john schmidt

pooljunkie4ever said:
Don't really know how to read into this. First he says a bunch of us are losers, but, only 1 percent, lol. Im sure he will be ok. He has all the talent in the world. LOL. Just kidding.
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pretty sure this is the kind of post he's talking about. he does have loads of talent. you didn't need the cheap shot of lol and throwing the just kidding at the end doesn't make it all better. and there are way more than a few douches on here who love to do nothing but pick fights. so yeah a bucnch of us posters are losers and yes with total number of posters a bunch may equal 1%:cool:
 
JAM said:
Personally, I think John Schmidt is better off not posting on AzBilliards Discussion Forum. Why should he? The reward for a pro player posting here is nothing but ridicule. There is nothing pleasant about it.

John, enjoy your life. Thanks for sharing the pool nuggets that you did.
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I hate to say it but I agree with you. (not that I hate agreeing with you but I don't particularly like agreeing on this:smile:)

The guy states what he believes and gets the third degree from some guys who can't hold his chalk, it would piss me off too. I run an auto repair facility and I can't stand some wannabe wrenchmonkey who changed the oil on his Nova 28 years ago coming in and telling me what he thinks is wrong with his car. If he knew what was wrong with it he would fix it........plain and simple. Same thing goes with pool, you have internet champs who will tell you what can be done or how to do it although they are not speaking from experience. They like the way their words look on the screen so they keep typing to feel self-important.

GL to John. I hope he comes back but if he doesn't I would understand.
 
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Apologies John

Sorry to see you leaving here John, but I understand your frustration at the few nits whom find it satisfying when they belittle others. I've been a ghost on AZ for a long time and was very hesitant to register and start posting comment after watching how some members treat folks. Consequently seeing all the good things that come from AZ is what pushed me to join so I could commend some of the selfless acts that people do for others. From seeing your encouraging comments to novice 14.1 players to the support that is provided to folks and families that are less fortunate or in times of need is what makes AZ a dynamic and uplifting forum. There will always be nits in the world that feel a warm glow when they can put down others, as we have all been witness to both here and elsewhere. This is especially true when they can hide behind a screen.
I can't say I blame most pros for not posting on here (at least with their own name!) as I've watched I think everyone of them be knocked by someone. I can say that I have really enjoyed hearing from them all and feel like it brings me a little closer to understanding why I suck when I hear what goes on in their heads; what a wealth of knowledge you guys have!! Thanks for all of the input that you have given us knuckle heads in the past (That goes out to all you hardworking pros both male and female!) and I can only hope that in the future we will get to hear from you(s) again. (sometimes wish that someone had a BAN HAMMER for those consistently negative posters)

Best to you and Racheal
Josh Coffin (include Michell's agreement to the above):smile:
 
This is not a diss.

He took his ball and went home. If he doesn't want to be on here, that's okay by me. I'm not gonna pay him to post. IMO he went from a Professional to a very very very very good pool player. I never understood why people feel the need to announce there exit. Just go. The strong move quietly. Weak people start riots. All I'm saying is to each their own and deuces JS.

This isn't a funeral though or the death of this community. When we lose people to death or illness that's when they deserve to be missed. When someone abandons you, isn't it good riddance and don't let the door hit ya...

THIS IS A DISS

Got blasted in the Mosconi Cup Idol, tortured by a road player, and broke your arm on a dirt bike...how smart are you? You're good but rest assured there are better. You don't play enough events because you dont take the sport seriously, why would people take you seriously? You're a funny guy and you showed a lot of class in your last post. F**k you and peace out.
 
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Ktown D said:
I hate to say it but I agree with you. (not that I hate agreeing with you but I don't particularly like agreeing on this:smile:)

The guy states what he believes and gets the third degree from some guys who can't hold his chalk, it would piss me off too. I run an auto repair facility and I can't stand some wannabe wrenchmonkey who changed the oil on his Nova 28 years ago coming in and telling me what he thinks is wrong with his car. If he knew what was wrong with it he would fix it........plain and simple. Same thing goes with pool, you have internet champs who will tell you what can be done or how to do it when although they are not speaking from experience. They like the way their words look on the screen so they keep typing to feel self-important.

