MOSCONI CUP tix

buckshotshoey said:
Damn! When was that? 1962? Lol
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Vegas and Reno was the plan when you were dead broke. By 2000 Corp America had its hands fully around Begas and the squeeze was on. It started getting stupid in 97, by 2006 game over.

Monaco is still more money, but not for long….. it’s that bad
 
tableroll said:
Vegas is pricing itself into another S-hole town. But until people stop going, they will charge as much as they want to.
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Vegas is doing better than ever and it does not appear to be slowing down! Even with sky high inflation people are gambling more than ever at the casinos here.
 
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lfigueroa said:
lol, late 80s, early 90s.

Vegas was still doable into the early 2000's. Parking at all the casinos was still free, good food was affordable, free entertainment in many of the gambling areas, and if you were playing the free drinks came at a steady pace.

Lou Figueroa
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I think it was 2013 and 2015 when we hung out a little and even played some 3C. I had a blast going out after the matches. M-cup had cheap tickets and Vegas was still reasonable. I wanted to go this year but with the year I had this year I knew it would be hard to leave town again. I have had at least 7 trips out the state and one to Europe.

I am considering traveling to the UK next year with my two sons. Not sure yet but it looks promising.
 
Bob Jewett said:
Well, since I was on the innerwebz I thought I would look at the prices at the host hotel, Bally's.

Three nights, arriving Wed. and leaving Sat., cheapest refundable room... Sadly, the cheapest room is smoking.

$1892 -- room rate, cheapest refundable
$120 -- resort fee -- swimming pool is closed, though
$252 -- taxes
-------
$2264

or $755 per night. Maybe there is some inflation going on. I remember when Las Vegas was actually a good value.

An apartment a mile and a half away with two bedrooms is available for $180/night. Rated 9+ on booking.com. Probably could rent a full-time limo and end up ahead.

Something must be happening in Las Vegas that week.
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This must have been after the Matchroom rates expired. I have a room for 5 nights (Tues - Sat) and it was just over $900 after taxes and fees
 
Amazon Web Services Re-Invent is a huge convention at the Venetian Nov 28th-Dec 2nd, that might be why rooms are sold out or super high priced.
 
Cuebuddy said:
I think it was 2013 and 2015 when we hung out a little and even played some 3C. I had a blast going out after the matches. M-cup had cheap tickets and Vegas was still reasonable. I wanted to go this year but with the year I had this year I knew it would be hard to leave town again. I have had at least 7 trips out the state and one to Europe.

I am considering traveling to the UK next year with my two sons. Not sure yet but it looks promising.
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Yes, I remember that!

But the MC that year was a terrible drubbing for the US of A.

(insert flashback music):
#####
Playing any sport at its highest level is a tight-wire act. Typically, the stakes are high, the pressures are enormous, and the finest caliber of play is expected, if not demanded, from the competitors. These kinds of events are played on spot lit stages with each turn of the screw broadcast to diehard fans all over the world. Fans, friends, family, and enemies watch intently ready to cheer every success or chortle at every failure.

But there is always the dark, yawning pit that lies underneath the competitors when it comes to any form of high level competition -- the possibility of the lopsided score, the blow out, the poor performance, the on-camera meltdown by one or both competitors on the biggest of stages.

I believe every single US fan that formed up to dash into the Mosconi Cup arena Tuesday morning at the Mirage believed a comeback by the American squad was possible. Or maybe at least they wanted to believe that a comeback was possible, though unlikely, what with the Euros having amassed a 5-0 lead.

And when, during the first match of the day JA and Rodney Morris were able to come back from a 0-3 start and tie things up at three apiece against Niels and Karl Boyes, the crowd felt their team was poised to begin the march back. But that was not meant to be as the Americans lost to the Euros 4-6.

You could almost hear the air coming out of the tires.

Hatch was able to buoy the US fan hopes when he shot out to a 4-1 lead over Souquet. But The Kaiser was having none of it battling back to take the lead 5-4. And then something terrible happened. I mean something truly terrible: the Mosconi Cup and the American fans suffered their own Steve Barton moment.

