What happened to Mike Sigel in Paris?

[cardiac kid]

I am reading a lot of folks saying things about Mike's actions, one way or the other, as though they were actually in attendance. I would like for those who were truly there to voice their opinions, not opinions of someone whose grandma's daughter heard from her cousin that a friend told her someone said they knew the brother of a girl who was at the tourney......"OK, one time, at band camp....."

Joe...............

If you read my earlier post on this thread, that is exactly what I said Joe.

Mike grew up next door to my ex. I've known him since the seventies. Yes, he was as verbous then as he is now. The "color" of his woofing has changed dramaticly. I spent three hours listening to him this afternoon. I know him really well:sad:!

Lyn

 

[SpiderWebComm]

I could care less of what tournament he quits. All I know is there's no one I'd rather sit behind and corner for-- no one. Sweat out a Sigel match from the cornerman chair and you have the best tickets in the house. There's no one like him. I guess you either love that kinda crap or you don't. I LOVE it. Just like Earl is one of my favorite players too. Keither too. I love jam-up legend players who can't control their emotions. It's always the best entertainment, imo.

I mean, if I wanna be flat-lined while watching a match... I'll watch someone like Souquet or Varner. I'd rather watch paint dry.

Dave

 

[cardiac kid]

I could care less of what tournament he quits. All I know is there's no one I'd rather sit behind and corner for-- no one. Sweat out a Sigel match from the cornerman chair and you have the best tickets in the house. There's no one like him. I guess you either love that kinda crap or you don't. I LOVE it. Just like Earl is one of my favorite players too. Keither too. I love jam-up legend players who can't control their emotions. It's always the best entertainment, imo.

I mean, if I wanna be flat-lined while watching a match... I'll watch someone like Souquet or Varner. I'd rather watch paint dry.

Dave

Spidy,

I love the emotional player as well. Been one my whole pool life. When its head to head, the rule book gets thrown out. I think that is your point. It becomes a problem when that person or persons begin to interrupt the flow of an entire tournament. Was in Reno when Scott Smith evicted Earl from the Open. Sometimes enough is enough. Without being there, I don't know who is really to blame. There probably was enough on both sides. The difference is the TD is ALWAYS right. Even when he's wrong, he's right. When the players start running the event, you have a real problem.

Lyn

 

[SpiderWebComm]

Spidy,

It becomes a problem when that person or persons begin to interrupt the flow of an entire tournament.
Lyn

You mean there are other people in the tournament??! You can have a PACKED field of Europe's top players and I'd still rather sweat Sigel's matches.

I wish we could sweat some Sigel vs Hohmann or Sigel vs Ortmann 14.1 sessions. Someone needs to hook that up.

Dave

 

[Rich93]

I'm reminded of the Popeye Doyle line from French Connection II: "I'd rather be a lamp post in New York than the mayor of Paris."

Doc

One of my favorite lines of all time - only it was "I'd rather be a lamp post in New York than the president of France".

 

[JimS]

Spidy,

Was in Reno when Scott Smith evicted Earl from the Open. Sometimes enough is enough. Lyn

You got THAT right. :groucho:

Speaking of which... what the hell has happened to Scott the shot? AWOL from the DCC... imo.

 

[JimS]

You mean there are other people in the tournament??! You can have a PACKED field of Europe's top players and I'd still rather sweat Sigel's matches.

I wish we could sweat some Sigel vs Hohmann or Sigel vs Ortmann 14.1 sessions. Someone needs to hook that up.

Dave

He's cool... up to a point... but he and Earl and others like them, don't have control.. they don't see that they have become obnoxious and their behavior has become unacceptable to the society around them.

In the wrong bar/ph they pull that crap and they'd just get their ass kicked and the message would be loud and clear. They're been there and done that so they don't go to those places because they know they'd be in danger when they started running thier mouth.

So.. they go to places that they think are safe and run their sh!t on people who have to take a different kind of stand.

I'll take Ralf, or Nick, or Buddy anytime. They're adults.

 

[Marvel]

Good point, Drago talks as much or more than Sigel. Sounds to me like a case of some anti-American stuff combined with an official on an ego trip.

Huh, in which world are you living in?

 

[Marvel]

You didn't see what happened.

I'm no Mike Sigel, but if some smart-ass TD lipped to me in front of an audience (like that guy did to Mike)--- I'd unscrew as well and then make an exiting scene worthy of whatever my entrance fee was. I'd never get smart-assed-to like that either. The TD wasn't professional, nice or tactful in his behavior.

I was there on the next table, and eventhough I was bit surprised of the TD's reaction also, I must still say he's one of the nicest, most reliable and most professional TD's I've seen around the World, maybe even the nicest.

