Mike Dechaine

[takeitdown]

Oh, you mean like when they were fighting, swearing, and slamming cues last year?

BeiberLvr don't know you, but you just got the 7 ball for life.

Mr. Bond isn't betting either.

You guys are boring me with the same old gang bang tactics.

OK you all have a nice delusional pep rally over here. Skill beats will most every time . Team spirit is gonna fall flat on its face. Come December maybe one of you believers will take the bet.

 

[rackemup20]

Imagine what would happen if Mark was confident enough in his team to put them up against last years team, winner goes to the cup.

Shane could choose which team he is going to side with and Dechaine could play for the other. If Shane chooses the winning team he gets to go, if not he's out.


I wonder which team Shane would chose? I wonder which team would be going to the cup?

Please give Mark your cut to the chase challenge and ask him to go all in.

I will bet the farm on last years roster. I don't even think as close as some people think

 

[Mr. Bond]

Thank you for by pointing out the obvious to all these experts who proclaim to know who the best players are. There aren't 5 players in the country who should beat them in anything but a manners contest. That's what that this has become. I'd rather have the best in the country fighting swearing and slamming cues with a real chance of competing.

Hence the difference between you and I.
One of our stances takes into consideration the future of American pool, one does not.

I would rather lose with dignity, than win like a whore with my skirt over my head.

In other words, there is honor at stake.
There is the image and integrity of American pool (and players) at stake.

You complain that American pool is going nowhere in one breath, and in the next you want to score a " fix " at any cost.

Hopefully you can see how one interest does not serve the other.

 

[ibuycues]

Hence the difference between you and I.
One of our stances takes into consideration the future of American pool, one does not.

I would rather lose with dignity, than win like a whore with my skirt over my head.

In other words, there is honor at stake.
There is the image and integrity of American pool (and players) at stake.

You complain that American pool is going nowhere in one breath, and in the next you want to score a " fix " at any cost.

Hopefully you can see how one interest does not serve the other.

great post! Fully agree...

 

[one stroke]

BeiberLvr don't know you, but you just got the 7 ball for life.

Mr. Bond isn't betting either.

You guys are boring me with the same old gang bang tactics.

OK you all have a nice delusional pep rally over here. Skill beats will most every time . Team spirit is gonna fall flat on its face. Come December maybe one of you believers will take the bet.

So what your saying is we lost because they have more skill ,,
Sorry chap that's hardly the case , the skill level difference is a marginal factor at best


1

 

[PINKLADY]

....I find, I have always done better when I pick a horse that's in the race. :wink:

shhhh!!!!

i've got a SURE THING here.

.

 

[Neil]

I got news for you. Dechaine, Hatch, Morris, Earl, and Archer are still the favorites over any combination Mark decides on.

Favorites at what? Trying to lose? Not trying to win? First thing you have to know,...is there a place where the players get odds and can bet on the outcome of the matches? Like the Mosconi Cup had. If so, you are probably down to a three man team. Good luck with that.:wink:

 

[PINKLADY]

Favorites at what? Trying to lose? Not trying to win? First thing you have to know,...is there a place where the players get odds and can bet on the outcome of the matches? Like the Mosconi Cup had. If so, you are probably down to a three man team. Good luck with that.:wink:

shhhh!!!!
SSSSHHHH!!!!
:ignore:

i have got $1.00, riding on this!!!! BIG-GG MONEY!!!! damn it - don't make me call Wilson!

.

 

[sjm]

Hence the difference between you and I.
One of our stances takes into consideration the future of American pool, one does not.

I would rather lose with dignity, than win like a whore with my skirt over my head.

In other words, there is honor at stake.
There is the image and integrity of American pool (and players) at stake.

You complain that American pool is going nowhere in one breath, and in the next you want to score a " fix " at any cost.

Hopefully you can see how one interest does not serve the other.

Your idealism is admirable, and I myself try to subscribe to it to the greatest extent possible.

Still, suggesting that the recapture of our honor should be the main priority here is, to me, a bit short-sighted. I agree that it's part of what we're shooting for, but the international image of American pool has been tainted by unusually poor results in the most visible overseas competitions.

More than anything, that means the World 9ball Championship, the China Open, the World Cup of Pool, the Japan Open, and the Mosconi Cup, which are the only events having a huge international audience. I might be wrong, but I don't believe America has a win in any of these events in this decade.

