I mean to say, that would be number one on the list of things NOT to do.
Wildcard Pick For 2022 Mosconi Cup Poll
- Thread starter JAM
- Start date
It's actually more complicated than that. There is an "understanding" that SVB also gets to have a very strong input on major team decisions else he takes his ball and goes home.
I’m aware of that “understanding”. Shane made sure Earl was on the squad last year. I’m surprised Matchroom didn’t announce Earl today, actually. This is why I think they’re waiting to see if any other American plays out of his mind this week and grabs the last spot from Strickland.
tomatoshooter
Well-known member
I hope not. I can't watch a meltdown without realizing that someone is suffering, it's not fun for me.
Greg Hogue - lost 10-8 to Joey Tate, then lost 10-7 to Duong Quoc Hoang
Shane Wolford - lost 10-6 to Hunter Lombardo, then won 10-4 over James Bird IV
Chris Reinhold - lost 10-9 to BJ Ussery, then won 10-7 over Brent Worth
Brandon Shuff - won 10-8 over Kristina Tkach, playing Jayson Shaw next
Josh Roberts - won 10-6 over Kyle Akaloo, playing David Alcaide next
Earl Strickland - won 10-5 over Hsuan Wei Kuo, playing Hsieh Chia-Chen next
Thorpe - not playing
Jeremy Jones - not playing
I voted for Thorpe but presumably he's out of the running. Barring shenanigans from Emily/Matchroom, you would think that Josh Roberts could punch his ticket with a win against Alcaide.
Shane Wolford - lost 10-6 to Hunter Lombardo, then won 10-4 over James Bird IV
Chris Reinhold - lost 10-9 to BJ Ussery, then won 10-7 over Brent Worth
Brandon Shuff - won 10-8 over Kristina Tkach, playing Jayson Shaw next
Josh Roberts - won 10-6 over Kyle Akaloo, playing David Alcaide next
Earl Strickland - won 10-5 over Hsuan Wei Kuo, playing Hsieh Chia-Chen next
Thorpe - not playing
Jeremy Jones - not playing
I voted for Thorpe but presumably he's out of the running. Barring shenanigans from Emily/Matchroom, you would think that Josh Roberts could punch his ticket with a win against Alcaide.
This is the entirety of Earl's tournament winnings the past 3 years:
2022:
5th Turning Stone 34, $2000
7th Turning Stone 35, $1600
13th SBE 9-Ball, $1800
2021:
17th International 9-Ball, $1000
49th US Open 9-Ball, $1250
2020:
9th Turning Stone 33, $1200
That's it. $10,450 in three years. He is obviously an all-time great but should not be a serious candidate for a Mosconi Cup slot.
2022:
5th Turning Stone 34, $2000
7th Turning Stone 35, $1600
13th SBE 9-Ball, $1800
2021:
17th International 9-Ball, $1000
49th US Open 9-Ball, $1250
2020:
9th Turning Stone 33, $1200
That's it. $10,450 in three years. He is obviously an all-time great but should not be a serious candidate for a Mosconi Cup slot.
It stands to reason that Matchroom would want players who have supported/played in Matchroom events, to be the participants, in their showcase event Mosconi Cup. Europes final choice is pretty much proof of that and that’s OK, by me. After hearing Alex’s recent interview, it seems obvious that was the reason for his last wildcard pick. Which again is fine, in my opinion. Alcaide is a great player and worthy of the choice.
Putting that same expectation on JJ, for his final pick, makes it more difficult. Earl, Billy, Tony and a long list of other players, just didn’t play Matchroom events. That leaves fewer choices. USA has to go way down the Fargo list to find one that fits the mold.
I’m hoping for Billy but Shane W. looks like a more obvious choice, to me.
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Putting that same expectation on JJ, for his final pick, makes it more difficult. Earl, Billy, Tony and a long list of other players, just didn’t play Matchroom events. That leaves fewer choices. USA has to go way down the Fargo list to find one that fits the mold.
I’m hoping for Billy but Shane W. looks like a more obvious choice, to me.
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Roberts lost 10-6 to Alcaide and Earl lost a hill-hill heartbreaker to Hsieh C-C.
i think the "tour" is too young to push that criteria for the wildcards. but i can also see how not playing the US open is kind of a dealbreaker. ok, earl had covid but why didn't tony chohan enter? tony is a very good rotation player and if he entered more events he would surely be on the JJ shortlist.
bj ussery and robert frost looks like the only american players still on the winner side. max eberle and earl lost hill-hill matches against very good players and were knocked to the loser side
bj ussery and robert frost looks like the only american players still on the winner side. max eberle and earl lost hill-hill matches against very good players and were knocked to the loser side
And Shuff lost 10-3 to Shaw. I guess we'll see which of these folks makes it farthest in the losers bracket.
It’s a shame, we had almost the identical conversations 10 years ago on here. That Europe could field 3 strong teams and USA could not field a single strong team. Absolutely zero has changed in the 10 years.
If Team USA Captain Jeremy Jones is restricted in having sole discretion to choose who he wants, then it's anybody's guess who Matchroom will urge as the fifth pick. If it's based on Matchroom rankings, Shane Wolford seems to be the logical choice. If it's based on entertainment factor, which Mosconi Cup is more of a circus than a sports competition, then Earl Strickland will be selected. That's my story, and I'm sticking with it.
I still would not mind one bit if Jeremy Jones was a playing captain. He did great last year on short notice as a pinch shooter for Earl. As we all know, Double J still has a little lightning left in the jug.
I still would not mind one bit if Jeremy Jones was a playing captain. He did great last year on short notice as a pinch shooter for Earl. As we all know, Double J still has a little lightning left in the jug.
I wasn’t expecting this.
Well, there it is. Cat's out of the bag. Whoever Jeremy Jones chooses, nobody should find fault with his decision-making process.
It is their show
Kind of makes you wonder the subtext of the time Johan was Team USA captain and lambasted Marcus for picking Niels over Albin. Perhaps that criticism had some serious gamesmanship to it. Like he knew Marcus didn't have a choice in the matter but also knew Marcus couldn't just respond as such. In hindsight it reads like a "no honor amongst thieves" moment.
Except we won it twice!
I asked him this a few months ago...more specifically I told him I thought he could be a top 3 rotation player if he focused on it as much as he does 1 pocket.
His reply? A. I don't like rotation and B. it would be too big of a pay cut.
Does not matter to many folks on here. They will never miss an opportunity to let everyone know how pathetic pool in the U.S. is. These people were sure 5 years ago that we would NEVER win another MC. Winning back to back with woefully undertalented teams did very little to improve their opinion of our guys.
That's because the favorites remain the favorites no matter the outcome. And let's be honest, Europe is always a huge favorite.