother me.
People keep pointing out the most irrelevant point and that point is "I think SVB would rather be able to hear than have this so called advantage" and everything similar to this.... how is that relevant to the OP's point we are not discussing the man's preference we are solely discussing what is reality. SVB wears a hearing aid and he CAN turn it down to drown out noise, why he has a hearing aid or if that got him beat up in the second grade has NOTHING to do with the fact that he has one and can turn it down. I don't think anyone should be allowed to tell the man what volume he should have it set at of course because we have to be sensitive about people's disabilities, it's only right. Being able to drown out the noise of the crowd and music and everything else may be a slight advantage he has. (yes I realize that he has so many other hardships in life that in no way relate to the fact that it still can be an advantage in pool). I just think that it is only fair to let the players all wear earplugs if they so desire.
Also I realize that SVB is a great pool player and I am not trying to suggest that any of his success has anything to do with the fact he can turn down his hearing aid.
They play awful music at this place I play at near my house and whenever there is any kind of sports playing on the tv's I have to listen to people cheer and yell at random when I am playing. It does start to give me a headache and cause me to get frustrated which in turn causes me to play slightly worse. I play bad enough as it is so I don't more reasons to miss a shot. Sometimes I bring my Ipod when I play and it just makes me feel better drowning everything else out and when you feel better, you play better. It has never caused a problem between me and anyone I play with.
Let the record show I am an SVB fan myself, the man play's beautifully and was very nice the 1 or 2 times I ever talked to him.
People keep pointing out the most irrelevant point and that point is "I think SVB would rather be able to hear than have this so called advantage" and everything similar to this.... how is that relevant to the OP's point we are not discussing the man's preference we are solely discussing what is reality. SVB wears a hearing aid and he CAN turn it down to drown out noise, why he has a hearing aid or if that got him beat up in the second grade has NOTHING to do with the fact that he has one and can turn it down. I don't think anyone should be allowed to tell the man what volume he should have it set at of course because we have to be sensitive about people's disabilities, it's only right. Being able to drown out the noise of the crowd and music and everything else may be a slight advantage he has. (yes I realize that he has so many other hardships in life that in no way relate to the fact that it still can be an advantage in pool). I just think that it is only fair to let the players all wear earplugs if they so desire.
Also I realize that SVB is a great pool player and I am not trying to suggest that any of his success has anything to do with the fact he can turn down his hearing aid.
They play awful music at this place I play at near my house and whenever there is any kind of sports playing on the tv's I have to listen to people cheer and yell at random when I am playing. It does start to give me a headache and cause me to get frustrated which in turn causes me to play slightly worse. I play bad enough as it is so I don't more reasons to miss a shot. Sometimes I bring my Ipod when I play and it just makes me feel better drowning everything else out and when you feel better, you play better. It has never caused a problem between me and anyone I play with.
Let the record show I am an SVB fan myself, the man play's beautifully and was very nice the 1 or 2 times I ever talked to him.
If I'm playing a tournament or even practicing in a loud pool room, I will put in earplugs. I have heard complaints about it, but not directly to my face. I generally tell my opponent I am putting them in, so they know I can still hear them and they don't have to alter any form of communication in order to accommodate me. For those of you who think it is rude to not be able to hear or communicate with your opponent... you are wrong. I can still hear my opponent rather well! The earplugs block out much of the ambient and background noises, they don't block out everything! If you're going to ban earplugs, then why not ban anyone making disrespectful noises or any other non-pool related sound! If the complaining and banning of insignificant things (phenolic tips, LD shafts, bridges, extensions, etc...) doesn't stop we'll have to play our matches like this: Empty room with both players and a ref, one piece of chalk to share and one cue to share, both players will have to be equal height and weight so that there are no unfair advantages... etc!!! This is becoming ridiculous and I am constantly astounded by posts like these! Should I take my contacts out next because someone else can only wear glasses? So then the person with lasik surgery shouldn't be able to play at all? Why do we continue to wonder why opinions of pool players in general are so low? Why can't we get OR KEEP good/reputable sponsors? Why is the sport we love slowly disappearing? Stop complaining all the time and just enjoy the game while its still here!
