Larry Nevel quitting pool

Nostroke

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Probably The most powerful stroke in pool-won I think 14 out of the last 27 tounies he entered and still doesnt see a profitable future. He said he is going to school to learn to program CNC machines, Good luck larry or Lairy as they say in Chi town,
 

Terry Ardeno

I still love my wife
Silver Member
Nostroke,
I sure hope he changes his mind and stays with pool. Nothing wrong with getting a good trade for a steady income. But, I sure hope he continues playing as well. What an enormous talent! I would miss following his career if he quit.
Larry Nevel is an all-around talent, tournament wise and in gambling. He has one of the purist, most powerful strokes in the world.
His famous draw shot jacked up on the back rail is a true thing of beauty.
Whatever he choses, I wish him all the best.
 
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Razorback Randy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Is there another sport where this happens? Other professional sport players are driving Lamborghini's and living a life of luxury while pool players are living in their cars (which cost less that the brakes on a Lamborghini). Does anyone see a way out of this hole?
 

Nostroke

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Terry Ardeno said:
Nostroke,
I sure hope he changes his mind and stays with pool. Nothing wrong with getting a good trade for a steady income. But, I sure hope he continues playing as well. What an enormous talent! I would miss following his career if he quit.
Larry Nevel is an all-around talent, tournament wise and in gambling. He has one of the purist, most powerful strokes in the world.
His famous draw shot jacked up on the back rail is a true thing of beauty.
Whatever he choses, I wish him all the best.


He could probably do well in the trick shot stuff. I think there miight be money there for him but i guess he is a purist.
 

PlynSets

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Nostroke said:
Probably The most powerful stroke in pool-won I think 14 out of the last 27 tounies he entered and still doesnt see a profitable future. He said he is going to school to learn to program CNC machines, Good luck larry or Lairy as they say in Chi town,

To be great at something, or blend into obscurity in another.

Well if Larry's interested I can get him a job at a CNC shop tomorrow in San Diego. Learning doesn't pay much but the owner of the shop has brought up a few guys that now have their own shops. He could probably offset the low income of the apprenticeship, with tourney's betwen here and L.A.

I gotta be honest though, as a guy that's pretty much spent my whole life in a machine shop in one facet or another.. I really struggle to see a pool player picking this profession and suceeding at it. It's not exactly 9 - 5. If the shop is die hard, or a higher end shop (injection mold making) it's more like 6 - 5, and you work weekends if they let you.

I'm not saying anything about anyones work ethic. I'm just saying that they work a LOT of hours, and with us going into a recession, pay scales are only getting tougher etc..

Personally I do a lot of manual machining / prototyping etc.. I manage a lot of CNC projects that I sub to other shops for certain aerospace clients. As well represent a prototype CNC shop, and a production CNC shop in a sales capacity.

I'll tell a quick story in case Larry is reading just so he knows what he is getting into.

I sent some quotes out for an aerospace project recently. A few of my vendors came in with their standard pricing. What was surprising to me though was how many came in cheap.. and I mean dirt cheap. One vendor literally came in a hair above the price of materials! Things are bad right now, and I only expect them to get worse. Being a lower level guy will not be easy in these times..

DJ
 

gunzby

My light saber is LD
Silver Member
Razorback Randy said:
Is there another sport where this happens? Other professional sport players are driving Lamborghini's and living a life of luxury while pool players are living in their cars (which cost less that the brakes on a Lamborghini). Does anyone see a way out of this hole?

Ofcourse

Any open type sport will see this. Be it pool, fishing, golf or a list of others you will see this type of thing
 

Pii

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Razorback Randy said:
Is there another sport where this happens? Other professional sport players are driving Lamborghini's and living a life of luxury while pool players are living in their cars (which cost less that the brakes on a Lamborghini). Does anyone see a way out of this hole?

Yes, Go to school and learn to program CNC machines.
 

Johnnyt

Burn all jump cues
Silver Member
It's a shame that one of the best players and one of the highest tournament finishers in the USA can't make a living playing as a pro in our sport. We have all been over why a 1000 times.

My feeling on the why is, of course there is not much sponsorship ($$$) in pool. Also there are waaaaay too many pool players that try to make a living at it on the tournament trail for many more than 100 to make a living at it. And that's only if the sponsorship got five times stronger tomorrow. This is why an organization and a tour that supports 200 players is needed. If your not good enough to stay in the top 150, you must re qualify...or something like that.

At least Larry see's he can't make a good living at pool right now and is doing something about it. More that I can say for most of the other players in the same boat. However starting on the bottom rung in a CNC shop is not going to be much better. I worked in CNC shops for a few years when they were booming, so I know something about it. I was not a programmer, but could change and adjust the program on the machines that I were operating to keep them running.

I wish Larry nothing but the best, and hope the economy gets better fast. A big percentage of the jobs in machine shops are Gov/Military. I just don't see much work coming from that in the near future. I think for right now he might be better off setting his sights and time on something else that is pool related...like managing a pool room. If he is good at trick shots maybe he can find a manager/stake horse to get the pool rooms lined up like Earl and Johnny did. Johnnyt
 

nichollss

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Pii said:
Yes, Go to school and learn to program CNC machines.

I agree. Pick up structered text for programming servos in the automation field and learn some PLC programming code also. He will not have a hard time making good money then. After he gets a little experience under his belt.
 

Island Drive

Otto/Dads College Roommate/Cleveland Browns
Silver Member
You'll be joining many who have done the same...make sure you have a table at home...it's annoying having an event in your back yard, wanting to play yet your dead out of stroke, gets old finishing one out of the money...
 

macguy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Razorback Randy said:
Is there another sport where this happens? Other professional sport players are driving Lamborghini's and living a life of luxury while pool players are living in their cars (which cost less that the brakes on a Lamborghini). Does anyone see a way out of this hole?

Not really. There are only a small handful of sports anyone can make a living at, and an even smaller hand full of players who can make a living in even those sports. Pool is not in a hole, it is what it is, it is just not a profession.
 

macguy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
poolmouse said:
It's a game. Most people who wasted their time trying to make pool their career were disillusioned.

Poolmouse

Unfortunately, pool is not a necessity and professional pool players even less. Just look at Starbucks today, they are having a reality check as to what people can do without. It would be nice if everyone could make a living at what they like, but life is not always like that.
 
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