breaknrunjr
Registered
My apologies for the small novel written in response…
Sometimes I start typing and I don't know when to stop. Anyway...
I used to use ipods during competitive play. However, I never had the earbuds that you see most people use with ipods. Instead, I had the big headphones that cover the entire ear. I did that for two reasons; because it drowned out the outside noise more effectively, and because they stayed on my head better than any of my earbuds, which kept falling out of my ears (I guess my ears weren’t made for the earbuds). I stopped using my ipod during play altogether when I realized that those big headphones were like an oven during competitive play; my whole face would be red and sweaty by the time I finished a single race to five. Anyway, how I weigh in on ipods during competition:
I don’t believe that ipod usage during competition is a negative thing. I don’t see how I would need one during higher level competitions (I’ve played in a couple of pro-am events and found that I get by just fine without one…that was when I was used to play with an ipod). I also didn’t need one when I was gambling with certain people (people who understood and practiced proper etiquette). However, at weekly handicapped tournaments or while playing those players that don’t really know or use proper etiquette, I usually find that the ipod is quite useful for a number of reasons. For the people who insist on whining aloud or constantly talking even when I’m at the table, the ipod provides me the luxury of tuning them out. Then you have players who are nice people just looking to have fun and not really in it to win it. These are the people who aren’t deliberately trying to shark you, but because they don’t know any better, they’ll stand right next to you and try to strike up a conversation when you’re down on the game ball (I’m sure you’ve all seen these folks around at your weekly tournaments). For these people, the ipod cuts off social accessibility and will discourage them from approaching you for long conversations at inopportune times (like in the middle of your match). Some would prefer to simply tell these people to sit down and be quiet, but at a lower-level tournament, that kind of behavior would most likely not be well-received, even though you would be well within your rights to do so.
That being said, I do believe that there are certain responsibilities that you need to take on if you choose to compete using an ipod. For instance, when I used to play with an ipod, I would do everything I could to make it so that my opponent never needed to ask a question. If I fouled, I would pick the cue ball up, hand it to my opponent, and say “ball-in-hand”. This would take away any uncertainty as to whether or not I fouled. If I believe my opponent fouled, but I’m unsure, I would always free an ear from my ipod before asking for clarification. The same would hold true if I were to ask any question to my opponent. After each rack, I would look at the score and re-state it to my opponent while making eye contact before the next rack began. That would eliminate the need for score questions during the middle of a rack (as an added bonus, I found that disputes over the score completely disappeared when the score was announced after each rack).
Another important thing to understand as an ipod user is that if you use an ipod and there is a dispute over what was/wasn’t called or said, then you can expect to lose them unless there is a referee watching the shot. The reason for this is that your ability to hear someone speaking can always be called into question because you have something on or in your ears. It should be your responsibility as the ipod user to understand this and prevent any disputes from occurring to protect yourself and justify your use of the ipod.
The same holds true for people who like to wear ear plugs or have a hearing aid that’s turned off. I think I can refer to Dennis Hatch and Shane Van Boening as examples. I’ve only seen them play a handful of times, but I’m fairly positive that because they wear ear plugs or turn hearing aids down, they are extra careful to make sure that any questionable calls are clarified and any necessary information exchange takes place. Furthermore, they don’t expect their opponent to clarify the shots on their own accord, but instead they are proactive in seeking clarification before the cue ball is struck. This is because they understand that they are affording themselves a certain luxury when they take extra measures to drown out noise that might negatively affect their play and in taking that luxury, they can negatively impact the match if disputes arise because they didn’t hear something that they needed to hear.
I guess the best way to summarize this whole thing is to say that there is acertain etiquette in playing with ipods or ear plugs or anything that negatively impacts hearing. People need to know what that etiquette is before considering using them.
Sometimes I start typing and I don't know when to stop. Anyway...
