Billy Incardona is Hall of Fame worthy

[TallJeff]

His integrity is beyond reproach and his passion for the game is cemented in his dedication though a lifetime of playing, commentating, teaching, and supporting.... I don’t believe for a second that Billy ever did business... With the skill he possessed, the heart he had, not a chance!!! If you lived the life, and you were around, you knew Billy bet his own...

He deserves to be in for his playing and also for a lifetime of devotion to the game...

Hope it happens for one of the nicest guys to ever draw his ball...

Jeff Sparks

 

[lfigueroa]

That's interesting Lou. You have been attacked by trolls. So have I. I think an opinionated person who does not mind sharing those opinions on public forums inevitably encounter trolls who wish to stir the pot. Is this not what OF did?

You say your solution is to ignore or take it up privately. That's good. I would agree that is good advice. So why when someone else is attacked by a troll you stand up for him? I would think at the very least, you would want to stay out of it. This is what got me going. This, to me is the definition of "chumming the waters" You added fuel to the fire. Maybe you didn't intend that. I hope not.

Tom

I think a guy with BI rep could easily have just put the guy on Ignore. Instead there's this big kerfuffle. Hell, put me on Ignore too, lol.

Lou Figueroa

 

[lfigueroa]

Stop it Lou, no it wasn't a significant part of pool culture back then, it's just as prevalent today as it ever was. That is, in terms of percentages. Back then there were more stake horses to get screwed, today there aren't as many. It's not a culture that we are speaking about, it's about character. Of course the larger the opportunity window is the more character flaws will show. My character was never to do business, I wasn't brought up with that type of thinking. Yes I lemond people that was part of hustling, but to intentionally dump a backer is something I never did, that's what doing business is when old fart implies that I was infamous for.

But why Lou, why would you say that old fart sounded creditable? What would of he said that would impress you that he was not creditable? That's where I have a problem with your interjection, it was validating the claim by adding fuel to the fire..so to speak.

Bill Incardona

I disagree but I'm not sure that is permitted, lol.

All I've read is that guys on the road were brutal when it came to making their daily nut. I do not believe, from what I've seen, that that is as likely, or as accepted, so as much anymore. And I don't believe it was an issue of character -- it was *survival.* But I readily admit, I am looking in from the outside as someone who went to college, had a steady job, saved, and am now drawing a nice pension.

Why did I think OF was credible? Maybe because I'm a bad poker player and when someone makes a flamboyant statement, you have to ask yourself: why would he make that statement if he didn't have the cards?

Lou Figueroa

 

[lfigueroa]

Another note worthy point Lou. My win loss record was heavily tilted toward wins, if I was I infamous for doing business than it would be the other way around. Also whenever I played 99% of the time I bet my own money I very rarely got staked. Maybe you can draw a clearer conclusion if you had more pertinent information on my gambling habits, that in addition to all the people that know me and my character should suffice. ????

Bill Incardona

oh come on, Bill, that is your accounting. How am I supposed to argue with that since I don't know anything about what you did back in the day?! Like I said, I do not know you, or your history well enough to say. All I know about is what I've read of the hustlers and road agents of yore. That tells me doing bizaness was not so uncommon.

Maybe you were the exception and pure as the driven snow.

Lou Figueroa

 

[jay helfert]

Stop it Lou, no it wasn't a significant part of pool culture back then, it's just as prevalent today as it ever was. That is, in terms of percentages. Back then there were more stake horses to get screwed, today there aren't as many. It's not a culture that we are speaking about, it's about character. Of course the larger the opportunity window is the more character flaws will show. My character was never to do business, I wasn't brought up with that type of thinking. Yes I lemond people that was part of hustling, but to intentionally dump a backer is something I never did, that's what doing business is when old fart implies that I was infamous for.

But why Lou, why would you say that old fart sounded creditable? What would of he said that would impress you that he was not creditable? That's where I have a problem with your interjection, it was validating the claim by adding fuel to the fire..so to speak.

