North America vs. Europe Mosconi

Zphix

Zphix

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So, I'm watching the John Morra vs. Rodney US Open match on YouTube and Jay Helfert is talking about combining USA and Canada into a single team to combat Europe. We've all heard this before time and time again, and an interesting thought occurred to me:

That would mean Justin Bergman and John Morra would be on the same team! :grin-devilish:

Wonder how that would turn out LOLOLOL.
 
In my opinion they would be professional enough to set past issues aside and come together as a very strong team. John M is a force and at his age we could have a good thing for many years.
 
If we included the players from Canada and Mexico, I'm still not sure Morra would make the team, because Pagulyan is a lock if he wants it. So, whose place is Morra going to take? SVB, Dechaine, Bergman and Woodward will probably be back, so Alex takes Cory's spot, and you're set
 
I wish they would do North America vs Europe. I think it would be great for pool. More competition for those 3 auto qualifying spots would only be a positive for professional pool.
 
I'm 100% against it. In the short term, it might make the Mosconi closer, but it's a definite step backward for pool in the US.

The US has 10 times as many pool players as Europe and needs to step up to the plate and develop the skills and pedigree to make it happen at the Mosconi. Suggesting that American failure is due to the fact that Europe has more countries is pretty ridiculous.

Don't deprive two Americans of the chance to develop into champions that participating in the Mosconi offers.

That said, if you want to have a team of seven every year, I'm OK with adding two Canadians, and any two of Pagulayan, Morra, and Klatt will do just fine.

PS Bergman wouldn't have been on the team this year if we'd had two Canadians. Three guys qualified on competitive performance (SVB, Mike D, Corey D) and Bergman and Woodward were wild cards.
 
sjm said:
I'm 100% against it. In the short term, it might make the Mosconi closer, but it's a definite step backward for pool in the US.

The US has 10 times as many pool players as Europe and needs to step up to the plate and develop the skills and pedigree to make it happen at the Mosconi. Suggesting that American failure is due to the fact that Europe has more countries is pretty ridiculous.

Don't deprive two Americans of the chance to develop into champions that participating in the Mosconi offers.

That said, if you want to have a team of seven every year, I'm OK with adding two Canadians, and any two of Pagulayan, Morra, and Klatt will do just fine.

PS Bergman wouldn't have been on the team this year if we'd had two Canadians. Three guys qualified on competitive performance (SVB, Mike D, Corey D) and Bergman and Woodward were wild cards.
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I respectfully disagree with this. America may have more pool players, but with no single pro tour like the GB9, I don't see how keeping it where only people from the USA can compete is going to change anything. More competition for the spots I think would encourage people who are serious about it to attend as many point events as possible. Europe could go 10 deep as far as Mosconi participants.

My opinion on what needs to happen:
1) Mosconi point events need to be declared earlier so players can make their schedule.
2) 9 foot table events only or way more heavily weighted than bar table events
3) North America vs Europe
4) 6 man Mosconi teams

Super ideal- a unified pro tour where every event is a Mosconi point event(now I'm getting greedy)
 
I don't 100% agree with the players who make the top 3 in points automatically getting picked to be on the cup. Yeah, Corey and Dechaine made it on points alone but it can't be overlooked that these two also performed the worst for team USA.

Plus, I felt other players deserved the spot more but weren't as active in the bigger point tournaments (read Justin Hall, etc.) and I firmly believe the points should only be used to determine how players played through the year but not have a top 3 guaranteed. Then again, without a top 3 guaranteed players wouldn't have to play these events and could kind of let loose all year.
 
Personally I like it the way it is, but, if I was in charge, I'd have a woman on both teams.
 
Don't deprive two Americans of the chance to develop into champions that participating in the Mosconi offers.
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After all these years of participating and not winning the Cup, why deprive 2 Canadians of that same chance. If they can qualify.

Your argument is pretty weak, beyond saying that you don't like the idea.

And if the USA has 10 times the players that Europe does, and all they have to do is to step up to the plate, why hasn't anyone figured out the process to make that happen.

I thought that the new USA Mosconi Coach was supposed to be the Be All, End All.

So far, not so much.

Unfortunately, I have no relations left in Canada, but quite a few left in the UK.

Why not give us Canauckians a serious reason to cheer for Team North America.

I doubt that there is a player on Team USA that could rattle Alex, other than Shane.

It is Team USA vs Team Entire Continent. I honestly take much less interest in the Cup for that reason alone, other than usually cheering for Europe. Which as of late, has actually been a fairly boring proposition considering that it is pretty much a given as to who is going to win.

I agree that the USA is a power house for players. But still, I don't see why they can't at least one Canadian one the team. What difference would that make.
Just maybe quite a bit, and you will never know until you give it a chance to happen.

it might make the Mosconi closer, but it's a definite step backward for pool in the US.
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Well, you admit that it might make it closer. Why not take it further and say that it could, after all these years, make a huge difference and maybe even a win.
As for being a step backward for pool in the USA, that isn't what the thread is about. Explain to us the complexities of exactly why that would be. Like, just one Canadian on the Team, and pool would be in the crapper in the USA? Come on, you can do better than that for an argument.

Pool has been on the decline in North America for some time now anyway, not so much in the rest of the World. Right.
 
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Well...

I think adding Canada and Mexico to Team USA is ok and I think you should have to live in the country you play for.

As far as a mandatory female on each team, I don't want that. If they can make the team based on skill then have at it. But, I have grown weary of "entitlements" for any group and hope it does not become a popular idea in pool.
 
Blue Hog ridr said:
After all these years of participating and not winning the Cup, why deprive 2 Canadians of that same chance. If they can qualify.

Your argument is pretty weak, beyond saying that you don't like the idea.

And if the USA has 10 times the players that Europe does, and all they have to do is to step up to the plate, why hasn't anyone figured out the process to make that happen.

I thought that the new USA Mosconi Coach was supposed to be the Be All, End All.

So far, not so much.

Unfortunately, I have no relations left in Canada, but quite a few left in the UK.

Why not give us Canauckians a serious reason to cheer for Team North America.

I doubt that there is a player on Team USA that could rattle Alex, other than Shane.

It is Team USA vs Team Entire Continent. I honestly take much less interest in the Cup for that reason alone, other than usually cheering for Europe. Which as of late, has actually been a fairly boring proposition considering that it is pretty much a given as to who is going to win.

I agree that the USA is a power house for players. But still, I don't see why they can't at least one Canadian one the team. What difference would that make.
Just maybe quite a bit, and you will never know until you give it a chance to happen.



Well, you admit that it might make it closer. Why not take it further and say that it could, after all these years, make a huge difference and maybe even a win.
As for being a step backward for pool in the USA, that isn't what the thread is about. Explain to us the complexities of exactly why that would be. Like, just one Canadian on the Team, and pool would be in the crapper in the USA? Come on, you can do better than that for an argument.

Pool has been on the decline in North America for some time now anyway, not so much in the rest of the World. Right.
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I guarantee that most of the people who disagree with this will do so because it's essentially stripping away a piece of "identity" from USA residents. People can't feel totally proud of the team if it doesn't say "USA" on it.

Like a child crying over a toy simply because it's "mine."
 
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