GL to John. I hope he comes back but if he doesn't I would understand.
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I couldn't agree more, there's nothing more insulting than someone being condesending in the way they offer their opinion and I believe John took an eye for an eye approach...
 
No one is above reproach.

If John chooses not to post that is his choice, but I feel it is wrong to say that no pro should come on here. Chris Bartrum has no issues. A lot of the older guys post here and get nothig but respect, unless they flame or rant about the same thing every rare post they make (everyone knows who, but out of respect I don't name them).

John has went off the deep end here more times than Mark Spitz. He has had arguments with numerous people, including other pros. None of this bothers me, but if he was a regular poster most people would either say good ridance or just suggest that he lighten up.

I am not going to demean John, but he should not anyone else either. He can run 400+ balls which is phenomenal, Tiger has the best putting average in history, and my sister cuts hair for a living after dropping out of high school. None of these facts make any of them more or less valuable as people. Nor does it give them the right to special treatment.

Flame me if you like, but I know I do not play pool as well as John Schmidt. Guess what, it doesn't bother me.
 
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This is classic AZ. A few idiots ruin something good for everyone. This has happened in the past with other pros and normal posters alike. Can't blame John really.
 
"all you losers that live with your mommies ,who couldnt get laid if i sent you too an island full of swine flu victims with the h1n1 vaccine in your dick,who have a shoe size bigger than their high run in 14.1,who say they will be pro in 2 years even though after 15 years are still an apa 5 ,can all eat shit.im done with wannabeville.
im only speaking too 1 percent on here but you know who you are." -- JS.


^^^ Thats pretty funny IMHO.
 
Tough love...PLEASE come back!

Rich93 said:
I can't think of another pro player who takes the time to regularly talk to us on the forum without an ulterior motive. I hope he reconsiders.

That "what it takes to be a champion" thread - it seems we had a few non-champions argue endlessly with a real champion on what it takes to be a champion. I'm not saying that John is necessarily right, though I think he probably is - I'm no champion and don't hang around with champions, so what do I know? I wish other posters would have a little of the same attitude. Take John's opinion for what it is - a valuable perspective from somebody who's achieved greatness at the game but still just an opinion - and don't bait the man.

It's like some people think - well, I can't beat him on the pool table but I can out-debate him. And if you succeed in getting him all riled up, just what have you accomplished? Are you any closer to being a champion yourself?

One thing you have to love about John - somebody announces in the 14.1 forum that they just ran 50 balls, and John pops in with an attaboy. He runs 50 balls with his eyes closed but still congratulates us on our meager achievements.

So I hope he comes back.
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Another gem of a post. Nicely said Rich!

I scanned over the thread in question that had John's 'resignation" from the AZB forums. I'm going to try and read every post later tonight. In the mean time, here are my thoughts on this.

We (AZB Forum members) are soooo lucky to have some of the super-stars in our sport want to communicate their thoughts with us regarding the things of pool. Grady, Billy, John Schmidt, Freddy Bentivegna, Keith, etc. have added immensely intresting info and tidbits to us over the years.
John Schmidt is one of the brave ones named above who actually speak their minds and tell it exactly as they see it. And each of them has had heated debates with AZB members over the years they've posted. Most of this heralded group only posts occassionally nowadays. Which is our loss.

On the other hand, and this is speaking only of John Schmidt's recent thread, not having anything to do for now with the other pool pros mentioned, I saw Shooting Arts name mentioned. I've never met Hu in person, but I consider him as close as family. We've talked often on the phone and you do get to know a person pretty well after a hundred or so hours of talking with them. And I'll vouch for Hu as one of our best forum members. Not because of our close friendship, but because he, like John Schmidt, speaks his mind without pulling punches. So here, I have one of my favorite pro players (Schmidt) who I love reading anything he writes, and on the other hand, I have one of my all time best pool friends. Two alpha males bucking heads. Both believe they are right.

