This event is about doing your best to win--this year. We shouldn't be looking to the past at players who used to be good, or looking to the future at players who might end up being good one of these days. We need who is best suited today.
I also feel it is important that they be at low risk for being detrimental to their team, or for being a poor representative of their country/continent. And if they have been on the team in the past and choked due to the pressure, they should have to sit out a year before they can be considered for the team again. I don't much care how much they did or did not participate in other events throughout the year, I care about how they would be expected to play during the Cup.
With those criteria in mind my selection would be Justin Bergman as he is clearly and by far the best wild card choice. My second choice would probably be Tony Chohan. Maybe I'm wrong but I think Chohan would have the slight edge over Josh Roberts in 9 ball play under Mosconi Cup conditions but Roberts would likely be my close third choice. I think there is a reasonable argument for Thorpe or Deuel instead of Chohan but I think it is time to see if somebody else of that general level of play will better be able to rise to the occasion during the Cup that what Thorpe or Deuel have seemed to be able to do.
And please for the love of all that is holy, please Jeremy don't pick your good buddy Chris Reinhold for the team again just to give him the hookup on a nice paycheck. He is a great guy and I wish it were different but he shouldn't be in consideration for the team on his best day, and then you have the fact that he chokes in the Cup unbelievably bad every time he plays on top of it. Maybe one day he will deserve the spot based on the merit of his level of play, and maybe one day he will have learned how to deal with the choking and pressure, but let him acquire that skill level and get that experience elsewhere and get chosen only after he has them and can actually be an asset to the team.
