The very first time I met Keith was between '03-'06 at the infamous Tuesday night tourney at the old Champions Laurel. I know there's at least a handful of posters in this thread that will remember that tournament and the caliber of players that were in it, week in week out. Every week you had pros, more road players than you could shake a stick at, plenty of regional Champs etc etc! Of course on any given day anyone can win a race to 9; BUT, IMHO there were only two players really that Keith may have had to worry about. They were Mike Davis and Danny Green. Truth be told Keith was probably the favorite over both of them at the time but all three play " JAM " ( see what I did there Jammy �� UP!!! I'd also go as far to say imo on any ( and really every ) week Keith was even money against the field. Keith and I were between rounds in the tourney, I walked over to introduce myself and told him I was a fan. I actually asked if he would play a few with me while we were waiting on our next matches to keep loose. He said sure so we did for a bit . I immediately liked Keith as even though he was famous and shot lights out pool he was very down to Earth and just as nice and friendly as can be. We all know how some Champions can be if they don't know you but it was nothing like that with Keith and that impressed me as much if not more than how good he plays.
Keith, CONGRATS on your induction buddy ! !! You truly deserve it and I'm so happy both both of yall!
PS - Jammy, if your travel is still up in the air hit me up. Ttyl☺
Absolutely right. However, it didn't start with Champions in Laurel. It really got going with Champions in Shirlington, Virginia. Late 1989, incredible, no pool rooms around, other than Champions in the little Westmont shopping center on Glebe Road.
I think it was either a Monday or Tuesday night nine ball tournament in Shirlington that got things really going. All the greats were there. Jimmy Mac, Shorty (Jim Henson), Bill Elliott, Danny Green, Freddie and Scotty Boggs, and a host of others. Even Billy Stephen from Richmond showed up. It was actually Jimmy Mac who got the Mid Atlantic Regional Circuit (MARC) going, before Planet Pool became a reality.
That's when Keith came in, Planet Pool. He showed up at Orange Ball in Rockville, Champions in Rockville, and Champions in Laurel. I rarely saw him taken down, though Allen Duty from Richmond did it once, and Mike Davis a couple times. Keith was a regular in Planet Pool, and it drew folks to watch him.
I miss those days.
All the best,
WW
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