Thank you Lou.
You know, in thinking about why team USA lost, there is one contributing factor I haven't seen anyone bring up: These forums. Or specifically, the pressure created by the scathing attitudes from many of the posters. Before I explain, let me first say that it is clear they got outplayed. It is clear they under-performed. And I will say that many on these forums aren't haters or bashers, but simply trying to diagnose and cure the problem. But there is a level of disdain and nastiness towards this team being displayed that is pretty gross to me.
Think about this one question- Is team USA losing because we can't play pool at that level, or are we losing because we aren't bringing our best game? I know many of you would say 'both', but I am not buying that. I think our team plays the game nearly as well as Europe, certainly well enough to be competitive in a short set format like this. To me the issue is that we aren't bringing our game.
Our team consists of players that usually shine under pressure. Why is it that this is turning into negative energy? Well, I look at these forums and I see it. The negativity towards US Pool Players is absolutely disgusting.
I am the father of children ages 12, 9, and 6. I am taking them to chess tournaments. I want them to do well. I am getting them lessons. I am making them work hard, and am taking it seriously with them. But if I beat the crap out of them anytime they made a mistake, and taught them that if anyone was better than them that they were pieces of shit, not only would that be horrible parenting, it wouldn't exactly help my children enjoy the battle and perform well. Yet somehow if our US Players aren't the best and the most dominant players in the universe than we're all worthless and our society is over and it's pathetic. BS.
It's all about EGO. Ego of the posters. I've seen this a million times. The "Impossibly high standards " ego trip. Someone runs 120 balls on video, the forum poster says "Those were buckets, and these days you need a 200 to be considered an A player". What they are really saying in many cases is "Look at me, my standards are higher than everyone elses, I may say I'm not very 'good' today, but that is because I know what 'good' REALLY looks like, and when I get there it will be better than everyone else because I am not going to settle for anything less than perfection!"
It's a load of crap. It's perfectionist BS. All it does is make playing absolutely miserable because you are perpetually beating yourself for not being perfect, you suck the joy out of the game, your torment yourself, and because of this you play worse as it's hard to find flow while beating the shit out of yourself, and then the cycle continues, until finally you can't do it anymore and have to quit playing because you weren't 'good' enough. Then they come on these forums and want to do the same thing to our countries best players.
Well, stop it. They don't need your perfectionist bs. It doesn't help them flow or play better to hear a bunch of internet warriors bash them.
I'm all for constructive criticism. Nothing wrong with acknowledging a dissatisfying track record, or poor performance. But to diminish the players that are actually in the arena is not cool. And it doesn't help anyone.
To team USA- thank you for playing. Clearly there is work to do. It isn't easy to accomplish, and maybe we really don't have what it takes. But I don't believe it. I know the talent and passion and hard work it takes to achieve the level you're already at, and there is simply no reason you can't solve the Mosconi cup challenge. Please do, I'd love to see it.
