Happy birthday Rude Dog

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
I wish he was here sometimes just to give Fatboy a little ribbing. They were best friends and road dogs together once upon a time.
 

Fatboy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
jay helfert said:
I wish he was here sometimes just to give Fatboy a little ribbing. They were best friends and road dogs together once upon a time.


Yeah I miss him, ALOT. He was like Keith-one of a kind. He was one of my best friends in pool for along time,

I'm gonna REP him up a few pages.
 

frankncali

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
We don't remember the fallen near enough.

Life is very short and ever changing.


God Bless his family
 

JAM

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
About a year before Rude Dog passed, we exchanged PMs and e-mails. I sent him some links to NIH, along with information and phone numbers, pertaining to clinical trials and other treatments for his condition. He had a clot in his leg, and I can't remember the name of the condition. I know he did not have the funds or insurance to cover the enormous cost for treatment with everything that was available at that time. It was heartbreaking. He was more worried about his family than himself when he was suffering.

I am so glad that we at AzBilliards voted for John to attend the U.S. Open in 2004. I know he had the time of his life. He shared a room with a Polish player. At the event, John was a little reserved, kind of quiet, until he saw some of his old friends. Then he shined like a beacon.

Here's Rude Dog (depicted on the left) and Don Purdman, one of the AzBilliard sponsors to send a player to the Open. I think this was in 2004, if memory serves me right. I love the cloud formation in the backdrop of this pic.

Rest in peace, Rude Dog! You are loved, and your spirit is alive today in our hearts! :)

JAM
 

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DeadPoked

Inadequate User
Silver Member
One of the best members we've ever had on AZ. Rude Dog was the real deal and shot straight from the hip. He'd call BS where he saw it but was also a very nice guy and sincere. One of the finest things that this community has ever done was to send Rude Dog to play in the US Open to fulfill one of his lifelong dreams.

Rest in Peace brother.
 

Ktown D

Neverwuzzz
Silver Member
His was and is a valued member of the community here and he is missed.

Happy B-day big guy.
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
JOHN MORTON LIVES!! :D

9-Ball's his game and you'll feel the pain! Wanna play some? :wink:

RUDE DOGGGGGG
 

Purdman

Banned
Gone But Not Forgotten

John Morton, aka "Rude Dog", was quite a guy. The US Open experience is one I will never forget. I couldn't begin to tell you all how much John appreciated what you did. It was one of the happiest weeks in his life.
RIP John.
Peace, Purdman :smile:

As you can see, his leg wasn't doing to well.
 
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Gunn_Slinger

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Sometimes I read thru the archive and just lmao at some of his stuff.
I miss him and his wit.
peace
mrs.g
 

CocoboloCowboy

Cowboys are my hero's
Silver Member
Here is another photo of John I think it was taken behind Alexander in PHX.
 

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Fatboy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
jay helfert said:
I wish he was here sometimes just to give Fatboy a little ribbing. They were best friends and road dogs together once upon a time.


wow seeing those pics reminded me of the old days, we met in HT in LA. I remember the first time I saw him he had a Rude Dog shirt on, I wanted one so bad but I was fron N. Ca and didnt know where to buy one, now wit the net hell you can find anything, but back then remember you had to go searching for thing? wow that was along time ago. Anyways I saw the shirt and walked over to see it, he was banging balls by himself. I stood there and watched for about 10 minutes, by then I forgot about the shirt I was thinking why the hell havent I heard of this guy-he never misses, I thought I had the line on most good players in Ca. (except bar players)

I was just a ok player but I knew all the guys who could beat me, which was alot of guys for sure, but how did he get slip under the radar?, about then he asked me if I wanted to play. I wanst mad at my $$$ that day and said "No Thanks, Nice shirt" he just kinda laughed, he had this laugh that you had to know him to know what I'm talking about..I kept watching him he didnt miss a ball. asked him where he bought the shirt, he said "You can get them anywhere", Thanks i'm 300 miles from home and looked everywhere-I never got a Rude Dog tee shirt, besids I was allready Fatboy back then too. I asked him how long have you been playing? "A few years" he replied. now I was pissed he had the shirt I wanted and played about 20 balls better than me. He wasnt older than me but he was more "switched on" than me. I knew then I had to move, not to play better pool but to do what ever the hell I was gonna be good at b/c I wasnt getting what I wanted where I wanted. That was our first time we met, he really got me thinking-and probably didnt know or care, but he did.

