Mika's demeanor vs SVB in Final

M

mudball

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Not trying to start a flame war against Mika or anything but what was with his demeanor against Shane in the finals this past weekend? Right from the get go he seemed like he was turning his hands to the air and just seemed pretty negative overall :/

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/1997766

Just curious if anyone else noticed or am I analyzing too much :) Great match nevertheless!
 
At the moment I don't have the time to watch the video but I've seen Mika play enough times to take a guess at how he might have acted. Mika is a world class player and I've seen him act like a world class gentleman. I have also seen him act like a spoiled child. I don't think it makes him a bad person but I do think the behaviour is unbecoming of anyone, pro or amateur.
 
I've seen Mika play quite a lot (only on DVD's/T.V) and I have found that now, since he has won so much and is a world class player he acts like a baby to everything.

A perfect example of his crappy demeanor would be the finals between him and Ronnie Alcano at the US Open. During this whole match, hes leading in the match by quite a lot, every shot that goes alittle out of line or an inch to much he raises his hands, shrugs his shoulders, whines like a baby. During this Ronnie Alcano never flinched at a bad roll or bad position being down the whole match. Not only that, but this was Ronnie's 2nd time in the finals and he never whined, complained or moved a muscle.

During the live stream I saw Mika smash his cue more times on the table than I have ever seen any top player of his calibre do. Im surprised he never broke his ferrule or tip.

This is why Ralf Souquet is my favorite player. Not only is he a monster at the table, but he is so professional, doesn't let his emotions get to him and this is why I think he dominates almost every tournament he is in.
 
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i love your observation and on a daily basis in tennis, golf, and pool i see the SAME thing over and over.

these guys are professional athletes, they act like excecution is 100% of the game. mastering the mental side of the game for them is really where it is at. a tennis player should NEVER put his head down, negatively yell after a mistake, or anything that can pump up your opponent.

similarly, week after week i see people fold to tiger woods. they just fold cus they are "supposed to." a guy yesterday just went out and played his normal game, didn;t let tiger get into his head. would tiger still have beaten him if he played well, probably. but 18 holes is short and a pro should know he has a GREAT chance against anybody in the world to win. this yang guy did that, and he's the first.

short version is pro atheletes, in my opinion, are very unprofessional when it comes to controling their emotions against the best player in the world in whatever sport it might be.
 
Why?

Hello All - I never understood the critics' comments when pool players become frustrated during a match. People seem to assume that its "disrespectful" for them to show the frustration. It just isn't the proper reaction for a Pro to return to their seat with a big smile after missing a shot.

In truth, as many people already know, pool is a game where today's Pro's have to play for the cash to pay the rent, and, personally, I think it makes for a better match when a Pro is emotionally interested in the game. Anyhow, thats my two cents..

~Phillyslim
 
Gatz said:
I've seen Mika play quite a lot (only on DVD's/T.V) and I have found that now, since he has won so much and is a world class player he acts like a baby to everything.

A perfect example of his crappy demeanor would be the finals between him and Ronnie Alcano at the US Open. During this whole match, hes leading in the match by quite a lot, every shot that goes alittle out of line or an inch to much he raises his hands, shrugs his shoulders, whines like a baby. During this Ronnie Alcano never flinched at a bad roll or bad position being down the whole match. Not only that, but this was Ronnie's 2nd time in the finals and he never whined, complained or moved a muscle.

During the live stream I saw Mika smash his cue more times on the table than I have ever seen any top player of his calibre do. Im surprised he never broke his ferrule or tip.

This is why Ralf Souquet is my favorite player. Not only is he a monster at the table, but he is so professional, doesn't let his emotions get to him and this is why I think he dominates almost every tournament he is in.
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These players are human beings, with emotions and playing under a lot of pressure. Everyone is different too, and react differently in similar situations. I admire bot Ralph and Mika and would not think less of either if they raised their hands in the air out of frustration. That being said, I think colorful players are needed in the sport to promote interest as we see here with Mika.
 
phillyslim99 said:
Hello All - I never understood the critics' comments when pool players become frustrated during a match. People seem to assume that its "disrespectful" for them to show the frustration. It just isn't the proper reaction for a Pro to return to their seat with a big smile after missing a shot.

In truth, as many people already know, pool is a game where today's Pro's have to play for the cash to pay the rent, and, personally, I think it makes for a better match when a Pro is emotionally interested in the game. Anyhow, thats my two cents..

