Sharking or just complaining?

Fuji-whopper

Fuji-whopper

Fargo: 457...play some?
Silver Member
Saturday I played a $10 tournament with some local heavies, one match was played with an older accomplished player that just started playing again. The match was played on a table with 2 of the 4 fluorescent lights out so it was very dark, I had just played on the table so I knew about the issue and pointed it out to the owner of the pool hall during the first match on it.

They didn't have any extra bulbs so the issue wasn't fixed in the previous match but my opponent (Larry Y.) complained after his first few missed shots. He complained that it was too dark, he couldn't see the edge of the ball, etc. etc. and I agreed saying that I didn't know why they played another match on this table. He misses another ball and complains again so I stopped playing and said I would rather wait till another table opens up so we can move.

Then he starts backpedaling saying that he didn't mean it in that way and that he was just grumbling, but to me he was making excuses and maybe trying to distract me so I didn't shoot another shot. We looked for the tournament director who wasn't to be found but I saw that a friend was just hitting balls on an adjacent table so I asked him if we could move to his table which he agreed to. My opponent had no objections to that and we continued the match but I was fuming at that point and it took me a while to settle down.

One of my pet peeves is when someone complains but does nothing to improve their situation, especially when there is a solution available. Obviously there was an issue with the table light but instead of doing something he chose to complain, do you think he was sharking me or just grumbling?
 
In my opinion, sharking = complaining that you cannot beat the person you are playing. So I guess they are about the same thing. :)
 
Maybe a little of both..I view people with those behaviors while playing humorous,because their invested esle where..instead of on the table...dark or not..so I smile an just agree..might even add something to see where they go with it..I seldom take anything personal in a pool hall or bar..not good for the game, or health..lol
 
That's not sharking, IMHO. That's just complaining. You wanna talk about sharking?

I played a guy once who I thought was a slight favorite over me, low stakes. I had actually been working with this guy on some aspects of his game that needed help prior to this. (Jumping the CB into the rack slightly on the break and not getting a good spread, more refined position play, etc.) He had actually listened to one or two pieces of advice, and come back to me thanking me for the help, and telling me he could really see the improvement. The other stuff, he basically ignored.

I couldn't beat the guy a month before, and due to some work on my stroke, I was playing a ball or two better, and I end up winning two sets.

He got up on me 4-1 in the first race to 7, and then I bear down and start playing well. When I get to 3-4 down, he starts making comments like "Hey man, instead of hitting the shot like this, you mighta wanted to play it this way.", "Instead of banking that shot, you should have shot it in the side and held it with a lot of english." etc..etc..etc.. In a really sarcastic voice. (Basically mimmicking the advice I had been giving him before while working on his game.)

He sharked the holy living s**t outta himself. :D

THAT'S sharking!!

In the second set, he immediately says, "Somebody's gota win by two sets!", and we get in a little argument over that, because I was so done with dealing with his BS. I finally agree, (because we had put up two sets worth of money, which I took to mean we were playing AT LEAST two sets, and reading nothing else into it) and end up getting up on him something like 4-2, and he makes the comment; "Russ, i'm gonna show you why I am a champion!", he bears down, making all these tough shots, and missed either the 8 or 9. He then starts making cracks in a real negative manner, "I hope this win increases your self esteem, Russ!"

I eventually end up winning the second set, and he says he is basically done playing unless I wanna play for $200. I left for the night because I don't really like having to fade ignorant behavior during the match.

Apart from the fact that this was basically the best self sharking that I had ever seen that basically had ZERO effect on the opponent, it was also bothersome from another perspective.

The guy was acting the whole time like he was just so pi**ed that I could possibly be beating him. Let's make it clear. For about 4-5 games in a row, I either ran out every time he missed or played a lock up safe, or played a safe that let him make the ball, but only with a world class stroke, and that would not lead to position on the next ball.

Why on earth would one be upset about getting beat like that???? I mean, if getting angry with yourself works for you, then fine. But you gotta internalize that s**t. You start opening your mouth and letting the anger out, you're just gonna shark yourself.

Russ
 
hard to say

My hearing has been getting worse since I was fifteen and I don't bend in all of the places that used to bend but the main thing that really annoys me and many people around me is when our eyesight starts to go. I put on a pair of reading glasses that happened to be exactly focused for the right distance to the pencil line I had drawn to cut a piece of wood and I could see my line, the slight unevenness of the edges because of the grain of the wood, and the little flecks of graphite dust that lay on either side of the line. The frustrating thing is that I used to see like that all of the time without aids. Same with poor light, I once had excellent night vision now sometimes I am probably legally blind at night, I can't see enough to move around.

It serves no point to bellyache about these things but it is hard not to sometimes. He may have been sharking, he may have simply been grumbling and then was embarrassed when his grumbling interrupted play. If you can put the best light on what somebody else does it disturbs your state of mind and your game less even if they are doing something with an ulterior motive.

