Here's my take on Day Two - First of all, you just can't jam balls in these pockets. They will reject them just like a tight Diamond. You've got to smooth stroke balls and caress them in there. Some players do that better than others.
Now, on to the festivities. Number one, Matchroom's got it right! 9-Ball is definitely the right game and the short races work wonders for suspense and excitement. I give credit to Sir Barry Hearn who long ago pointed out that in Races to Eleven the excitement almost always took place near the end. I am paraphrasing here, but he said something to the extent of why not start the match at 6-6? And that is exactly what a Race to Five is. I was one of the deniers for a long time, believing in the veracity of longer races. But now I've changed my mind. This format definitely works for television and immediately creates excitement from game one on. So I just wanted to get that out of the way first.
Adding to the above is the idea that 9-Ball is all about break and runs. In a word - WRONG! So many games (the great majority) involve safety play, give and take, back and forth and some degree of creativity. All the players skills are tested. On this day alone we saw just about everything over the course of five "short" matches. This day was a great day for pool and pool fans. It involved some of the most exciting games ever in this long series. I was reminded (after my sixty plus years in Pool) of why 9-Ball has always been the most popular pool game of them all. Let's not get into a debate about Eight Ball please. True that is the most popular game on a bar table, but I'm talking here about real pool on the big box. Anything and everything can happen in a game of 9-Ball; spectacular shots, lock 'em up safeties and fantastic escapes. The simplicity and beauty of the game cannot be denied. Every single game is unique! And it's all on full display here for the world (almost the world, but I'll get into that later) to see. Put simply, 9-Ball works best for this competition and for professional pool in general.
This edition of the MC may be its savior. We are watching a slugfest that is far from over. It's far different than the Euro heists we've gotten used to the last few years. Yes, it's disappointing that the U.S. didn't capture that final game and make it 5-5. But they are in it to win it as they like to say. 6-4 is a lead but not an insurmountable one for sure. Let USA win the Team Match tomorrow and you can fasten your seat belts. Unlike some on here, I will not be one to knock our big guns. Shane and Fedor are not playing bad! Yes, you heard me right. They both look comfortable out there, even when losing. Shaw just ran over Gorst, never letting him see much of anything. Shane missed that one tricky little combo (4-9) that might have altered the course of his match with Ruiz, if he had made it. And Ruiz showed us why he's been one of pro pool's elite players for years now. He just played lights out from start to finish. That said, Shane and Fedor are far from done here. You can believe that. I see a chemistry on this year's team (kudos to Captain Woodward) that has been missing in the past. Billy Thorpe is our new version of Dennis Hatch. His presence and his play has lit a fire under their collective asses and all five are eager to respond.
Okay so much for the applause. Now time for some deserving criticism. Matchroom has turned this into a very, very pro Brit affair, with everything slanted their way. That is obvious! I'm sorry, but listening to two Brits do commentary strains my ears. As in WTF did they just say? Thank God for Jeremy Jones. And not one American voice doing interviews or anything pre or post match. I'd like to see and hear more from Scott Frost, who is a breath of fresh air when he gets a minute on camera. This guy has made himself into a top level pool commentator! He's found his voice and it's a good one. One could get the feeling that Team USA is just a necessary foil for this show. Someone for Team Europe to pound into submission. For that reason alone I'm rooting for them to pull off the upset.
And what about trying to appeal to the American audience and possibly get a few million more viewers. I mean DAZN! Come on, who's watching that? How about almost no one. Matchroom needs to get off the pot and put this on one of myriad of American cable channels that people actually watch. Yes, I'm talking to you Emily. Having to negotiate DAZN is an insult to the American viewing audience. To me there's a lack of respect here for the home of Pool. Heck, I'm in the Philippines and we have no problem watching it here. And it's a freebie for most of us. I would bet more people are watching it here than in the USA! I'm a big fan of Matchroom and what they are doing for our game but I'm being real about this. If this version of the MC, with the raucous crowd, edge of the seat matches and exciting play was readily available over here in the Colonies, the interest in watching pool might have a huge growth spurt. I mean, this is good stuff here, so why not share it with everybody you can. finis
Now, on to the festivities. Number one, Matchroom's got it right! 9-Ball is definitely the right game and the short races work wonders for suspense and excitement. I give credit to Sir Barry Hearn who long ago pointed out that in Races to Eleven the excitement almost always took place near the end. I am paraphrasing here, but he said something to the extent of why not start the match at 6-6? And that is exactly what a Race to Five is. I was one of the deniers for a long time, believing in the veracity of longer races. But now I've changed my mind. This format definitely works for television and immediately creates excitement from game one on. So I just wanted to get that out of the way first.
