1970s-1980s Keith McCready vs SVB
- Thread starter Somehustler
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PIRANHA said:
Sorry to bust your bubble man, but I'm not Keith. I'm just a BIG Keith fan
I knew Keith back when he was a youngster,and yes ,he was an auesome player,unbeatable. there was also another young player,and I'm sure Keith will agree,Cole Dixon. I always considered them about equal and with any determination either one of them could have dominated the tpo charts. I loveKeith McCready said:
my grandsone,Shane,and I do feel he's the best there is today but I believe he would need to step it up a half a notch to weather the storm with both,Keith or Cole. What do you say Keith ? ? ? ?
Gary Bloomberg
What's up Keith. It's Keith from Raleigh. Remember torchering Brian Atchley on the barbox with Kojak staking him. Man, that was a blast. I talked to your lady about a couple of things. Get in touch.Keith McCready said:Hi, Little Debbie! I was wondering what you'd been doing all these years.
Yeah, I remember that. That was funny!
There was a lot of things that you and I did that was funny. I'll never forget when you threw the chicken at me, at the apartment, with me and Don Percy. That was hilarious!
Guys, I am sure Shane is a world beater. But, he'd better be. And he'd better be again, and again, and again. In the mid 80's, Keith just kept comin' at ya. 2's, 4's, 6's, etc. Bar table, forget about it. I sat and watched Keith run over Brian Atchley (right after Brian had won the bar table open). Shane might hang with Keith until "the gear." When the gear hit, I don't think many people can fade rack after rack after rack. And like others have said.... it was comin'. Racks in the plural sense. Love to see that matchup, but unfortunately we never will.
In those days, cash games was what most of the guys relied on. Today, it would be a spectacle event. Perfect place, conditions, table, air condition, cloth, cue ball, etc. Back then, if you went looking for action, you adjusted to where your guy was. I don't know, it was just different. I can't explain it. It just was.
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keith's time
In 1972 I was playing the best 9 ball I ever played,and was considered along with Buddy and Wade as the strongest 9 ball players in the country. Jimmy Reid was also in that group. Matter of fact Reid played the best 10 ball i've ever seen anyone play,including today's players. Like Keith said it was about gears and Jimmy Reid certainly had one of the highest gears of anyone,along with Keith.Keith became one of the best players after that era and he may have had the highest gears of all the players of that time.Which included Hall,Sigel,and Louie. What made Keith so super strong was that he was the best shot maker out of everyone,with a fearless demeanor. He never had the cue ball of a Hall or Sigel but he just never missed which made him the most feared player alive.We can go back in forth about who was the best and never reach a conclusion,but when Keith caught his gear he was unbeatable.Keith has to be considered one of the best when you talk about how good a player CAN play. Both Keith and Reid had a higher gear than me,I was more consistant because my cue ball was better. Keith beat you putting packages on you,because he never seen a shot he could't make,and he really believed that,which obviously aided him in running racks.So consequently when he caught the right clicks your money was gone.So when you talk about gun slingers Keith was way way up there.
In 1972 I was playing the best 9 ball I ever played,and was considered along with Buddy and Wade as the strongest 9 ball players in the country. Jimmy Reid was also in that group. Matter of fact Reid played the best 10 ball i've ever seen anyone play,including today's players. Like Keith said it was about gears and Jimmy Reid certainly had one of the highest gears of anyone,along with Keith.Keith became one of the best players after that era and he may have had the highest gears of all the players of that time.Which included Hall,Sigel,and Louie. What made Keith so super strong was that he was the best shot maker out of everyone,with a fearless demeanor. He never had the cue ball of a Hall or Sigel but he just never missed which made him the most feared player alive.We can go back in forth about who was the best and never reach a conclusion,but when Keith caught his gear he was unbeatable.Keith has to be considered one of the best when you talk about how good a player CAN play. Both Keith and Reid had a higher gear than me,I was more consistant because my cue ball was better. Keith beat you putting packages on you,because he never seen a shot he could't make,and he really believed that,which obviously aided him in running racks.So consequently when he caught the right clicks your money was gone.So when you talk about gun slingers Keith was way way up there.