Hu


Fuji-whopper said:
Saturday I played a $10 tournament with some local heavies, one match was played with an older accomplished player that just started playing again. The match was played on a table with 2 of the 4 fluorescent lights out so it was very dark, I had just played on the table so I knew about the issue and pointed it out to the owner of the pool hall during the first match on it.

They didn't have any extra bulbs so the issue wasn't fixed in the previous match but my opponent (Larry Y.) complained after his first few missed shots. He complained that it was too dark, he couldn't see the edge of the ball, etc. etc. and I agreed saying that I didn't know why they played another match on this table. He misses another ball and complains again so I stopped playing and said I would rather wait till another table opens up so we can move.

Then he starts backpedaling saying that he didn't mean it in that way and that he was just grumbling, but to me he was making excuses and maybe trying to distract me so I didn't shoot another shot. We looked for the tournament director who wasn't to be found but I saw that a friend was just hitting balls on an adjacent table so I asked him if we could move to his table which he agreed to. My opponent had no objections to that and we continued the match but I was fuming at that point and it took me a while to settle down.

One of my pet peeves is when someone complains but does nothing to improve their situation, especially when there is a solution available. Obviously there was an issue with the table light but instead of doing something he chose to complain, do you think he was sharking me or just grumbling?
Click to expand...
 
Fuji-whopper said:
...do you think he was sharking me or just grumbling?
Click to expand...

You mentioned that he is an older player. Speaking as an older player myself, I can tell you that I need a lot more light to see well than i did when I was younger. With this in mind, I'll vote for "just grumbling". (I'll also agree it was utterly stupid for him to keep going after you graciously offered to solve the problem).

And a note to Russ: Whether your guy sharked himself or not, the behavior you describe makes him out to be a complete ass. Going forward, I'd personally avoid having anything to do with him.
 
if someone is complaining or sharking you by running their mouth i find the best solution is to donkey punch them in the face as soon as they start...this will usuallyend the problem unless your forced to tqke it one step further and chicken kick them in the knee...
 
Sounds like he was just complaining.....doubt it was an intentional shark.....seems you agree it was dark, so his complaints were justified....ultimately, it bothered him enough to *****, but not to switch.....a lot of people are like that, I like to refer to them as all my X's that live in Texas....many of them liked to complain a lot, but they rarely did jack to improve their situation (that girl at work is out to get me) :grin-square:
 
If his 'grumbling' sharked you, it is your fault.
If he was 'grumbling' to shark you, you were sharked.

Either way, YOU did not control your emotions while competing. Whose fault is that?

You can always find something on someone to BLAME or use as an EXCUSE for poor performance.
 
Tom In Cincy said:
If his 'grumbling' sharked you, it is your fault.
If he was 'grumbling' to shark you, you were sharked.

Either way, YOU did not control your emotions while competing. Whose fault is that?

You can always find something on someone to BLAME or use as an EXCUSE for poor performance.
Click to expand...


I can respect this, it is my goal to never complain about anything so when people do I blow it out of proportion, I admit it. Sure I could have pounced on this weakness or ignored it and played my game without notice, but I took notice and tried to resolve HIS issue which is kind of a nice thing to do isn't it?

And I never blamed HIM for MY poor performance, I won the match 5-2 he never won a game after we switched tables. So I guess the shark didn't work in his favor.
 
I think when you call it one of your "pet peeves" you're answering your own question. That's like saying "this might not really bother most people, but it just happens to bother ME a lot."

Since there was no way for him to know it would really irk you, he wasn't sharking you. Just your bad luck (or his) that it got under your skin more than the average guy's.

For the record his complaint was valid so it's not totally fair to imply this guy should have either found a way to deal with it or shut up. He has a right to be mad and grumble, I think a lot of people would.
 
I believe you were sharking yourself if you let that get to you. I've known people who look for small things to get upset about because they think they play better when upset. Not saying that's how you are but I know people like that.
 
Sharking? no, being a Complainer..yes

I don't think it was a shark by no means, just a legit complaint that the room operator should come put up a light bulb. I don't like playing pool in the dark either, but you BOTh should have complained enough to the TD before ever starting the match on that table.

Now that you did start playing, and it was affecting the other player, it was to your advantage, just give a Big Grin at him, and say, well its fine by me, and just run out all over him!

Always think positive about the situation given you, and turn it into your favor.

Making alot of balls and playing good safties soon silence the barking dogs!


David Harcrow
 
If there were no options then I probably would have ignored him or goaded him on, but since there was an option (a simple one at that) I decided to exercise that option. The part that got me emotional is the fact that he would turn to me after every missed shot and say something to the effect of "I can't see the ball, the lighting is terrible I can't believe they played us on this table.".

But you guys are right I should have kept my cool, next time I will follow your advice and just make fun of him.
 
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