WTF??? You gettin some of that killer BC-bud or what?????
Mike Dechaine DCC
- Thread starter u12armresl
- Start date
I'm sure there are guys that would play him, but they may not be favored.
I know this an old match, but he shows total mastery in this race to 25 against SVB. I think he broke and ran like 70% of the time:
BlueRaider
Registered
Corey is an interesting case to me. I think he's one of the best in the world on a bar box, but his big table game can be shaky. He just doesn't look as "solid" playing 9 ball as the younger generation of top pros, but as soon as I count him out, I see him go deep in a 9 or 10 ball tournament and knock off some heavy hitters along the way.
I actually think Corey stands at the demarcation point between pool as a game, and pool as a sport. In other words, Corey may have been the last great player that rose to the top while playing a game he was really good at. Almost all the great players that have come after him, have approached the game much more diligently, while viewing it as more of a sport. Maybe this isn't fair to Corey, but it's just sort of how I see him and that era. That's not to say, that some from that era didn't view their game as a sport (certainly Varner did), but it's just the overall ethos.
In every game/sport there are those who can rise up through the ranks by just being the best out of their group. As the game matures, this doesn't happen anymore, and instead it takes intense training and a more diligent work ethic. Pool has definitely reached that stage.
So in this sense, I agree Corey had loads of natural ability. Schmidt too, as he actually got a much later start in the game than most top players. He rolled his skills from golf into pool very well.
Now Dechaine as a natural? Not so sure about that one.
"Talent" is subjective, but results aren't. What major tournament has Mike Dechaine ever won?
And no, I don't mean Turning Stone. I mean a tournament with a strong international as well as U. S. field. And how did he perform in the Mosconi Cup?
Whether it's just a case of lack of interest / focus, or some other reason, I don't know. But to use a baseball analogy, the world is full of players that can hit a ball 450' ft. but never seem to do it when it matters the most.
And no, I don't mean Turning Stone. I mean a tournament with a strong international as well as U. S. field. And how did he perform in the Mosconi Cup?
Whether it's just a case of lack of interest / focus, or some other reason, I don't know. But to use a baseball analogy, the world is full of players that can hit a ball 450' ft. but never seem to do it when it matters the most.
I'm rooting for him. I've always hoped that he would get his act together where it concerns how he interacts with others. He's always been cool in person, the few times I've been around him here in Maine. And yes, there are locals here who will echo what many on here have said, from their experiences. I haven't seen it myself. Still, I'd love for him to get back to hanging with the better players again.