Keith McCready
Keith is one of the greatest players that ever played. I once saw him play Swanee at the Sports Arena on 9' Tight Rebco table. Swanee had Keith 6-1 in a race to 7. Swanee broke and didn't make a ball on the break. Keith jumped up out of his seat and told Swanee that it just cost him the set. Keith then ran 6 and out to win 7-6. Keith had so much talent and BALLS that nobody to take it.
Back then Keith wasn't afraid of anybody and could beat anybody giving world class players weight. Back in the days of roll out NOBODY could beat him. He would roll out to unmakeble shots and make them. He could kick balls in from anywhere. BEST PLAYER I HAVE EVER SEEN.
Keith's game went down 2 balls when one foul ball in hand and alternate break came into play. He could no longer keep control of the game by running racks. He also had to fade lesser players getting out of line only to play safe.
Keith is one of the greatest players that ever played. I once saw him play Swanee at the Sports Arena on 9' Tight Rebco table. Swanee had Keith 6-1 in a race to 7. Swanee broke and didn't make a ball on the break. Keith jumped up out of his seat and told Swanee that it just cost him the set. Keith then ran 6 and out to win 7-6. Keith had so much talent and BALLS that nobody to take it.
Back then Keith wasn't afraid of anybody and could beat anybody giving world class players weight. Back in the days of roll out NOBODY could beat him. He would roll out to unmakeble shots and make them. He could kick balls in from anywhere. BEST PLAYER I HAVE EVER SEEN.
Keith's game went down 2 balls when one foul ball in hand and alternate break came into play. He could no longer keep control of the game by running racks. He also had to fade lesser players getting out of line only to play safe.
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I remember watching Keith play for the first time at a tournament played in Anaheim in about 1975. All the players were there, Lassiter, though aging, Richie Florence, Ronnie Allen, Dan Louie etc. Keith arrived just barely on time for a match, with shoulder length hair that he moved out of his face with bobby pins.
I remember something about Keith's game back then; when out of line, even if the object ball was in the center of the table Keith would fire in the bank so position was easier. No fear.
Obviously, Keith won the nine ball section of the tournament.
Danny K
I remember something about Keith's game back then; when out of line, even if the object ball was in the center of the table Keith would fire in the bank so position was easier. No fear.
Obviously, Keith won the nine ball section of the tournament.
Danny K
Keith McCready said:
lol, I just found this funny. I wish you would bust every illegal Mexican immigrant.
Keith- In you honor, I present to all AZB, my 3yr old daughter's first post:
claire
(She did that all by herself. Sorry she stuck her tounge out at you, she likes that face)
claire
(She did that all by herself. Sorry she stuck her tounge out at you, she likes that face)
What I remember most about the best cash-game players from the 60s-80s was the heart and stamina to stay with the other guy for as long as it took to win it all. Back then, the standard matchup lasted until one of you went broke. There were a lot of players, and I include myself, who looked like world beaters for the first few hours, but by the second day were broken down to parade rest. In my mind, the real champions of pool are the ones who can beat you if you play an hour, 48 hours or a week. And this type of player (Keith, Buddy, Ronnie Allen, Richie Florence, Louie Roberts, Portland Don, Denny Searcy, et al), IF you had the stones to beat them, they would reload and come back and try you again until they had every nickel you, your backer, your family, your friends, and your goomah could scrounge up. I played over my head one time and beat a slightly tipsy Mike Massey out of some money on a bar table (back when he was drinking, around 1970). He came in the next night, offered me the 7-ball (we played even the first time), I jumped on it, but, like Danny D would say, I jumped on my wallet (and everyone else's in the joint). At the end, he was giving me weight, playing jacked up one-handed, running out like rainwater and basically busted the place. No hustle, no stall, just a guy with a champ's heart beating someone with a chimp's heart. Oh well, I wound up with the better looking bimbo that night (cause she wasn't a pool fan). Today's players are not technically inferior to the last generation of players IMO, I just don't think they're as battle-hardened and corncob tough. But, I can remember the old guys at Cochran's saying the same thing about their heroes vs the young guns like Ronnie Allen and Frisco Jack, so....
Keith has a track record and a victims list a mile long. Shane is certainly becoming one of the premier players in the world, but his pedigree is still developing. The sky is the limit for the kid from South Dakota, but, for now, his credentials as a gambler don't make him worthy of mention with a Keith Macready.
Keith, Buddy, Vernon --- world beaters for the cash who proved it over and over and over and over. Shane --- we shall see, but he's got a long way to go if he's gonna be counted in their kind of company.