Noone is saying that SVB is scum for having a disability....."how dare he!" lol
But... it is a undeniable fact that in THIS case it is a unfair advantage. It is just reality folks. Saying that you are quite sure he would give his advantage up in a second to hear normal is about as obvious as his very clear advantage in the sport of Billiards. The OP was not insensitive in his post that I saw. He was stating a fact. A fact that is obviously recognized by other players of his caliber.
here is an example....
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/golf/news/2001/05/29/martin_decision_ap/
Although he is able to ride a cart via the Supreme Court, the 2 best players arguably to ever play don't agree. HOW DARE THOSE INSENSITIVE BASTARDS!
Ear Plugs (not Ipods) should not be a henderance to anything Pool. It's ridiculous to think so imo.
But... it is a undeniable fact that in THIS case it is a unfair advantage. It is just reality folks. Saying that you are quite sure he would give his advantage up in a second to hear normal is about as obvious as his very clear advantage in the sport of Billiards. The OP was not insensitive in his post that I saw. He was stating a fact. A fact that is obviously recognized by other players of his caliber.
here is an example....
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/golf/news/2001/05/29/martin_decision_ap/
Although he is able to ride a cart via the Supreme Court, the 2 best players arguably to ever play don't agree. HOW DARE THOSE INSENSITIVE BASTARDS!
Ear Plugs (not Ipods) should not be a henderance to anything Pool. It's ridiculous to think so imo.
Yeah, it is beyond me how we end up in a world where you can't state a fact.
Just because SVB is deaf, does that automatically mean that we aren't supposed to discuss it because deaf people around the world are going to be upset that we are pointing something out about them?
Is it not politically correct to address something that everyone knows about?
Cause i really don't see the purpose of tippy toeing around a subject like that when i am not insulting the man.
And for the people who state that they are sure SVB would gladly give up his advantage for regular hearing. To be honest, unless he is willing to give up pool and pursue another career then there is absolutely no way to determine that.
Because...
For all we know, if SVB were to go from being deaf, to having the greatest hearing in the universe, who knows, maybe he might not be able to reach the zone like he does and he might be the most sharkable pool pro out there and might actually wish to be deaf again with hearing aids that can be turned off at the desired times.
There is no way to determine it.
For all we know, if SVB went from deaf to fantastic hearing and was getting distracted and sharked by all the noise, HE HIMSELF MIGHT OPT FOR EARPLUGS.
I don't see the big deal about earplugs.
So far, no one has come on and given a valid explanation for the rule.
Probably because there isn't one.
Just because SVB is deaf, does that automatically mean that we aren't supposed to discuss it because deaf people around the world are going to be upset that we are pointing something out about them?
Is it not politically correct to address something that everyone knows about?
Cause i really don't see the purpose of tippy toeing around a subject like that when i am not insulting the man.
And for the people who state that they are sure SVB would gladly give up his advantage for regular hearing. To be honest, unless he is willing to give up pool and pursue another career then there is absolutely no way to determine that.
Because...
For all we know, if SVB were to go from being deaf, to having the greatest hearing in the universe, who knows, maybe he might not be able to reach the zone like he does and he might be the most sharkable pool pro out there and might actually wish to be deaf again with hearing aids that can be turned off at the desired times.
There is no way to determine it.
For all we know, if SVB went from deaf to fantastic hearing and was getting distracted and sharked by all the noise, HE HIMSELF MIGHT OPT FOR EARPLUGS.
I don't see the big deal about earplugs.
So far, no one has come on and given a valid explanation for the rule.
Probably because there isn't one.
Ear "plugs"
I have never heard a legitimate reason for denying a player the right to wear Ear PLUGS.
First and foremost, not to trash the people who make the rules, but I doubt if those people have ever used EAR PLUGS for any length of time.
I speak from experience.
