Filler, FSR, Gorst, SVB are my top 4 followed by the Ko brothers and Kaci
Matchroom 2023 UK Open (nineball), 30May-4June, Winner $30K
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MrEleganza
Member
My current top 5 are Gorst, Robbie Capito, Ahmad Taufiq M Murni (2023 Southeast Asian Games quarterfinalist), Johnny Archer, and this guy in my league who goes by "Marlboro Light" and who I once saw pot 5 on a 9-ball break.
Nothing really, other than being loudly demonstrative during his first Mosconi Cup appearance. IIRC Dennis Hatch got his panties in a bunch over it.
Why would Kaci be seen as a villain? His ultra-slow play used to be annoying, but he's hardly the only player who makes a compelling argument for a shot clock.
i guess the answer for both is the perception of arrogance, by some fans. there's a fine line between extreme confidence and arrogance. there's also the shouting with josh, after winning tight matches. i have followed both of them since they were juniors and imo they have gotten better both in terms of ability and behavior. i like filler. but of course when the 15 yo kid was playing filler, filler became the "villain".
BlueRaider
Registered
IMO Filler's villain status is still upheld because he's so good and almost never succumbs to pressure, which means he backs up his confidence/arrogance pretty much all the time regardless of the stakes. People want to see him stumble but he so rarely does.
One of the few times it seemed like he got his "just desserts" (and did so in epic fashion) was at the 2019 Mosconi Cup when he accidentally set up an easy 3-9 combo for Sky to beat him and win the Cup for USA. That was after Filler had played disturbingly perfect pool for the entire week, so it made the moment even sweeter for USA fans.
But generally, it seems that Filler either blows his opponents out, or he wins a squeaker (and often with some ridiculous luck to help him out). And when he loses, it's usually because the other guy played perfect (Kaci on Sunday), thus absolving Filler from some of the blame ("there was nothing he could do from his chair!") and keeping his reputation intact.
You almost never see him go hill-hill with someone and make a huge blunder to lose. It has happened of course, but it seems rarer for him than probably any other pro.
One of the reasons, I think he is viewed this way. Is the celebrations, especially in the mosconi. But I remember Appleton saying in one of his matches against filler.at the world's I think, The over top celebration, was right in his face. I get why you would do it in the finals. But I don't get doing it, in the rounds before. Look at kaci reaction to winning the open. Just held his cue up, that was enough for him.
Saying all that, I didn't think, filler was that bad at the open. he had a smile on his face, even in the finals.
MrEleganza
Member
Well, if you care to hunt around earlier in the thread, he tried to go multi-rail with BIH in this very tournament, in a match where he was well ahead. That was pretty disrespectful.
He's also got not one but two he-touched-the-ball-but-didn't-call-it-on-himself controversies, although I'm a little more inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt on those (most people talking about it here were not).
it's pressure relief, so it happens after close matches (appleton was hill-hill). you would have noticed he didn't shout after the biado or ko pin yi match. yes, kaci is the opposite in that regard.
They haven't bothered with pool history. Quite simply, phonies.
Marketing.
A poolapalooza or even the industry itself would have no draw if only Filler, Gorst, and the Kos had winner credit. I'm a fan of those four and look forward to ever improving feats from 'em but that's not what commercial sports is about. They want the people they can sell right now; temporary and disposable is the consumer's problem.
He was also behind in that one as well. appleton wasn't best pleased after after he lost. As I said, maybe he calmed down a bit now.
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