Adding to the above is the idea that 9-Ball is all about break and runs. In a word - WRONG! So many games (the great majority) involve safety play, give and take, back and forth and some degree of creativity. All the players skills are tested. On this day alone we saw just about everything over the course of five "short" matches. This day was a great day for pool and pool fans. It involved some of the most exciting games ever in this long series. I was reminded (after my sixty plus years in Pool) of why 9-Ball has always been the most popular pool game of them all. Let's not get into a debate about Eight Ball please. True that is the most popular game on a bar table, but I'm talking here about real pool on the big box. Anything and everything can happen in a game of 9-Ball; spectacular shots, lock 'em up safeties and fantastic escapes. The simplicity and beauty of the game cannot be denied. Every single game is unique! And it's all on full display here for the world (almost the world, but I'll get into that later) to see. Put simply, 9-Ball works best for this competition and for professional pool in general.
This edition of the MC may be its savior. We are watching a slugfest that is far from over. It's far different than the Euro heists we've gotten used to the last few years. Yes, it's disappointing that the U.S. didn't capture that final game and make it 5-5. But they are in it to win it as they like to say. 6-4 is a lead but not an insurmountable one for sure. Let USA win the Team Match tomorrow and you can fasten your seat belts. Unlike some on here, I will not be one to knock our big guns. Shane and Fedor are not playing bad! Yes, you heard me right. They both look comfortable out there, even when losing. Shaw just ran over Gorst, never letting him see much of anything. Shane missed that one tricky little combo (4-9) that might have altered the course of his match with Ruiz, if he had made it. And Ruiz showed us why he's been one of pro pool's elite players for years now. He just played lights out from start to finish. That said, Shane and Fedor are far from done here. You can believe that. I see a chemistry on this year's team (kudos to Captain Woodward) that has been missing in the past. Billy Thorpe is our new version of Dennis Hatch. His presence and his play has lit a fire under their collective asses and all five are eager to respond.
Okay so much for the applause. Now time for some deserving criticism. Matchroom has turned this into a very, very pro Brit affair, with everything slanted their way. That is obvious! I'm sorry, but listening to two Brits do commentary strains my ears. As in WTF did they just say? Thank God for Jeremy Jones. And not one American voice doing interviews or anything pre or post match. I'd like to see and hear more from Scott Frost, who is a breath of fresh air when he gets a minute on camera. This guy has made himself into a top level pool commentator! He's found his voice and it's a good one. One could get the feeling that Team USA is just a necessary foil for this show. Someone for Team Europe to pound into submission. For that reason alone I'm rooting for them to pull off the upset.
And what about trying to appeal to the American audience and possibly get a few million more viewers. I mean DAZN! Come on, who's watching that? How about almost no one. Matchroom needs to get off the pot and put this on one of myriad of American cable channels that people actually watch. Yes, I'm talking to you Emily. Having to negotiate DAZN is an insult to the American viewing audience. To me there's a lack of respect here for the home of Pool. Heck, I'm in the Philippines and we have no problem watching it here. And it's a freebie for most of us. I would bet more people are watching it here than in the USA! I'm a big fan of Matchroom and what they are doing for our game but I'm being real about this. If this version of the MC, with the raucous crowd, edge of the seat matches and exciting play was readily available over here in the Colonies, the interest in watching pool might have a huge growth spurt. I mean, this is good stuff here, so why not share it with everybody you can. finis
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