Ten thoughts from the US Open 10 Ball Tourney (part 1)

[Mark Griffin]

US Open layout

The table layout for the US Open 10-ball was mostly done for the convenience and to meet the requirements of the World Pool Masters. They finished their production, and we had the US Open 10-Ball up and running about 16 hours later.

Therefore, we had to have a floorplan that 'worked' for both productions.

That was the best we could do.

Mark Griffin

 

[cyrex]

10 Ball Masters

Really nice review. This was my first trip to Vegas for anything pool related. I just went to hang out, support some league friends, and watch as many of the Pro matches as possible. I had a great time!

Lots of nail biter matches and a couple great shooting blowouts. When Busta trampled Mika 9-1 he looked like the favorite. Everyone else was kind of roughing it. But as the end got closer, the champions showed why they are champions and started catching gears. A lot of hill-hill matches for sure. Thanks to everyone that worked they're butts off to make this happen. I'll definitely make the trip out to this event again.

 

[maldito]

Hatch got MVP Mosconi Cup - so he must have done something to get it and I think he will be on team USA in the future - despite his use of the F-word .

 

[SJDinPHX]

He was with me, but maybe it's because I was also (like Hatch) an amateur boxer who had 39 fights! Actually, Danny DilIberto was great friends with Dennis and his deceased father Greg. When I met Hatch, the first thing we talked about was Danny D, then boxing. We hit it off pretty good, to tell the truth. Granted, it was only two 10 minute conversations, but I had no complaints. From the wee little I saw, he's good in my book.

The ONLY pro player that I don't care for one bit lives in NY but plays for another country whenever the Mosconi Cup is being contested.

Terry,

It is understanding that you felt a strong connection to Hatch, with all you had in common, and I know, for sure, you possess a very strong set of moral values.
That being said... I won't say Dennis is not a colorful asset to the game, and a great talent... but I think the original poster, is spot on, with his evaluation of him.

I do not know the man (Dennis) personally, He did great in the Mosconi matches, when he was hitting on all cylinders....But I do know how he acted in his challenge match with my good friend Darren Appleton, and I base my opinion of him on that.

At a crucial point in their match, he used intimidation, and cheap shots, to gain the upper hand.
Darren is certainly no wuss, as his accomplishments will bear out... But he also is just not into playing distracting mind games. Few people are... Most people just try to give it their best shot, and try to win...Maybe Daz needs to toughen up in those situations...but should he have to ? Is pool supposed to be 90% con and BS,... and 10% skill ? Should it be completely devoid of respect, and fair play ?

I'm certainly no angel myself, I have been out of line many times, in a pool room environment...but to disrespect your opponent, (or the spectators)..in a well publicized event, or a tournament, is to me a sign of poor basic values.

I have always been very suspect, of people like Hatch (and Earl Strickland, for example)...who seem to think their talent gives them a free pass, to act however boorish they need to, when things are not going right for them. They often try to create a distraction in order to regain the upper hand.

I have (by default) forged a lifelong kinship, with Ronnie Allen, who, at times, I felt like strangling, (whether I was playing him, or in with him)..because, as you may know, he was the all time master at those tactics. But he had a very unique gift, for making even his opponent like it...He had just the right mix, of humorous banter (con) and self-deprecation...He was as much an artist at that, as he was a top talent. And he always seemed to have the crowd pulling for him to win.

I have always loved to play with gentlemen gambler's, and they always had my respect, win or lose...This is not the mindset, of those who seem to thrive on controversy, and a "take no prisoner's, win at all cost" attitude.

We all love a winner, its the American way... But I'll take an Efren, an Anold Palmer, or a Tom Watson, (I'm sure they mutter F-bombs too, but they do it under their breath)...over a Hatch or a Strickland, or a Tiger Wood's, any day. this is just JMHO. I could be wrong, but I doubt it.

Cheers Buddy,

Dick

PS.. I totally agree with your views on the guy who seems to really like the U.S lifestyle.. but plays for the Euro's in the Mosconi Cup...He can also be a real pouty "whiner",...when he's on tilt.

