Why all the hate for team USA?

[CreeDo]

It's probably fair to say that hating on someone is the American Way.
Listen to any political radio show, it reminds me of the guys who hope and cheer for
broken legs and concussions at a football game.

But without rabid sport fan mentality we wouldn't be as emotionally invested in the Mosconi cup.
And the USA team clearly needs some motivation.

So, maybe the best motivation = Johnny Archer sees us calling the team a disgrace on the forums.

 

[thewhiffer]

The Mosconi Cup is one of my sports entertainment highlights of each year. No other pool event is able to make me feel the highs and lows of the team (USA) that I am cheering for like this. I would be remiss not to thank both teams and the organizers for this great event. I know that if I feel something akin to pain at the results so far, then the feelings (and pressure) that the U.S. team is feeling must be debilitating.

Pool at the professional level is, for the most part, a solitary sport; two opponents going head to head. Most amateur leagues are set up as teams. I am sure that most amateurs know the feeling of what I call “New Teamitis”, you know the feeling, you join a new team, know most if not all of the members but go through that period of adjustment when you are trying to show that you bring value to the team and in doing so put that added bit of pressure on yourself and don’t play up to your usual level. I am sure these guys feel some of that and it is multiplied by the pressure of representing their country and of our expectations for them.

ELVICASH makes some good points. Before I started reading this I had a similar thought that to make a team mesh, chemistry wise, it would be prudent to have them work together prior to the event. I would love to see a Road to the Mosconi series of events where they would take this format on the road to three or four cities and match up against some all star teams. Toronto would love to see Morra, Klatt, Horleifson, Pagulayan, Salvas, Daigle etc. playing in a Mosconi Cup format as a warm up to the event. That would be a match I, and I believe enough others, would pay to see and could attract sponsors.

As a small point, it may be possible that the U.S. team members (some, not all) communicate too much before their partner shoots, pointing where they want the ball etc. Just let your partner shoot, don’t take up part of their shot clock and getting focused time unnecessarily.

The thread by BOWIEBILL entitled “An American Disgrace” is, in itself, a disgrace for anyone to post. I did not read the comments past the title post. I am sure that others may have pointed out to bowiebill that his intemperate, mean spirited post is not appropriate and he lessens only himself in trying to start this. It does not merit reading or comment.

Once more, to the members of the Mosconi Cup Team for the USA, thanks for your efforts, keep giving it your best and battle until the end.

 

[TATE]

It's probably fair to say that hating on someone is the American Way.
Listen to any political radio show, it reminds me of the guys who hope and cheer for
broken legs and concussions at a football game.

But without rabid sport fan mentality we wouldn't be as emotionally invested in the Mosconi cup.
And the USA team clearly needs some motivation.

So, maybe the best motivation = Johnny Archer sees us calling the team a disgrace on the forums.

Believe me, the players feel a lot worse about it than we do.

It's the sport fan mentality. People love winning teams and hate losers. As a USC Trojan fan, I've seen hardcore boosters turn on the team, the coach and the athletic director in a heartbeat. I don't think it's an American thing - I think it's a sports thing. I won't get into the psychology but I do think the pool-player fan reaction is normal.

By the way, notice how nobody is getting on here and bashing Buddy and Shane? That says something too.

 

[JAM]

Believe me, the players feel a lot worse about it than we do.

It's the sport fan mentality. People love winners teams and hate losers. As a USC Trojan fan, I've seen them turn on the team, the coach and the athletic director in a heartbeat. I don't think it's an American thing - I think it's a sports thing. I won't get into the psychology but I do think the pool player fan reaction is normal.

By the way, notice how nobody is getting on here and bashing Buddy and Shane? That says something too.

Oh, Buddy's been bashed already -- not by me, though.

Your post reminds me of this: Hail to the Deadskins!

Yep, I'm a disappointed Washington Redskins football fan. :grin-square:

 

[Pathetic Shark]

Believe me, the players feel a lot worse about it than we do.

It's the sport fan mentality. People love winning teams and hate losers. As a USC Trojan fan, I've seen hardcore boosters turn on the team, the coach and the athletic director in a heartbeat. I don't think it's an American thing - I think it's a sports thing. I won't get into the psychology but I do think the pool-player fan reaction is normal.

By the way, notice how nobody is getting on here and bashing Shane?

I'm waiting til it ends for that one. Best player in the world, apparently.

 

[skogstokig]

arps made a good point here: http://forums.azbilliards.com/showpost.php?p=4476271&postcount=78

the numbers do the talking, theres nothing else to it

as for the hate i cannot understand it, but it seems to be part of the culture in the azb forum nowadays

 

[Straightpool_99]

.................

 

[elvicash]

I agree with most of what you said. Except the part about Earl with his bobbling 9 ball that did eventually drop. When it comes up on you tube, watch that part again. He wasn't happy about it at all. No fist pumping on that one. Rather, he looked at it in disgust and seemed ashamed that he won by (in his eyes) missing the ball. He does hold himself to the same standards he holds others to, with the exception of his bi-polar rants. And, while Buddy did just sit in the stands for the most part, he is the one that talked to Earl when Earl started losing it, and got Earl back on track. Buddy is one guy that Earl really listens to.

