Mosconi Cup qualms

Ralf Souquet
Niels Feijen
Thorsten Hohmann

just the 3 best 9ballers in europe. NO argue about it

Konstantin Stepanov (finished 3 out of 4 times, in the top5)
Tony drago (isn't my favorit teamplayer, but his results dont lie. if he hadn't had a 0 in his score list, he would be the #1 eurotour player)
(but i think that like it has been said, mikka has a revenge to do, and a guy with a mission is always dangerous. he has played in the team before, and has the experience. i think for the team mikka would be better. but drago is just a machine gun with no break.)

enoug players from different country's, strongest players, and if they could keep this team for a year or two, so they really BOND as a team, instead of changing it every year, i think europ could win some musconi cups in a row.
 
Solartje said:
Ralf Souquet
Niels Feijen
Thorsten Hohmann

just the 3 best 9ballers in europe. NO argue about it
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These three are in fact four :D Ortmann must be in this list without a doubt!
 
Roy Steffensen said:
I would bet on Nick van den Berg or Thomas Engert against Fabio Petroni!!! In one-pocket Fabio is the better player, but in 9-ball, 8-ball and 14-1 I would bet against him.

My favourite team for Team Europe: (If 5-man team)

- Ralf Souquet (Finish high in EVERY tournament he joins)
- Niels Feijen (He's on a roll this year, DCC, ICOC, EC 9-ball, and a class player)
- Thorsten Hohmann (Recently World Champion in 9-ball and 14-1, European 9-ball Champion this year)
- Konstantin Stepanov (The best, smooth style there is. Perfect pool)

Last player I think I would choose Mika Immonen. There are MANY players that could do aswell as him, such as David Alcaide, Thomas Engert, Oliver Ortmann, Marcus Chamat, Tony Drago, Nick van den Berg +++, but I would like to give Mika a chance of revenge after his unfortunate miss last year....
Btw: since matchroom sport chooses the teams, and the show is broadcasted live on skysport it is guaranteed that there will be at least one player from Great Britain. I think they will choose Daryl Peach, Imran Majid or Tony Drago. Daryl has won an eurotour this year, but Tony Drago would have topped the Eurotour-ranking if he had played all events like the other top-players!
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You got that one absolutely correct.Roy !!!!
He blew the win for Europe last year and I believe his overall record for all Mosconi Cups is pretty dismal.

no-sho
 
My picks for TEAM EURO would have to be

1. Ralf Soquet
2. Neils Fiejen
3. Thorsten Hohman
4. Mika Immonen
5. Tjorbon Blohmdal :D (since the #5 spot is so debatable but in all seriousness... i think Oliver Ortman... although i like Blohmdal :p )

Team USA *i know everyones not gonna like my picks*

1. Johnny Archer
2. Earl Strickland
3. Corey Duel
4. SVB
5. Stevie Moore
 
jay helfert said:
I also wouldn't want Earl on the team. He is like a cancer. Sorry if I offended any one or two or three of you.
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Jay,

Yep, you did it again.

Running down the guy who could barely walk, (kidney stones) or even get out of bed in 2005 during the 2005 Mosconi Cup. I saw it firsthand, I was there when he was pissing solid blood. The bathroom looked like a f'n pig was slaughtered in there.

Yet....be pushed it aside long enough to stand up and play for USA. And play GOOD, at that. GOOD enough to take home the MVP trophy.

There isn't a person on the planet that has more wins than Earl in the Cup series. I'd be willing to wager his record is unsurpassed by ANY player...dead or alive. European, or American. Games won, OR winning percentage.....

How can you argue with that?? Earl has some heart let me tell you.

Your continued attacks on him...do nothing but make you look bad. You run him in the ground anytime his name is mentioned. If you don't have something good to say.....(you know the rest of the story)

Rick S.

54492409.jpg
 
Rick S. said:
Jay,

Yep, you did it again.

Running down the guy who could barely walk, (kidney stones) or even get out of bed in 2005 during the 2005 Mosconi Cup. I saw it firsthand, I was there when he was pissing solid blood. The bathroom looked like a f'n pig was slaughtered in there.

Yet....be pushed it aside long enough to stand up and play for USA. And play GOOD, at that. GOOD enough to take home the MVP trophy.

There isn't a person on the planet that has more wins than Earl in the Cup series. I'd be willing to wager his record is unsurpassed by ANY player...dead or alive. European, or American. Games won, OR winning percentage.....

How can you argue with that?? Earl has some heart let me tell you.

Your continued attacks on him...do nothing but make you look bad. You run him in the ground anytime his name is mentioned. If you don't have something good to say.....(you know the rest of the story)

Rick S.

54492409.jpg
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Look Rick, that's what a Forum is for, to offer your opinion on something or someone. You are entitled to your opinion and I am entitled to mine. You don't have to like what I have to say and I don't have to like what you have to say. But I respect your right to say it, kind of like the First Amendment.

