Giving Back To The Game
- Thread starter Michael Andros
- Start date
My friend Todd Recher, at Airway Billiards in Dayton Ohio, has been a tremendous supporter of the areas pool players, and a great promoter of the game for many, many years.
He also took great care of George Rood in his last years, allowing him to stay at home, instead of a nursing facility, for many years.
He also took great care of George Rood in his last years, allowing him to stay at home, instead of a nursing facility, for many years.
To add to the list and not repeat any.
Robert Byrne
Minnesota Fats
Mark Wilson
Harry Sims
Jameson Neu
Mazin Shooni
Keong Ra (Yura)
Paul Frankel
Dennis Dieckman
Charlie Usitti
Jerry Karsh
Deno Andrews
Bill Meacham
If I thought longer I'd come up with more.
Robert Byrne
Minnesota Fats
Mark Wilson
Harry Sims
Jameson Neu
Mazin Shooni
Keong Ra (Yura)
Paul Frankel
Dennis Dieckman
Charlie Usitti
Jerry Karsh
Deno Andrews
Bill Meacham
If I thought longer I'd come up with more.
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Well, this is an interesting topic, and while I think that a lot of people give back to the game, some do so just with their personality and brilliance with the cue. Others do so in deeds. Some like Balabuska and Paul D. Costain come to mind in their contributions to the cues themselves. Now, I don't know how many people give back so much as try to improve it with their brand of ingenuity and guile, and as someone who has specifically tried to give back to the game, by starting a non-profit organization to address weaknesses in my region's pool community in specifically youth/education program development, table availability/playability, and Large Event Coordination... I find JAM's comment above quite relevant.
"Some have tried go give back, in fact, have given it their all, but the mainstream pool public is a tough bunch to please.
Sometimes you're damned if you do and damned if you don't."
Other interests and individuals in the community believe I have some kind of angle and work vehemently again and again against anything I try to attempt. I really don't quite understand it, and am at the point of completely giving up, because on one level, pool has brought me so much, but on another the frustrations of doing something that I am not profiting off of, and having my name and my friends names run through the dirt as a result is frankly hard to take. I am in a unique position to do projects for free, because of my previous work history, and pool helped me out at a time when I needed something to focus on. It is something that is really difficult for me to wrestle with, because while I have had many successful projects in pool over the last 7 years, the only one that I seem to be accepted and even celebrated for, is the one that made money to fund the others, cue repair. You would think that raising money for a good cause or creating a league that gave back 90 percent of the dues to players, and working towards opening up a pool hall and educational programs for troubled teens would have had more support, but they haven't. I believe in the projects and the people who feel threatened by some of the competition do have a vested interest in competing for players money, but some of the projects are worked against by people who just seem mad that they aren't the ones who are doing these things, and can't quit their day jobs to run them. I understand the local APA operator not wanting a rival league in town that caters to more experienced players, and I suppose that means a lot of APA players might also feel it is competition for their beloved league, but other back-biting and bitter fights come out of raising money for a wheelchair van for a diasbled kid and starting a BEF program for juniors, among other things, then you just have to ask yourself, why are you trying to do these things? Maybe you don't want to give back to this community after all.
"Some have tried go give back, in fact, have given it their all, but the mainstream pool public is a tough bunch to please.
Sometimes you're damned if you do and damned if you don't."
Other interests and individuals in the community believe I have some kind of angle and work vehemently again and again against anything I try to attempt. I really don't quite understand it, and am at the point of completely giving up, because on one level, pool has brought me so much, but on another the frustrations of doing something that I am not profiting off of, and having my name and my friends names run through the dirt as a result is frankly hard to take. I am in a unique position to do projects for free, because of my previous work history, and pool helped me out at a time when I needed something to focus on. It is something that is really difficult for me to wrestle with, because while I have had many successful projects in pool over the last 7 years, the only one that I seem to be accepted and even celebrated for, is the one that made money to fund the others, cue repair. You would think that raising money for a good cause or creating a league that gave back 90 percent of the dues to players, and working towards opening up a pool hall and educational programs for troubled teens would have had more support, but they haven't. I believe in the projects and the people who feel threatened by some of the competition do have a vested interest in competing for players money, but some of the projects are worked against by people who just seem mad that they aren't the ones who are doing these things, and can't quit their day jobs to run them. I understand the local APA operator not wanting a rival league in town that caters to more experienced players, and I suppose that means a lot of APA players might also feel it is competition for their beloved league, but other back-biting and bitter fights come out of raising money for a wheelchair van for a diasbled kid and starting a BEF program for juniors, among other things, then you just have to ask yourself, why are you trying to do these things? Maybe you don't want to give back to this community after all.
