Winning with Class

Big Perm

1pkt 14.1 8 Banks 9 10
Silver Member
We had our Wed night APA league night last night and I GOT CRUSHED.....the guy I played was on.....stroke was smooth, leaves were perfect, and every breakout was executed well.....I got killed 5-2 in about 30 minutes, and I'm a decent player.....and I never even had a chance....the two games I won were lucky....lost to the same guy a month or two ago 5-3, but it was a lot closer....

7 games, only 10 innings, and less than 30 minutes....

What really impressed me was the guy's attitude....always friendly, didn't talk any trash....showed class, beat me quietly, shook my hand, and even acknowledged that I was having a rough night.....truthfully, he's a better player and he didn't have to say that - he would have to be off and I'd have to be in the zone for me to win......impressed by his sportsmanship, because as bad as he won, he played in another class altogether.....great to know that classy people still play pool, and with talent......the team we played are a great group, and we always get along....one of them commented afterward, "when he's shooting like that, just grab a beer, kick back, and watch".....damn skippy...
 
Big Perm said:
We had our Wed night APA league night last night and I GOT CRUSHED.....the guy I played was on.....stroke was smooth, leaves were perfect, and every breakout was executed well.....I got killed 5-2 in about 30 minutes, and I'm a decent player.....and I never even had a chance....the two games I won were lucky....lost to the same guy a month or two ago 5-3, but it was a lot closer....

7 games, only 10 innings, and less than 30 minutes....

What really impressed me was the guy's attitude....always friendly, didn't talk any trash....showed class, beat me quietly, shook my hand, and even acknowledged that I was having a rough night.....truthfully, he's a better player and he didn't have to say that - he would have to be off and I'd have to be in the zone for me to win......impressed by his sportsmanship, because as bad as he won, he played in another class altogether.....great to know that classy people still play pool, and with talent......the team we played are a great group, and we always get along....one of them commented afterward, "when he's shooting like that, just grab a beer, kick back, and watch".....damn skippy...
good story, rare to hear of people like that, so many bad attitudes out there!
 
thanks for the thought...i have league tonight and this post was a little reminder to 'be cool'. it's just league, right?

-s
 
wish all league reports were like this

If all league reports involved individual and team behavior like this the sport would be huge. My hat's off to your opponent and you too. Some nights are like that and taking it like a sportsman is a big part of being a competitor.

Hu


Big Perm said:
We had our Wed night APA league night last night and I GOT CRUSHED.....the guy I played was on.....stroke was smooth, leaves were perfect, and every breakout was executed well.....I got killed 5-2 in about 30 minutes, and I'm a decent player.....and I never even had a chance....the two games I won were lucky....lost to the same guy a month or two ago 5-3, but it was a lot closer....

7 games, only 10 innings, and less than 30 minutes....

What really impressed me was the guy's attitude....always friendly, didn't talk any trash....showed class, beat me quietly, shook my hand, and even acknowledged that I was having a rough night.....truthfully, he's a better player and he didn't have to say that - he would have to be off and I'd have to be in the zone for me to win......impressed by his sportsmanship, because as bad as he won, he played in another class altogether.....great to know that classy people still play pool, and with talent......the team we played are a great group, and we always get along....one of them commented afterward, "when he's shooting like that, just grab a beer, kick back, and watch".....damn skippy...
 
In my years of bar league shooting, you see players/teams that range from one extreme to another. There's always a few teams (good or bad skill-wise) that you enjoy playing, regardless of the outcome. There's been a team over the years that usually gets the better of my team, but we have such a good time shooting against them, joking with them, etc. Then, there's always a team or two (once again good or bad skill-wise) that you'd rather endure an evening of nails being scratched across a chalk board instead of playing a league match against them.

I look at it this way, no one is gong to live/die by the results of one night of league play. I tell my guys to suck it up, get the night over with, then we'll joke about them next week at league...probably with another team that had the same encounter with them in the past.

Even if I really, really don't like a player (which there are very few), I still shake their hand after a game. If you can't keep things in perspectivce enough to do this, you need to find another hobby or take your game somewhere else.
 
its always a treat to play or gamble with someone like that. Ive matched up with a few players who were like that, the epitome of class, laughed and enjoyed their time playing regardless of winning or losing. Thats how i always strive to be......i dont want people to be able to tell if i won or lost.
 
I always try to be very friendly and I complement my opponent's game even if he trash talks me. I am trying to counteract the dirty players out there, like the last guy I played who moved the coin marker on me two games toward his side when my back was turned.:mad: I caught him on it later and when he argued I showed him the 3 layouts I just ran out. I just moved the coin back and he didn't do anything. There is nothing worse in pool than dirty players.
 
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