I used to use ipods during competitive play. However, I never had the earbuds that you see most people use with ipods. Instead, I had the big headphones that cover the entire ear. I did that for two reasons; because it drowned out the outside noise more effectively, and because they stayed on my head better than any of my earbuds, which kept falling out of my ears (I guess my ears weren’t made for the earbuds). I stopped using my ipod during play altogether when I realized that those big headphones were like an oven during competitive play; my whole face would be red and sweaty by the time I finished a single race to five. Anyway, how I weigh in on ipods during competition:
I don’t believe that ipod usage during competition is a negative thing. I don’t see how I would need one during higher level competitions (I’ve played in a couple of pro-am events and found that I get by just fine without one…that was when I was used to play with an ipod). I also didn’t need one when I was gambling with certain people (people who understood and practiced proper etiquette). However, at weekly handicapped tournaments or while playing those players that don’t really know or use proper etiquette, I usually find that the ipod is quite useful for a number of reasons. For the people who insist on whining aloud or constantly talking even when I’m at the table, the ipod provides me the luxury of tuning them out. Then you have players who are nice people just looking to have fun and not really in it to win it. These are the people who aren’t deliberately trying to shark you, but because they don’t know any better, they’ll stand right next to you and try to strike up a conversation when you’re down on the game ball (I’m sure you’ve all seen these folks around at your weekly tournaments). For these people, the ipod cuts off social accessibility and will discourage them from approaching you for long conversations at inopportune times (like in the middle of your match). Some would prefer to simply tell these people to sit down and be quiet, but at a lower-level tournament, that kind of behavior would most likely not be well-received, even though you would be well within your rights to do so.
That being said, I do believe that there are certain responsibilities that you need to take on if you choose to compete using an ipod. For instance, when I used to play with an ipod, I would do everything I could to make it so that my opponent never needed to ask a question. If I fouled, I would pick the cue ball up, hand it to my opponent, and say “ball-in-hand”. This would take away any uncertainty as to whether or not I fouled. If I believe my opponent fouled, but I’m unsure, I would always free an ear from my ipod before asking for clarification. The same would hold true if I were to ask any question to my opponent. After each rack, I would look at the score and re-state it to my opponent while making eye contact before the next rack began. That would eliminate the need for score questions during the middle of a rack (as an added bonus, I found that disputes over the score completely disappeared when the score was announced after each rack).
Another important thing to understand as an ipod user is that if you use an ipod and there is a dispute over what was/wasn’t called or said, then you can expect to lose them unless there is a referee watching the shot. The reason for this is that your ability to hear someone speaking can always be called into question because you have something on or in your ears. It should be your responsibility as the ipod user to understand this and prevent any disputes from occurring to protect yourself and justify your use of the ipod.
The same holds true for people who like to wear ear plugs or have a hearing aid that’s turned off. I think I can refer to Dennis Hatch and Shane Van Boening as examples. I’ve only seen them play a handful of times, but I’m fairly positive that because they wear ear plugs or turn hearing aids down, they are extra careful to make sure that any questionable calls are clarified and any necessary information exchange takes place. Furthermore, they don’t expect their opponent to clarify the shots on their own accord, but instead they are proactive in seeking clarification before the cue ball is struck. This is because they understand that they are affording themselves a certain luxury when they take extra measures to drown out noise that might negatively affect their play and in taking that luxury, they can negatively impact the match if disputes arise because they didn’t hear something that they needed to hear.
I guess the best way to summarize this whole thing is to say that there is acertain etiquette in playing with ipods or ear plugs or anything that negatively impacts hearing. People need to know what that etiquette is before considering using them.
) I simply can concentrate better with the music in the background. I can focus on that sound, kind of like folks who use a white-noise machine so they can sleep, it gives you a constant sound for your mind to adjust to. It helps bury the chatter from the other participant, and those sitting around the tables. Yes, I am afflicted with rabbit ears. :embarrassed2: When I play league in a room without music, it takes extra effort to concentrate on the game and ignore the sidebar chatter, for me.