For those of you for whom that name does not instantly give you a deep hollow feeling of pity in the pit of your stomach, Steve Barton is the Chicago Cubs baseball fan who, during a playoff game between the Chicago Cubs and the Florida Marlins in 2003, reached out for a ball, deflecting it out of the reach of Moisés Alou. If Alou had caught it the Cubs would have been just four outs away from winning their first National League pennant since 1945.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Hatch is stuck 4-5 and has a tough play on the table. He studies and studies, makes his decision, and gets into shooting position. But he has let the shot clock wind down dangerously low and it enters the last 10 seconds of its run.

For the course of the MC there has been one gentleman who has been louder and more enthusiastic than probably anyone else in the arena. He sits with the USA family and friends, shouts encouragement to the American players, leads chants and stomps his feet whenever the US enjoys the rare moment of success. IOWs he is uber-fan and you can tell he loves his team dearly.

And so the clock ticks down. Hatch is in shooting position taking his warmup strokes, the crowd is holding its breath, and for reasons that I have absolutely no doubt were rooted in the very best of intentions, uber-fan yells out in a loud, resounding baritone, at the very exact micro-second Hatch has decided to pull the trigger: "SEVEN!" to warm Hatch of how little time is left on the clock.

Hatch misses his intended shot and hooks himself. The crowd is in a state of pandemonium. "What just happened?!" "What'd he yell." "Why'd he yell?" "Who was it?" In the arena, Hatch's initial disbelief turns from muttered "wow" to increasing rage and a very expensive cue stick is abused.

I am seated across the aisle and a few seats up from uber-fan. He is trying to sink and disappear into his seat. He is miserable and dying the death of a thousand cuts right before my eyes, softly repeating, "I'm sorry." My heart goes out to him.

Back in the arena Michaela admonishes the crowd. Hatch confronts the disaster on the table. Everyone is pulling more for uber-fan than Hatch, hoping he will recover and this will not become a Steve Barton Incident with Hatch winning his match and this whole kerfuffle being lost to memory.

But Hatch loses that game. And then escape and redemption comes back within reach when Hatch drops the 9 ball on the break. It is tied hill-hill and I swear I can hear rosary beads clicking somewhere on the US side of the crowd. But no. Souquet prevails 6-5.

So what can you say?

Pearl and SVB squeak out a ball bobbling win against Appleton and Mika. Neil's puts on a clinic for the good Mr. Archer 6-0. And Rodney and Shane hold it together to defeat Mika and Karl.

2-8, Europe.

Afterwards I hit one of the bars in the Mirage for a drink and later dine at Stack, their American steak house and enjoy a Caesar salad and a Kobe steak. Then it's off to Best Billiards to join a gaggle of AZers KoolKat and Pinky have manage to herd thataway. All the tables are going but I am invited to engage in some 3C scotch doubles with John and I taking on Stu and Cuebuddy. The friendship and camaraderie are great. Bed comes none too soon at midnight.

So, I am about to head off to the MC arena this morning. I thinking comeback ;-)
#####

Lou Figueroa
 
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lfigueroa said:
Yes, I remember that!

But the MC that year was a terrible drubbing for the US of A.

(insert flashback music):
#####
Playing any sport at its highest level is a tight-wire act. Typically, the stakes are high, the pressures are enormous, and the finest caliber of play is expected, if not demanded, from the competitors. These kinds of events are played on spot lit stages with each turn of the screw broadcast to diehard fans all over the world. Fans, friends, family, and enemies watch intently ready to cheer every success or chortle at every failure.

But there is always the dark, yawning pit that lies underneath the competitors when it comes to any form of high level competition -- the possibility of the lopsided score, the blow out, the poor performance, the on-camera meltdown by one or both competitors on the biggest of stages.

I believe every single US fan that formed up to dash into the Mosconi Cup arena Tuesday morning at the Mirage believed a comeback by the American squad was possible. Or maybe at least they wanted to believe that a comeback was possible, though unlikely, what with the Euros having amassed a 5-0 lead.

