Timing of Comments

I mentioned the other day that I broke and ran my first rack at league. But what I didn't share was that it wasn't easy.

What's crazy is my captain has been playing bad and he recognized that I was playing good, so he actually switched us up in the lineup so that I would have more breaks than himself.

So, for some reason, my 8-ball breaks on a bar table are working really well for me. Seems like I've been struggling with them for 2 years and now that I want to step away from the game, it's coincidental that I'm not scratching, making a ball every time, and the cue ball is sitting itself right in the center of the table.  It's really quite comical that my breaks are working out now - and by the way I don't recall changing anything except moving the cue ball a tad to the left when I break now (which didn't seem to help last year when I tried this change).

Back to my story - so I make a ball on the break and I see that stripes are much better than solids.  I have to make one risky shot but I know it's the right shot for the out, otherwise I won't be able to get up and down the table for a good leave on the 8ball.

I'm staying down well, I'm breathing well, and I feel like all eyes are on me.  I then leave myself a tricky 8 ball shot in the side.  It was really the only available pocket I had and I felt good I was able to get shape for it in the side, even if it wasn't an easy shot.

So, you're probably wondering, "well what part of this rack was tough?"  Well, it was my opponent!  You see, as soon as I made my last ball before the 8ball, my opponent says to me, "Come on Melinda, really?"

At this point I'm a little more than annoyed because number one, I still haven't run out.  Number two, this is the case ball.  Number 3, why would you possibly ever think that it would be okay to say something before I'm about to shoot the final ball?

I realize he was saying it because I was about to run out on him and he not get even one shot.  But, I was not very happy because it was a tough shot AND it wasn't over yet.  He couldn't wait til after I made the 8ball to say something?  Luckily I did make the 8ball to run out for the win.  But I had to really re-focus and bear down, as he definitely distracted me. 

I'm suggesting that even in league, it is still important to be aware of your words and timing.  I think it's actually unsportsmanlike, even though he was probably trying to be funny, the timing was hideous.

And I can tell you that if I would have missed the tough 8 ball, the tone of this blog post would have been much different!