So at the end of the day, why can't they both keep posting here? If we quit everytime somebody disagreed with us here on the forums, it would be empty space here.

There's a quote in the bible that says "iron sharpens iron", meaning that we need people just as strong as we are to keep us as strong as we are.
When we debate the things related to pooldom (or anything else) why can't we all express ourselves, debate some, get everything off our chest and then move on to another topic? Why quit???

John Schmidt is one of the best all-around pool players alive today. Not many will beat him in a 14.1, 9 ball and 1 pocket all-around match up. When he writes, he has a unique gift (like Freddy and JohnnyT) to write with extreme humor and he says some of the funniest stuff I ever read on the forum. He shares info freely and like Rich stated, he chimes in with attaboys when someone runs 50 balls! He has a great reputation and is a great player. I will sorely miss him if he does indeed choose to stop posting here.

BUT....there's no crying in pool! Not just "there's no crying in baseball", there is NO CRYING in pool! If John would have quit pool when he lost a bad set, he would never have that U.S. Open 9 Ball Championship to his credit. If John had quit when Bobby Hunter was teaching him the finer points of 14.1, he would have never achieved and crossed the almost mythical number of 400 as his very own personal high run!

John, if you read this thread, look at all the loving you got here! Just because a debate got heated doesn't mean you are not valued highly here!
I seriously don't want you to stop posting here. We love reading your contributions. Besides making us laugh with your funny analogies, we learn much from you. I'm aweful proud to have bonafide champions such as yourself post among us. And I'm equally proud to call Hu a dear and beloved friend.

You guys got too much to contribute here for either of you to just up and quit. Oh how I hate that word..."Quit". It does not rhyme with or have anything to do with testosterone. Which is another word for "balls". For to be able to stay in the thick of things, in pool, on this forum or in life, we need heart.

There is NO CRYING in pool! And this is as close as I have ever come to writing a "Dear John" letter! :) I feel that having John Schmidt contribute here is worth anything we can do to get him back.
 
John's a guy who came up from traveling across the country - gambling at any game he could...to beating Sigel at the US OPEN 14.1 to eventually becoming our US OPEN 9-ball champion (and a few DCC titles as well).

If we don't need guys like that here.... we might as well shut down the site.
 
Terry Ardeno said:
So here, I have one of my favorite pro players (Schmidt) who I love reading anything he writes, and on the other hand, I have one of my all time best pool friends. Two alpha males bucking heads. Both believe they are right.

So at the end of the day, why can't they both keep posting here? If we quit everytime somebody disagreed with us here on the forums, it would be empty space here.

There's a quote in the bible that says "iron sharpens iron", meaning that we need people just as strong as we are to keep us as strong as we are.
When we debate the things related to pooldom (or anything else) why can't we all express ourselves, debate some, get everything off our chest and then move on to another topic? Why quit???
BUT....there's no crying in pool! Not just "there's no crying in baseball", there is NO CRYING in pool! If John would have quit pool when he lost a bad set, he would never have that U.S. Open 9 Ball Championship to his credit. If John had quit when Bobby Hunter was teaching him the finer points of 14.1, he would have never achieved and crossed the almost mythical number of 400 as his very own personal high run!
...
John, if you read this thread, look at all the loving you got here!
...
There is NO CRYING in pool! And this is as close as I have ever come to writing a "Dear John" letter! :) I feel that having John Schmidt contribute here is worth anything we can do to get him back.
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Terry, it seems like every post you write contains nuggetts of wisdom. I agree with everything in the beginning of your post and you articulated it perfectly. I just wish John would listen to the advice you have given and accept that arguments happen. It is a positive thing to have any contributing member post here, but they must be willing to accept criticism and the occasional conflict (it happens).
 
