Mosconi/Reyes Cup

[King T]

Interesting and insightful as ever AtLarge!
Genuinely struggle to see the purpose in a non-playing captain...

I would understand if it had some managerial aspect, coaching etc. Like a football manager - but these guys are hardly Alex Ferguson's... Just seems like they are there for a bit of banter and post-game babble.

Playing captain with a team manager, sure, that could work - or just a playing captain; in charge of strategy, or a coaching element. Whatever.

But like I said, having some element of Team based competition is interesting to me as a consumer. Could be City based teams, Franchise based teams, country based... whatever. Franchise or City based I like, because it feeds into things like World Teams, and Mosconi/Reyes cup (continent based teams)

Doesn't take anything away from the individual game, simply adds a new dimension to potential pool fans.

Well you could give it a chance since its the first one. I'm sure they'll find improvements along the way.

 

[Flakeandrun]

Well you could give it a chance since its the first one. I'm sure they'll find improvements along the way.

It's decided now, so yeah, will watch how it goes. But it's not the first instance of 'non-playing captains' - just don't understand how it ever became a thing in the first place.

 

[Monti]

Interesting and insightful as ever AtLarge!
Genuinely struggle to see the purpose in a non-playing captain...

I would understand if it had some managerial aspect, coaching etc. Like a football manager - but these guys are hardly Alex Ferguson's... Just seems like they are there for a bit of banter and post-game babble.

Playing captain with a team manager, sure, that could work - or just a playing captain; in charge of strategy, or a coaching element. Whatever.

But like I said, having some element of Team based competition is interesting to me as a consumer. Could be City based teams, Franchise based teams, country based... whatever. Franchise or City based I like, because it feeds into things like World Teams, and Mosconi/Reyes cup (continent based teams)

Doesn't take anything away from the individual game, simply adds a new dimension to potential pool fans.

Think you will have lost 90% of these members with a Fergie reference

 

[Island Drive]

I think being a captain, and more involved in the team, playing alongside them etc is a good string to the bow of pool, or it's promotion as a 'sport'
There is space for individual competition, and team-based endeavors moving forward I think. I quite like, and support the idea of franchise teams of players, or something along those lines (as mentioned, like the Yuan8/Zen team vs Marboys/TP team.
The match-ups I've seen have been entertaining.

I tend to look at a team captain the same way.... I'd look at any Great Pro PGA caddie, indispensable.

 

[fish2]

For me, Efren Reyes should not be part of the team, the Reyes Cup is named after him, he should be opening the tournament and awarding the trophy to the winner.

 

[iusedtoberich]

From what I can tell, the Mosconi Cup non-playing captains and vice captains have been as follows, with the captain(s) of the winning team in bold:

Year -- Team USA, Team Europe

2003 -- Nick Varner, Oliver Ortmann
2006 -- Varner, Johan Ruijsink (tie)
2007 -- Kim Davenport, Ruijsink
2008 -- Varner, Alex Lely
2009 -- Varner, Lely

2010 -- Varner, Ruijsink
2011 -- Charlie Williams, Ruijsink
2012 -- C. J. Wiley, Ruijsink
2013 -- Buddy Hall (vice), Ruijsink
2014 -- Mark Wilson, Ruijsink

2015 -- Wilson, Marcus Chamat
2016 -- Wilson, Chamat
2017 -- Ruijsink, Chamat
2018 -- Ruijsink & Jeremy Jones (vice), Chamat
2019 -- Ruijsink & Jones (vice), Chamat

2020 -- Jones & Joey Gray (vice), Lely & Karl Boyes (vice)
2021 -- none, Lely & Boyes (vice)
2022 -- Jones, Lely
2023 -- Jones, Ralph Eckert

I think 2008 and 09 were also Ruijsink. I was just reading about him yesterday on Wiki. He tied the first year, then won 6 or 7 in a row for Europe.

 

[skogstokig]

For me, Efren Reyes should not be part of the team, the Reyes Cup is named after him, he should be opening the tournament and awarding the trophy to the winner.

can't disagree. i suspect mr puyat had a different vision and there were negotiations.

either way i'll be glad to see efren in an event like this. it's not a day too soon! i think this event should've been announced years ago. not because i don't like the MC, but because it's kind of weird when you have winners of US opens and world championships that are left out. it's obvious that asia might be the strongest of all three

 

[jasonlaus]

So don't put them in the team... It should be a role that honors his greatness, not proves old age. This is where some kind of ceremonial role, commentary role would be better. Again, not sure what works exactly, hence why I posted the thread to see what others thought
Personally, as mentioned, I just find 'non-playing captains' adds absolutely zero.

Let them play 1pckt against him

 

[AtLarge]

I think 2008 and 09 were also Ruijsink. I was just reading about him yesterday on Wiki. He tied the first year, then won 6 or 7 in a row for Europe.

No, I think what I posted is correct. Ruijsink captained a Mosconi Cup team 10 times, 7 times for Europe (record 6-0-1) and 3 times for USA (record 2-1).

For Europe, he started in 2006 with a tie and then won in 2007. He stepped away for 2 years, with Lely handling the duties in 2008 and 2009. He was back from 2010-2014 with 5 wins in a row.​

​

For USA, he started with a loss in 2017, then won in 2018 and 2019.​

 

[Bob Jewett]

Please. Let's not pretend that these captains are working hard to train their respective teams for victory. ...

True. The captains are not yet a major factor for the Reyes Cup teams.

 

[Flakeandrun]

I tend to look at a team captain the same way.... I'd look at any Great Pro PGA caddie, indispensable.

Captains lead teams into battle. They don't stand to one side and say 'you should do it like this'

For me, Efren Reyes should not be part of the team, the Reyes Cup is named after him, he should be opening the tournament and awarding the trophy to the winner.

Agree, there are many ways to involve him, and I think it could have been approached in quite a few more entertaining and honorable ways.

Let them play 1pckt against him

Even some kind of billiards multi-game exhibition to honor him as part of the opening ceremony. I'd say would be worthy entertainment.