Bill Incardona

Well said Bill. Just like today, there were players known to do business and other guys who wouldn't ever consider it under any circumstances. Unlike the totally uninformed Lou, I did know you VERY WELL! Your reputation for playing your hardest to win was well known in the pool world. And your reputation for being a winner was legendary. Believe me if I ever saw you make a game. I was side betting on you. I won a lot of tens and twenties that way!

You were a rare bird who always bet his own money. There were only a few top players who would step up and bet their own 100%. I have no idea who Old Fart is and I don't even care. It's obvious to me that he knows absolutely NOTHING about the pool world we grew up in. For Lou to attach any credibility to anything he says only tells me that Lou also knows zero about our world. He admitted that he had a job and worked all his life so how he all of sudden became an expert on the pool world is beyond me. Billy, you know that I made the rounds pretty good and knew ALL the players of our generation and I never heard of Lou until he showed up on here. I wouldn't give any credence whatsoever to anything he has to say about pool and it's players. It's kind a like a fart in the wind when he speaks.

 

[Maxx]

oh come on, Bill, that is your accounting. How am I supposed to argue with that since I don't know anything about what you did back in the day?! Like I said, I do not know you, or your history well enough to say. All I know about is what I've read of the hustlers and road agents of yore. That tells me doing bizaness was not so uncommon.

Maybe you were the exception and pure as the driven snow.

Lou Figueroa

If you don’t know, then why say anything.

You last sentence is textbook passive aggressive, you’re much worse than the guy that got banned.

I’ve enjoyed Mr. Incardona’s commentary on pool streams, as well as his posts here. From the way he handled this thread tells me a lot about his character.

 

[wincardona]

I disagree but I'm not sure that is permitted, lol.

All I've read is that guys on the road were brutal when it came to making their daily nut. I do not believe, from what I've seen, that that is as likely, or as accepted, so as much anymore. And I don't believe it was an issue of character -- it was *survival.* But I readily admit, I am looking in from the outside as someone who went to college, had a steady job, saved, and am now drawing a nice pension.

Why did I think OF was credible? Maybe because I'm a bad poker player and when someone makes a flamboyant statement, you have to ask yourself: why would he make that statement if he didn't have the cards?

Lou Figueroa

Did you really say why would someone make an outrageous statement if he didn't have the cards, and that's why you deemed him creditable? That's one of the weakest reasons any man could come up with, you lost points on that one Lou. Give me a break. If anyone buys that, that's the guy I want to gamble with. I'm out Lou, no reason to discuss this any further.

Bill Incardona

 

[TRWpool]

...............

 

[wayne]

I understand that there are many people/players considered for induction, deservingly so, but for someone like yourself to attack my integrity spreading felicious statements about my character is not only a cowardly assertion but an untrue assertion as well. Your real name obviously isn't old fart is it? People that know me as you say you do would never imply as you did that I was known for "doing business" as you so blatantly put it. Lol. My name is Bill Incardona and I stand behind the merit of my name alone which I'm proud of, not only in terms of my playing a ility, my communication skills, my love and passion for the game we play, and for the players that play it. Unveil yourself to all your forum members so they and myself can identify you as a person of credibility. Just don't recall ever reading anything from "old fart".

There has only been one person who use to post on Onepocket.Org that tried to attack my integrity as you are doing on here, he went by the name of "Cowboy Dennis" he didnt like pool players especially the champions.

I have been around the pool world for 58 years and I have never been hard to find nor investigate, how. about U.

Bill Incardona

I think you nailed this one Billy. Based on the way "old fart" writes there is about a 98% chance it is Cowboy Dennis. (I wonder if he will ever get tired of being banned.)

You definitely belong in the Hall Of Fame.

 

[wincardona]

oh come on, Bill, that is your accounting. How am I supposed to argue with that since I don't know anything about what you did back in the day?! Like I said, I do not know you, or your history well enough to say. All I know about is what I've read of the hustlers and road agents of yore. That tells me doing bizaness was not so uncommon.

