Cool side story.. I was filling in for my club's Oberliga team this weekend in Darmstadt, and as I am playing, I notice a player in the back of the room, maybe 60-70 feet away. I think to myself.. "Man, than guy walks and strokes a lot like Joshua Filler"....
I then notice a blonde girl practicing on the table besides this person, and as she is a little closer, I recognize her as Joshua's gal, having watched a lot of Joshua at DCC in Ray's Action Room. I walk a little closer, and confirm that the player is Joshua Filler. He is on the newly recovered table in the back of the room, practicing drills.
I ask one of the Darmstadt team members if Joshua was living in the area, and they said, "No, he is just training." This didn't make a lot of sense to me, so after I finish my matches, I just sit and watching Josh practicing.. Later, I saw a fellow at the back of the room that had been watching Josh, and another young player, and talked to him. Found out, the fellow was the coach for the German national team, and that Joshua just dropped in to hit a few balls with the national team, before heading to Moscow...
I didn't end up talking with Josh, as I generally don't like to disturb practicing players, but did chat with Pia for about 10 minutes. She confirmed that "money was made" at DCC on the side games, and she thinks that the barbox 8 ball match against Corey was the only matchup Joshua lost while at Derby.
Short Bus Russ
Great story, Russ. Josh and Pia are a credit to our sport and they have great work ethics. Josh is ALWAYS training.
FYI, at the Derby, Josh Filler also lost a bank pool action game to Shannon Murphy by a score of 10-9, with the match coming down to the last ball of the last rack.