1. Ear Plugs lessen the noise levels and do not eliminate sound.
2. I have never had a problem, NOT ONCE, with an opponent telling me I'm on two, the object ball is frozen OR ANYTHING ELSE, while wearing EAR PLUGS. I've never had an opponent complain that I could not hear them.
3. My Ear PLUGS are custom made and formed to fit the inside of my ears but I have used the sponge plugs and other types of EAR PLUGS.
4. Every reason I have ever heard against USING EAR PLUGS, is INVALID , in my opnion .
5. I am an open-minded person and would love to discuss this rule with anyone.
6. I have always had a hearing impairment, well, ever since I served in the Marine Corps. I lost a portion of my hearing there and it continues to worsen with time. Ear plugs do not contribute to my hearing impairment contrary to what you might think. In fact, I believe that ear plugs filter out some of the background noise and actually help me hear more clearly.
Background noise like music, multiple conversations, or any other audio background diminish my ability to hear the one conversation directly closest to me.
7. If the RULE MAKERS wish to discuss this further, they can PM me. I'll give them an earful. :wink:
JoeyA
I have never heard a legitimate reason for denying a player the right to wear Ear PLUGS.
First and foremost, not to trash the people who make the rules, but I doubt if those people have ever used EAR PLUGS for any length of time.
I speak from experience.
1. Ear Plugs lessen the noise levels and do not eliminate sound.
2. I have never had a problem, NOT ONCE, with an opponent telling me I'm on two, the object ball is frozen OR ANYTHING ELSE, while wearing EAR PLUGS. I've never had an opponent complain that I could not hear them.
3. My Ear PLUGS are custom made and formed to fit the inside of my ears but I have used the sponge plugs and other types of EAR PLUGS.
4. Every reason I have ever heard against USING EAR PLUGS, is INVALID , in my opnion .
5. I am an open-minded person and would love to discuss this rule with anyone.
6. I have always had a hearing impairment, well, ever since I served in the Marine Corps. I lost a portion of my hearing there and it continues to worsen with time. Ear plugs do not contribute to my hearing impairment contrary to what you might think. In fact, I believe that ear plugs filter out some of the background noise and actually help me hear more clearly.
Background noise like music, multiple conversations, or any other audio background diminish my ability to hear the one conversation directly closest to me.
7. If the RULE MAKERS wish to discuss this further, they can PM me. I'll give them an earful. :wink:
JoeyA
breaknrunjr
Registered
I really must do something about these long posts I keep writing
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been seeing a few instances where forced hearing (no earplugs or headphones) has been called into discussion. Threads that address this subject are usually longer in length (3 pages or more) and go back and forth. After reading numerous opinions and a few heated comments, I find it’s really hard to say whether or not forced hearing is really an ethical thing for tournaments to incorporate. There are solid arguments for both sides of this fence. However, as we proceed with discussions on this topic, I think there are a few things that are very important to keep in mind:
- One thing I do believe about rules is that they’re like laws; you need to look at why the rule or law was created to understand the rule/law. My opinion is that every rule or law ever created was made because their creators were trying to preserve some sort of ideal or fairness for everyone to which the rule/law would apply. So let’s look at this rule (no earphones or earplugs allowed in tournaments). Why was it created? What is it trying to preserve? It might be trying to make it so that everyone is capable of hearing calls and statements before disputes can begin. It could also be that they (tournament hosts) want more talking in tournaments (a little unlikely though, but hey, stranger things have happened). Maybe they’re just unsightly and tournament hosts don’t want to see people walking around with “stuff” in their ears. The two statements I’ve heard the most explaining the reason for this rule are 1) to have people able to hear all calls, and 2) that they are unsightly.
- In my opinion, the “unsightly” argument is easier to justify for earphones than for earplugs. Earphones have wires that have to go somewhere and I haven’t seen any of them available in colors that blend in well with the skin. Earplugs, however, are a horse of a different color (literally actually) because they do come in different colors that blend in well, like flesh-colored and even clear transparent plugs. If the intention is to make players look more professional with less “junk” in their ears, they can probably still accomplish this goal while allowing earplugs.
