Thoughts on the two controversies of the final of US Open 10B?

[master9baller]

playing speed

I can't stand slow play. No place for it especially with pro caliber players. I take it a a sign of weakness, their being uncertain of their game. Except Archer who is usually just tiddying up a few dust bunnies. Trust your stroke, preparation, mental toughness and let em fly.

Every move has a counter, I just play better to punish slow play. Nothing intimidates like winning 5 games straight in a set the opponent thought was his.

Unless it's complicated it's "think long, think wrong", we all know the shots just execute them.

 

[CreeDo]

Well, there is deliberate and then there is slow. I don't have a problem with Ralf Souqet usually, he doesn't over analyze situations only ensures he knows what he wants to do.

But when a player is agonizing over a routine shot for over a minute, which Lo was doing, that gets a bit tough to watch. It is ultimately supposed to be a spectator sport (game or whatever you want to call it).

I do agree with you on agonizing over a routine shot. Some shots deserve that 4 minutes (an exceptionally tricky pushout) but 3-rails-with-inside or something should not. Most of the shots in 9 and 10 ball follow well-worn patterns.

I dunno that I agree that it's a spectator sport. I dunno that any sport is "supposed to be" a spectator sport? Sports start out as a way for people to entertain themselves and pass the time... and then maybe someone decides it's kind of entertaining to watch... then someone else comes along and says "hey, can I somehow make money on all these people who enjoy watching for whatever reason?"

Now we're at the point where the game has to change to please the guys making money. If pool could somehow stay popular but all of the spectators refused to open their wallet for sponsors, would we really be worried about keeping it fast-paced and entertaining for the fans?

 

[jay helfert]

Disagree with this completely. Just like refs making terrible calls in the BCAPL refs can also not have a clue how to rack the balls properly and thus give inconsistent racks that can in fact determine the outcome of a match instead of the playing ability of the two players competing. And that would be 100% wrong.

This touranment was rack your own throughout and IMO it was perfect. Players were not taking exessive amounts of time racking their own racks, they were content with their own racks, 10-ball being 10-ball even with pattern racking each rack was breaking distinctly and giving different patterns and shots.

I do not see why anyone would want to change the way this tournament was done. It was clearly not broke, don't try to fix it.

A good referee (like the ones at the U.S. Open Ten Ball) know how to rack just as well as any player. That said, it is the decision of the TD who racks at the end of an event, in the most important matches. Typically, it is not the players racking at the end. And both players are now getting the same rack to break. Players understand this and accept it. It has been this way at the U.S. Open for years. And at many other major events.