Barbara said:Jenn,
The one thing that bothered me (and some other tournament staffers) about BJ was that he wore headphones during the final match. We thought that to be quite rude to do so, but there wasn't any policy about this mentioned during the Player's Meeting.
I mean, what if his opponent wanted to stop play and call over a Ref or something and BJ couldn't hear him?
Next year there will be a policy on this.
Barb,Barbara said:Jenn,
The one thing that bothered me (and some other tournament staffers) about BJ was that he wore headphones during the final match. We thought that to be quite rude to do so, but there wasn't any policy about this mentioned during the Player's Meeting.
I mean, what if his opponent wanted to stop play and call over a Ref or something and BJ couldn't hear him?
Next year there will be a policy on this.
Barbara
Barbara said:Women's Open:
1st - Pam Treadway
2nd - Zinnie Panju
3rd/4th - Stacie Bourbeau, Ellen Van Buren
About 150 Women played.
JAM said:Barry Behrman and Buddy came to watch Pam competing in the finals. He was quite taken with her skills set on the table, and I saw him talking to her after the victory. She was so very happy about this achievement in her young career. Pam told me she got a new sponsor, thanks to her great performance at the Super Billiards Expo. I think she said it was "Eurocue."
AuntyDan said:...it can be argued that if you cannot deal with the physical or mental stresses of your chosen sport you are simply not fit to play it professionally. If you cannot overcome your limitations through legitimate practice and training then you are not as good a player as someone who can, even if this is just a fluke of your genetics. It is sounds fundamentally unfair, but that is the nature of competitive professional sports.
JAM said:Barry Behrman and Buddy came to watch Pam competing in the finals....
JAM said:Buddy had pool etiquette, a well-behaved canine
JAM
Timberly said:I agree except when it came down to the finals in the pro arena. Shawn was setting up a jump shot. You could've heard a pin drop at that point because Shawn was also using the bridge to set up this shot. As Shawn was positioning the bridge on the table (wasn't in mid-stroke thank goodness) little Buddy decided to make his opinion heard... all of the sudden you could hear two little pip squeak barks. Barry was sitting right by the entrance and he BOLTED out of the room. Of course everyone got a good laugh out of it. I don't know if Buddy was agreeing with Shawn's choice of shot or disagreeing but Shawn did end up making the shot... and getting shape.![]()
JAM said:...The Derby City Classic may have the Louie Roberts A/E Award for the BEST action and entertaining player, and here at the SBE, I bestow this award to Little John. He was calling all bets and is an absolute Southern gentleman, with charm to boot. Most folks didn't know who Little John was, seeing him in the pit, and were asking: Who is this guy in the brown sweater? The East Coast welcomes Little John with open arms, and he's been a favorite for many railbirds and players alike...
Mike Templeton said:Barb,
Why would you consider it rude to wear headphones during a match?
I have know BJ for a while. He wears headphones in every tournament. I have also seen many other players do the same. They may need help concentrating or help in blocking out distractions. I know that I have played BJ while he was wearing headphones, and if I spoke or talked to him, he could hear me over whatever was playing.
If there was a question on his opponent needing BJ's attention, there could have been a conversation before the match started. Did the opponents say anything? Or did the opponent not object and it was more the people on the rail that were concerned?
Mike
1pRoscoe said:Heh, I saw that. Shawn even stopped to turn around and laugh.
Kerry,Kerry Impson said:I'm of the opinion that a player wearing headphones because he "may need help concentrating or help blocking out distractions" is gadgetry used to enhance one's game artificially, which many associations ban - just like marking the table with one's cue, using finger extensions, and jumping with a cue under specs. After all, I believe one should strive to achieve perfection naturally, on a more or less even playing field - check out AuntyDan's excellent post in the thread "Pro Players and Drugs":
JAM said:Shawn Putnam always had a great sense of humor.
I've gotta say the trophies at the Super Billiards Expo were some of the finest I've ever seen.
JAM
Mike Templeton said:Barb,
Why would you consider it rude to wear headphones during a match?
I have know BJ for a while. He wears headphones in every tournament. I have also seen many other players do the same. They may need help concentrating or help in blocking out distractions. I know that I have played BJ while he was wearing headphones, and if I spoke or talked to him, he could hear me over whatever was playing.
If there was a question on his opponent needing BJ's attention, there could have been a conversation before the match started. Did the opponents say anything? Or did the opponent not object and it was more the people on the rail that were concerned?
Mike
I think it can be argued successfully that headphones are just as much an unfair advantage as finger extensions - they enable you to perform at a higher level than without them (especially if the player "may need help concentrating", as was quoted previously). Also, do finger extensions affect one's opponent any more than headphones do? Finally, if one player is adjusting to the distractions of, say, Buddy's little yips at the Expo au naturel and the other player has headphones on and so doesn't hear them, is that not an uneven playing field, with the headphones giving the wearer an advantage?Mike Templeton said:I feel that as long as you aren't doing anything to impede the game of your opponent, or give your game an unfair physical advantage, such as marking the table or using finger extensions, that you should be within the rules. Headphones in no way affect your opponent.
No, I'm not comparing headphone use to drug use; I just happened to like the parallel in the quote to the topic at hand. However, if there are two players, one of whom finds he must use headphones to remain focused while the other has used training and discipline to do the same thing, is not the player who has worked so hard to learn how to maintain focus and ignore distraction at a disadvantage? It's certainly easier to ignore distractions when you can't hear them! Wouldn't such a player perchance bemoan the hours spent training laboriously when he could have just slapped on a pair of headphones to achieve even better results?Mike Templeton said:And I hope that you are in no way comparing wearing headphones to using drugs...
Timberly said:I agree except when it came down to the finals in the pro arena. Shawn was setting up a jump shot. You could've heard a pin drop at that point because Shawn was also using the bridge to set up this shot. As Shawn was positioning the bridge on the table (wasn't in mid-stroke thank goodness) little Buddy decided to make his opinion heard... all of the sudden you could hear two little pip squeak barks. Barry was sitting right by the entrance and he BOLTED out of the room. Of course everyone got a good laugh out of it. I don't know if Buddy was agreeing with Shawn's choice of shot or disagreeing but Shawn did end up making the shot... and getting shape.![]()