No question, Earl was a great player, the best tournament 9-Ball player of all time. But his continued bad behavior reflects badly on himself and our sport. No amount of skill on the table gives someone the right to abuse other players and the fans who come out to see him play. He has continually denigrated his opponents, the venue he has played in, the rules of the game, the equipment he plays on, the very sport he has chosen to compete in and the audience who has paid to see him perform.

If this is okay with you just because he is EARL, then fine. So be it. It doesn't sit well with me though. Until he straightens out his act, you will continue to see my posts regarding his poor sportsmanship and emotional outbursts. He would never get away with it at any tournament I was running. And he knows it!

Rick, do you realize that many people come to watch Earl play just to see what stupid thing he'll do next? That is a sad commentary on a Hall Of Fame career. I'd like to see him go out a champion and not a buffoon. That is why I post about him on here. Maybe one day he'll take all this to heart and actually turn his career and life around. I hope so.
 
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jay helfert said:
Look Rick, that's what a Forum is for, to offer your opinion on something or someone. You are entitled to your opinion and I am entitled to mine. You don't have to like what I have to say and I don't have to like what you have to say. But I respect your right to say it, kind of like the First Amendment.

No question, Earl was a great player, the best tournament 9-Ball player of all time. But his continued bad behavior reflects badly on himself and our sport. No amount of skill on the table gives someone the right to abuse other players and the fans who come out to see him play. He has continually denigrated his opponents, the venue he has played in, the rules of the game, the equipment he plays on, the very sport he has chosen to compete in and the audience who has paid to see him perform.

If this is okay with you just because he is EARL, then fine. So be it. It doesn't sit well with me though. Until he straightens out his act, you will continue to see my posts regarding his poor sportsmanship and emotional outbursts. He would never get away with it at any tournament I was running. And he knows it!

Rick, do you realize that many people come to watch Earl play just to see what stupid thing he'll do next? This is a sad commentary on a Hall Of Fame career. I'd like to see him go out a champion and not a buffoon. That is why I post about him on here. Maybe one day he'll take all this to heart and actually turn his career and life around. I hope so.
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Very good post Jay.

I understand that you really like and care about Earl, and want success for him, but not the way he is acting today. I respect that.

Earl is one of my favourite players. I really like his stroke, his speed around the table, his confidence ++, and there is nothing I want more than see him succeed one more time.

BUT, I am also one of the people that like to watch Strickland's matches because you never know what you gonna get. He can blow off and tell the referee to shut up, crack his cue, or he can smile and laugh and plays perfect, and do funny comments.

It's exciting to watch him, since he is so unpredictable, but most of all I love to watch him play because I really, really, really want him to win a big major title once again.
 
Roy Steffensen said:
Very good post Jay.

I understand that you really like and care about Earl, and want success for him, but not the way he is acting today. I respect that.

Earl is one of my favourite players. I really like his stroke, his speed around the table, his confidence ++, and there is nothing I want more than see him succeed one more time.

BUT, I am also one of the people that like to watch Strickland's matches because you never know what you gonna get. He can blow off and tell the referee to shut up, crack his cue, or he can smile and laugh and plays perfect, and do funny comments.

It's exciting to watch him, since he is so unpredictable, but most of all I love to watch him play because I really, really, really want him to win a big major title once again.
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Very good post Roy also.

I would also like very badly to see Earl winning a Major, but first I would like to see him turn his life over and to find peace from within.

I believe those two things go hand in hand, and if the first doesn't happen, the second wont either.
If the second would happen but the first not (which is not very probable), it wouldn't mean much to me..
 
Its also based on overall performance and I am hoping Corey will be added to the list as well as he is a great team player and loves playing for his country.Is this not what this is about as well as performance on the table?
 
I'm happy for Earl that he has been chosen, but must agree with those that suggest he doesn't belong. For me, it's not about his behavior.

Anyone who has followed the Mosconi Cup from the beginning knows the event was built in the image of golf's Ryder cup, an event that calls for America's best vs. Europe's best, not based on career performance but on performance in the period leading up to each competition.

There is a clearly defined set of qualification criteria for golf, where 5/6 of the field is filled based on points earned in competition. The captain picks the remainder, but always picks players who are playing well at the time, and rarely pick an old veteran no longer competing at a very high standard.

On merit, no possible case can be made for Earl. He is, of course, a living legend, undeniably one of the greatest players of all time, but his competitive performance relative to other Americans left off the squad in recent years has been far inferior. In short, he has very few solid finishes in big events in recent years.

Yes, Earl is good theater. So what? This event was conceived to showcase current, not past, superstars of pool. If Earl is on the team, then Team America is not constituted to maximize the likelihood of victory. I can appreciate why this is fully acceptable, even desirable to some, but it is not my personal preference.

Nonetheless, I wish Earl every possible success.
 
sjm said:
I'm happy for Earl that he has been chosen, but must agree with those that suggest he doesn't belong.

Anyone who has followed the Mosconi Cup from the beginning knows the event was built in the image of golf's Ryder cup, an event that calls for America's best vs. Europe's best, not based on career performance but on performance in the period leading up to each competition.