I still don't understand where the rest of the team went to when they weren't at the table. They sure weren't to be seen.??

Neil my thought was why did he have to point it out to the Euro guy after match 1 or whatever. Did not need to be done. Earl needs to be handled and communicated with, not ignored. They need to play pool not worry about the past.

So lets do it Team USA. Show some heart it ain't over till its over.

 

[CJ Wiley]

It really doesn't matter who wins or loses, it's how the Game is produced

Am I the only one thats really enjoying the Mosconi Cup so far? It has been one sided, I'll grant you that, but the level of play has been good overall. It is wonderful to see a professionally produced event, with actual commentary, nice camerawork etc. It is good to see Earl playing well also, even with some antics here and there. And then there is Michaela....can't go wrong with her. :thumbup:

Well stated!

The players all "real eyes" this is a special event and the entertainment value is what's most important...... performing their best at the table is probably not going to happen....especially in such short races, fast cloth (influenced by lighting), under irregular conditions.

It really doesn't matter who wins or loses, it's how the Game is produced and showcased. And, yes, Michaela is a "breath of fresh air" to anyone watching.

'The Game is Our Teacher'

 

[jhanso18]

I think the one thing we all forget is this really isn't pool. You take away the one thing that Americans definitely do better than Euro's (the break), and you get a couple bad roles race to 6, and it's done!

The ball have rolled a little better for team Europe, but that doesn't excuse the poor effort from team USA. In my opinion the only two players that even looked intense were Earl and Hatch yesterday. Shane didn't, but he doesn't ever seem too unless he's pissed. I think I'm done watching the Mosconi untill it's closer to real pool. No BS break rules, and more than 1 break and run in a day.

I'm also beginning to wonder if the lady racking knows what she's doing. This many dry breaks can't just be because of the way it's racked. Last night I racked the same way she is. 9 on the spot with my delta rack. Broke 20 times making sure all the balls were frozen, and 20 times just throwing them in. My results were ball made on the break, 11 out of 20 racking them well, and 4 out of 20 just throwing them in. I'm not accusing her of screwing up on purpose, but I noticed ALOT more checking of the rack before breaking yesterday...

 

[West Point 1987]

I agree with most of what you said. Except the part about Earl with his bobbling 9 ball that did eventually drop. When it comes up on you tube, watch that part again. He wasn't happy about it at all. No fist pumping on that one. Rather, he looked at it in disgust and seemed ashamed that he won by (in his eyes) missing the ball. He does hold himself to the same standards he holds others to, with the exception of his bi-polar rants. And, while Buddy did just sit in the stands for the most part, he is the one that talked to Earl when Earl started losing it, and got Earl back on track. Buddy is one guy that Earl really listens to.

I still don't understand where the rest of the team went to when they weren't at the table. They sure weren't to be seen.??

Very well said. I took note of Buddy jerking Earl by the snap and swivel to get his head back in the game and off the crowd...I think that's the real reason he was picked as a co-captain, he's one of the few people in the world that Earl will listen to.

 

[Pathetic Shark]

Well stated!

The players all "real eyes" this is a special event and the entertainment value is what's most important...... performing their best at the table is probably not going to happen....especially in such short races, fast cloth (influenced by lighting), under irregular conditions.

It really doesn't matter who wins or loses, it's how the Game is produced and showcased. And, yes, Michaela is a "breath of fresh air" to anyone watching.

'The Game is Our Teacher'

The most important thing for me is the speed of play. Stop clocks are an absolute must from now on. The days of watching people watching tables MUST end. Referee racking is also great to watch, and I'm not just talking about Michaela's ample charms, honest.

The games are so fluent I'd say they could easily extend the races to 7 or 8 without losing any momentum. That would give more opportunity for comebacks and charges, which is what the format misses a little, I think.

 

[Pathetic Shark]

I think the one thing we all forget is this really isn't pool. You take away the one thing that Americans definitely do better than Euro's (the break), and you get a couple bad roles race to 6, and it's done!

The ball have rolled a little better for team Europe, but that doesn't excuse the poor effort from team USA. In my opinion the only two players that even looked intense were Earl and Hatch yesterday. Shane didn't, but he doesn't ever seem too unless he's pissed. I think I'm done watching the Mosconi untill it's closer to real pool. No BS break rules, and more than 1 break and run in a day.

I'm also beginning to wonder if the lady racking knows what she's doing. This many dry breaks can't just be because of the way it's racked. Last night I racked the same way she is. On the spot with my delta rack. Broke 20 times making sure all the balls were frozen, and 20 times just throwing them in. My results were ball made on the break, 11 out of 20 racking them well, and 4 out of 20 just throwing them in. I'm not accusing her of screwing up on purpose, but I noticed ALOT more checking of the rack before breaking yesterday...

