Well, there's no doubt that Johnny Archer is on his belly right now, and him agreeing to do a public podcast, much like the current president of the WPA, Ishaun Singh, takes guts. Is Johnny Archer in the wrong about owing Oscar money? Absolutely.
Wind back the clock a few decades when the so-called "Scorpion" was on top of the world, a BCA Hall of Famer, Player of the Decade, and all the accolades that the pool world has to offer. They that soar too high often fall the hardest, and this is what's happened to Johnny Archer. The deterioration of his first pool room in Marietta was a compound fracture and the beginning of his fall from grace, but he was not alone in this fall. There is no doubt that he loves his family. Spending money on high-end cars, a house on a golf course, and purchasing a brand-new deck as soon as Johnny won a pool tournament is where some of that money was spent. Happy wife, happy life? Yep, until the money runs out. It is a shame that those close to him spent that money as fast as he could make it and didn't think about the future of their children and, well, Johnny as a senior citizen.
As someone who is very familiar with substance abuse, whether it's drugs or alcohol, it's not an easy life for the loved ones watching an addict. I've been lambasted as the stop sign for why my other half is not attending some well-known pool events in the past, and it's because of the occupational hazards, for lack of a better word. Addicts have no self-control when it comes to pills, cocaine, alcohol, et cetera, and sadly, the substances are abundant at these pool events, hidden from the public, but they're everywhere.
Johnny's fall from grace hit an all-time high when he did not pay Oscar what Oscar was owed, stiffed him in a game of stakes, and social media has demoralized him over and over and over again. And it's still ongoing. I consider it cyberbullying and am not a fan of it, no matter what Johnny did. Where are all those pool fans and "best friend(s)" of Johnny's when he was on top of the world, bragging about how he was their best buddy and sharing tidbits of Johnny's personal life and their friendship on this very forum? [Crickets.]
The $6,500 that Johnny owes Oscar is not chump change, and when you're broke, it's not easy to muster up that kind of cash when you're alone, have no family support—or pool fan support, for that matter. But it is quite obvious to me at least that The Scorpion is not a quitter. He is making a stand and going public with his desire to let his pool cue do the talking and pay his debts. I am not going to kick a man when he's down on his luck, and I will root for a comeback. Like Earl, he won't be on the top of his game and shoot pool at the same level as in his prime, but I think Johnny still has a little lightning left in the jug.
A champion may fall, but they get up because the ground is no place for a champion.
I never realized how short Keith is compared to Johnny and Buddy, and Keith is 5'10". Photo taken at the Glass City Open in Toledo, OH, in 2005 or '6, subject to check.
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