And Corey makes five.................

I like this process. I like that it makes players work for their spot. I like that it gives spotlight to players that normally don’t get international attention. I like that participants get to experience MC-like exposure. I like that it shows some hopefuls what it takes to improve. And I like that it’s not so rigid or OCD to make a bad choice just because it started down a certain path.


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I guess everyone has an opinion, so here's mine. I don't think you should ever throw in the towel for the sake of a "process". The goal is to win. Four of these picks make perfect sense to just about everybody. One does not. Mr. Styer is definitely an up and coming player, but I'd hate for the USA to be competitive and lose because we picked someone who MIGHT be ready in 4 or 5 years. Yes, I think the other 4 players can hang with Europe.
 
Mole Eye said:
I guess everyone has an opinion, so here's mine. I don't think you should ever throw in the towel for the sake of a "process". The goal is to win. Four of these picks make perfect sense to just about everybody. One does not. Mr. Styer is definitely an up and coming player, but I'd hate for the USA to be competitive and lose because we picked someone who MIGHT be ready in 4 or 5 years. Yes, I think the other 4 players can hang with Europe.
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I agree. I know it won't be easy, and I wouldn't lay down a wager even with odds, but their goal is not to make a good showing - it is to win. In races to 5, there is no reason any one of them, or any two of them in a doubles match, aren't capable of winning any match against any player or players on the Euro team, if they play well and play smart. They absolutely can't allow the crowd get to them. The mix of the proven veterans - Shane and Corey, with the young hotshots - Skyler, Billy and Tyler, could possibly surprise some who think we don't have a chance.
 
mikeyfrost said:
Im just trying to understand some criteria here...SVB told the whole team and process to go finger bang itself while he goes fishing then says give me the free check and they say okay. Meanwhile you have guys like Corey and Tyler Styer who both have some character issues but are perceived to be dedicated to the team so they get on.

You leave off Oscar though for being a family man and gambling to put food on the table. That ladies and gentlemen is why pool sucks and we will keep getting drilled. I got my receipts together too so don't debate me just know the decision making isn't consistent.
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I echo your remarks. Very sad that a deserving player may have been passed over simply due to his desire to bring his family along with him for the Russia trip, and that he made a lifestyle choice not to celebrate/party with the rest of the team and the coach after their victory over Russia.
 
Styer is on the team?

What is the biggest event he ever won?

I played him and his whole entourage at SBE. He was a less than gracious loser.
 
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Corey is having a great year and I expected him to be picked. How Tyler got picked over Justin is a tragic mystery, unless Justin declined an invitation. Best of luck to our guys regardless.
 
I think if you wanted a team that has the highest talent level (of players that are basically full time players- Morris, Archer, Earl to an extent and Dechaine hence excluded) regardless of other factors, I'd pick Shane, Deuel, Bergman, Woodward, and Thorpe. They would probably still lose, but I think they'd win at least 7 or 8 matches.

If they played on bar tables, they'd be favorites though :grin:

Seriously though- Shane, Corey, and Woodward are some of the best bar table players in the world. Shane is obviously world class on any size table, but Corey basically gets out from everywhere on bar tables as does Skyler.
 
I think the proof will be in the pudding. Johann obviously has a plan and he's incorporating it now with his picks for Team USA. On paper we are big underdogs but you don't win pool matches on paper. To me the biggest thing is to somehow light a fire under Shane, our acknowledged big gun. If he plays well and wins the matches he's supposed to win (like all of them!), that would create a big boost in confidence for the rest of our players. If he plays badly again, you can expect to see another blow out win for Europe.

In other words, as Shane goes, so goes Team USA! JMHO as always. :cool:
 
MC top five

congratulation corey; corey is beyond a doubt day in and day out one of the best players in the world.. on any given day he can beat anyone. always friendly and always willing to help players with their game, a true ambassador of our game. go usa you can bring back the cup.
 
Corey is a fine pick. I would have gone with Oscar over Tyler but 4 out of 5 are perfect. The reality is that Europe could field 5 teams that re hard to beat.
 
mikeyfrost said:
Im just trying to understand some criteria here...SVB told the whole team and process to go finger bang itself while he goes fishing then says give me the free check and they say okay. Meanwhile you have guys like Corey and Tyler Styer who both have some character issues but are perceived to be dedicated to the team so they get on.