 

[Terry Ardeno]

Terry,

It is understanding that you felt a strong connection to Hatch, with all you had in common, and I know, for sure, you possess a very strong set of moral values.
That being said... I won't say Dennis is not a colorful asset to the game, and a great talent... but I think the original poster, is spot on, with his evaluation of him.

I do not know the man (Dennis) personally, He did great in the Mosconi matches, when he was hitting on all cylinders....but I do know how he acted in his challenge match with my good friend Darren Appleton.
At a crucial point in their match, he used intimidation, and cheap shots, to gain the upper hand.
Darren is certainly no wuss, but he also is just not into playing distracting mind games. Few people are. Most people just try to give it their best shot, and try to win...Maybe Daz needs to toughen up in those situations...but should he have to ? Is pool supposed to be 90% con and BS,... and 10% skill ? Should it be completely devoid of respect, and fair play ?

I'm certainly no angel myself, I have been out of line many times, in a pool room environment...but to disrespect your opponent, (or the spectators)..in a well publicized event, or a tournament, is to me a sign of poor basic values.

I have always been very suspect, of people like Hatch (and Earl Strickland, for example)...who seem to think their talent gives them a free pass, to act however boorish they need to, when things are not going right for them. They often try to create a distraction in order to regain the upper hand.

I have (by default) forged a lifelong kinship, with Ronnie Allen, who, at times, I felt like strangling, (whether I was playing him, or in with him)..because, as you may know, he was the all time master at those tactics. But he had a very unique gift, for making even his opponent like it...He had just the right mix, of humorous banter (con) and self-deprecation...He was as much an artist at that, as he was a top talent. And he always seemed to have the crowd pulling for him to win.

I have always loved to play with gentlemen gambler's, and they always had my respect, win or lose...This is not the mindset, of those who seem to thrive on controversy, and a "take no prisoner's, win at all cost" attitude.

We all love a winner, its the American way... But I'll take an Efren, an Anold Palmer, or a Tom Watson, (I'm sure they mutter F-bombs too, but they do it under their breath)...over a Hatch or a Strickland, or a Tiger Wood's, any day. this is just JMHO. I could be wrong, but I doubt it.

Cheers Buddy,

Dick

SJD,
Great to read your musings Dick! Always informative and interesting!

Just to clarify a bit, Hatch is not one of my favorite players. Every Jan 1 and every July 1, for years now, I've made up my "Top 50 Favorite Players". I rank them, in order, from 1-50. Hatch has never made the list.
I doubt seriously he ever will.

As for R.A., I love his style of banter. I'm sure you know that when he was real young, he worked as a carnival barker in and around Oklahoma. His unique style of "conversating" was "hatched" from those early years.
I can't remember anybody ever saying they didn't like R.A. Like you, they may have wanted to strangle him at various times D) but all in all, I think people knew that his banter was part of his schtick.

As for Earl, I've defended him for years. Lately though, it's gotten harder and harder to defend him when he goes off on people without provocation.
Being provoked is one thing, just being mean-spirited is another. Yet, despite all that, Earl has been in my top 5 favorite active players since 1984! I can't explain my double-standard thinking either!

 

[poolhustler]

Since u know DA, maybe you can ask him why he was slamming the rack and balls down on the table so hard that the ref came over to him and asked him to stop. This temper tantrum was thrown during his match with Corey Harper.

?????????????????????

Terry,

It is understanding that you felt a strong connection to Hatch, with all you had in common, and I know, for sure, you possess a very strong set of moral values.
That being said... I won't say Dennis is not a colorful asset to the game, and a great talent... but I think the original poster, is spot on, with his evaluation of him.

I do not know the man (Dennis) personally, He did great in the Mosconi matches, when he was hitting on all cylinders....But I do know how he acted in his challenge match with my good friend Darren Appleton, and I base my opinion of him on that.