Competitively, America has fallen way behind Asia and Europe and to quickly dismiss the opinion of those most concerned with the quality of the team as far as competitive performance is concerned is really inappropriate.

Your assumption that a recapture of honor is the key to the future of American pool is your opinion, and perhaps you are right. For me, the key to the future of American pool is a return to international competitiveness and, of course, maybe I'm wrong ... but for me and those who see it the way I do, we aren't thrilled that three of America's best five players (Dechaine, Archer, Morris) won't been on this team.

That said, though, I fully support Mark Wilson. His approach to trying to recapture the Mosconi Cup is the one he believes in and perhaps he has hit on a winning formula --- we'll find out in December. In this very thread, Mike Dechaine has endorsed Mark's choices as being solid. I have done the same and wish them all luck. Mark Wilson, one of the greatest American instructors ever, is the perfect guy to get our guys back to being competitive.

Playing good pool will be the path to re-establishing the credibility of American pool and, in my opinion, nothing short of that will get the job done.

I really like the way you think, Mr. Bond, and you and I have the same high hopes for the future of American pool, but I have high hopes for Mark's team and I'll measure their performance by the final score of the Mosconi.

 

[takeitdown]

Hence the difference between you and I.
One of our stances takes into consideration the future of American pool, one does not.

I would rather lose with dignity, than win like a whore with my skirt over my head.

In other words, there is honor at stake.
There is the image and integrity of American pool (and players) at stake.

You complain that American pool is going nowhere in one breath, and in the next you want to score a " fix " at any cost.

Hopefully you can see how one interest does not serve the other.

No you are talking BS. I am talking about winning and you are talking about losing with pride.
You don't even believe enough to take 2:1 on the money? At least we both agree they have no chance.

 

[BeiberLvr]

No you are talking BS. I am talking about winning and you are talking about losing with pride.
You don't even believe enough to take 2:1 on the money? At least we both agree they have no chance.

Or maybe it's because ANY team America can put together is more than a 2 to 1 dog against Europe.

Good job on claiming to have gamble, and not even offering a fair line though.

 

[Mr. Bond]

Your idealism is admirable, and I myself try to subscribe to it to the greatest extent possible.

Still, suggesting that the recapture of our honor should be the main priority here is, to me, a bit short-sighted. I agree that it's part of what we're shooting for, but the international image of American pool has been tainted by unusually poor results in the most visible overseas competitions.

More than anything, that means the World 9ball Championship, the China Open, the World Cup of Pool, the Japan Open, and the Mosconi Cup, which are the only events having a huge international audience. I might be wrong, but I don't believe America has a win in any of these events in this decade.

Competitively, America has fallen way behind Asia and Europe and to quickly dismiss the opinion of those most concerned with the quality of the team as far as competitive performance is concerned is really inappropriate.

Your assumption that a recapture of honor is the key to the future of American pool is your opinion, and perhaps you are right. For me, the key to the future of American pool is a return to international competitiveness and, of course, maybe I'm wrong ... but for me and those who see it the way I do, we aren't thrilled that three of America's best five players (Dechaine, Archer, Morris) won't been on this team.

That said, though, I fully support Mark Wilson. His approach to trying to recapture the Mosconi Cup is the one he believes in and perhaps he has hit on a winning formula --- we'll find out in December. In this very thread, Mike Dechaine has endorsed Mark's choices as being solid. I have done the same and wish them all luck. Mark Wilson, one of the greatest American instructors ever, is the perfect guy to get our guys back to being competitive.

Playing good pool will be the path to re-establishing the credibility of American pool and, in my opinion, nothing short of that will get the job done.

I really like the way you think, Mr. Bond, and you and I have the same high hopes for the future of American pool, but I have high hopes for Mark's team and I'll measure their performance by the final score of the Mosconi.

You make a good point, and I agree with what you're saying about the realm of u.s. competitiveness. Perhaps I have even overstated my views on " winning with pride" , because I certainly don't disagree with the fact that there are some statistically better players that could have been selected as candidates for the team.

However, I don't think anyone with a realistic view of professional pool in the U.S. can disagree that the pro players in this country have had no one to answer to for far too long, and the results of this have spoken for themselves. Barring the economic difficulties, many promoters have made it quite clear that accountability and behavior have become a major concern, which has and does indeed have an adverse affect on the public opinion, integrity, and marketability of pool in the u.s., which in turn has and does have an adverse affect on who will join the ranks in the future, and their motivation for doing so.