~Phillyslim
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I don't think anyone is expecting a smile. I don't mind a stern face but I do mind negative body language. Being "emotionally interested" in the game does not mean that a player has to resort to negative body language. Slamming their cue against a table, stabbing the butt of their cue into the floor, stomping off, waving their hands, etc is unbecoming behavior and is not enjoyable to watch.

There are many pro players and road guys that play pro speed out there that do not act this way. These guys also happen to rely on pool to pay the bills and they're "emotionally interested". I've stopped watching a few matches in the past because of this behavior. There are some players that I will not watch play for this very reason. Mika hasn't reached the point that I will not watch him play but there may come a day when that happens if he doesn't find a way to control his physical body language during match play.
 
mudball said:
Not trying to start a flame war against Mika or anything but what was with his demeanor against Shane in the finals this past weekend? Right from the get go he seemed like he was turning his hands to the air and just seemed pretty negative overall :/

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/1997766

Just curious if anyone else noticed or am I analyzing too much :) Great match nevertheless!
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Mika seemed agitated with rolls and leaves.

I would like to add that the commentator has three favorite words: awesome, perfect and excellent. Sometimes he might double them up, as in, "That was an awesome, awesome break!"

Gets a little annoying for me. I don't know who he is, but I have watched matches he has commented on before, and he does this all the time. He totally overuses those adjectives, thereby diluting the emphatic nature of them.
 
Mika has won just about everything there is to win in rotation pool tournaments. Give him some slack, he is apparently a real nice guy and just lets his competitive nature get the best of his demeanor at the table sometimes. Its not like he hasn't taken his fair share of brutal beatings at the table too. I was there in 01 when Cory bageled him in the finals of the us openand he sure looked miserable at the end of that. I would have too x100. Not saying he doesnt have room for improvement, but then dont we all?
 
LOL, Inside English, that's right he was saying that a lot all the time. That's funny shit, I never payed attention to that. :D
 
I think it might be a bit too boring if all the pro's acted the same way. I agree with being professional, but I don't want to see drones play a set either. There have always been professionals that are calm and cool, just as there are plenty of others who play emotionally or passionately.

I'd rather see some sort of drama in matches. Earl the Pearl is another emotional player and yes, he's had a few "overboard" moments. It doesn't take away everything he's accomplished in this game and I actually enjoy the roller-coaster of emotions he's not afraid to show during a match. I don't know, I guess it makes for a more exciting victory or defeat to watch. Just my opinion.
 
Bustah360 said:
I think it might be a bit too boring if all the pro's acted the same way.
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I can certainly agree with the boring part. I also agree with others that have said that these guys are human and will once in awhile show more emotion than they really want to show or meant to show. Stuff happens and I don't have a problem with players that show their human side during frustrating times once in awhile. It is the people that do it all the time that I have a problem with.

There are some players that simply whine over anything and everything. I don't find that enjoyable to watch. I prefer to watch someone rise above their disappointing play and not feed their opponents more confidence than they already have. I'm more impressed when I see a player remain calm during a rough match because I know its difficult to do so and I respect them and their game even more so because of it.

There are some players that use their body language as a sharking method. People have less tolerance for sharking than they do bad attitudes and whining but they're close to being the same thing (IMO).
 
UrackmIcrackm said:
I don't think anyone is expecting a smile. I don't mind a stern face but I do mind negative body language. Being "emotionally interested" in the game does not mean that a player has to resort to negative body language. Slamming their cue against a table, stabbing the butt of their cue into the floor, stomping off, waving their hands, etc is unbecoming behavior and is not enjoyable to watch.

There are many pro players and road guys that play pro speed out there that do not act this way. These guys also happen to rely on pool to pay the bills and they're "emotionally interested". I've stopped watching a few matches in the past because of this behavior. There are some players that I will not watch play for this very reason. Mika hasn't reached the point that I will not watch him play but there may come a day when that happens if he doesn't find a way to control his physical body language during match play.
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I suppose that we are on opposite sides of the spectrum. Frankly, I don't know one player who doesnt express via body language in some way. In my opinion, "Spirited Competition" is the lifeblood of pool, and it is the reason that you watch players of this caliber. The "need" to win creates strong REACTIONS and strong PLAYERS - if the reaction isn't there, neither are the players.

