Mosconi Cup Coverage and Discussion Dec 10-13.

[ENGLISH!]

The two referee's would not tolerate anything while the actaul shooting of a shot was going on but I believe there was a camera flash right in Deshaine's eyes once, but... that could have been a silly fan of his as well.

The ongoing crowd noise etc. is not an issue for most athletes but an out of place something or another can be disturbing to some. Like commenting about one's wife . Certain people should be escorted out to make clear that such things will not be tolerated, But...keep in mind this whole thing is an entertainment event for the benefit of the sponsers & not a 'real' competition as we do not even pic our own team. The sponsers want drama & controversy, at least up to a point. I'm not sure what that point is when bringing one's wife into it is tolerated. I guess, 'your mother was a prostitute & you're father is not your real father' willl be next, only said in terms that are unacceptable here on AZB.

Is the Cup good for pool? Certainly. Is over the top partisanship good for pool? I'm not so sure. Most Golf fans know where to draw the line. Pool, I'm sorry to say, is a long way from Golf.

 

[Fatboy]

What I saw from the balcony was that the crowd was noisy between shots but when the player was down on the shot they were pretty quiet if not silent. What did you see?

I agree that occasionally there was some noise or comment on or close to a shot, but that seemed to me to be rare and only from a few problem people. There was one of those behind me, and he made some really obnoxious comments but I think he was quiet on the shots.

I just listened to the players complain in the hotel room every night after th matches and in the practice room. What was the worst was the guys dropping bottles behind the seats when they were about to pull the trigger, the ref's couldn't see who was doing it, I walked over by the camera man and saw them doing it. Believe me they were sharked. Even 2 weeks later JA was telling a guy in Hawaii how brutal it was there-and he handled it better than anyone. Its tough acction in york Hall or any UK venue . Still fun tho

 

[Fatboy]

What I saw from the balcony was that the crowd was noisy between shots but when the player was down on the shot they were pretty quiet if not silent. What did you see?

I agree that occasionally there was some noise or comment on or close to a shot, but that seemed to me to be rare and only from a few problem people. There was one of those behind me, and he made some really obnoxious comments but I think he was quiet on the shots.

up on the top balcony is wasnt as loud, i spent lots of time there looking down(over by the door to the practice room door). on the floor by the table is the loudest part of York Hall, i think the rounded ceiling creates that effect. I spent 20-25% of the time in the first 3 rows and that was all I could stand. Up top was much nicer. Sorry i didnt see you, as always my very best Bob, your great for pool and have my highest respect.

 

[Mikjary]

The two referee's would not tolerate anything while the actaul shooting of a shot was going on but I believe there was a camera flash right in Deshaine's eyes once, but... that could have been a silly fan of his as well.

The ongoing crowd noise etc. is not an issue for most athletes but an out of place something or another can be disturbing to some. Like commenting about one's wife . Certain people should be escorted out to make clear that such things will not be tolerated, But...keep in mind this whole thing is an entertainment event for the benefit of the sponsers & not a 'real' competition as we do not even pic our own team. The sponsers want drama & controversy, at least up to a point. I'm not sure what that point is when bringing one's wife into it is tolerated. I guess, 'your mother was a prostitute & you're father is not your real father' willl be next, only said in terms that are unacceptable here on AZB.

Is the Cup good for pool? Certainly. Is over the top partisanship good for pool? I'm not so sure. Most Golf fans know where to draw the line. Pool, I'm sorry to say, is a long way from Golf.

Sometimes the crash is the only attraction for some fans. Most threads on even this forum get sidetracked with posturing and petty squabbling by a few that never made it out of the sixth grade mentally.

My take on the Cup was the difference in tolerances between the two societies on the allowable conduct of the fans. Our European counterparts were allowed to become raucous and tauntingly loud between shots with a referee to shush them. The American player would get down on the shot and have this artificial silence forced on their concentration, knowing they soon could be jeered for any small error even before the cue ball stopped rolling. The anticipation of a public verbal beating is the domain of many pro athletes in many sports, but not here for pool in the States. It was a constant sharking attempt that probably had an effect no stats could bear out.

Best,
Mike