Fedor Gorst nominated for Mosconi CUP Team USA!

BasementDweller said:
I really like Fedor and make no mistake this is a bold and courageous move. He seems like a pretty smart guy too. I just hope he has all of his bases covered on this, as I'm sure the man in charge won't be too fond of this once he catches wind of it. Could be tough on his family :(
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Say what?
 
BasementDweller said:
I really like Fedor and make no mistake this is a bold and courageous move. He seems like a pretty smart guy too. I just hope he has all of his bases covered on this, as I'm sure the man in charge won't be too fond of this once he catches wind of it. Could be tough on his family :(
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russia isn't that whacky (yet). maybe it would be different if fedor started making political statements. but still american pool is such a niche thing in russia. a tennis or hockey player making anti-govt statements could possibly mean trouble for family.
 
I spoke to him a few months back at the World 10 Ball championship and he made an off the cuff comment that he made never go back to Russia, which is sad. Imagine not being able to go back to your hometown and be able to at least visit.
 
skogstokig said:
russia isn't that whacky (yet). maybe it would be different if fedor started making political statements. but still american pool is such a niche thing in russia. a tennis or hockey player making anti-govt statements could possibly mean trouble for family.
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I don't know.

They are at war and the U.S. is clearly on the side of their enemy. Sure -- pool may not be that a big of a deal, and Fedor may try to avoid the politics of it all, but Matchroom gets millions of eye balls on their events. I'm just hopeful that he's thought this through. Based on how he carries himself I'm almost certain he has.
 
jay helfert said:
Shaw may well have permanent resident status by now. He's been living here long enough that's for sure.
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Isn't he married to an American woman? If they've been married 2 years he's eligble for permanent residency

Prediction: Shaw jumps only when there are 6 or 7 European players better than him but he still slots as the 2nd or 3rd American.
 
The folks at Cuetec must be awfully excited.
SVB, Fedor, Sky and JJ on the team.
 
skogstokig said:
the guy just took a pay cut. 🫣
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I'm not saying anything happened, but it probably would have been worth it for Matchroom to pay him to jump over and keep the USA competitive longer. Since payouts are fixed, the way for Matchroom to make more money is for the cup to last as long as possible.

Even absent that, Fedor seems to understand that he's a brand. If his streaming channel gets a lot more views with him officially representing the USA, than it becomes worth it for him in the end that way too.
 
Justaneng said:
I'm not saying anything happened, but it probably would have been worth it for Matchroom to pay him to jump over and keep the USA competitive longer. Since payouts are fixed, the way for Matchroom to make more money is for the cup to last as long as possible.

Even absent that, Fedor seems to understand that he's a brand. If his streaming channel gets a lot more views with him officially representing the USA, than it becomes worth it for him in the end that way too.
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looking at it purely as an economic decision i still think it's a paycut BUT he will no longer have to compete with euro monsters for a spot, so maybe win-win in the long run
 
Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine, the only way that Fedor has been allowed to play is as an authorized neutral athlete. He lives in the US and does not represent any European country. He certainly isn't representing the Russian Federation. I wonder if a group like the EPBF had something to do with asserting Fedor couldn't play under the European flag. Perhaps the only team he could actually reasonably play for is team USA - as unlikely as that might seem.

The WCBS announced that it would follow decisions from IOC and other groups to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes. It appears as thought Matchroom followed suit for their international events. Fedor started playing in international events well after the WCBS reversed their decision and allowed athletes to play under a neutral flag. Further, he started traveling internationally after obtaining permanent residency status in the US, and under the fairly common white neutral flag signifying ANA representation.
 
No look who else is jumping on board (SARCASM!)
 

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What a publicity stunt for MR and Fedor.

Wasn't Fedor born, raised and trained in Europe? Has he not been a US PR for less than a year? His PR was granted because of "extraordinary skill" - I believe that's the terminology. MR changes its own rules for him to get onto the team, and as a points-driven pick, avoids JJ having to select him as a wild card over other worthy US players.

Mosconi Cup is a great exhibition, lucrative to players and MR.
The "Europe vs USA" element is now shown to be an appropriation for drama.

This whole story comes down to monetizing Fedor for corporations and himself, and that said, this is overall good for pool.

Gordon Gecko would have loved this.

Sent from my SM-A505W using Tapatalk
 
Justaneng said:
Isn't he married to an American woman? If they've been married 2 years he's eligble for permanent residency

Prediction: Shaw jumps only when there are 6 or 7 European players better than him but he still slots as the 2nd or 3rd American.
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Even if he could I'm not sure it'd feel right if Jayson jumped ship and played under the stars and stripes. He's been the heart and soul of the European team as long as I've been watching and has embraced the role as the villain to the US fans.
 
kev_eh said:
What a publicity stunt for MR and Fedor.

Wasn't Fedor born, raised and trained in Europe? Has he not been a US PR for less than a year? His PR was granted because of "extraordinary skill" - I believe that's the terminology. MR changes its own rules for him to get onto the team, and as a points-driven pick, avoids JJ having to select him as a wild card over other worthy US players.

Mosconi Cup is a great exhibition, lucrative to players and MR.
The "Europe vs USA" element is now shown to be an appropriation for drama.

This whole story comes down to monetizing Fedor for corporations and himself, and that said, this is overall good for pool.

Gordon Gecko would have loved this.

Sent from my SM-A505W using Tapatalk
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It'd be more controversial if there were a surplus of "worthy" US players. As it is we've got guys scratching and clawing to get enough top 16/32 finishes to qualify.
 
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