I go back to N.Ca and told everyone about Rude Dog, they all asked his name, I didnt know his name, So thinking about that shirt and the fact it just seemed to be him, I started refering to the shirt everytime I told a player about him. I'm 100% not claiming to have given him that name, what is amazing is I started calling him that because if just seem to fit, I suppose others thought the same thing, funny how things like that work. I didnt see him for a couple years or hear much about him and I didnt go down south.

3 years later I start comming to Vegas, I cant remember it all anymore its kinda fuzzy where I was living which time etc. But one night I walk into Cue Club and start talking to the girl behind the counter for a hour, I was board, broke, she was board so we started talking, about LA, Vegas she just came out here with some guy, an hour later John walks in. We all sat there talking. I dont remember what happened that night, I just know with-in a week or 2 we were running around together everywhere.

John was living off the bar tournments there was a different one 6 or 7 nights a week. Same guys different bar, Watler Glass, Jimmy Moore Jr. RudeDog etc. it was never a soft tournment so everyone wisened up to that at all the bars, but that year 90 or 91 maybe 92, but I think 91 they set up a schedual with all the bars added $$$, so it was good for the players bad for the bars b/c the regulars at the bars had NO CHANCE!!

I played in a couple-never won one, won a match here and there, John was winning them most of the time, we would awalys do the same routein get there earily play each other, he would win, go get Jan and go to the Shoe for the $2 steak(thats a whole nother story how good that was) and play 6-spot keno cards, we hit 5 one night, Jan did hit a 6 once but I wasnt there.


next page
 

Fatboy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
One night he got knocked out of a tournment earily or we didnt go, I cant remember, What I do remember clearly is he said "Lets go to the Gold Coast" at the time it was the best local casio period. I wasnt sure why we were going we never gambled, we both agreed that casion action is for stone suckers, exept for the $5 on keno tickets while we were eating $2 steak-so it was just like a free roll.

We get into the Gold Coast and go up the eslator th the bowling alley, I'm thinking WTF? are we doing here?? I never bowled once, hell I cant even spell it. When we got 20 feet inside the bowling alley we were attacked by his fans, It was like people following Tiger Woods when they all saw us. Everyone litterly stopped in their tracks and came up to John, then when he was surrounded-I was the next best thing because I was his friend and with him. I was thinking what the hell are these people on exctacy or something. I never saw so many happy drunks in my life, in the poolrooms everyone is pissed off here they were the oppsite. The were bringing us beers, John was carrying 3 I had 2 and they still kept offering us beer. All this happens in 5 minutes, I cant figure it out. So I asked him WTF? is going on? He said I bowl in a league once a week. I cant remember if this was a different time I was in Vegas from the Bar tournments or not-I was in and out of town living in weekly joints, peoples couches what ever I had to do.

So We finally sit down and John gets a ball and shoes I dont think he brought any because then I would have known what was going on. The beer offerings continued, I'd be talking to one guy and someone I dont know would interrupt and hand me a beer, I had a row of them going now that I was sitting down. John comes back and says "you having fun?" I said "sure, never did this before, i like these people" they were so much more fun than pool players. 15-20 minutes later John is ready to throw a couple balls, I have sweated bowling on TV for years-I just dont play it. Holy shit can he bowl, his first ball was a strike-he hit the pocket, i mean really hit the pocket, he delivered the ball like earl anthony or walter ray williams. I asked him "you do this often?" he walked up and wispered "just once a week for the free beer".

So after they start the game I asked some guy on the rail about John, he got the league average sheet and then the Gold Coast Sheet, and John was on top of both by 8 pins, it was crazy. This is a huge bowling alley in Vegas and good old Rude Dog is a better bowler than he is a pool player, and not by a little bit either. So now it all made sence, he was like Efren or something surrounded by happy drunks, we were happy drunks, Jan picked us up, took me home. I couldnt drive and only lived 2 or 3 miles away.

Later I asked him why the hell dont you bowl on the tour, his league average was in the low 230's and he was only bowling once a week?? He said "yeah I could do that easily but I dont want to travel that much and i'm just too lazy"-then came that laugh I mentioned before. He said its boaring and too easy. He was a pro bowler that didnt bowl. you can bet it all on that.

The bar tournment sene changed in Vegas, John was thinking of moving bak to Vegas. I was back in N. Ca. and not in Vegas full time, when I got here fulltime shortly after, He was gone or wasnt going out, seems I spoke to Jan last and thats what she said....I really dont remember.