Maybe you were the exception and pure as the driven snow.

Lou Figueroa

Come on now Lou, yes it is my accounting, didn't you believe old fart when he said that I was infamous for doing businesswhen it was his accounting, true? But maybe you knew him better than you know me.

Bill Incardona

 

[wayne]

Lou why were you banned from onepocket.org ??

If I remember correctly Lou got banned/suspended a couple of years ago for his relentless attacks on Bill Incardona in a thread regarding a Tony Chohan shot. He also attacked numerous other highly respected posters and would not stop. The moderator closed the original thread to try to save him but another thread was started and he continued his attacks. Finally he was suspended and his suspension has never been lifted.

 

[bbb]

If I remember correctly Lou got banned/suspended a couple of years ago for his relentless attacks on Bill Incardona in a thread regarding a Tony Chohan shot. He also attacked numerous other highly respected posters and would not stop. The moderator closed the original thread to try to save him but another thread was started and he continued his attacks. Finally he was suspended and his suspension has never been lifted.

wayne that is my recollection too
i brought it up because i beleive lou has a hostile attitude towards bill..jmho
lou sidestepped my question and i didnt want to side track the thread so i didnt respond
and i felt there was no reason to start a new one over it

 

[Island Drive]

oh come on, Bill, that is your accounting. How am I supposed to argue with that since I don't know anything about what you did back in the day?! Like I said, I do not know you, or your history well enough to say. All I know about is what I've read of the hustlers and road agents of yore. That tells me doing bizaness was not so uncommon.

Maybe you were the exception and pure as the driven snow.

Lou Figueroa

Your above statement, tells me more about the writer. It's littered with prejudice.
.

 

[decent dennis]

Well said Bill. Just like today, there were players known to do business and other guys who wouldn't ever consider it under any circumstances. Unlike the totally uninformed Lou, I did know you VERY WELL! Your reputation for playing your hardest to win was well known in the pool world. And your reputation for being a winner was legendary. Believe me if I ever saw you make a game. I was side betting on you. I won a lot of tens and twenties that way!

You were a rare bird who always bet his own money. There were only a few top players who would step up and bet their own 100%. I have no idea who Old Fart is and I don't even care. It's obvious to me that he knows absolutely NOTHING about the pool world we grew up in. For Lou to attach any credibility to anything the says only tells me that Lou also knows zero about our world. He admitted that he had a job and worked all his life so how he all of sudden became an expert on the pool world is beyond me. Billy, you know that I made the rounds pretty good and knew ALL the players of our generation and I never heard of Lou until he showed up on here. I wouldn't give any credence whatsoever to anything he has to say about pool and it's players. It's kind a like a fart in the wind when he speaks.

So if someone holds a job and works all their life they can't know as much about " the pool world" as you? Just askin

 

[jokrswylde]

So if someone holds a job and works all their life they can't know as much about " the pool world" as you? Just askin

I took from it that folks with a regular 9 to 5 couldn't hop in the car and drive from pool hall to bar, state to state, grinding out games and having the pressure of winning matches in order to eat, buy, gas and food, etc. Maybe that is the world Jay was referring to, the world of a road warrior?

 

[jay helfert]

So if someone holds a job and works all their life they can't know as much about " the pool world" as you? Just askin

Probably not. I worked the "pool world" all my adult life so just maybe I know a little bit more about it then some guy who only read about it somewhere (as Lou admitted in his post #183) or listened to stories from a random pool player. I lived it Dennis, viewing all the good, the bad and the ugly up close, and not having to be informed by rumor mongers and the like. :yeah:

 

[kkdanamatt]

I think Grady should go first, if we're talking Meritorious Service as suggested by the OP.

Lou Figueroa

Lou,
Billy should be inducted before Grady.
Why?
Because Billy's still with us and deserves this long-overdue honor before many more years slip away. The HOF doesn't elect a member for Meritorious Service every year, so time is of the essence.
As for Grady, I support his nomination and induction into the HOF, as well.
But since Grady has already passed away, the urgency of his nomination is not relevant to this particular conversation. Let's campaign for Grady next.