There is a clearly defined set of qualification criteria for golf, where 5/6 of the field is filled based on points earned in competition. The captain picks the remainder, but always picks players who are playing well at the time, and rarely pick an old veteran no longer competing at a very high standard.

On merit, no possible case can be made for Earl. He is, of course, a living legend, undeniably one of the greatest players of all time, but his competitive performance relative to other Americans left off the squad in recent years has been far inferior. In short, he has very few solid finishes in big events in recent years.
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Did you forget he was the 2005 Mosconi Cup MVP?

I think I'd call the Mosconi Cup a big event, wouldn't you? And 2 years ago certainly qualifies as 'recent' I'd think??

The Mosconi Cup brings the best out of Earl. I'm glad Barry H. thinks so as well.

Rick S.
 
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Rick S. said:
Did you forget he was the 2005 Mosconi Cup MVP?

I think I'd call the Mosconi Cup a big event, wouldn't you? And 2 years ago certainly qualifies as 'recent' I'd think??

The Mosconi Cup brings the best out of Earl. I'm glad Barry H. realizes it as well!!

Rick S.
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No, I do not call the Mosconi Cup a big event, not when some of the matches are scotch doubles and some of them are singles races to five. In addition, I didn't forget about 2005. Maybe Earl will be the 2007 MVP. If it happens, that won't mean he was deserving of his spot. It will mean he rose to the occasion, but it still wouldn't erase the fact that America failed to send its strongest possible team.
 
Jay, You need to let everyone know that your comments about Earl got you fired from the Mosconi Cup as what you had said about him on tv and were viewed as unprofessional.Maybe thats why you continue to post what you do and no-one is perfect.
 
sjm said:
No, I do not call the Mosconi Cup a big event, not when some of the matches are scotch doubles and some of them are singles races to five. In addition, I didn't forget about 2005. Maybe Earl will be the 2007 MVP. If it happens, that won't mean he was deserving of his spot. It will mean he rose to the occasion, but it still wouldn't erase the fact that America failed to send its strongest possible team.
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I respect your opinion, but disagree.

The Mosconi Cup is unlike any other tournament. Earl has shown numerous times why he belongs. He can play, and THRIVES under those conditions. How many more times does he need to prove it? Even in the recent yrs....who has played better than Earl??

Rick S.
 
jay helfert said:
Look Rick, that's what a Forum is for, to offer your opinion on something or someone. You are entitled to your opinion and I am entitled to mine. You don't have to like what I have to say and I don't have to like what you have to say. But I respect your right to say it, kind of like the First Amendment.

No question, Earl was a great player, the best tournament 9-Ball player of all time. But his continued bad behavior reflects badly on himself and our sport. No amount of skill on the table gives someone the right to abuse other players and the fans who come out to see him play. He has continually denigrated his opponents, the venue he has played in, the rules of the game, the equipment he plays on, the very sport he has chosen to compete in and the audience who has paid to see him perform.

If this is okay with you just because he is EARL, then fine. So be it. It doesn't sit well with me though. Until he straightens out his act, you will continue to see my posts regarding his poor sportsmanship and emotional outbursts. He would never get away with it at any tournament I was running. And he knows it!

Rick, do you realize that many people come to watch Earl play just to see what stupid thing he'll do next? That is a sad commentary on a Hall Of Fame career. I'd like to see him go out a champion and not a buffoon. That is why I post about him on here. Maybe one day he'll take all this to heart and actually turn his career and life around. I hope so.
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I think Jay is still upset that what happened to him at the Mosconi Cup as the reporters there felt Jays comments were unprofessional and I dont think Jay was hired back after that.I am not trying to be mean but it sounds like you attack him quote like cancer it sounds like revenge.I hope that you can also do Jay what you ask and expect of others .
 
A easy way to settle this is to look at the overall stats of the players at the Mosconi Cup and career winnings.Go to the matchroom sites of all the past Mosconi Cup years read the print.
 
Whether or not Earl plays seems to be a moot point. According to AZHousePro, he is on the team. So the only other question remains is who will be the other two. I think it has to be Corey Deuel and Mike Davis. Mike seems to be on fire these days and pulled out a critical win last year (yeah, it was a bit of a sloppy game, but he pulled it out).

Regarding the European team, I only have a comment about Mika. I love how he plays and when he's on few have a higher gear. But I've seen him really get broken down mentally and play well below the lower threshold for most upper echelon players. So it would be risky IMO to have him on the European team.
 
Rick S. said:
I respect your opinion, but disagree.

The Mosconi Cup is unlike any other tournament. Earl has shown numerous times why he belongs. He can play, and THRIVES under those conditions. How many more times does he need to prove it? Even in the recent yrs....who has played better than Earl??

Rick S.
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We are not far apart here. Your point that Earl has perfromed admirably in this "gimmick" event is accurate, as is mine that, judged in its entirety, Earl's competitive performance on the tournament scene has dropped and continues to drop in recent years. Which of these two facts deserves greater weight in projecting his future perfromance is a matter of opinion, and you've presented yours with clarity and with respect. Perhaps you're right, Rick. As I have posted already, I am happy for Earl and wish him every success.
 
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