And when, during the first match of the day JA and Rodney Morris were able to come back from a 0-3 start and tie things up at three apiece against Niels and Karl Boyes, the crowd felt their team was poised to begin the march back. But that was not meant to be as the Americans lost to the Euros 4-6.

You could almost hear the air coming out of the tires.

Hatch was able to buoy the US fan hopes when he shot out to a 4-1 lead over Souquet. But The Kaiser was having none of it battling back to take the lead 5-4. And then something terrible happened. I mean something truly terrible: the Mosconi Cup and the American fans suffered their own Steve Barton moment.

For those of you for whom that name does not instantly give you a deep hollow feeling of pity in the pit of your stomach, Steve Barton is the Chicago Cubs baseball fan who, during a playoff game between the Chicago Cubs and the Florida Marlins in 2003, reached out for a ball, deflecting it out of the reach of Moisés Alou. If Alou had caught it the Cubs would have been just four outs away from winning their first National League pennant since 1945.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Hatch is stuck 4-5 and has a tough play on the table. He studies and studies, makes his decision, and gets into shooting position. But he has let the shot clock wind down dangerously low and it enters the last 10 seconds of its run.

For the course of the MC there has been one gentleman who has been louder and more enthusiastic than probably anyone else in the arena. He sits with the USA family and friends, shouts encouragement to the American players, leads chants and stomps his feet whenever the US enjoys the rare moment of success. IOWs he is uber-fan and you can tell he loves his team dearly.

And so the clock ticks down. Hatch is in shooting position taking his warmup strokes, the crowd is holding its breath, and for reasons that I have absolutely no doubt we're rooted in the very best of intentions, uber-fan yells out in a loud, resounding baritone, at the very exact micro-second Hatch has decided to pull the trigger: "SEVEN!" to warm Hatch of how little time is left on the clock.

Hatch misses his intended shot and hooks himself. The crowd is in a state of pandemonium. "What just happened?!" "What'd he yell." "Why'd he yell?" "Who was it?" In the arena, Hatch's initial disbelief turns from muttered "wow" to increasing rage and a very expensive cue stick is abused.

I am seated across the aisle and a few seats up from uber-fan. He is trying to sink and disappear into his seat. He is miserable and dying the death of a thousand cuts right before my eyes, softly repeating, "I'm sorry." My heart goes out to him.

Back in the arena Michaela admonishes the crowd. Hatch confronts the disaster on the table. Everyone is pulling more for uber-fan than Hatch, hoping he will recover and this will not become a Steve Barton Incident with Hatch winning his match and this whole kerfuffle being lost to memory.

But Hatch loses that game. And then escape and redemption comes back within reach when Hatch drops the 9 ball on the break. It is tied hill-hill and I swear I can hear rosary beads clicking somewhere on the US side of the crowd. But no. Souquet prevails 6-5.

So what can you say?

Pearl and SVB squeak out a ball bobbling win against Appleton and Mika. Neil's puts on a clinic for the good Mr. Archer 6-0. And Rodney and Shane hold it together to defeat Mika and Karl.

2-8, Europe.

Afterwards I hit one of the bars in the Mirage for a drink and later dine at Stack, their American steak house and enjoy a Caesar salad and a Kobe steak. Then it's off to Best Billiards to join a gaggle of AZers KoolKat and Pinky have manage to herd thataway. All the tables are going but I am invited to engage in some 3C scotch doubles with John and I taking on Stu and Cuebuddy. The friendship and camaraderie are great. Bed comes none too soon at midnight.

So, I am about to head off to the MC arena this morning. I thinking comeback ;-)
#####

Lou Figueroa
Click to expand...
Lou, you have a phenomenal memory.
I still have a few pics. I met you, Stu and Bob that year, along with many others.
Your original write up was the first time I had ever heard the word Uber. Iremember having to look it up just to see what it meant.

Pinklady and Koolkat9lives were big time posters here for quite awhile. I think I got this photo before we met up with you.
 
IMG_4878.JPG
 
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