- The “people need to hear what’s going on in the game” argument holds a lot more weight in my opinion. That’s because it’s not hard to prove that disputes can and do happen when people don’t hear calls or questions during the match. So creating the rule for this reason will allow tournament matches to run more smoothly with less disputes. However, if the goal is to have people hearing what’s going on, they can’t stop at banning earphones or earplugs. People who use devises to help them hear must also be asked to keep them on during the match, and held accountable should they be caught with the device turned off. This is simply to ensure that the idea behind the rule applies to everyone to which the rule is capable of applying.
- One of the things I see a lot of is the singling out of Shane Van Boening and his use of a hearing aid. The first thing I must mention is that I agree with everyone who has stated that the fact that he can turn off his hearing aid isn’t why he’s a champion; his skill comes from the fact that he is absolutely dedicated to the work he puts into his game, and has refined his skills to a level that most ordinary pool players can’t even begin to comprehend. Such dedication is extremely rare to find in people; most simply can’t commit themselves mentally and physically to one thing in the manner that he has to pool. That being said, if the reason behind barring head phones and ear plugs is because the tournament requires you to have hearing at all times, then in all fairness, that should apply to everyone. People who use hearing aids during play should be asked to keep their hearing aids on throughout the match in a tournament that tries to enforce hearing. I understand that this would not be easy to enforce because it would be difficult to simply see if someone’s hearing aid was on or off. However, there are some ways that referees might be able to tell one way or the other (for instance, a pattern of not hearing calls or questions).
- There is a side issue to this debate that involves whether or not earplugs earphones guarantee that there’s going to be a dispute, but I think I’ve said enough for this particular post. I hope your eyes didn’t get tired after reading all this.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been seeing a few instances where forced hearing (no earplugs or headphones) has been called into discussion. Threads that address this subject are usually longer in length (3 pages or more) and go back and forth. After reading numerous opinions and a few heated comments, I find it’s really hard to say whether or not forced hearing is really an ethical thing for tournaments to incorporate. There are solid arguments for both sides of this fence. However, as we proceed with discussions on this topic, I think there are a few things that are very important to keep in mind:
- One thing I do believe about rules is that they’re like laws; you need to look at why the rule or law was created to understand the rule/law. My opinion is that every rule or law ever created was made because their creators were trying to preserve some sort of ideal or fairness for everyone to which the rule/law would apply. So let’s look at this rule (no earphones or earplugs allowed in tournaments). Why was it created? What is it trying to preserve? It might be trying to make it so that everyone is capable of hearing calls and statements before disputes can begin. It could also be that they (tournament hosts) want more talking in tournaments (a little unlikely though, but hey, stranger things have happened). Maybe they’re just unsightly and tournament hosts don’t want to see people walking around with “stuff” in their ears. The two statements I’ve heard the most explaining the reason for this rule are 1) to have people able to hear all calls, and 2) that they are unsightly.
- In my opinion, the “unsightly” argument is easier to justify for earphones than for earplugs. Earphones have wires that have to go somewhere and I haven’t seen any of them available in colors that blend in well with the skin. Earplugs, however, are a horse of a different color (literally actually) because they do come in different colors that blend in well, like flesh-colored and even clear transparent plugs. If the intention is to make players look more professional with less “junk” in their ears, they can probably still accomplish this goal while allowing earplugs.
- The “people need to hear what’s going on in the game” argument holds a lot more weight in my opinion. That’s because it’s not hard to prove that disputes can and do happen when people don’t hear calls or questions during the match. So creating the rule for this reason will allow tournament matches to run more smoothly with less disputes. However, if the goal is to have people hearing what’s going on, they can’t stop at banning earphones or earplugs. People who use devises to help them hear must also be asked to keep them on during the match, and held accountable should they be caught with the device turned off. This is simply to ensure that the idea behind the rule applies to everyone to which the rule is capable of applying.
