1960s major tournaments

[Guy Manges]

As happens often with many exceptional athletes, actors, painters and other performers in the visual and musical arts, a crisis point may suddenly arrive in their lives and with enough immediate and unceasing frustration and confusion, aberrational self-defeating behavior and lashing out happens.
Such was probably the case here with Willie during these weeks, in my opinion.

To my knowledge there's a factor that hasn't been speculated upon elsewhere relative to Willie's mountingly eccentric & atypical reactions and behavior during those tournament weeks, but I've been around many aging folks who (a) don't -- paraphrasing Dylan Thomas -- "go gently'" into their senior years and (b) are often placed (perhaps including Willie) on a spectrum of strong medications to attenuate a periodically serious health problem or condition. -- Medications whose side effects and contraindications were poorly understood in the 1960s -- then grossly manifest when these folks are under severe temporary or long-lasting stress (either physical stress or stress of a mental & emotional nature).

Both types of stress were present in this case, and we have to grant that this was a very unenviable turning point in Willie's astonishingly unprecedented career, inarguably and tragically forcing him to realize that no more high level competitive playing was going to happen for him. (Exhibition play of course remained satisfyingly open to him for a number of years thereafter.)

Arnaldo ~ My admiration for this great man remains undiminished. There's a very old adage: "Judge the artist's work -- not the artist himself."

And btw, A.L. thanks for the excellent research in finding that abstruse local coverage. A bit error-ridden and factually inadequate but it definitely manages to colorfully convey how high emotions were running and being quite irrationally exuded from the principal actors during those days of totally unexpected drama, (as all who witnessed it first-hand can attest to).
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Thank you Arnaldo,You can explain well... To have your memory... Guy

 

[Guy Manges]

Guy, I don't mean to poke holes in your story, but here's my issue from what I gather about your premise. Christian pool player, doesn't gamble, but plays tournaments. Now I presume the tournaments require a cash buy in. To me this is no different than gambling. You bet on yourself to do well enough in a competition that you gain money at the end, or risk losing it. How is this different than a money match? I understand its not the same as hustling, but it's unrealistic to meet a character that plays pool in the golden age of the sport but does not gamble.

I urge you to read up on Mike Massey. He used to be a road man, tournament player, and later in life embraced Christianity and quit gambling. There's got to be a flaw in your character for him and the reader to overcome.

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I can only hope to a degree that tournament play would be exceptional, more on the order of employment. Not to dwell on gambling but away from gambling. Gambling has to much drama, to much down sides, I'm hoping to leave this out of a good life yet be excepted... Our whole bought world is to sell all the bad side of life, Then we ask God for the good side when we get there... I don't think , but I can hope for better... That we may need... Guy

 

[galipeau]

Good luck with your writings

 

[Island Drive]

After Nicky beat me 150-148 at the IU Bowling Alley, we went to his pool room and played 9 niner, I made a good score.
Varner and I were the 14.1 favorites at that time.
Nick went on to beat Carella & win the Collegiate Finals.
I got too see Nick at Janscos during the Johnston City days, where UJ Puckett/AKA Daddy Warbucks took em under wing and he game/attitude/direction played out.

Guy, are you writing a book?

 

[Guy Manges]

After Nicky beat me 150-148 at the IU Bowling Alley, we went to his pool room and played 9 niner, I made a good score.
Varner and I were the 14.1 favorites at that time.
Nick went on to beat Carella & win the Collegiate Finals.
I got too see Nick at Janscos during the Johnston City days, where UJ Puckett/AKA Daddy Warbucks took em under wing and he game/attitude/direction played out.

Guy, are you writing a book?

Yes , trying to all fiction. I ask questions of the forum members to get nomenclature of players opinions and I put in as many nonpool players opinions as possible... I'm praying for time to finish book. Oh this book is about good in life of pool, No Bad... Guy

 

[Baby Huey]

Interesting that the Fred Whelan's LA Straight Pool Championships were not sanctioned by the BCA nor listed in the directory. Those two opens had the best attendance and finest cuests of that ERA.

 

[measureman]

Yes , trying to all fiction. I ask questions of the forum members to get nomenclature of players opinions and I put in as many nonpool players opinions as possible... I'm praying for time to finish book. Oh this book is about good in life of pool, No Bad... Guy

If you need some real but rather unknown nick names of players I've known through the years let me know.

 

[Island Drive]

Here's one you'll enjoy, and it's the straights.
6 weeks after Fats died, I did a one on one interview with Evelyn Wanderone about her life with Rudolph.

During this timeframe, Tombstone Pizza was doing National Commercials.
A great one was the firing squad.
All these men were lined up in the Pizza commercial against a wall and asked, what they want on their tombstone.
As they went to each man they came upon one who said ''I want pepperoni & cheese''.

At this time, Rudolph/Evelyn didn't want any more of each others stuff, and he relocated and moved into a TN hotel/all expenses with a pool table, to live it out and be their draw card for the hotel.

This fluzzie as Evelyn called her, said she was married to Fats and wanted to let her know he had just passed on.
Evelyn asked her what Fats had written on his tombstone.
''Long Pause'' too long for Ev, she obviously had no clue, so Ev said ''Pepperoni and Cheese''.
Boy did we both have a good laugh.
She was his equal in many ways.
Lived together 43 yrs.

If I spelled anything wrong, go Figure