Justin! There you are! I was worried for you for a minute there.

As you've given up on the pool, why don't you give the snooker a try instead? The UK Championships are bubbling up nicely. No Corey Deuel tho'.

Who knows, you may even learn something.

 

[JD_Hogg]

The show so far has been great(especially if you rooting for Europe)

some things ive noticed

Shanes break is huge. He sure can crack those balls
Earl still shoots amazing - something about the way he plays, its like a hot knife going through butter

some of the outs by europe have been just amazing. The creativity and shot making to get out on some of those racks is just a pleasure to watch

as always there's just lots of intensity which makes the show so fun to watch - even more so getting to watch it live

 

[Nostroke]

Whats with all the phony screaming by Rodney? So pathetic and low class. Rodney has turned into a real ....... the last year or two.

 

[JD_Hogg]

another thing i noticed is that when there's something big on the line pool is just as fun and exciting to watch live as any other sport. There's hope

 

[sjm]

I don't get why a lot of people are hating on team USA especially a lot of Americans...

I like to win and see my team win as much as the next guy/gal but I'm not going to go dumping on them just because they are getting their ass kicked...Pool is a streaky game and if we did a rematch with the same teams next week things could be totally different! All of the players on Team USA are GREAT pool players and all of the haters would be singing a different tune if we were sitting on the winning side of things.

America is taking its best shot but is, quite simply, not the better team. Personally, I think one of pool's biggest myths is that the Moscon is a short match. the truth is that it's a very long match and the what-ifs rarely matter. To this point, Europe has romped in six matches and the other four went double hil with each team winning two. 8-2 describes it perfectly. The biggest difference has been position play. For every error in position play that Europe has made, America has made two. Europe has also been superior to America in its safety play. The break has been fairly even, and this format ensures that both teams get plenty of opportunities.

I hope it won't be another year in which Americans live in denial. Barring the unimaginable, Europe will win its sixth Mosconi Cup in seven years, no because they're lucky but because they are the best, by a lot.

I'm still rooting my hardest fro Team America, but a comeback is near unimaginable at this point. still, you never know and the Team USA fans are still cheering hard for the hometown heroes.

I think this Team Eruope could beat this Team USa over and over if asked to. there is a big gap in competitive pedigree.

 

[spanky79]

Well, it might be because the American pro players have no support from their organization -- from ANY ORGANIZATION -- and no support from the American pool public.

As well, because pool is such a fractured sport, if I may call it a "sport," because it really isn't in today's times, the American pool public gets to play alongside American pros at tournaments around the country. They can hang out, eat with, and sleep with American pros, because American pros, though they are pool celebrities in some eyes, are not distanced from the American public like major sports celebrities are. So people can talk about Johnny's this or Hatch's that or Rodney's this or Buddy's that.

And for the Earl haters, if you've ever had a family member with a mental illness, you'd re-think your thoughts about Earl. Earl is actually brilliant, with an extremely high IQ, as evidenced by his strengths in pool. If it wsan't pool, Earl would have been a champion in golf or tennis, whatever he set his mind to. But when he entered the 20s, as it happens to most young adults if they become afflicted with a bipolar disorder, Earl entered a new realm of his life. He had to deal with demons that you and I have never experienced. He cannot medicate because he can't play pool professionally with that type of medication.

How do I know so much about it? My niece is bipolar, much worse than Earl. It happened to her at 19 years old. They had to give her numerous prescriptions before they found the right one. She's 40 years old today and lives in subsidized housing on SSI. She functions okay, but she remains heavily medicated and will be until she passed away.

Without medicine, she's, well, worse than Earl. One year in her 30s, she quit her medicine, got a gun, and left town. Nobody knew where she was for a month. There was an APB out for her, and her family was scared. A Louisiana State Trooper found her in the winter months walking up a median strip with only her bra on and jeans. She didn't know how she got there. A few days later, they found her car totaled.

So we can all continue to hate on Earl and say what a piece of crap he is, or in the alternative, we can recognize his brilliance that he displays even though he suffers from a bipolar disorder. My niece is not so lucky. She will be medicated the rest of her life and live like a recluse. :smile:

Dont get it wrong, I love Earl and I know he is a genius. He just rubs some people the wrong way and turns people against him.

 

[JAM]

Dont get it wrong, I love Earl and I know he is a genius. He just rubs some people the wrong way and turns people against him.

If Earl had Tourette Syndrome and barked like a dog between shots, would you still feel the same way? I guess what I am saying is he has an illness that can only be controled with regular dosage of medication, and if he is not on meds, he does suffer.

I do think Earl handles himself very well, compared to my niece. With her, let me just say that I'm glad she is on meds and doesn't have possession of a gun.

 

[spanky79]

The practice table, presumably?

THe whole team doesnt not need to practice. The fact is most of the guys didnt want Earl on the team and stated as much months ago. They just didnt want to sit there and support him while he was talking to the crowd like he always does. Earl has played better then anyone on the team.