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fishless said:
I couldn't agree more, there's nothing more insulting than someone being condesending in the way they offer their opinion and I believe John took an eye for an eye approach...
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This is a perfect example of people talking out of their a55es about a conversation they took no part in, and most likely did not even READ.

Nobody insulted John before he insulted them.

NOBODY..

NUMEROUS times it was reiterated that we weren't saying that just anybody could play like Efren, Archer, or even to a lesser extent, John.

I specifically went on that thread and said I was defining a "champion" as someone who has/can win at least one major event, and dominates regional tournaments.

John then responded by insulting me for saying I could play like Efren and John. While John is a terrific champion pool player, his reading comprehension skills leave something to be desired.

Please take the time to READ the thread before you comment.

The only person who really "got into it" with John was Hu, and it was because Hu had been offended with John's constant snide remarks.

Some up to that point had "respectfully" disagreed with John's statement that one had to have genetic gifts to achieve champion status. EVERYONE was respectful up to the point where John began being rude, telling people to go back and live with their mothers, and such nonsense.

I have talked to plenty of pros at DCC, and found the overwhelming majority to be more "professional" than John, when it comes to talking to people who might have a different opinion about something pool related.

We gave numerous examples of pros who practiced a number of years to achieve their level of play. John seems to think because he made the jump in a matter of months, that he can unequivocably say that practice won't get you there alone.

Russ
 
This entire thread reminds me of a happening.

Years ago, Keith McCready used to write an instructional one-page article for InsidePOOL magazine. He usually tried to come up with a story of a happening to him personally in his life to complement the instructuional article. Of course, I helped him write it, to make sure all the "t's" were crossed and "i's" dotted. I then had a co-worker of mine, who knew NOTHING about pool, proofread and edit the article for comprehension. Then, after the article was submitted to the magazine, it would have to be edited and proofed again by the editor or editing staff at the magazine.

One day, Keith got a call from the magazine and was informed that another contributing writer of the magazine, not a player themselves, stated that Keith's shot could not be executed the way Keith described it in his article.

A back-and-forth colloquy ensued. The editor, of course, only wanted the article to be accurate. Keith was upset that somebody else would state that the shot couldn't be executed the way he descirbed, when he'd made the shot a kazillion times himself. I made him set it up for me, just to be sure he was describing it right.

Finally, Keith spoke to the magazine staff and said he was standing by his shot description, which ended up not being changed in the article.

After he hung up the phone, he said to me, "That guy might think he can make the shot his way, but how many tournaments do you think that guy's won in his lifetime? How much money has he made gambling?"

The answer was, of course, a big goose egg. :grin:
 
I hope John comes back. One of pool's best things IMO is the assessibility to the world's top players. Heck, I wish every top player posted here.

But if he ever decides to return, I hope he brings some thicker skin. John is a very passionate man, perhaps too passionate for the AZB asylum.

There's always going to be some posters that'll dig in like a tick on a hound. It's a fact of forum posting and we all have to accept it when we sign in.

criticism.jpg
 
Russ, IMHO you don't have to call someone names to be insulting, their are plenty of ways to get the message across...
 
right on

mikeyfrost said:
This is not a diss.

He took his ball and went home. If he doesn't want to be on here, that's okay by me. I'm not gonna pay him to post. IMO he went from a Professional to a very very very very good pool player. I never understood why people feel the need to announce there exit. Just go. The strong move quietly. Weak people start riots. All I'm saying is to each their own and deuces JS.

This isn't a funeral though or the death of this community. When we lose people to death or illness that's when they deserve to be missed. When someone abandons you, isn't it good riddance and don't let the door hit ya...