 

[sjm]

....However, I don't think anyone with a realistic view of professional pool in the U.S. can disagree that the pro players in this country have had no one to answer to for far too long, and the results of this have spoken for themselves. Barring the economic difficulties, many promoters have made it quite clear that accountability and behavior have become a major concern, which has and does indeed have an adverse affect on the public opinion, integrity, and marketability of pool in the u.s., which in turn has and does have an adverse affect on who will join the ranks in the future, and their motivation for doing so....

Well said, but the bigger issue has been disloyalty, for lack of player accountability to those who produce events is a problem we've had since the IPT folded in 2006.

In 2013, however, the clash between players and promoters reached its tipping point and the stumbling blocks, more than anything were the ABP and Bonus Ball players, who played hardball with some of America's top promoters. Yes, behavior has become a concern, but it's a far smaller concern than the disconnect between the players and promoters on matters of event production and event participation. As documented regularly on this very forum, far too many players acted with a sense of entitlement in 2013 when it came to the parameters for participation in some of our bigger events, and it's hard to argue with any promoter that walked or insisted on limited field invitational events.

Competing with dignity will not, in my view, save pool in America. The players must become strategic partners with American promoters if we are to get the ball rolling again here in the US. Still, the bigger issue is that the combination of a) poor relations between American players and American promoters (only a little of which is tied to poor behavior), and b) the continued futility of the American pros in major overseas events like the China Open, Japan Open, World 9-ball Championship, World Cup of Pool and the Mosconi Cup, are adding up to very poor income prospects for American pro players. That has made pro pool an unattractive career choice in America and we've already seen some big names drop out of the pro pool scene.

We'd both like to see the players behave with greater dignity and better sportsmanship, but to me, that's a pretty small factor in whether American pro pool will rise again.

Finally, let me add that a subtle cost of America's fall from competitiveness is that WPA World ChampionshipS are not contested in America anymore. There was a time when most of them were. Changing the international image of America's level of competitiveness might be the only way to make producing a WPA Championship attractive here in the United States, which would favorably impact the economics of American participation.

 

[SmoothStroke]

Mike should be on the team 100%.

Professional teams want to put their best on the field, it's all about winning, not second place. Second place is the first loser.

The Yankees invited 44 players to spring training. In the end 25 are selected. Those 25 are coached and trained in skills, respect, dignity, pride. If they don’t perform in any of the disciplines, they are sent down and replaced. When a professional team is put together contracts are set. If players fail to live up to the agreement they may be removed and all monies become void.

Give your team the best chance to win, train them in all disciplines.
I have coached many teams. I have failed and succeeded. Coaching is about working with personalities. If you can't do that, then you need to select mummies to coach. If Mark Wilson is such the great coach they say he is, he should be coaching Mike Dechaine as well. Anything else to me is failure to be a coach.

I understand let's do well for pool in the USA but this makes no sense.
It's like playing knuckles with cards except you don't get to play, I just slap your knuckles until you need a transfusion. I am going to teach you a lesson, it's my ball, and you can't play.

Put Mike on the team….if he or anyone breaks contract, off with his head and no money, plain and simple.

No disrespect to the other players, but Mike has proven where he stands as a player.

Wake up…get off your ego and power trip and do what is supposed to be done.

If you are going to coach, then be a coach!!!!!

 

[takeitdown]

Or maybe it's because ANY team America can put together is more than a 2 to 1 dog against Europe.

Good job on claiming to have gamble, and not even offering a fair line though.

Name your odds Beiber. I got more gamble in my little finger than you do in your whole body.

 

[(((Satori)))]

Well said, but the bigger issue has been disloyalty, for lack of player accountability to those who produce events is a problem we've had since the IPT folded in 2006.

In 2013, however, the clash between players and promoters reached its tipping point and the stumbling blocks, more than anything were the ABP and Bonus Ball players, who played hardball with some of America's top promoters. Yes, behavior has become a concern, but it's a far smaller concern than the disconnect between the players and promoters on matters of event production and event participation. As documented regularly on this very forum, far too many players acted with a sense of entitlement in 2013 when it came to the parameters for participation in some of our bigger events, and it's hard to argue with any promoter that walked or insisted on limited field invitational events.

