Darren's Mosconi Thread on Facebook

As a Brit I have to disagree with that blog, surely the best players should play regardless of whether they are English, Scottish, Dutch or whatever? If the best 5 US players were all from California should they not all play?

On a slightly separate note, I didn't go this year as it was in Blackpool, but on TV at least it appeared that the crowd took things perhaps a bit too far, in terms of distracting the players. In that respect I do think we could be a bit more 'European', i.e. loud, but curtious!
 
watchez said:
Mark had the tables recoved at Lindenwood for the week of practice/play the team did here in St Louis. But I still feel that the conditions are not what the players normally play on day in, day out and it had an effect on their play.

Certainly a couple of scratches......Bergman had two that he normally wouldn't have had. I remember Schmidt in doubles shooting a 6 ball middle of the top rail and having to go down table for the 7, middle of table bottom rail. He ran the cue ball into the 7, barely leaving Corey a shot. That shot there was John not comfortable with the table and simply hitting to make the 6 and trying to put as little of english on the cue ball, leaving whatever shape that transpired.

And I would agree the tables were loose. I have hesitated from posting this cause someone will be offended, but it reminded me of watching a WPBA match on TV. Big pockets so even the misses would go in. Corey had two 'misses' fall. I can't remember any others for the US. The Europeans had at least 6, maybe more.
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For sure, and how about JS's scratch on the hanger 9 ball. I hate to call the conditions gaffy but no one was comfortable, and the Americans even more so as they never play on that ice.
 
vjmehra said:
As a Brit I have to disagree with that blog, surely the best players should play regardless of whether they are English, Scottish, Dutch or whatever? If the best 5 US players were all from California should they not all play?

On a slightly separate note, I didn't go this year as it was in Blackpool, but on TV at least it appeared that the crowd took things perhaps a bit too far, in terms of distracting the players. In that respect I do think we could be a bit more 'European', i.e. loud, but curtious!
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I'd say the York Hall crowd was far tougher than this one.
 
Didn't come across that way on TV (I always went to the York Hall in person and felt the crowd generaly quietened down for each shot), but if you were there I'll take your word for it!
 
vjmehra said:
As a Brit I have to disagree with that blog, surely the best players should play regardless of whether they are English, Scottish, Dutch or whatever? If the best 5 US players were all from California should they not all play?
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Hi vjmehra, thanks for having a read and for your comment. Before this year's event I felt exactly the same way but you know the more I think about the concept of only one player per country/state the more I like it. It is an exhibition after all.
 
It just seems unfair, you could have the World Cup of pool Champions, World Champion and Eurotour Champion all from the same country. How would it be fair to say only one could play?

It's more than an exhibition, from a player's point of view it would be very unfair as the Mosconi Cup is the highlight of many of their careers and to miss out as (potentially) a World Champion seems unfair.
 
vjmehra said:
It just seems unfair, you could have the World Cup of pool Champions, World Champion and Eurotour Champion all from the same country. How would it be fair to say only one could play?

It's more than an exhibition, from a player's point of view it would be very unfair as the Mosconi Cup is the highlight of many of their careers and to miss out as (potentially) a World Champion seems unfair.
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Totally understand your thoughts but as a fan I'd still be in favour of seeing this criteria introduced. Although Mark Gray qualified, let's not forget that Matchroom chose to include Darren Appleton and Karl Boyes. Yes, they won the WCOP but Europeans have won big tournaments in the past without selection (Huidji See World 10 Ball, Karol Skowerski World Pool Masters). My point is simply that the overload of English players didn't work for me as a fan and I hope this can be avoided in future Mosconi Cups.

Credit to Matchroom for creating an event that the players care so deeply about but the fact that players see it as the pinnacle of their career is as much a reflection of the sorry state of the professional game today than it is to do with the event itself in my opinion. It is an exhibition though.
 
Just to clarify, I'm not saying that English players in particular should be picked for doing well, merely that if the 5 best players in Europe were Dutch, French, Scottish or whatever then I'd want them in!

But that's not to say I'm right...just an opinion of course, I'm sure plenty must have different views on this subject?
 
vjmehra said:
Just to clarify, I'm not saying that English players in particular should be picked for doing well, merely that if the 5 best players in Europe were Dutch, French, Scottish or whatever then I'd want them in!

But that's not to say I'm right...just an opinion of course, I'm sure plenty must have different views on this subject?
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Of course, totally understand. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
 
You adapt to playing conditions or you are taking the bus home, it's as simple as that.
The best players adapt, conditions can change in minutes.
The conditions were the same for everyone.

Schmidt dogged that scratch in the side, he hit it like it was a gimme, no thought, I got this...Guess what, that scratch has been there since before dinosaurs, he knows it, everybody knows it....careless

Shane is an awesome player, many times on fast tables he loses the cue ball because of his stroke. It has cost him a few times in World Championships.
He has to learn to short stroke when needed. I can teach him, have him call me.

They were better than us
They worked better as a team
They adapted to the conditions better
They contained their mental and physical distractions
Their coach was better

Not bad for a team that was together for a week
We had months and an entire new plan, we had seals
What will be the next excuse.
 
I think both teams played under their potential. Many more bad misses than great shots. Just another argument against short coin-flip races.
 
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