You leave off Oscar though for being a family man and gambling to put food on the table. That ladies and gentlemen is why pool sucks and we will keep getting drilled. I got my receipts together too so don't debate me just know the decision making isn't consistent.
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Svb changed his mind a few days after declining.

I dont know enough about styer to comment .

Oscar did not fare very well Las year.

Cory is the only one with on the team with a winning record in the cup..

Just curious as to who your 5 picks would be. Seems lime Oscar is one and like I said....he didn't fare very well last year iirc.
 
I think we should send Black-Balled over there as our pool detective on scene .
Of course we wouldn't understand anything he said, but maybe I can translate .
I speak the 'WTF' language !
 
Seems like josh Roberts is a better player than a few guys that were considered for the team- namely Styer and McMinn. I wonder why he isn’t given a chance
 
Not trying to stir any pots here, but c’mon, Shane didn’t change his mind. There was zero chance Matchroom would not have the biggest name in US pool playing in the Mosconi Cup when he was willing to play. He knew he could call that bluff and walk on whenever he felt like it. Hatch and Bergman also said they would play but their names don’t carry nearly the weight SVBs does so they didn’t get a sit down and a deal worked out.
I’m glad Corey made it. It’s a little surprising though, especially after he got cut and went on pretty long rant on facebook about how corrupt the whole selection process was.
 
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westcoast said:
I think if you wanted a team that has the highest talent level (of players that are basically full time players- Morris, Archer, Earl to an extent and Dechaine hence excluded) regardless of other factors, I'd pick Shane, Deuel, Bergman, Woodward, and Thorpe. They would probably still lose, but I think they'd win at least 7 or 8 matches.

If they played on bar tables, they'd be favorites though :grin:

Seriously though- Shane, Corey, and Woodward are some of the best bar table players in the world. Shane is obviously world class on any size table, but Corey basically gets out from everywhere on bar tables as does Skyler.
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probably true since most continental euro players haven't played on dimunitive tables aside from when they frequented youth centers and school leisure rooms (those tables were usually 8ft in my days though). but the increase of bar tables may very well be a big explanation as to why the U.S. have declined in the pool world
 
mikeyfrost said:
Im just trying to understand some criteria here...SVB told the whole team and process to go finger bang itself while he goes fishing then says give me the free check and they say okay. Meanwhile you have guys like Corey and Tyler Styer who both have some character issues but are perceived to be dedicated to the team so they get on.

You leave off Oscar though for being a family man and gambling to put food on the table. That ladies and gentlemen is why pool sucks and we will keep getting drilled. I got my receipts together too so don't debate me just know the decision making isn't consistent.
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Knowing Tyler for several years, I'm interested in these "character issues" you feel he has. I saw another post that he didn't respond well to a loss. He doesn't do drugs, doesn't smoke. I don't even think he drinks for that matter. So if not liking to lose is the worst character issue a pool player has, I'll take it. Is there something more?
 
westcoast said:
Seems like josh Roberts is a better player than a few guys that were considered for the team- namely Styer and McMinn. I wonder why he isn’t given a chance
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Agree! But he was on the original list this year; just not sure why he wasn’t at least moved forward for consideration.
 
Diamond69 said:
Knowing Tyler for several years, I'm interested in these "character issues" you feel he has. I saw another post that he didn't respond well to a loss. He doesn't do drugs, doesn't smoke. I don't even think he drinks for that matter. So if not liking to lose is the worst character issue a pool player has, I'll take it. Is there something more?
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I think as a general statement, most young extremely talented and highly competitive pool players don't handle losing all that well, so that alone should not be held against them. The trait that would be far more critical and concerning is a young player, who when under the heat and things are not going well in a match, gets outwardly upset, does not maintain control of their emotions, and falls apart / gives up.
 
My cup team based on merit in my opinion

SVB
Bergman
Woodard
Styler
Oscar

the rest did not finish high enough in the US OPEN

Stylers victory and play against Neils was impressive enough to earn a slot in my opinion....


KD
 
ChrisinNC said:
I think as a general statement, most young extremely talented and highly competitive pool players don't handle losing all that well, so that alone should not be held against them. The trait that would be far more critical and concerning is a young player, who when under the heat and things are not going well in a match, gets outwardly upset, does not maintain control of their emotions, and falls apart / gives up.
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Wow. I never knew Earl was young.
 
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