JRhendy, understands my point of view, when he states players of 60's & 70's 'were aggressive'. In playing shoot out 9-ball you played to make the shoot out, never a thought of playing safe, never happened. Players were shooters. Same with banks, you shoot to make the bank, and not thinking bank/safe. How can you make a bank if on your mind you are going to sell out if you miss, and how much harder is it to bank plus play safe at the same time.
But the 'mentality of being a shooter is gone'. 9-ball was a shooters game and banks was a big part of it, well that is all gone now! I never ever seen the money ball missed, it never happened, once you obtained a certain level of play. That is because the players were shooters, that is what they did.
This match was by design to be between players of Missouri, but who could we get to play Bergman. Danny's name came up, so there you are. It was probably short notice. Was Danny in bank stroke, it appeared he was getting his bank stroke going as the match went on, but by that time it was to late.
There was a fair amount of wedge, I say in at least 3 games, and I believe the commentators felt this plus other aspects of full rack made them feel it was not that exciting nor appealing for viewers as short rack. After two sets the scores was 46/29. The final score I believe in ball count was 69/46.
Danny was in striking range to capture a set, but of course everything has to go right when you are behind, and also you have to put together a 5 or more plus run. Whitey