At a crucial point in their match, he used intimidation, and cheap shots, to gain the upper hand.
Darren is certainly no wuss, as his accomplishments will bear out... But he also is just not into playing distracting mind games. Few people are... Most people just try to give it their best shot, and try to win...Maybe Daz needs to toughen up in those situations...but should he have to ? Is pool supposed to be 90% con and BS,... and 10% skill ? Should it be completely devoid of respect, and fair play ?

I'm certainly no angel myself, I have been out of line many times, in a pool room environment...but to disrespect your opponent, (or the spectators)..in a well publicized event, or a tournament, is to me a sign of poor basic values.

I have always been very suspect, of people like Hatch (and Earl Strickland, for example)...who seem to think their talent gives them a free pass, to act however boorish they need to, when things are not going right for them. They often try to create a distraction in order to regain the upper hand.

I have (by default) forged a lifelong kinship, with Ronnie Allen, who, at times, I felt like strangling, (whether I was playing him, or in with him)..because, as you may know, he was the all time master at those tactics. But he had a very unique gift, for making even his opponent like it...He had just the right mix, of humorous banter (con) and self-deprecation...He was as much an artist at that, as he was a top talent. And he always seemed to have the crowd pulling for him to win.

I have always loved to play with gentlemen gambler's, and they always had my respect, win or lose...This is not the mindset, of those who seem to thrive on controversy, and a "take no prisoner's, win at all cost" attitude.

We all love a winner, its the American way... But I'll take an Efren, an Anold Palmer, or a Tom Watson, (I'm sure they mutter F-bombs too, but they do it under their breath)...over a Hatch or a Strickland, or a Tiger Wood's, any day. this is just JMHO. I could be wrong, but I doubt it.

Cheers Buddy,

Dick

PS.. I totally agree with your views on the guy who seems to really like the U.S lifestyle.. but plays for the Euro's in the Mosconi Cup...He can also be a real pouty "whiner",...when he's on tilt.

 

[brock]

I think he's on vacation.
Ken is one of the best.

First off I want to thank the TAR gang for the streaming!!!!!!! Wish i was there in person!!! Thanks to all the folks that put on all the different tournaments!!!!! Jay, i met Scott Smiths little brother awhile back and he was sick, with cancer if i remember right, just wondering if you knew how he was doing??? I cannt remember his name!

 

[jay helfert]

First off I want to thank the TAR gang for the streaming!!!!!!! Wish i was there in person!!! Thanks to all the folks that put on all the different tournaments!!!!! Jay, i met Scott Smiths little brother awhile back and he was sick, with cancer if i remember right, just wondering if you knew how he was doing??? I cannt remember his name!

That's Brett Smith. I'm not sure if he survived. I'm not 100% on this but I seem to remember hearing bad news about him a few months back.

 

[Philthepockets]

Since u know DA, maybe you can ask him why he was slamming the rack and balls down on the table so hard that the ref came over to him and asked him to stop. This temper tantrum was thrown during his match with Corey Harper.

?????????????????????

I believe it's because they think they can get away with it, it's down to the standards a TD sets. Dish out firm punishments for these types of action and they will soon become rare. There is little enough cash to be made by pro players in pool and if their actions start to severely effect there earnings they will change.

 

[SJDinPHX]

Since u know DA, maybe you can ask him why he was slamming the rack and balls down on the table so hard that the ref came over to him and asked him to stop. This temper tantrum was thrown during his match with Corey Harper.

?????????????????????

I did not say Darren was perfect. He can get frustrated the same as anyone else...But, to make an issue of slamming the rack or the balls around, is not quite the same as cursing and bad mouthing and/or disrespecting your opponent, and the crowd. JMHO

I think in tennis, he might have lost a point for "racket abuse"...even Roger Federer has been hit with a few of those...

PS..Sounds like you may have been a Harper fan ???..

