3-Cushion
BERNBURG - During an interview the TV-reporter asks the three cushion player: „What do you think is the most fascinating thing in three cushion?'' The player starts thinking about it... hmm. I have to say something but I don´t have an answer yet.''
Due to the limited time he finally decided to answer: „The most fascinating part is the variety of positions that has to be solved.''Being pretty sure that this was the most stupid answer possible. Never ever a 110-meter-hurdle-sprinter was talking about the hurdles, or a bicyclist talking about the scenic routes he is taking during the Tour de France.
The three cushion player now starts thinking about the question...
„Is there any fascination? Do I have to fascinate myself or the spectators? What is the challenge for me personally?''
Let's think about it. The Formula-1-driver has a car, a race track, and wants to be as fast as possible. The Ski-jumper has a pair of ski, a hill and wants to fly as far as possible. A golf player owns a couple of clubs, one ball, and wants to hole the ball. The swimmer owns a suit, has lot of water... well... ok... Sounds trivial?
Well... But that´s the point of view. All difficulties a player is facing during a match are not recognized by the spectators. During a rainy stage in the Tour de France almost 200 bicyclists want to win. Only one will manage. Did he have sunshine? Different weather? No. Why is it so easy not to take responsibility for own failure, but always being responsible for success? Wouldn´t it be better to accept personal faults instead of carrying them around? In sports, generally in any competition, there are losers and winners.
This is a fact. In three cushion you always have the chance to think about your last fault. During a slalom race you have a maximum of half a second to think about the last fault. There is simply no time, otherwise you are out. We all know that three cushion is a game of faults and failures, otherwise every game will be over in 1 inning!!. We all know that this is almost impossible.
So failures are part of the game. There are 2-average games to 40 points that show 19 personal faults (easy positions being missed). Is this the most fascinating part of three cushion? Managing failures? Accepting misses? Even if you are playing 2 average, there WILL be failures. No question. The strategy to manage them seems to be the most fascinating part in three cushion. Failures are part of the game.
The TV-reporter got his answer, but will never know what the player really meant. By the end of the day, one of the spectators commented a match, won by Torbjörn Blomdahl with 2 average: „He has an unbelievable appearance at the table.'' Hey - with 19 faults? Thats the key. Fascinating...