Name one player on team USA that has won a "world championship" then, can you name the players on team Europe that "Have" won world championship titles?!!!!
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- Thread starter jasonlaus
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Name one player on team USA that has won a "world championship" then, can you name the players on team Europe that "Have" won world championship titles?!!!!
The Mosconi Cup is an "Exhibition" buddy, NOT a tournament!!!
Agree
Cobra,
I understand your angle and agree, however you have to agree with me on the 20 people at the US open finals....
Cobra,
I understand your angle and agree, however you have to agree with me on the 20 people at the US open finals....
We absolutely do not.. I am an American living in Germany right now... My billiard club in a very small podunk little town has a number of players in it that could compete well in 9 foot tourneys in cities like Denver. And the only place you'll find a barbox in Germany is on an American military base. Now, imagine what it's like in bigger cities like Berlin.
Barbox APA players don't count when measuring how seriously a country takes its pool.
Short Bus Russ
Exactly this!
When has America EVER stood behind and supported ANY sport that wasn't genuine American bred and raised....on tailgating and beer kegs???? LMAO
I also lived in Germany, an hour south of you, and played a bit in a club there.
I don’t know why you can’t count league players. The fact that so few become great players might suggest what’s wrong with American pool culture that leads to such an imbalance between Europe and the US.
There are mostly two types of players in America, gamblers and league players. I can play pretty sporty and I can't tell you how many times I couldn't find a game because I don't like to and won't gamble. Any reasonably good player is always looking for action or they don't think it's even worth their time.
As far as the league players go, most of them have no idea the mosconi cup is even going on right now or that it's even a thing. Most of them don't even know that that tiny little sliver of leather on the end of their cue they've been playing with for that last five years can actually be replaced and for cheap money at that. I have tried many times to strike up conversations with "serious" league players concerning current major tournaments and they just look at me like a deer in the headlights and go order another couple beers.
I'm all for people enjoying playing pool in any manner in which they see fit, however this league boom that we have going on is not breeding serious interest in pool in general. It is mostly catering to drunkards, no offense meant, who happen to like playing pool, Oh and free trips to Vegas! In all my years of APA I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen league players actually practicing, not playing around with buddies but actually practicing. It may be different in other areas than mine, however my experience with APA is exactly as I have described it.
None of this is an excuse for the poor showing of team USA, just my filtered view of pool in this country.
As far as the league players go, most of them have no idea the mosconi cup is even going on right now or that it's even a thing. Most of them don't even know that that tiny little sliver of leather on the end of their cue they've been playing with for that last five years can actually be replaced and for cheap money at that. I have tried many times to strike up conversations with "serious" league players concerning current major tournaments and they just look at me like a deer in the headlights and go order another couple beers.
I'm all for people enjoying playing pool in any manner in which they see fit, however this league boom that we have going on is not breeding serious interest in pool in general. It is mostly catering to drunkards, no offense meant, who happen to like playing pool, Oh and free trips to Vegas! In all my years of APA I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen league players actually practicing, not playing around with buddies but actually practicing. It may be different in other areas than mine, however my experience with APA is exactly as I have described it.
None of this is an excuse for the poor showing of team USA, just my filtered view of pool in this country.
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I think the Euros just have a different work ethic when it comes to pool.
Too many of our guys are like top tier amateurs v actual professionals in their approach, training, and dedication to excelling at the sport, IMO.
There can be no other reason for this kind of persistent level of “performance.”
Lou Figueroa
It's because our leagues through their business model encourage sandbagging in order to make money at the end of the session, or in Vegas.
In Germany, the payoff for playing well is the status of getting promoted to the next league level. There IS no money payoff. Money corrupts pool in the U.S.
Short Bus Russ
This statement make it obvious you don't really know much about American pro pool. Almost EVERY American pro gambles, and BTW they ,ale more money each year gambling than they do playing tourney with maybe one exception but probably not even then.
Ps, I think RKC is right on!
So why did Team Usa send a team of gamblers to a mosconi TOURNAMENT ?
Didnt Karl boyes just smack lil oscar gambling for 20gees for 2 sets not too long ago ?
Doubt many wld favor sky, hatch or bergman against Darren appleton or Albin ouschan for a race to hundred gambling .
Here is an observation: i am no pool expert, but i can speak to athletics, after being involved with athletes from the Olympic level down to rec leaguers over the last 20 years... the Americans don't Look like a team. Again, i am not there, and don't pretend to know what id's going on internally with team usa, but from what is being shown in the stream, team usa is anything but a team. When oscar was up big only to watch the lead vanish, where was the team (coach included) in his ear, picking him up and encouraging him... same for Skylar when he was imploding...
Jay Mentioned several times how shane and billy had poor body language. Where was the team picking them up, hell even getting on their ass, and letting them know just how important this one point is...
Maybe they were doing that and just didn't show it?
I get it, pool is an individual sport. I have worked with high level tennis players at the D1 level. It is often hard for elite, world ranked junior players to adjust to the team format of American college tennis... maybe this is what is hindering the Americans?
It just seems like the Euros care about each other and are invested in each other. I wonder how many of the mosconi players have experience with high level team sports... one thing i know is that when you are willing to lay it all on the line for your brother standing next to you, when you are fighting with and for your teammates, it makes it hard to tank, throw in the towel, slouch in your chair in the middle of an important match, walk around with slumped shoulders and your hands in your pockets, and all the other things i saw the Americans doing...
Ymmv, but the Americans don't Look on tv like they are fighting on every shot, in every game, in every match.
Jay Mentioned several times how shane and billy had poor body language. Where was the team picking them up, hell even getting on their ass, and letting them know just how important this one point is...
Maybe they were doing that and just didn't show it?
I get it, pool is an individual sport. I have worked with high level tennis players at the D1 level. It is often hard for elite, world ranked junior players to adjust to the team format of American college tennis... maybe this is what is hindering the Americans?
It just seems like the Euros care about each other and are invested in each other. I wonder how many of the mosconi players have experience with high level team sports... one thing i know is that when you are willing to lay it all on the line for your brother standing next to you, when you are fighting with and for your teammates, it makes it hard to tank, throw in the towel, slouch in your chair in the middle of an important match, walk around with slumped shoulders and your hands in your pockets, and all the other things i saw the Americans doing...
Ymmv, but the Americans don't Look on tv like they are fighting on every shot, in every game, in every match.
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Good post, thank you. This represents many of my thoughts too.
Yep. The American's look like individuals playing together for the first time. The Europeans look like a team working together towards a goal. Tomorrow will be a sad day in the history of American involvement in the Mosconi Cup.. Tough to watch, tougher to be involved in.....
I think a lot of that is just a function of the score.
It’s easy and natural to be all pumped and show massive comaraderie when you’re winning. But when you realize you are on a water slide direct to the Seventh Ring of Hell it’s kinda tough. The last match the US team never looked comfortable at the table and while their opponents were talking and laughing during the commercial breaks the Americans stared off in different directions in silence. It said a lot.
Lou Figueroa