Screaming fans are perfect. That’s why Mosconi cup is exciting. This past corona year with no fans made the events extremely boring. I barely watched any of the mosconi due to that.
Conditions to participate in the upcoming U.S. Open
- Thread starter jay helfert
- Start date
One thing you do see in snooker is fans getting particularly excited as you get closer to the final. It really helps with the atmosphere. How often does the ref have to ask people to settle down at pool events? It may be a nice environment to play in, but it doesn’t make for exciting tv.
Yeah, I can believe these contracts are copy-pasted from similar ones, and it really may not have anything specific in mind. But since there’s some confusion about it, to the extent that their COO addressed it publicly on Facebook, they ought to change it or just remove it.
Totally agree, it's very poorly worded regardless of what their intent was. I'm still confused at the addition of "we will not be unreasonable".
They get in the spirit but it’s in response to the Europeans.
If they weren’t doing all the stuff they do there wouldn’t be all that falderal from the Americans. Maybe some like it but all that bs does nothing for me.
Lou Figueroa
I understand where you are coming from. But if you look closely, the Europeans applaud the Americans for a great performance. They recognize and appreciate a great game of pool. And they show it!
There are some in the crowd that go to extremes. But it is what it is. I see them as enthusiastic! Not passive and unenthusiastic like so many in this country.
My ancestors fought in the Battle of Detroit in the war of 1812. They surrendered to the British. The British released them on condition they would go home and resume farming. They agreed to the terms and then upon release went right back to fighting the British.
That has nothing to do with this thread but I just thought I'd throw it in there for entertainment purposes.
That has nothing to do with this thread but I just thought I'd throw it in there for entertainment purposes.
except for bostonians, they're crazier sports fans than europeans
i think a bit more lively audience adds to the pressure. just ask roberto gomez or ralf soquet who played world championship finals in manila. those events were steaming. if that's what MR is aiming for i definitely approve.
Ralf is a good friend of mine
I think that was Ronnie Alcano v. Ralf Souquet in the finals in Philippines. Every time I watch the end, Ralf's remarks, tears roll down my face. Fast forward to 01:32:20. Source:
There has always been tension in American pool between the pool purists and those who enjoy emotion, action, and the like. You're a pool purist. Nothing wrong with that, but I think you're in the minority today.
Nobody wants to watch tournament soldiers playing mute pool on TV. It's boring. ESPN came to Maryland for a one-pocket tournament in the '90s and left in the middle of a match. I think it was Nick Varner versus somebody, if my memory serves me right, and they said it would not show well on TV. They packed their gear and left. This is the big reason why pool does not enjoy popularity on TV, and in order to gain traction and non-pool-related sponsors who pay money to the sport industry, television is the platform to get it going.
yes, ralf was a runner-up in 2006, gomez was a runner-up in 2007. and gomez was visibly under pressure from the very engaged crowd.
ralf probably was too. the occasion was magnified by the crowd. i think however that ralf would have won were it not for MR allowing the soft breaks. alcano took advantage of the situation and won because of it.
Do you think that they care? Hell no. How many US domestic viewers do you think buy streams vs. International ones?
If you want to know the truth, why even come over here and do anything at all?
In my opinion "and its just opinion" is that were it not for the name recognition of the US Open, there would be no reason
for them to even be on this continent. They had to go where the players were used to going in order to intercept the business.
Now that they've bought the name, its theirs to screw up and this policy was a great start, if the players have any balls.
You make a good point but there is another point too. When does commentary get in the way? Shouldn't we have a class somewhere that someone like yourself, would type up and teach and talk about the correct things to mention.
I saw a match somewhere a long time ago with Danny D and Incardona commentating where it was a total nuclear crap bomb
unwatchable by anyone for any reason. They were so confrontational with each other that they were all that was going on.
I'd rather not have comments than to see that but then later I see another match with just Danny D and he did a great job and
likely Incardona does a great job by himself.
You have a school for referees. Why not commentary?
Agreed.
But you can’t turn all pool events into the MC. The MC is a circus.
Lou Figueroa
It doesn’t matter what my preference is.
What I’m saying is that the MC is a one-off and you cannot re-make all pool in its likeness. American pool fans are not wired that way. For that matter, you couldn’t even make snooker events into the MC.
The MC plays off the fan reactions of the two continents. Without that, you don’t have that.
Lou Figueroa
Last edited:
That is an example of a match with an audience full of super-enthusiastic pool fans who all wanted to see great pool and got more and more enthusiastic when they kept getting the great pool. Same happens in the World Championship finals in snooker when there are only max 2 frames to play.
I am kinda doubtful that the audience at the MC also consists of real POOL fans. I dare say that a lot (if not most) of them are there just for the shouting and screaming. And the beer. Ah yes, the beer.
So that's a difference between the two, I'd say. Like Mr. Figueroa said, it's a circus. And I'm no fan of circuses. I'm not 8 yrs old.
But I do agree that I like the over-enthusiastic audience a lot better (as long as they are there for the pool) than no audience or scattered, indifferent audience (like at the World 9ball finals this year, but that was also because of covid of course). So if MR is going to achieve that, then more power to 'em.
Last edited:
Since not all events can be MC, that means pool rooms have the ability to compete in niche ways.
I lack the knowledge at the local level to discuss specifics.
The main thing is keeping costs down and making it easy for players to transition from one event to the next.