Well here I am 14 yrs. old, it's 1973 and I have been learning to play pool for about 2 years now, started out playing snooker at a church rec. room a few years ago. My best run at 9-ball on a barbox has been 7 racks, and my high run on a 10 foot, 10 ball rack of snooker is 85, so I guess I'm doing pretty good!..for a kid.
My brother is "Country Calvin," (ten years my elder,) which at this time I've no idea that he will become a "Pool Legend!"
Calvin wants me to go to Greenville,Mississippi with him one night, he's going to play this poolplayer named Tom Hainey some 9-ball on the barbox, say's they'll play some $100 sets, so I'm very excited to go.
We arrive in downtown Greenville sometime after dark, I don''t know the name of the bar, but it's Bob Portwood's place. A nice bar, Mike Davis the bartender rib's me to play as soon as we get settle down, but I'm alittle to young for him yet, ( his time will come).
Country and Tom play 9-ball, 5 ahead sets for $100, a decent bet, I get me some $2 and $5 action on 8-ball and make about $30, not bad for a school boy!
Bob close's at 2:00 A:M, I think Country is down one set for $100, so Country and Tom make a date to play in a few nights.
Well a few days later Bob calls Country at the house and says that Tom took sick and that this guy ( Earl Blanchard) from Greenwood,Mississippi would play, (a great poolplayer by the way).
Calvin ask's me if I want to go,..... hell yea! I said, so we strike out.
We got there and Mike Davis the bartender was ribbing me to play, but I had to say no.
Country and Earl decided to play 9-Ball 10 ahead for $300, so I thought it best for me to not play any cheap pool, but just to watch the big game. I got me a $20 sweat bet, thought I was betting the moon!..hehe
Well Country beat Earl the set after about 3 hours, Bob the bar owner wanted to set up a game with Tom again in a few nights, so it was set up.
We made it back to Greenville about two days latter, Country and Tom matched up, Tom got the best of my brother again, two sets for $100,
meanwhile I was watching all that was going down, I noticed this (Gooffey) LQQKing guy with these Big Black Rimmed Glasses at the bar watching the game very intinatively.
He told Tom Hainey that he would play a 5 ahead set if Tom would spot him the breaks for $300, Tom LQQKed at the guy and musta been thinking what I was thinking about him, so he said lets do it!
The guy broke and ran 5 straight racks on Tom! Tom was howling! you gotta give me weight! The guy says you got the 8 , but I still get the breaks, Tom says it doesn''t matter what I get, if your breaking you win,.....so needless to say , there was no more play......but you know who the guy was?...........TERRY BELL.......that man could shoot some pool!, a very well know poolplayer.
Later that night ( after hours) we all went to Lake Villiage, Arkansas, just across the Mississippi river, to this night club called the "Golden Eagle". The owner there was Kenneth Beavers and he would stay open 24/7 if need be.
Well there was this Old Country Farmer guy that wanted to bet real high, like $1,000 (that was high in 73)...he wanted to bet on Terry Bell 6 a head set , against Country Calvin, but Terry had to give up the 8 playing 9-ball, Kenneth backed Country, ...(But the old man had to write a check, Kenneth said it was good)...so the game was on.
That old man, blue overhauls and all, he would jump up in front of the pockets and holler as loud as he could (ARKANSAS!) when ever Country would shoot, Country didn't seem to mind, he went ahead and won the set.
Well the old man was smarter than he LQQK, his name was Joe Johnson, he wrote the check out "Joe Jackson"...well none was the wiser.....it was 9:00 A:M
and Country & Kenneth the backer went to cash the check at the bank, and the bank said :WRONG SIGNATURE!...duh.....sure enough.....NonPayment!
The old man skated!......which he was already long gone!
so that's just some of the
"Summer of 73"
David Harcrow
My brother is "Country Calvin," (ten years my elder,) which at this time I've no idea that he will become a "Pool Legend!"
Calvin wants me to go to Greenville,Mississippi with him one night, he's going to play this poolplayer named Tom Hainey some 9-ball on the barbox, say's they'll play some $100 sets, so I'm very excited to go.
We arrive in downtown Greenville sometime after dark, I don''t know the name of the bar, but it's Bob Portwood's place. A nice bar, Mike Davis the bartender rib's me to play as soon as we get settle down, but I'm alittle to young for him yet, ( his time will come).
Country and Tom play 9-ball, 5 ahead sets for $100, a decent bet, I get me some $2 and $5 action on 8-ball and make about $30, not bad for a school boy!
Bob close's at 2:00 A:M, I think Country is down one set for $100, so Country and Tom make a date to play in a few nights.
Well a few days later Bob calls Country at the house and says that Tom took sick and that this guy ( Earl Blanchard) from Greenwood,Mississippi would play, (a great poolplayer by the way).
Calvin ask's me if I want to go,..... hell yea! I said, so we strike out.
We got there and Mike Davis the bartender was ribbing me to play, but I had to say no.
Country and Earl decided to play 9-Ball 10 ahead for $300, so I thought it best for me to not play any cheap pool, but just to watch the big game. I got me a $20 sweat bet, thought I was betting the moon!..hehe
Well Country beat Earl the set after about 3 hours, Bob the bar owner wanted to set up a game with Tom again in a few nights, so it was set up.
We made it back to Greenville about two days latter, Country and Tom matched up, Tom got the best of my brother again, two sets for $100,
meanwhile I was watching all that was going down, I noticed this (Gooffey) LQQKing guy with these Big Black Rimmed Glasses at the bar watching the game very intinatively.
He told Tom Hainey that he would play a 5 ahead set if Tom would spot him the breaks for $300, Tom LQQKed at the guy and musta been thinking what I was thinking about him, so he said lets do it!
The guy broke and ran 5 straight racks on Tom! Tom was howling! you gotta give me weight! The guy says you got the 8 , but I still get the breaks, Tom says it doesn''t matter what I get, if your breaking you win,.....so needless to say , there was no more play......but you know who the guy was?...........TERRY BELL.......that man could shoot some pool!, a very well know poolplayer.
Later that night ( after hours) we all went to Lake Villiage, Arkansas, just across the Mississippi river, to this night club called the "Golden Eagle". The owner there was Kenneth Beavers and he would stay open 24/7 if need be.
Well there was this Old Country Farmer guy that wanted to bet real high, like $1,000 (that was high in 73)...he wanted to bet on Terry Bell 6 a head set , against Country Calvin, but Terry had to give up the 8 playing 9-ball, Kenneth backed Country, ...(But the old man had to write a check, Kenneth said it was good)...so the game was on.
That old man, blue overhauls and all, he would jump up in front of the pockets and holler as loud as he could (ARKANSAS!) when ever Country would shoot, Country didn't seem to mind, he went ahead and won the set.
Well the old man was smarter than he LQQK, his name was Joe Johnson, he wrote the check out "Joe Jackson"...well none was the wiser.....it was 9:00 A:M
and Country & Kenneth the backer went to cash the check at the bank, and the bank said :WRONG SIGNATURE!...duh.....sure enough.....NonPayment!
The old man skated!......which he was already long gone!
so that's just some of the
"Summer of 73"
David Harcrow
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