Competing with dignity will not, in my view, save pool in America. The players must become strategic partners with American promoters if we are to get the ball rolling again here in the US. Still, the bigger issue is that the combination of a) poor relations between American players and American promoters (only a little of which is tied to poor behavior), and b) the continued futility of the American pros in major overseas events like the China Open, Japan Open, World 9-ball Championship, World Cup of Pool and the Mosconi Cup, are adding up to very poor income prospects for American pro players. That has made pro pool an unattractive career choice in America and we've already seen some big names drop out of the pro pool scene.

We'd both like to see the players behave with greater dignity and better sportsmanship, but to me, that's a pretty small factor in whether American pro pool will rise again.

Finally, let me add that a subtle cost of America's fall from competitiveness is that WPA World ChampionshipS are not contested in America anymore. There was a time when most of them were. Changing the international image of America's level of competitiveness might be the only way to make producing a WPA Championship attractive here in the United States, which would favorably impact the economics of American participation.

You are seeing things through the eyes of Mark imo. I also believe Mark lays blame on the pros too much instead of owning up to his own contributions to the problems with pro pool being lack of promotion and lack of building relationships with a lot of the people do to his own actions a lot of times.. For example he will not admit that a lack of fan base is related to his promoting at all and instead every excuse has to do with the pros in some way. Also, it is commonly preached that pros are not loyal and have a problem of disrespect towards "promoters" that needs to be addressed. However they showed the opposite of those traits to Larry and Bonusball. There was respect and the effort to help build the sport into something great.

No doubt someone is going to point out the problems with Bonusball but if they do they missed the point of my post entirely or are just trying to deflect.

 

[BeiberLvr]

Some folks are un-coachable.

You can't teach a dog to be a cat.

 

[alstl]

This goes out to mark Wilson our brilliant mosconi cup captain. Nice finish by mike dechaine finishing 1st in 9 ball an 3rd in 10 ball in Canada . But he ain't good enough to make your top 8 cut? Mine as well of picked Stevie wonder to be the captain cuz you can see talent if it bit u in the a*%

Nothing against Dechaine but I understand exactly why Mark Wilson has gone in a different direction. It has more to do with the integrity of the series than anything else.

 

[Poolplaya9]

This all seems to come down to which is more important. Winning at almost any cost, even if the behavior exhibited by our pros disrespects the event and embarrasses our nation, and even if they aren't giving their full effort to win.....or putting forth one of the best teams that we can put together from a pool of players that are guaranteed to represent our country with dignity, and who will give their best effort always (which may mean a team with a little less skill).

Most of us would like both of course, but the truth is that some of our top competitors are not good representatives. So we are down to having to choose which is more important, because as much as we would like for it to be otherwise, the reality is that we simply can't have both as it stands now. Some, like Mark Wilson and many others are willing to sacrifice some of our chances for winning to ensure that our country is not embarrassed and reflected upon poorly. Many others are willing to accept our representatives embarrassing our country so long as we have a better chance of winning.

The fact that those who have reflected poorly on our country haven't hardly really able to get a win for years just makes the decision that much easier for a lot of people I think. If they were bringing home the win fairly often you might see a different debate with more people willing to overlook how they were otherwise representing us poorly on the character front--but they haven't been able to win or even come close most of the time.

But all this is possibly just temporary. It could be that excluding the poor representatives will make them turn themselves into good representatives, and before long we will be able to field our five best players and be assured that they would represent us not only with the highest skill, but also with some dignity. We can't have both now, but maybe in a couple of years we will be able to.

 

[lfigueroa]

You are seeing things through the eyes of Mark imo. I also believe Mark lays blame on the pros too much instead of owning up to his own contributions to the problems with pro pool being lack of promotion and lack of building relationships with a lot of the people do to his own actions a lot of times.. For example he will not admit that a lack of fan base is related to his promoting at all and instead every excuse has to do with the pros in some way. Also, it is commonly preached that pros are not loyal and have a problem of disrespect towards "promoters" that needs to be addressed. However they showed the opposite of those traits to Larry and Bonusball. There was respect and the effort to help build the sport into something great.

No doubt someone is going to point out the problems with Bonusball but if they do they missed the point of my post entirely or are just trying to deflect.

You repeatedly say Mark has an issue with "the pros." Mark's issue is not with "the pros" it is with a few specific pro players and with good reason in those select cases.

Lou Figueroa