the 4 best pool players ever

stedyfred said:

A young Allen Hopkins must be included in any discussion of the game's greatest players. JMHO! Fred McCann

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Yeah, I saw Allen play when he was a late teen. Aslo saw him win his first world straight pool championship in Asbury Park in 1977. Absolutely awesome. I also believe that the young Mizerak had the most beautiful stroke I've ever seen.

sjm said:

Even as a fanatical pool-enthusiast of nealry forty years living in Evans' home town of NYC, the play of James Evans is, for me and so many others, entirely a matter of hearsay. John Ervolino, the only person I've ever known who claimed to have seen Evans play, spoke of him often, but the level at which Evans played is something of a mystery. Then again, Ervolino said that he played above his prize pupil Cisero Murphy, meaning Evans must have played jam up.

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Johnny told me he took a bus and walked into Harlem daily to learn under Evans..who he said took the balls off the table better than anyone he had ever seen. Keep in mind, Johnny grew up in a time when in each orf the 5 burrows {sp} in NYC had a half a dozen 100 + ball runner's MINIMUM!! He also mentioned many times how none of the white elitest's never wanted him to play in the World tournaments or exihibitions because simply put...they didnt want their asses handed to them. BD did a acticle about Evans some time ago...I wonder how many folks are left that actually got to see him play?

Glad to see somebody remembered Don Willis.

Greenleaf, Hall, Hoppe, Mosconi