As long as the player doesn't interfere with his opponent's concentration or say anything that is harmful, I don't see the issue. Fans of golf have seen players (I.E. Tiger Woods, John Daly) throw a club occassionally or throw his hands up, and the same with Tennis (anybody remember McEnroe?). Its rediculous to criticize Mika for doing the same thing.
 
Hey, I like colourful players too, like Alex Pagulayan style. Would be boring if everyone was the same, emotionally. But!!, Mika Immonen does this kinda *****y, whiny stuff on almost every shot. How is that enjoyable to watch? lol

Hes lucky hes sponsored though, because I'm sure he goes through a lot of broken shafts haha.
 
phillyslim99 said:
I suppose that we are on opposite sides of the spectrum. Frankly, I don't know one player who doesnt express via body language in some way. In my opinion, "Spirited Competition" is the lifeblood of pool, and it is the reason that you watch players of this caliber. The "need" to win creates strong REACTIONS and strong PLAYERS - if the reaction isn't there, neither are the players.

As long as the player doesn't interfere with his opponent's concentration or say anything that is harmful, I don't see the issue. Fans of golf have seen players (I.E. Tiger Woods, John Daly) throw a club occassionally or throw his hands up, and the same with Tennis (anybody remember McEnroe?). Its rediculous to criticize Mika for doing the same thing.
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I started watching the match when the score was about 5-6....what did catch my attention, later on in the match, score I think 8-6 SVB and Mika was hooked after the break, all he has was a long jump shot, but, he rolled up what looked like 3-5 inches from the blocking ball and basically hooked himself so bad he had to go two rails and shorten up the angle....after about a good minute+ he chose his shot....he missed by about an inch or two, then SVB got back to the table ran out and under cut/hung the 8 by the head pocket to let Mika back in, this showed me Mika had given up by the recklessness of his roll out. I didn't see the earlier part of the match so I don't know what transpired to get him in this state of mind, but must of been a combination of SVB, the rolls and his ego. When I say ego, I think he's won so many events lately that he "expects" to win, when in reality he should keep on keepin on trying to win, when you expect to win your not improving your game.
 
True

Island Drive said:
I started watching the match when the score was about 5-6....what did catch my attention, later on in the match, score I think 8-6 SVB and Mika was hooked after the break, all he has was a long jump shot, but, he rolled up what looked like 3-5 inches from the blocking ball and basically hooked himself so bad he had to go two rails and shorten up the angle....after about a good minute+ he chose his shot....he missed by about an inch or two, then SVB got back to the table ran out and under cut/hung the 8 by the head pocket to let Mika back in, this showed me Mika had given up by the recklessness of his roll out. I didn't see the earlier part of the match so I don't know what transpired to get him in this state of mind, but must of been a combination of SVB, the rolls and his ego. When I say ego, I think he's won so many events lately that he "expects" to win, when in reality he should keep on keepin on trying to win, when you expect to win your not improving your game.
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I agree, being arrogant and "expecting" to win isnt the best character trait. None of us can say what he is thinking -- Either "you are improving your game" OR "your game is improving you". Worst case scenerio, his game is improving him, and he'll learn to how to be beat after a few losing matches. In that case, he'll be moving back to what you expect from him.
 
Mika has been like that forever. I was watching an old match of him and Corey the other day and he was acting the same way. And the sport doesn't need behavior like this, its possible to be colorful without being an crybaby. Like someone else said Alex P is "colorful" so is danny bashavitch, and neither of them have to act like that. watching them can be fun, watching mika cry is not.
 
I agree 100% that it would be boring if every player acted the same. I feel Earl's outbursts compared to Mika's whining is like comparing apples to oranges.

Competition brings out the best in everyone and emotions from all ends of the spectrum. I've just noticed over the years that Mika consistently acts very whiny and personally I don't put it under the same category as just being "emotionally" involved in the game. Just my 2 cents, thanks for all the great discussion on this :)
 
Iv'e watched the last few encounters with mika and svb. It's phycological warfare. Mika knows that Shane is his equal. He has never wanted to acknowlegde that. And it's obvious Shane is now relishing this. This puts Mika in a situation he's been unfamiliar with. An unnerving spot, now knowing the Kids has NO fear of him. The throwing of the white towel last night, after Shane was on the 10, was Mika's way of acknowledging, without acting, I'm no longer the undisputed.
 
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