Keith, Buddy, Vernon --- world beaters for the cash who proved it over and over and over and over. Shane --- we shall see, but he's got a long way to go if he's gonna be counted in their kind of company.
I believe that if anyone is capable of being a Keith(without habits) its SVB, but SVB needs another 2 years of seasioning to comperable to Keith.
JAM-when I say habits its not a knock just what I observed and no disrespect meant, Keith is a true ledgend and a wonderful assett to pool then and hopefully in the near future.
Shane will be the huge $$$ player like Keith but he still needs a bit of time, he will never have the personality of keith, who does? But Shane is a class act and has my admiraton and respect, same for keith. hows that?
JAM-when I say habits its not a knock just what I observed and no disrespect meant, Keith is a true ledgend and a wonderful assett to pool then and hopefully in the near future.
Shane will be the huge $$$ player like Keith but he still needs a bit of time, he will never have the personality of keith, who does? But Shane is a class act and has my admiraton and respect, same for keith. hows that?
traits like "heart" and "battle hardness" are often a product of economic times.
someone here once said those old school guys had them in spades, with the depression era players being the fiercest ever
I agree with that, BUT today's player trounce the old timers on a technical level, even this decade guys have brought up the level to far beyond what we saw in the 90's
when discussing hypothetical situations of today's bets vs yesteryear's should the new guys be punished for having "easier" lives?
It's fun debating, and I personally don't feel strongly one way or the other but as a lifelong sports fan, and this argument arises in every sport, when objective , non biased opinions are presented by those who lived through multiple eras, pretty much the consensus that I've seen is that "new" beats "old"
having said that, if I could watch any 10 players in their prime, not one of them would be under 50
someone here once said those old school guys had them in spades, with the depression era players being the fiercest ever
I agree with that, BUT today's player trounce the old timers on a technical level, even this decade guys have brought up the level to far beyond what we saw in the 90's
when discussing hypothetical situations of today's bets vs yesteryear's should the new guys be punished for having "easier" lives?
It's fun debating, and I personally don't feel strongly one way or the other but as a lifelong sports fan, and this argument arises in every sport, when objective , non biased opinions are presented by those who lived through multiple eras, pretty much the consensus that I've seen is that "new" beats "old"
having said that, if I could watch any 10 players in their prime, not one of them would be under 50
I have had the honor of playing Keith and watching Keith play. I must say the man is the best alive. I have played many pro players and todays rack mechanics can not compare to keiths talent.
I watch Keith Barbeque Cliff Joyner in 8 ball at the IPT qualifier and later on barbeque him in one hole. Cliff gave up a ball and played 8 to 7 if memory serves me correct and it could have been the other way around and keith would have still won if he gave cliff 8 to 6. He plays that strong!!!
What comes to mind when I see keith play most is that line in the Hustler where Fast Eddie says "the cue just has nerves in it I tell you" "Its like the cue is just apart of my hand with nerves running thru it" NO ONE PERSONIFIES THAT STATEMENT MORE THAN KEITH!!!!!!!!
I love his side winder style of play but it is more controlled than Bustamente and the only one close in style or form is Randolpho Luat!!! Keith bumps ball for position better than anyone in the world and Inside english's balls better than every one else as well. Corey dueul is the only person I have seen in along time spin the rock like keith or even come close and that is saying something!!!!!
Kid
Dynomite
I watch Keith Barbeque Cliff Joyner in 8 ball at the IPT qualifier and later on barbeque him in one hole. Cliff gave up a ball and played 8 to 7 if memory serves me correct and it could have been the other way around and keith would have still won if he gave cliff 8 to 6. He plays that strong!!!
What comes to mind when I see keith play most is that line in the Hustler where Fast Eddie says "the cue just has nerves in it I tell you" "Its like the cue is just apart of my hand with nerves running thru it" NO ONE PERSONIFIES THAT STATEMENT MORE THAN KEITH!!!!!!!!
I love his side winder style of play but it is more controlled than Bustamente and the only one close in style or form is Randolpho Luat!!! Keith bumps ball for position better than anyone in the world and Inside english's balls better than every one else as well. Corey dueul is the only person I have seen in along time spin the rock like keith or even come close and that is saying something!!!!!
Kid
Dynomite