And yes, there's also an X-Factor, I don't know about the earlier warning to Mike, but I heard something like that happened already.
If Mike starts to give F*** words to TD, surely it's worth of a warning, no matter how many titles he have.

And one thing which Mike probably didn't get and which is bit of a shame as it probably caused some of the problems through misunderstanding, was that in Euro Tours, the match is meant to start when it is announced so the players are asked to be ready on the venue 30mins before the time in the schedule. (this is to make the schedule 'flow' better, as there wont be too much empty tables waiting - as on the other hand some matches tend to last longer and need more time than scheduled).
So Mike thought he has 15 minutes, but actually the game had been announced and from that announcement, both players have one rack for practice. Mike was giving "exhibition" there, that's why the TD came and asked Mike to move on with his rack and start the match. Mike couldn't control his mouth, and got the TD heated a bit.

My observations was, that eventhough I was bit surprised from the TD's approach (which I probably wouldn't have been, if I'd seen the earlier 'show'), Mike's reaction was mostly childish and caused by his arrogance and pity ego, not that much from the TD's behaviour.


Most of the players which I've spoken with, do not have respect towards Mike and his character, but my personal opinion is that definitely I'd wish him to continue.
I also do feel, that he adds something to the tournaments, by his experience and status, but also by his character. I must add though, that my opinion is much based on the amusement factor
And no matter what, I do feel that he should obey the rules given, like everyone else.

 

[satman]

Now that's funny. ROFLMAO.......

I've got a great idea. Mike could talk to his friend Kevin, who claims to be a billionaire and have him start his own pool tour. Better yet, set it up so that Mike plays in the finals every week. What??? Ohh??? He already did that! Never mind.

Didn't do so hot when he actually had to play against the real players in the real matches tho did he? No disrespect intended to Mike's game, because we all get older. He played great in the 80's, and I liked to watch him play. But as a person, the first real conversation I had with him, was an argument. So, no, I have no respect for him as a person or an ambassador of our sport.

You're on foreign soil, playing in a tourney run by guys, who maybe don't care about how well you played years ago. Mind your manners, keep your mouth shut and play pool. Just my opinion of this whole deal.

 

[Marvel]

Didn't do so hot when he actually had to play against the real players in the real matches tho did he? No disrespect intended to Mike's game, because we all get older. He played great in the 80's, and I liked to watch him play. But as a person, the first real conversation I had with him, was an argument. So, no, I have no respect for him as a person or an ambassador of our sport.

You're on foreign soil, playing in a tourney run by guys, who maybe don't care about how well you played years ago. Mind your manners, keep your mouth shut and play pool. Just my opinion of this whole deal.

Funny thing is, that he's actually just few months older than Efren..

 

[billbOK]

Good point, Drago talks as much or more than Sigel. Sounds to me like a case of some anti-American stuff combined with an official on an ego trip.

Drago can't speak while playing, he is too fast

Yes, sometimes he interact with his opponent. But he is always respectful and friendly. He never do that to shark someone.

 

[jay helfert]

Sigel's ego got in the way. He thinks they named pool after him. I've known him a lonnng time. If there is an opportunity to reply politely or with a wisecrack, Sigel will choose the wisecrack every time. That can (and often does) piss someone off.

I never had any big problems with Mike during the tournaments I directed that he played in. He would try telling me what to do :wink:, and I would thank him for his input. We had one run in at Lake Tahoe about when he was supposed to play. He wanted to wait an hour for a match since he decided it was time to eat. I told him that was fine with me, but he was going to be forfeited. He played!

 

[NewStroke]

Sigel's ego got in the way. He thinks they named pool after him. I've known him a lonnng time. If there is an opportunity to reply politely or with a wisecrack, Sigel will choose the wisecrack every time. That can (and often does) piss someone off.

I never had any big problems with Mike during the tournaments I directed that he played in. He would try telling me what to do :wink:, and I would thank him for his input. We had one run in at Lake Tahoe about when he was supposed to play. He wanted to wait an hour for a match since he decided it was time to eat. I told him that was fine with me, but he was going to be forfeited. He played!

I have not met you in person Jay, but now I know why Trigger calls you "The Hammer".

 

[satman]

Sigel's ego got in the way. He thinks they named pool after him. I've known him a lonnng time. If there is an opportunity to reply politely or with a wisecrack, Sigel will choose the wisecrack every time. That can (and often does) piss someone off.

I never had any big problems with Mike during the tournaments I directed that he played in. He would try telling me what to do :wink:, and I would thank him for his input. We had one run in at Lake Tahoe about when he was supposed to play. He wanted to wait an hour for a match since he decided it was time to eat. I told him that was fine with me, but he was going to be forfeited. He played!