- One of the things I see a lot of is the singling out of Shane Van Boening and his use of a hearing aid. The first thing I must mention is that I agree with everyone who has stated that the fact that he can turn off his hearing aid isn’t why he’s a champion; his skill comes from the fact that he is absolutely dedicated to the work he puts into his game, and has refined his skills to a level that most ordinary pool players can’t even begin to comprehend. Such dedication is extremely rare to find in people; most simply can’t commit themselves mentally and physically to one thing in the manner that he has to pool. That being said, if the reason behind barring head phones and ear plugs is because the tournament requires you to have hearing at all times, then in all fairness, that should apply to everyone. People who use hearing aids during play should be asked to keep their hearing aids on throughout the match in a tournament that tries to enforce hearing. I understand that this would not be easy to enforce because it would be difficult to simply see if someone’s hearing aid was on or off. However, there are some ways that referees might be able to tell one way or the other (for instance, a pattern of not hearing calls or questions).
- There is a side issue to this debate that involves whether or not earplugs earphones guarantee that there’s going to be a dispute, but I think I’ve said enough for this particular post. I hope your eyes didn’t get tired after reading all this.
It doesn't hold any weight at all.
IF ANYTHING, people have arguments because of not hearing things, when earplugs are NOT involved.
Most likely because people just assume that everyone has perfect hearing and can hear them say "you're on 2" in a low voice when someone is turned away from them with their back towards them.
But realistically, speaking from experience and having known other players who have dabbled with earplugs, i have never seen an argument regarding someone not hearing something.
Why you ask?
Because the instant someone knows that you are wearing earplugs, they make it a point NOT TO ASSUME that you can hear them, and are going to make sure they have your attention when saying something so that there is no mistake of if they heard you or not.
They aren't jumping around trying to wave you down, and they aren't throwing things at you to get your attention.
If anything, it's simply a slight wave of the hand or pointed index finger stuck in the air, to make sure they have your attention before they speak.
And that's if someone doesn't hear you right away, which usually isn't the case.
To me, THAT is the reality of earplugs.
Otherwise, we'd be hearing stories left and right about how someone with earplugs didn't hear something and how that caused an argument, and how earplugs are destroying the integrity of the game!!!
I think ear plus should be valid. I have swapped out my iPod for them. Once somebody can prove to me that really loud crap music or some some drunk loudmouth will not have an adverse effect to my hearing, I will stop wearing them.
Best part about most ear plugs is that you can hear you opponent just fine with them on.
Best part about most ear plugs is that you can hear you opponent just fine with them on.
Are gloves illegal too? And eyeglasses? I can't see how wearing earplugs gives you an unfair advantage... As long as everyone has the same opportunity to wear them if they wish. Personally, I like to hear things... Thi s has been debated in poker too, where lots of players wear headphones. I've tried it, and personally don't like it- I actually think it's a disadvantage in poker - but some people like it. So be it.
About time we had a 'hearing' about this
I got no problem with people wearing ear pieces,as long as i can't hear
whatever they're playing.
Personally,i think it's an advantage to hear clearly.It's not just the sound of your tip but the sound of the ball contact and the sound of the rails
allow you to be more aware of the conditions.
And i think deaf players should not be discriminated against.....
after all,they let a lot of dumb players compete....
Besides,if plugs were forbidden,i couldn't play any government agent
who's on call.I'd love to take one of those guys off.
I got no problem with people wearing ear pieces,as long as i can't hear
whatever they're playing.
Personally,i think it's an advantage to hear clearly.It's not just the sound of your tip but the sound of the ball contact and the sound of the rails
allow you to be more aware of the conditions.
And i think deaf players should not be discriminated against.....
after all,they let a lot of dumb players compete....
Besides,if plugs were forbidden,i couldn't play any government agent
who's on call.I'd love to take one of those guys off.
I think you should be able to wear em, I know I played in this event and play archer 1st and was down 8-1. I came back to 8-7 and along the way I made some really sick outs, I dont think I ever heard one person clap or show any appreciation of any of the tough shots I made. If i had been playing with ear plugs or an ipod it woulda never bothered me. And any event with the delta 13 rack should be allowed head phones, its so noisy its unreal