Not much more can be said about someone's core value when it comes to their character.
I don't know you and even if I did I would not presume to speak for you or say I understand your trials and frustrations. But I *will* say this. The value of what you're doing for kids, etc, is something no amount of money can ever match. And, frankly, I suspect I'm preaching to the choir on that.
Coulldn't agree more. IMHO, this is, by far, the best resource pool and/or billiards has. Mike and staff get far less credit and shout-outs than they deserve.
Who else gives of their time?
Tor Lowry travels around the country once a year to provide Free training for up to 17 days at no charge. Who else is willing to provide this at no charge!
I think Tor is committed to supporting Pool by helping the players enjoy the sport much more.
Tor Lowry travels around the country once a year to provide Free training for up to 17 days at no charge. Who else is willing to provide this at no charge!
I think Tor is committed to supporting Pool by helping the players enjoy the sport much more.
I agree Todd is a great guy and gives back as much as possible...I love Airway but unfortunately I rarely go in there as they have just let the equipment go to hell and never put a penny back into keeping the place nice.
harleydon1950
Registered
Pat Fleming
My dad was a school teacher (math) his entire career. He made no money. What he said, many times, and what fueled him, was that if there was even one kid in each class with whom he could establish a connection, and who wanted to learn, that made it all worth it. I always thought that was admirable, smart, practical, selfless, and self-protective, all at the same time. “You’re never going to get through to all of them,” he’d say, “but if you can get even one of them to really take an interest ... boy, that’s what makes my day.” This attitude slowed him to enjoy what he wanted to enjoy.
Thanks for all that you are doing, and keep up the good work.
Seth
I will second the nomination for my good friend, Ernesto Dominguez, who is one of the hardest working, nicest and most selfless individuals I've ever known. He still stays ridiculously busy partly because the rates he still charges the many west coast poolrooms he's regularly recovered tables for for many years has remained the same and is way below what he should be charging as one of the most experienced and highly respected pool table mechanics in the business.
When I've asked him why he doesn't raise his prices, his response is that the poolroom owners just simply can't afford it. If Ernesto had dedicated the last 40 years of his life playing pool as a pro instead of as a table mechanic making a steady living to support and raise a family, there's no doubt in my mind he would have been one of the top players of his era.
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leepinleenie
Registered
Florence Fuller, Binghamton NY
Giving back to the game - Mary Kenniston!
My ol' running bud Mary Kenniston is doing a fabulous job of giving back to the game by sharing her love with her pictures (Walls of Fame) and superbly written stories of adventures past and present. A pool players treasure trove we are lucky to have!
My ol' running bud Mary Kenniston is doing a fabulous job of giving back to the game by sharing her love with her pictures (Walls of Fame) and superbly written stories of adventures past and present. A pool players treasure trove we are lucky to have!
Miller light commercials!!! Man those were great. All of them Bob Eucker FTW.
Some funny beer commercials with Earl would be awesome.
Tap Tap for Ernesto! He and Morro Paez ruled the Southern California tournament scene for years.
Nobody here will know this man.....a jewelry salesman named Al McGee....
...his customers were stores in small town Ontario....
...so he would come through our town at least twice a year....
...he played snooker at a level far higher than anybody our town had ever seen.
He would play all the kids, ‘cause none of the players would mess with him.
...we’d line up to play him because he always paid for the table time...
...finally, I was 17, I pumped in an 80 run on him....my buddies were dancing...:happydance:
....well, Al was just as happy...made me feel like a million dollars....
...he said it took 20 years for some one to do that.
Couple decades later, I’m living in Toronto....Al had retired and moved to Toronto also...
....I went to the room I heard he was playing at....he remembered me...
...patted me on the head like I was still a kid....
...his customers were stores in small town Ontario....
...so he would come through our town at least twice a year....
...he played snooker at a level far higher than anybody our town had ever seen.
He would play all the kids, ‘cause none of the players would mess with him.
...we’d line up to play him because he always paid for the table time...
...finally, I was 17, I pumped in an 80 run on him....my buddies were dancing...:happydance:
....well, Al was just as happy...made me feel like a million dollars....
...he said it took 20 years for some one to do that.
Couple decades later, I’m living in Toronto....Al had retired and moved to Toronto also...
....I went to the room I heard he was playing at....he remembered me...
...patted me on the head like I was still a kid....