 

[searcyD]

Hatch behaving like that? He's suppose to be a champ. I don't know if its true but I hope he changes his act if it is. I mean come on. It was AZ that got him the spot on mosconi cup right? I hardly see him in here. The least he can do is come on every once in a while like smiddy and bartram. Even appleton stops by every once in a while. waddup with that hatch?

 

[CreeDo]

I have always been very suspect, of people like Hatch (and Earl Strickland, for example)...who seem to think their talent gives them a free pass, to act however boorish they need to, when things are not going right for them. They often try to create a distraction in order to regain the upper hand.

I thought this last bit was kind of interesting. I have no special leanings one way or the other. I enjoy watching earl and I'm also amused by his antics. I know it's not super classy to find someone else's frustrations entertaining. But anyway, do you think he may actually play into his own reputation a bit?

Like now he knows he's expected to blow up, so ...maybe he mouths off intentionally just as a sharking technique to throw the other guy off (knowing people will write it off as earl being earl, and not see it as an intentional distraction)?

Maybe it's just that he really can't help it, even after all this time. You'd think after years of fading the same old rolls he'd be immune to it by now and could just shrug it off. I mean, there's not much that pissed me off 10 or 15 years ago that gets me just as pissed off today.

 

[SJDinPHX]

I thought this last bit was kind of interesting. I have no special leanings one way or the other. I enjoy watching earl and I'm also amused by his antics. I know it's not super classy to find someone else's frustrations entertaining. But anyway, do you think he may actually play into his own reputation a bit?

Like now he knows he's expected to blow up, so ...maybe he mouths off intentionally just as a sharking technique to throw the other guy off (knowing people will write it off as earl being earl, and not see it as an intentional distraction)?

Maybe it's just that he really can't help it, even after all this time. You'd think after years of fading the same old rolls he'd be immune to it by now and could just shrug it off. I mean, there's not much that pissed me off 10 or 15 years ago that gets me just as pissed off today.

CreeDo,

Good point you made about "Earl being Earl"...Some people will make endless excuses for his antics by saying "It is his ADD acting up", or "his med's are off"... He does appear to have some psycological issues, but it quite often seems as though he goes out of his way to exploit them. He seems just fine away from the table, and can be a very likable guy.

I think he is one of the greatest talents ever to pick up a cue, but he is still, for whatever reason, become more of a prima donna then a pool player...In fact, he has been that way pretty much throughout his entire career. He has embarassed himself, (and our country) dozens of times. He is a loose cannon, and he will continue to be a big draw, probably as long as he chooses to compete.

You can only wonder, how much more he would have been respected, (and possibly accomplished)...if he had comported himself like Efren, or some of the other grounded, and humble champions...But as we well know...that was not his bag.

It will be interesting to see how he re-acts, as his skills continue to diminish. He may REALLY flip out someday...lets hope not, but we'll all be watching for it, won't we ???..

 

[JasonCrugar]

That's Brett Smith. I'm not sure if he survived. I'm not 100% on this but I seem to remember hearing bad news about him a few months back.

did he live in az? If it is the guy i am thinking of, he passed away from cancer. there was a pool player i knew from here by that name who had a famous brother who passed on a few years ago.

 

[DRW]

Bret smith

did he live in az? If it is the guy i am thinking of, he passed away from cancer. there was a pool player i knew from here by that name who had a famous brother who passed on a few years ago.

Bret was Scott's younger brother and he did die of cancer. Heck of a nice guy.

 

[akaTrigger]

Just fwiw, I watched Dennis' match where he was put on the loser's side in Vegas last week and he was not cussing or acting up toward his opponent. He did get frustrated with a scratch on the break and a missed shot, but otherwise, I didn't see him act too out of line during the match. Showed some emotions/frustrations but many players do that anyway.

I was also at the Mosconi Cup and he lit the room up with his energy and emotions. It was amazing to witness!!

So, all this talk about him behaving rudely during that certain match is interesting. Then again, I'm sure the same could be said about Earl - some see him as acting up, others don't see it in a dif match in the same tourney.