My only conversation with him, was in 1985, at Starchers in Ohio. Joe Kerr was running the tourney, and greeted me with a handshake, and welcomed me like he did every single player. He treated us like we belonged in the pool world. The tourney was $125 entry fee I believe. I was waiting on my next match, and Mike was talking with 3 other guys, sitting right in front of me. He was saying the guys like me, should not be allowed to play in the tourney, since we were not recognized as touring pro"s. I kept my mouth shut for about 10 minutes, and finally had to speak up. I eventually told him, and the others, if they don't like playing guys like me, to set up their own tourney and invite who they wanted. Stop coming to the smaller events, and collecting their money that guys like me helped provide.

On a side note: That tourney was the first place I saw Efren, Jose, and Luat play. It was incredible to see the way they played in comparison to all the other guys. On the way home, I got into another argument with the guy I went to the tourney with. It was about a 5 hour drive. About 20 minutes into the drive back, he said he didn't think it was right, for the foreigners to come to OUR country, and win the money in the tourney's. Well, the conversation got a little heated for about 15 minutes or so, and we didn't speak the rest of the drive. I never went to another tourney with him either. Anyone wanna guess what pool would be like in the U.S. if all the foreign players were not allowed to play. No Efren, Ralf, Jose, Orcullo, Luat, Neils, and a whole lot of other Great players..... I don't even like to imagine it.

 

[AtLarge]

Funny thing is, that he's actually just few months older than Efren..

If the IPT player biographies are correct, Sigel (born 7/11/1953) is 13 1/2 months older than Reyes (born 8/26/1954).

 

[Doug]

Was introduced to Sigel by a mutual friend of his and mine. My lasting impression of him is it's a a good thing he is/was a great pool player!

 

[smoooothstroke]

The "Ugly American" vs the "Strange European".

Since the tourney is in Euro I don't think strange European fits.

There are rules and rules of conduct for any tourney.I would commend the TD for standng up and keeping the player in-line.If the TD lost his cool or acted unprofesionaly I would hope that people in attendance would point it out to the TD.If the player left the tourney due to the confrontation,to me that points to either a huge ego,immaturity,or he was just completely wronged by the official and there was no other reasonable solution.

For me there is an entertainment value that comes along with guys like Earl and Mike.It may be good for the game financialy to let these characters go off but may be unfair to the other players in the tourneys if they are left unchecked.

 

[Bamacues]

You mean there are other people in the tournament??! You can have a PACKED field of Europe's top players and I'd still rather sweat Sigel's matches.

I wish we could sweat some Sigel vs Hohmann or Sigel vs Ortmann 14.1 sessions. Someone needs to hook that up.

Dave

You got that right!! By the way, does anyone even know who won the tourney? Seems like the most exciting thing about it was Mike's hiatus.

I am not going to mention any names, but watching a couple of the top Euro players is like watching my fingernails grow..boring..no personality at all. Mike's "mistake" was that he was trying to get the audience involved and interested in the game...and folks actually wonder why pool is failing to grow.

Here is a list of the top players in Eurotour....I recognize only a few of them. Notice no Americans. Had Mike stayed on tour, that might have changed in a year or two, and that would have been good for pool in Europe and the US.

1 Souquet, Ralf GER 2560
2 Majid, Imran GBR 2330
3 Feijen, Niels NED 2220
4 Gray, Mark GBR 2180
5 Sniegocki, Mateusz POL 2180
6 Chamat, Marcus SWE 2135
7 Appleton, Darren GBR 2125
8 Peach, Daryl GBR 2115
9 Osborne, Craig GBR 2110
10 Ortmann, Oliver GER 2085
11 Alcaide, David ESP 1955
12 Jungo, Dimitri SUI 1935
13 Boyes, Karl GBR 1910
14 Higgins, Scott GBR 1825
15 Hybler, Roman CZE 1820
16 Engert, Thomas GER 1810
17 Petroni, Fabio ITA 1795
18 Jones, Richard GBR 1785
19 Chinakhov, Ruslan RUS 1780
20 Berg-van-den, Nick NED 1755

Oh yea... I didn't see ANY of these guys...

[/IMG]

 

[alstl]

Drago can't speak while playing, he is too fast

Yes, sometimes he interact with his opponent. But he is always respectful and friendly. He never do that to shark someone.

I've seen him play once vs Bustamante and if that's how he acts on the European tour then Sigel's talking isn't any worse. That said, I don't know why Sigel would spend the money to go there and then quit in a dispute with an official. He should have stuck it out.