In recent weeks, I have seen some behavior from some teams that I have been less than thrilled about. There has been plenty of blame to go around. I think it’s important that we all remember that pool is a recreational activity. I understand that people are competitive and want to win. Here is another way to look at things that you may have not considered. Although you may not think it’s important how other teams view your team or you may not care if your team is “liked” by other teams, it can be monetarily beneficial to be “liked” by other teams. Although I certainly wouldn’t condone the following example, it could happen, has happened, and will likely happen again without anyone knowing it was intentional. Let’s assume that entering the last week of the session, “The Jerks” are a bubble team for making the postseason. “The Polites” are one game behind “The Jerks” and are playing “The Basement Dwellers” in week 16. The Basement Dwellers are not real fond of The Jerks and decide to not put their best foot forward in trying to beat The Polites. They’d like to see The Polites get that last playoff spot. The Polites win 4-1 and The Jerks lose 3-2 in the last week. The Polites get the last postseason spot and The Jerks don’t get in. My point is that there is some truth to the saying that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. It can apply in many aspects of life…pool league included.
