The Rematch: Hohmann v. Manalo...next week!

[NaClBandit]

We've got a possible IPT North American 8-Ball Open Finals rematch coming up next week.

Thorsten and Marlon are both participants in the 2006 International Challenge of Champions next Wednesday and Thursday at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT.

For over a decade, this tournament has always been one of the best pay-outs in pool, but this year the IPT finalists probably won't break a sweat thinking about the purse.

Other competitors include:

Johnny Archer (USA): 2005 Glass Open Champion
Neils Feijen (NED): 2005 Big Apple Champion
Santos Sambajon (PHI): 2005 Skins Billiards Champion
Alex Lely (NED): 2006 Euro Tour Champion
Takeshi Okumura (JPN): 2005 Tokyo Grand Prix Champion

and of course...
Fong Pang Chao (TAI): 2005 Champion of Champions

To qualify, Toastie and Marvelous Marlon won the '05 BCA Open and the Texas Hold 'Em Championships respectively.

Last year's event was a thriller - nothing like that Sudden Death tiebreaker format! If I remember correctly, Engert beat Efren in a sudden death game, as did Chao against Feijen in the Semis.

Don't miss this year's event, New England'ers!

 

[Cameron Smith]

It's too bad this tournament has one of the worst format's ever. Somebody needs to talk to the organizers and explain to them that a two set match doesn't make nearly as much sense as a best of three set match.

 

[suckershot]

It's too bad this tournament has one of the worst format's ever. Somebody needs to talk to the organizers and explain to them that a two set match doesn't make nearly as much sense as a best of three set match.

Agreed. That, or make it a single longer race. I mean, I guess the idea of the whole thing is short race for TV, and a sudden death tiebreaker for real suspense if the match makes it that far. But I didn't care for the race to 5 finals (very short race, although there are two of them).

I do think your idea of 3 sets is good, being that to win, you must win at least 10 games. But more than that, I believe it's just time that ESPN devote more TV time to pool so that we can have longer race/set matches, because as it is, pool gets table scraps. Meanwhile, ESPN airs things such as the spelling bee, eating contests, and Scrabble tournaments, things that shouldn't even be on ESPN. I'm not saying those things don't involve certain talents, but they do not belong on a sports network. And not only that, I do understand that ESPN does air pool programs every week, but they put pool in the dumbest time slots where I can never catch it because I'm at work. Give pool more meaningful time, put Mark Wilson in the commentary booth, and I think we'll see more interest in pool.

 

[Renegade]

Yeah, and the other day I saw a DOMINOES tournament!!! WTF!

I hope Marlon beats Thorsten this time although given the amount of prize money compared to the IPT I don't think anyone'd sweat it so much.

I think unless all the other tournament organizers up the ante, so to speak, top players wouldn't even bother playing in their tournaments and just practice for the next IPT event.

 

[catscradle]

It's too bad this tournament has one of the worst format's ever. Somebody needs to talk to the organizers and explain to them that a two set match doesn't make nearly as much sense as a best of three set match.

I couldn't agree more. I hate anything that to be decided by "sudden death" be it pool, soccer, or tiddle-winks.
Hopkins and TV seem to like it so I guess that's all that matters.

 

[catscradle]

Yeah, and the other day I saw a DOMINOES tournament!!! WTF!

I hope Marlon beats Thorsten this time although given the amount of prize money compared to the IPT I don't think anyone'd sweat it so much.

I think unless all the other tournament organizers up the ante, so to speak, top players wouldn't even bother playing in their tournaments and just practice for the next IPT event.

I don't agree with that. All but one person DID NOT earn $350,000, they've got to earn their bread somewhere and 50K is still 50K. Small, dare I say normal, tournaments aren't going away.
Besides we don't know that the IPT is here to stay. It certainly hasn't turned a profit yet, and unless it does KT won't keep fronting the money forever. When the internet boom was going on I couldn't see where the profit was and lo and behold the internet boom collapsed. I don't see where the IPT plans to gather a profit and think some day it might collapse. It's on OLN now, but pool used to be a regular on ESPN at normal times 'til ESPN made the mainstream. Will OLN (soon to be Versus) toss it aside if Versus makes it big?

 

[TheOne]

I dont get the format of this tournament, I thought it was supposed to be made up of regional champions, the European Champion, World Champion etc.

Is it just a case of players not wanting to play/cant make it or something else?

 

[NaClBandit]

The One wrote: I don't get the format of this tournament...

I thought that too. To some degree you are right - Euro Champion, Tokyo Grand Prix Champion, BCA Champion (considered a Major), but then there are the Hopkins events thrown in there (Skins & Texas Hold 'Em) and two oddities (Glass City and Big Apple).

 

[NaClBandit]

Agreed. That, or make it a single longer race. I mean, I guess the idea of the whole thing is short race for TV, and a sudden death tiebreaker for real suspense if the match makes it that far. But I didn't care for the race to 5 finals (very short race, although there are two of them).