THIS IS A DISS

Got blasted in the Mosconi Cup Idol, tortured by a road player, and broke your arm on a dirt bike...how smart are you? You're good but rest assured there are better. You don't play enough events because you dont take the sport seriously, why would people take you seriously? You're a funny guy and you showed a lot of class in your last post. F**k you and peace out.
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when john is sitting there thinking i hate to leave azb because he likes 99 percent.
its people like this that make him know hes making the right decision ..
 
JAM said:
Personally, I think John Schmidt is better off not posting on AzBilliards Discussion Forum. Why should he? The reward for a pro player posting here is nothing but ridicule. There is nothing pleasant about it.
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Honestly Jam, I don't see it.

For John and yes Keith as well there have been a few idiots who like to jump into threads and attempt to start arguements with a pro because they have a chance of holding their own in an arguement, compared to not having a prayer of beating that pro on the table. But for the most part John and Keith have 90%+ of the people on their sides in the arguements and those people are not scared of posting and saying it. John had Me, SJM, Watchez, and many others who posted on the "What Does it take to be a Champion?" thread saying John was DEAD ON about his posts, and he was.

Most of the people here on this forum love to hear from Keith, when I see his rare post it is always a definate read. John and me have had our moment of disagreement in the past but on the specific recent thread his opinion was dead on right, people who did not see it are bloody delusional.

As for Keith, I hope he understands when the younger generation is taking pot shots at you and trying to build themselves up at your expense you are in the same boat as a Jack Nicklaus, Babe Ruth, Rocky Marciano, Bjorg, ect... the true greats. Because the guys who were a step below those guys are forgotten and thus not targets. Keith was a player destined to be remembered and with that comes the odd goofball that claims "he was not that good". Forget them, what they don't realize is that stepping on the shoulders of an old lion does not make them a lion themselves. Lions are born as a lion, and that is exactly the reality of the Champion thread as well.
 
getsome01 said:
Come on dude, think about it. Are you really gonna let a few people on here run you off? wow. your bigger than that.
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John's ego is too big to play this room.

Granted, none of us can run as many balls as John, nor have any of us accomplished what he already has at a young age. But that does not mean that there aren't many, many people here who, after years (and in some cases a lifetime) of play, work, and study of the game, don't have valuable contributions to make. And for me, that is at the root of the problem in this case: that John chooses not to acknowledge that fact.

This most recent discussion is not the first instance. On more than one occasion, John has put things into writing that have been breath-taking in their lack of modesty. And, maybe, that comes with being a pool savant. But there is much to be learned from players who have had to work harder to scale the mountain, than "the natural." Personally, I would rather hear from a guy who has really studied why certain things work better than others on a pool table, than from the guy who can just get up and do it and, perhaps because he doesn't have to try, can't explain all the whys and therefores.

And so, until John starts checking his ego a bit when he logs on, there's no point in him being here because this is a discussion forum and people are here to talk about pool and share their thoughts, and experiences, and insights, and success and failures. IOW, everyone wants to participate in the conversation. That's the deal. If John doesn't want the give and take that is part and parcel of internet discussion forums, to include the occasional disagreement, jab, well crafted insult or funny (even if it's at your expense), then he needs to start his own site or blog where he can limit his exposure.

Don't get me wrong. I like John a lot and think he's a swell guy. But maybe this internet forum thing is not for him. No one here has driven John away -- if you look real close, that would be John behind the steering wheel.

Lou Figueroa
 
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John, I know you're reading these threads so.. I can't run a million balls like you, but I hope that you won't look down on me because of that.. so take my opinion for what it is.

No matter where you go, you'll run into hardheads, it's how you deal with them that defines a person. I listened intently as you commentated at the recent UPL 10 ball event hosted by Corey. I know what kind of person you are and i'm so happy to see the "future" characters of pool have already arrived and are shaping pool for what it may soon be.

Don't leave, do learn how to tell people how you feel without going 20 pages to do it. If they disagree, then respect that but don't point out the fact that you have more credibility then them so they must bow down. We all here already know that bud. Hope to see you back soon.
 
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