Sheldon, any chance you could cut & paste Scott's comments here? Some of us don't do FaceBook.
Onepocket Match Of The Year Recap: I will start by saying I had respect for Chips game prior and after. He showed heart. Thank you to
Mike Hoang and
Mmp Phil along with TV Mike for the stream along with
OmegaBilliards.com I know Mike Hoang is doing the very best he can for the players and I respect this.
Day One: I am typically a slow starter and per the course was down 4-1 before I knew what hit me. I wasn’t to panic and just grinded my way back closing out day one with myself being up 10-6. From there I had the lead the next 5 days.
I’m the one that pushed for a race to 40 and I take full responsibility. I lead the match literally 97% of the time. On day three I was up 29-20 and needed just one more game but after the third day in a row of 10 plus hours of mental grind and two hour games I had told my corner that my eyes, mind and body weren’t communicating with each other. At 29-20 the game came down to one ball and I lost that game and then 4 more straight behind it.
I lead the entire way but didn’t know how cause I wasn’t sleeping well and couldn’t execute like I wanted and it was frustrating. The age thing is not an excuse it’s a fact and a reality that I’ve sadly just learned.
Final day, day five: I was going into day 5 up 35-32 and I didn’t feel I had done much wrong Chip played pretty good and had a few fortunate things happen but that’s part of it. Next thing I know I’m DOWN, for the first time in FIVE DAYS. I was down 37-36 racing to 40 and I told myself to just give it everything I had and I came with it big time. I won the next three games going up 39-36 and on the hill.
HILL HILL one game for 90k: Chip broke the balls good as expected. I had to play a combo bank and stun the cue ball into the stack at the same time and I hit it perfectly getting a ball to my side. We juggled for position a few shots and I was left with another combo bank and this one I made. I then got two more balls following and played a perfect safety with a 3-0 ball lead and chip frozen to the back of a ball. From there all the balls went up table. Chip nicely grinded out two balls then missed a long rail bank on the 6 ball but left me elevated over a few balls. He left me in a spot where I couldn’t see his ball down by his pocket but I had a 3 ball within about 5 inches of the cue ball that I felt really good over. I knew I could cut it length of the table and I 100% felt I could make it then bank the 6 or be straight in so I was left with only that option (in my mind) was to cut the 3. I back cut the 3 length of the table and it never hits a rail going straight into the heart of the pocket. I ended up scratching all the way down in the bottom left corner off two balls. I knew the cue ball was going down table but I also knew the only way I could scratch was if I caught the 2nd ball perfect and that’s what happened. Instead of going up 4 or 5 balls to 2. I now had 2 balls and Chip ran 4 good balls from there. Looking back I could’ve played a defensive shot but I was so close to the 3 I knew I could make it and I did.
Hard way to lose but I must say for the most part Chip and I just played pool. Over 5 days anyone will have discrepancies but overall It was a clean match and I plan on doing it again, just not a race to 40.
Congrats to him, if I would’ve won it would’ve been sad to see a loser in this battle being that it was won by a single game but that’s sports, and that’s pool. One thing I can say is when it got to the end I definitely didn’t dog it.
Lastly: To my unbelievable corner! Tony Bloom, Juli Bloom, Hunter Bloom, Samantha and the amazing baby Cameron along with Zach Franzi, John Norman Bagosi, Rick and Erica. Sitting there for 5 days watching the ups and downs going through the same emotions as the player is nothing short of tough. I wanted to thank you all for sticking by my side and I have no words other than I did give it 100% and came up short.
And thank you to all who came to Freezer's Sports Bar & Grill - Now Mill's Modern Social and watched in person. Thanks to all who ordered the stream as well.
~Always remember to never give up and that you are not measured by your wins but more so by how you bounce back
Chip: