Yes, I would welcome the complete omission of results on a 7-footer from Fargo calculations.
Actually, no. At Derby City, over the years, I have watched a couple of top-five-ranked players in the world try their luck vs barbox specialists like Skyler and Corey and they have not fared well.
Was he practicing to win just US Opens or was he also practicing to go on the road and win a ton of $ gambling? When's the last time you heard of 2 US Fargo 770's matching up for 5k or more aside from Fedor vs Shane? The tourney competition would be much much tougher but there's virtually zero matchups for the top 10 - 20 US players against each other. Oscar is always looking for action but he's playing Morra or some hispanics more than American players. The action isn't there and the depth of US pool players is non existent minus Shaw/Fedor and a lot of other non US born players that live here now.
OT regarding the original thread topic, but I agree strongly with these two statements. And, if there were a way to fix the second one, I think the first would be much easier to achieve.
He was on the road gambling before he had tourney success, one year he literally didn't play in any of the DCC events and just gambled because he knew he'd make more money gambling than if he even won every event. Yes he practiced insanely but GAMBLING or winning/reaching the quarters/semis/finals of bigger/major events are the best forms of practice. These kids that can play in UP like Savannah and enter 4 - 5 events not only will they be cashing in but from a practice/polishing your game perspective you can't beat it short of regularly being in high stakes action.
This is an excellent point but Shane was chasing after Jesse Bowman and there were some other top notch players in that general area that don't really exist now like a Larry Nevel, Chicago is nonexistent for 760+ Fargo players even if it's loaded w banks/1P specialists what happened to the rotation players? Even crazier if SVB never existed what would upper midwest pool look like today? You literally wouldn't even have a Tyler Styer who copies a lot of what SVB does, w out Tyler you wouldn't even have a Sam Henderson. A Fargo age breakdown by state/region would show just how pathetic the depth is of US pool and it's only gonna get worse.
Shane played everybody that had $$$
Do you know nothing about Shane?
the money matches gets you over the hump. mentors and people to play with only can get you to a good speed.
Danny Olson has surprised me; I expected him by now to have more titles and high finishes. He is capable of beating anyone at times. About 5 years ago he clobbered Chris Robinson (100-65) in a 10-Ball match, about a month after Chris played in the Mosconi Cup. I'm even surprised that Danny's FargoRate isn't higher (757). He'll be 33 in a few weeks, but I think he still has the stuff to make it to the Mosconi Cup at some point.
Wonder who you mean? Who today gambles only and doesn't compete but manages to beat the premier players in action? I can't even think of one such player. Tournament players make money now. The Top 19 per the 2025 AZB money list all made $100,000+ in prize money this year.