Sometimes I wish this game, or something like it with more interest, would replace nine ball. I know it is only one person playing, but that should not matter.
I watched Ronnie run out his last rack in the most recent major. All I could think of as he ran the balls to win the tournament was the skill that was required of him cannot even be exhibited in nine ball. Not in an inning anyway. To do what he did in that last inning, from his opening to his last shot, would require a nine ball player to break and run, then break and run again etc. But, he is probably not going to make a ball or get hooked sooner or later.
Flat out: nine ball is a game where even if aomeone is playing as good as ronnie, they can't show us!!! That is insane to have a game like that be the most prominent game in our sport!! It is completely insane. Can't be said enough times.
We should just erase nine ball and start over. It is hard to think of a worse game. Short races are completely, 100% decided by luck. There are WAY too many games where the layout is so easy it could be run out by an eight year old girl with her opposite hand; nothing can be worse than watching people win just having to throw their stick at the balls in the final rack(s). The players can't show us their level of skill. It just could not be worse.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-3iLcIOebE&t=748s[/ame]