Will the US players even WANT to play the Mosconi Cup next year ?

[YubaCushion]

If the team this year was based solely on points and you look at the BCA points list the team would look drastically different. It would be SVB, Mike Dechaine, Jeremy Sossei, Rodney Morris and Oscar Dominguez. Now that's a team that could be around for awhile with a good mix of young talent sprinkled with a few veterans. These players earned their place by finishing high in all the big points events with killer fields! Unlike some who just won a popularity contest cuz they know the guy who knows a guy for a free roll at 10k! I think Mr. Hearn should pick based on some kind of points list for next year, atleast those players are in form and would be more competitive than the disaster team of 2013!
Food for thought! Talk amongst yourselfs......

There going to have to after this year. Earning your way on the team is the only way to go. No way it's 11-2 with the team you listed.

 

[Tony_in_MD]

You stated all that needed to be said.

Green to you sir.

In short, if they still get the $10k for just showing up, the answer is YES, they will all want to play.

They don't give a crap about this forum. They've all written it off.

 

[JAM]

For the individual players, is it worth the stress and hassle ? Look at how much grief they have gotten from this forum alone !

When the US was easily beating Europe, they were beating up on snooker players and part time pool players. That was the idea of the Mosconi cup in the first place, to establish and increase the popularity of 9ball in England and europe and it succeeded

But anyway, so when the US were beating up on Europe, the European players at the time had nothing to lose and so didn't really get any grief for losing. So what if Steve Davis lost at 9ball to the americans, he's still the 6 time snooker champion.

It's not the same today, the US are getting a ton of grief for losing.

I think the best strategy is to get rid of all of the oldies including Archer and have SVB lead a team of youngsters. The fact they were will youngsters will inheritantly reduce the pressure on them to win, kinda like being a snooker player playing 9ball part time.

It really depends on what transpires in the coming months as to how the team is selected. Each year, poor Matchroom Sport has to come up with a new selection criteria to be fair to Americans because we have no tour or legitimate ranking system.

Will anything change in the coming months with professional pool? I don't know. To me, after recent months with the lack of support for both Tunica events, the Bonus Ball fiasco, and now the behavior of Team USA at the Mosconi Cup, I pray that it can't get any worse and it's got to be all up from here. I mean, what else can happen? Professional pool is circling the drain and going down, down, down, it seems. Where's the life saver?

The Derby City Classic is the next biggie. There are some rumbings that this may be the last DCC if change is not forthcoming. :frown:

 

[Chesscat]

Europe versus the world

The Mosconi Cup is a British production. As it stands, the US can no longer compete with Europe. So maybe a Europe versus the World production would be competitive and could be sold.

The world team would have, let's see:
1. SVB
2. Alex
3. Biado
4. Wu
5. Wang Can

You could mix it up, but Team World could have at least one American, no more than 2 Filipinos, and 2 Taiwanese or Chinese.

Works for me!

 

[justadub]

The Mosconi Cup is a British production. As it stands, the US can no longer compete with Europe. So maybe a Europe versus the World production would be competitive and could be sold.

The world team would have, let's see:
1. SVB
2. Alex
3. Biado
4. Wu
5. Wang Can

You could mix it up, but Team World could have at least one American, no more than 2 Filipinos, and 2 Taiwanese or Chinese.

Works for me!

This all sounds good, and plays a nice game of "fantasy pool..."

But it flies in the face of all the commentary here this week regarding the lack of "team" on the US part. Not training together, living together, preparing together.

IF all of that was so critical to Team Europe's success, why should an all star World Team fare any better. Hell, there would be a major issue with basic communication.

I'm not saying it wouldn't be fun to see, and that they couldn't have a great series of matches. I just find it funny how everyone likes to tout the lack of "team" unity for the US and then throw out ideas like this to "solve" Mosconi...

 

[JAM]

What in the hell is going on here? In 2001, when Team USA slaughtered Team Europe with a 12-1 stomping, nobody was crying out for Team USA versus the world.

Team USA had a bad Mosconi Cup, and there's a plethora of reasons why it happened, which have been examined thoroughly on this forum over the past few days.

I agree that American professional pool may be circling the drain, but I'm not ready to say our pros are has-beens, all washed up, and need to go out to pasture. I think there's still a little lightning left in the jug for the good old U.S. of A.

If American players had more opportunities to compete on a global scale, we might be able to gain some strength and even attract some new blood.

What is wrong with people throwing American pool under the bus?

 

[RobMan]

This all sounds good, and plays a nice game of "fantasy pool..."

But it flies in the face of all the commentary here this week regarding the lack of "team" on the US part. Not training together, living together, preparing together.

IF all of that was so critical to Team Europe's success, why should an all star World Team fare any better. Hell, there would be a major issue with basic communication.

I'm not saying it wouldn't be fun to see, and that they couldn't have a great series of matches. I just find it funny how everyone likes to tout the lack of "team" unity for the US and then throw out ideas like this to "solve" Mosconi...

Good post. Team sports are just that - team. Good team mojo can overcome individual ability.

Years ago at a global sales meeting, we had a golf outing; you know the basic scramble format. We all decided to create a dream team foursome of the company's best golfers. These four were all scratch or less than four handicappers. Interesting enough, they only beat my team comprised of four 15-20 handicappers by a couple of strokes. All the pressure was on them. None on us. We just drank beer and played golf, enjoying the camaraderie.

Guaranteed exhibition money and penthouse suites don't necessarily equal success.

Everyone gets spanked occasionally, the real issue is how you lose. Of course, that is being discussed in about 14 threads.


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