I came to AZ 15 years later saw his name, but he was banned, Went to HardTimes and Jason Halls dad told me he was sick, he passed away shortly after that. I cant remember the last time we spoke, we never said good bye. probably said see you tomarrow and one of us didnt come to the pool room.

I learned alot from John, I wish I could have done something for him but our paths never crossed. Now all I have are the memories and this story that touches on Rude Dog and Fatboy.

God Bless John Morton.
 

Koop

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Eric,

Thank you for sharing that. I spoke with John often and miss him too. However, you have one thing I never had, personal experience with him.

Regards,
Koop
 

Snookerd

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Wow.... thank you for sharing those great memories.
p.s. You better start practicing 9 ball more... your spelling and punctuation are getting much better. ;)
 

BigDogatLarge

Da pool gods are laughin'
Silver Member
Fatboy said:
One night he got knocked out of a tournment earily or we didnt go, I cant remember, What I do remember clearly is he said "Lets go to the Gold Coast" at the time it was the best local casio period. I wasnt sure why we were going we never gambled, we both agreed that casion action is for stone suckers, exept for the $5 on keno tickets while we were eating $2 steak-so it was just like a free roll.

We get into the Gold Coast and go up the eslator th the bowling alley, I'm thinking WTF? are we doing here?? I never bowled once, hell I cant even spell it. When we got 20 feet inside the bowling alley we were attacked by his fans, It was like people following Tiger Woods when they all saw us. Everyone litterly stopped in their tracks and came up to John, then when he was surrounded-I was the next best thing because I was his friend and with him. I was thinking what the hell are these people on exctacy or something. I never saw so many happy drunks in my life, in the poolrooms everyone is pissed off here they were the oppsite. The were bringing us beers, John was carrying 3 I had 2 and they still kept offering us beer. All this happens in 5 minutes, I cant figure it out. So I asked him WTF? is going on? He said I bowl in a league once a week. I cant remember if this was a different time I was in Vegas from the Bar tournments or not-I was in and out of town living in weekly joints, peoples couches what ever I had to do.

So We finally sit down and John gets a ball and shoes I dont think he brought any because then I would have known what was going on. The beer offerings continued, I'd be talking to one guy and someone I dont know would interrupt and hand me a beer, I had a row of them going now that I was sitting down. John comes back and says "you having fun?" I said "sure, never did this before, i like these people" they were so much more fun than pool players. 15-20 minutes later John is ready to throw a couple balls, I have sweated bowling on TV for years-I just dont play it. Holy shit can he bowl, his first ball was a strike-he hit the pocket, i mean really hit the pocket, he delivered the ball like earl anthony or walter ray williams. I asked him "you do this often?" he walked up and wispered "just once a week for the free beer".

So after they start the game I asked some guy on the rail about John, he got the league average sheet and then the Gold Coast Sheet, and John was on top of both by 8 pins, it was crazy. This is a huge bowling alley in Vegas and good old Rude Dog is a better bowler than he is a pool player, and not by a little bit either. So now it all made sence, he was like Efren or something surrounded by happy drunks, we were happy drunks, Jan picked us up, took me home. I couldnt drive and only lived 2 or 3 miles away.

Later I asked him why the hell dont you bowl on the tour, his league average was in the low 230's and he was only bowling once a week?? He said "yeah I could do that easily but I dont want to travel that much and i'm just too lazy"-then came that laugh I mentioned before. He said its boaring and too easy. He was a pro bowler that didnt bowl. you can bet it all on that.

The bar tournment sene changed in Vegas, John was thinking of moving bak to Vegas. I was back in N. Ca. and not in Vegas full time, when I got here fulltime shortly after, He was gone or wasnt going out, seems I spoke to Jan last and thats what she said....I really dont remember.

I came to AZ 15 years later saw his name, but he was banned, Went to HardTimes and Jason Halls dad told me he was sick, he passed away shortly after that. I cant remember the last time we spoke, we never said good bye. probably said see you tomarrow and one of us didnt come to the pool room.

I learned alot from John, I wish I could have done something for him but our paths never crossed. Now all I have are the memories and this story that touches on Rude Dog and Fatboy.

God Bless John Morton.

I am sorry for your loss Eric, but you have made a small part of him come alive in your post. Thank you for sharing your memories.

Dwight
 
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