As a parting word, I have publicly supported Billy's nomination for several years, and I've known Billy (although we're not close buddies) for over half of my 75 years.
Billy has been a gambler for decades, yet I've never heard a negative whisper about his integrity.
What purpose does it serve for you to throw gasoline on a flame?
I urge you to support Billy's nomination into the BCA Hall of Fame.

 

[jay helfert]

I took from it that folks with a regular 9 to 5 couldn't hop in the car and drive from pool hall to bar, state to state, grinding out games and having the pressure of winning matches in order to eat, buy, gas and food, etc. Maybe that is the world Jay was referring to, the world of a road warrior?

Thank you jokr. It's that and much, much more. I rubbed shoulders and shared motel rooms with top players from UJ Puckett to Danny Diliberto to Ronnie Allen to Jimmy Reid to Louie Roberts to Keith McCready (and a whole lot more) to some of the modern day players. When you travel with someone and gamble out of the same bankroll you learn a lot about the character of a man. Just spending days and weeks at a time in "action" rooms and watching how players operate is very informative as well. And then to spend over three decades running tournaments with all the top players competing was another learning experience every day. Most of those tournaments had a back room as well where the action took place and sometimes took precedence over the actual tournament.

Owning and operating pool rooms was another amazing experience. All my rooms attracted players and had action on a regular basis. How do you think Hard Times in Bellflower came to be? Chuck Markulis brought me in to help him set up the room and create events that would put it on the pool map. I guess that worked out okay. I know what I know and I won't make any excuses for the life I chose. It's been a long journey so far and it's not over yet. I wouldn't trade it for any other life! :thumbup:

What got my dander up on this thread were the spurious accusations being made about a man I've known for the better part of 50 years. Billy Incardona is and has been one of the most well respected members of the pool community for his entire life. I'm proud to call him my friend! Old Fart and Lou were both way out of line here and I was not about to let that pass without saying anything.

 

[greyghost]

If I remember correctly Lou got banned/suspended a couple of years ago for his relentless attacks on Bill Incardona in a thread regarding a Tony Chohan shot. He also attacked numerous other highly respected posters and would not stop. The moderator closed the original thread to try to save him but another thread was started and he continued his attacks. Finally he was suspended and his suspension has never been lifted.

Yeah there’s much more banter and hard ribbing there but onepocket.org ain’t never been about no bullshit like this place suffers from often.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Michael Andros]

Thank you jokr. It's that and much, much more. I rubbed shoulders and shared motel rooms with top players from UJ Puckett to Danny Diliberto to Jimmy Reid to Louie Roberts to Keith McCready (and a whole lot more) to some of the modern day players. When you travel with someone and gamble out of the same bankroll you learn a lot about the character of a man. Just spending days and weeks at a time in "action" rooms and watching how players operate is very informative as well. And then to spend over three decades running tournaments with all the top players competing was another learning experience every day. Most of those tournaments had a back room as well where the action took place and sometimes that took precedence over the actual tournament.

Owning and operating pool rooms was another amazing experience. All my rooms attracted players and had action on a regular basis. How do you think Hard Times in Bellflower came to be? Chuck Markulis brought me in to help him set up the room and create events that would put it on the pool map. I guess that worked out okay. I know what I know and I won't make any excuses for the life I chose. It's been a long journey so far and it's not over yet. I wouldn't trade it for any other life! :thumbup:

Very difficult not to envy the life you led, Jay... I got married and opted for the 9-5 from age 30 on. But it could have been much different, except for a few decisions made. As I said in another thread, the most excitement and most adventures I ever really had was the time I spent out there traveling around. Part of me wishes I'd never changed that. And my life would've been much, much different... but, I did get to live it for a good while. There's no going back and changing it all, but I do have my son and a house, so... could've been much worse. I know it's hasn't been easy for you or anyone else in your position, at times, Jay. But what a life.

What a life...