New American Pros

Faro · Post by **Faro** » Tue Nov 13, 2012 1:40 am

I saw a trailer on YouTube for an upcoming documentary about the birth of the US Pro Team that starting this year. Where can I get more info on this, as the film is still in Post production for a few more months.

Also, Let's discuss how cool it is that the US finally has a pro team!

Dokuganryu · Post by **Dokuganryu** » Tue Nov 13, 2012 1:46 am

I wonder what the two American Pros are doing, because I haven't heard of them since their "rise" to Pro status.

logan · Post by **logan** » Tue Nov 13, 2012 1:56 am

They're sippin' margaritas in Hawaii! Isn't that what happens when you become a professional go player?

NoSkill · Post by **NoSkill** » Tue Nov 13, 2012 3:03 am

This was in aug or sept.

Gansheng and hjekshelf or something like that on kgs are the pros, hjek is bigbadwolf for you old timers.

SmoothOper · Post by **SmoothOper** » Tue Nov 13, 2012 9:39 am

I kind of expect that the US will be able to field a good Go team in the same fashion that the US is able to have a decent soccer team, via imports, since there are probably many strong players that would love to play Go in the US for political reasons, but the team will be more inconsistent since the local culture isn't as strong and just like soccer competes with football for athletic talent, but doesn't have the advertising backing so does go compete with chess for talent and money.

skydyr · Post by **skydyr** » Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:18 am

One of the requirements for the AGA Pro system was that applicants have to be a US or Canadian citizen, which bars people from coming over just for the professional status.

xed_over · Post by **xed_over** » Tue Nov 13, 2012 3:48 pm

Andy Okun, the current AGA President, posted some info about our new pro's plans for this year on Facebook recently (as I recall) -- but I can't find that post.

I'm surprised he didn't post it here, or in the AGA EJournal.

here are a few other threads on the subject:
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=5771
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=6406

Jedo · Post by **Jedo** » Tue Nov 13, 2012 4:40 pm

Gansheng is heading over to Korea after the semester to train up in a school.

Andy is Andy.

illluck · Post by **illluck** » Tue Nov 13, 2012 4:58 pm

Apparently Gansheng got a pro account on KGS pretty soon after qualifying with the intention to give lessons, but doesn't seem to have had much success. To be honest, I felt like the AGA pushed ahead without fully considering the support/interest base (or lack thereof) necessary for pros.

skydyr · Post by **skydyr** » Tue Nov 13, 2012 5:07 pm

illluck wrote:Apparently Gansheng got a pro account on KGS pretty soon after qualifying with the intention to give lessons, but doesn't seem to have had much success. To be honest, I felt like the AGA pushed ahead without fully considering the support/interest base (or lack thereof) necessary for pros.

Unfortunately, I have to agree with this. Pros didn't become pros in other countries because a professional organization made them so. They became pros because there was enough interest to sponsor matches and otherwise provide them with a living. The organizations granting professional credentials are a secondary phenomenon.

oren · Post by **oren** » Tue Nov 13, 2012 5:09 pm

illluck wrote:Apparently Gansheng got a pro account on KGS pretty soon after qualifying with the intention to give lessons, but doesn't seem to have had much success. To be honest, I felt like the AGA pushed ahead without fully considering the support/interest base (or lack thereof) necessary for pros.

I think the AGA did it because there was free money from Korea if the US made a professional system. Sure it may in reality just be a professional system in name, but it is a good start, and I think the AGA did it for the right reasons.

xed_over · Post by **xed_over** » Tue Nov 13, 2012 5:17 pm

illluck wrote:Apparently Gansheng got a pro account on KGS pretty soon after qualifying with the intention to give lessons, but doesn't seem to have had much success.

I don't know about the lessons, but he has been giving lectures on KGS+

msgreg · Post by **msgreg** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 1:38 pm

Faro wrote:I saw a trailer on YouTube for an upcoming documentary about the birth of the US Pro Team that starting this year. Where can I get more info on this, as the film is still in Post production for a few more months.

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illluck · Post by **illluck** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 5:46 pm

oren wrote:
I think the AGA did it because there was free money from Korea if the US made a professional system. Sure it may in reality just be a professional system in name, but it is a good start, and I think the AGA did it for the right reasons.

I'm not fully convinced, but due to my lack of any real knowledge and the absence of apparent harm done I will adjust my opinion and retract my previous statement

Wasiqi · Post by **Wasiqi** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 7:18 pm

They became pros because there was enough interest to sponsor matches and otherwise provide them with a living. The organizations granting professional credentials are a secondary phenomenon.

Very true.

Pros didn't become pros in other countries because a professional organization made them so.

Isn't this what happened in South Korea and China? They started a pro organization and gave a pro rating to their best players?

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