Gorina as the Official Cloth
- Thread starter TannerPruess
- Start date
Jimmy M. said:
I'd take him up on that....my game goes up 3 balls on slow cloth...
________
Last edited:
O
onepocketchump
Guest
sniper said:ROTFLMAOThe funny thing is, this may be eerily close to how they actually decided on Gorina as the official cloth. The only way Sigel will compete with the Efren and Thorsten's of the pool world is with considerable weight. A quick look at the results from the Sigel challenge matches at the IPT qualifiers will prove this to be true.
Um, whether you care to believe it or not, Mike Sigel is one of the Efrens of the world.
As for the challenge matches, Sigel handled himself well for someone playing two tables at a time against world class competition. Kinda Bobby Fisher like.
I am a Mike Sigel fan. I have seen him play LIGHTS OUT and I guarantee you that no one thinks he is an easy draw.
I will bet that there aren't very many people out there willing to back Thorsten Hohmann against Sigel in Straight Pool with ANY weight much less considerable weight.
I would bet ten thousand on Sigel if you want to give up 100 points in a 500 point match. I would call that considerable weight. I bet Thorsten (insert any other pro name here) would not bet his own money on that game.
John
O
onepocketchump
Guest
sniper said:
I can agree with that as relates to the time he was in full-time competition as pertains to his dominance.
I also say "is" as relates to his current ability. I still believe that Mike Sigel is a top ten player. Let's completely forget about the IPT and put Mike back on the "tour" of Men's Professional Events, such as they are. I fully believe that if Mike was 100% committed to the game of 9 Ball then he would be at least as good as he was in the 80's and early 90's.
Pool is a sport that does not depend on being faster or able to jump farther or higher. The only things that go are your eyesight, which is correctable with glasses and laser surgery, and your desire. Mike has not said the same things that champions before him have not also echoed, i.e. what is the point of being the world's best when you can't support a family on the endeavor?
Just because Mika or Thorsten or Marlon are the flavors of the month doesn't mean that they are better than Sigel was in his "prime" or even better than he is now. They are great players to be sure, who are building solid pedigrees and already have awesome titles to their credit. Still though, none of them has dominated the game like Sigel did, like Hall did, like Varner did during the 80's. And pool has not gotten harder since then. It is still running out the balls in order and coming with the right shot in the clutch. The only two things that have really changed since the eighties are the jump cue and the cloth. Both of which make the game easier. An easier game is a lower barrier to entry.
This is the primary reason why a good snooker player can be a great pool player but going the other way is much harder. Not to say it can't be done just that the transition is much easier in the hard to easy direction.
So, a focused Sigel is going to be a world class Sigel. And that's a tough opponent every time. Pool is one game where age isn't really a hugely limiting factor. Jimmy Moore used to run a hundred balls a day into his eighties if I remember correctly. Do you think that there were too many people beating down his door to play straight pool for the cash?
Anyway, I digress. The IPT will be a tough test for sure for any player. I can't imagine a tougher tournament format in the last 30 years. Back in the day world championships were determined by round robin tournaments - not round robin rounds for six days. Sigel will have his work ahead of him for sure. I can't wait to sweat it.
John
You guys who are criticizing the IPT for their cloth choice are missing the point. No one is saying slow nap cloth is easier or more pleasurable to play on than 860. The IPT is not trying to make the players at ease. They are trying to identify the best player. Why do you think they went to 4.5" pockets, too?
It's harder to play on nap cloth with 4.5" pockets. They did that to force players to stroke their shots harder to a tighter pocket. This will identify more readily the best player.
The IPT tournament set up isn't intended to be fun. Anymore than the 5" rough and narrow fairways at the US Open are fun conditions. The purpose is to indentify the best players.
As for anyone who thinks Mike Sigel is a has been ... let me just say you don't find Efren, Mika, Francisco, or any of the other top pros calling him a has been. That term seems to come only from those who have no hope of ever playing him--blabbering railbirds.
It's harder to play on nap cloth with 4.5" pockets. They did that to force players to stroke their shots harder to a tighter pocket. This will identify more readily the best player.
The IPT tournament set up isn't intended to be fun. Anymore than the 5" rough and narrow fairways at the US Open are fun conditions. The purpose is to indentify the best players.
As for anyone who thinks Mike Sigel is a has been ... let me just say you don't find Efren, Mika, Francisco, or any of the other top pros calling him a has been. That term seems to come only from those who have no hope of ever playing him--blabbering railbirds.
Last edited:
Jimmy M. said:I don't get it.
It's harder to play on nap cloth with 4.5" pockets. They did that to force players to stroke their shots harder to a tighter pocket. This will identify more readily the best player.
The IPT tournament set up isn't intended to be fun. Anymore than the 5" rough and narrow fairways at the US Open are fun conditions. The purpose is to indentify the best players.
O
onepocketchump
Guest
Gabber said:
Apparently it's a product that Kevin and Mike Sigel want. Since it's Kevin's gold it his rules - unless the players revolt which is HIGHLY UNLIKELY.
I know personally that Strickland has been complaining about the faster cloth since at least 2001 where I got to listen 1 on 1 to a 40 minute diatribe about why it's unfair to the better players to make them play on fast cloth.
The reason could be nothing more than wanting to be different. And even if it is about selling cloth then that is certainly his right to do.
John
John
onepocketchump said:
Earl's also the same guy who said that if the cue ball ends up beneath the spot, after the break, you should automatically lose the game ... and the same guy who walked out on a match because of Corey's soft break ... and the same guy who called the Miz a 400-lb pig during a match with him in Taiwan ... and the same guy who ... LOL. I could keep going, but we all know the stories.
Bill O said:
I've spoke to a number of people who are playing on the IPT and none of them had anything good to say about the cloth. Now, I wouldn't suspect they're going to openly critisize the choice of cloth. I don't think I would if I were in their position. Would you?
I would suspect that the more people complain about the playing conditions the better that Reyes, Sigel, Bustamante, Manalo, Mika, Archer, Varner, like it. They like it so much that they laughed all the way to the bank.
I wonder how long it takes to count $30,000. Or $40,000. Or $50,000, or $60,000, or $70,000 or $200,000? Do you think they were thinking about the cloth when they were counting their money? LOL.
Only losers complain about conditions. Winners just accept them and win. That is why they are winners.
How would you like to play in a golf tournament and the first half played in ideal conditions and the second half got to play in rain?
Jake
I wonder how long it takes to count $30,000. Or $40,000. Or $50,000, or $60,000, or $70,000 or $200,000? Do you think they were thinking about the cloth when they were counting their money? LOL.
Only losers complain about conditions. Winners just accept them and win. That is why they are winners.
How would you like to play in a golf tournament and the first half played in ideal conditions and the second half got to play in rain?
Jake