I do think your idea of 3 sets is good, being that to win, you must win at least 10 games. But more than that, I believe it's just time that ESPN devote more TV time to pool so that we can have longer race/set matches, because as it is, pool gets table scraps. Meanwhile, ESPN airs things such as the spelling bee, eating contests, and Scrabble tournaments, things that shouldn't even be on ESPN. I'm not saying those things don't involve certain talents, but they do not belong on a sports network. And not only that, I do understand that ESPN does air pool programs every week, but they put pool in the dumbest time slots where I can never catch it because I'm at work. Give pool more meaningful time, put Mark Wilson in the commentary booth, and I think we'll see more interest in pool.

This event is designed for television.

First of all, there are only 8 competitors and it is single elimination.

Televised WPBA matches are races to 7.
In order to win the ICOC, you must win at least 6 games (to win with 6 you must lose the first set 0-5).
Without a sudden death tiebreaker, you must win 10 games.

How many racks can you air in an hour of television? Probably not many more than 10 by my guess. As far as three sets go, the Sudden Death rack is essentially a third set, only the room for error is nil. Yes, the chances of a break and run-out are high, so don't lose the lag!

Just because the setup is somewhat gimicky and the prize money is a lowly $50,000 (how jaded have we become in the past week?), does not mean that it's not exciting and legitamate as far as tournaments go. Sure it's not ideal, but when is it?

It's a win-win deal: the players get a free shot at fifty thou, the sponsors get their name aired on ESPN, Mitch gets a little face time, and the spectators get free admission! Maybe that makes it a win-win-win-win deal.

 

[suckershot]

This event is designed for television.

First of all, there are only 8 competitors and it is single elimination.

Televised WPBA matches are races to 7.
In order to win the ICOC, you must win at least 6 games (to win with 6 you must lose the first set 0-5).
Without a sudden death tiebreaker, you must win 10 games.

How many racks can you air in an hour of television? Probably not many more than 10 by my guess. As far as three sets go, the Sudden Death rack is essentially a third set, only the room for error is nil. Yes, the chances of a break and run-out are high, so don't lose the lag!

Just because the setup is somewhat gimicky and the prize money is a lowly $50,000 (how jaded have we become in the past week?), does not mean that it's not exciting and legitamate as far as tournaments go. Sure it's not ideal, but when is it?

It's a win-win deal: the players get a free shot at fifty thou, the sponsors get their name aired on ESPN, Mitch gets a little face time, and the spectators get free admission! Maybe that makes it a win-win-win-win deal.

I don't even like the WPBA race to 7 format either. I still think a race to 7 is too short. Give it more TV time and we can see a longer race. Same with the ICOC, more TV time and we can see a longer race/more sets and more games. Also, give pool the respect it deserves; while I was waiting for THIS year's BCA Women's matches on ESPN, before they were showing LAST year's women's World Cup of softball final, and it overran its time slot cutting into pool. That irked me.

I would agree that 50k is nothing to turn your nose up at. Up and until the IPT came along, 50k was a big deal, and actually, it still is unless you're doing pretty well in the IPT (I imagine this would mean placing in the 30's or above every time you play in the IPT tournaments).

My last point is a little off topic I guess, but I noticed you mentioned Mitch, I'm assuming you mean Mitch Laurence. Nothing against Mitch, but I would prefer to see more of Mark Wilson. He did some tips before the commercial breaks on the BCA Women's matches on ESPN, and he does great work for Accustats. Let's see more of Mark Wilson.

 

[ShootingArts]

I doubt that you can run ten full racks on TV in an hour

I doubt that you can even show ten full racks on TV in an hour. Once you cut out the time eaten by commercials, introductions, and even minimal explanations of what people are watching I doubt you can fit much if anything over thirty minutes of actual pool time in an hour of TV time.

The short races are 99% for TV I believe. Don't the women play longer races all of the way up to the TV rounds? It would seem better to just edit for TV but obviously they are pleasing ESPN and the viewers as a whole.

Hu

This event is designed for television.

First of all, there are only 8 competitors and it is single elimination.

How many racks can you air in an hour of television? Probably not many more than 10 by my guess.

 

[NaClBandit]

I don't even like the WPBA race to 7 format either. I still think a race to 7 is too short. Give it more TV time and we can see a longer race. Same with the ICOC, more TV time and we can see a longer race/more sets and more games. Also, give pool the respect it deserves; while I was waiting for THIS year's BCA Women's matches on ESPN, before they were showing LAST year's women's World Cup of softball final, and it overran its time slot cutting into pool. That irked me.

This irks everyone on this forum. We do not represent the average American sportsviewers however. Of course we all want to see a race to 13 TV match with no commercials, but few others do. And think of how upset the Softball forum frequenters would be if their programming was cut short. It's all relative.

My last point is a little off topic I guess, but I noticed you mentioned Mitch, I'm assuming you mean Mitch Laurence. Nothing against Mitch, but I would prefer to see more of Mark Wilson. He did some tips before the commercial breaks on the BCA Women's matches on ESPN, and he does great work for Accustats. Let's see more of Mark Wilson.

I was kidding about Mitch; I'm not really a big Mitch guy personally, I was being sarcastic. I should've used an emoticon to convey I suppose. Any would've done...