Archer, mataya 89
- Thread starter Texas Carom Club
- Start date
Those cues have a good clunk to em
Good find! You don't see to many videos of players from this era because the digital technology just wasn't available back then.
Jimmy is a hoot. Thanks for sharing this!
I met Mataya in Vegas in 2006, and we all went to dinner at the Venetian. He had the entire restaurant, consisting mostly of pool players, laughing and in stiches over his description of his participation in Charlie Williams' 14.1 event back in New Jersey the previous month. Apparently, it was raining and the roof leaked onto the pool tables. To hear Jimmy describe how he handled it was like watching a comedy show. It was so funny.
Sean Putnam had never met Jimmy and asked me if I would introduce him to Jimmy, which I did. Jimmy is a legend.
Those couple of years of the Brunswick Word 9-ball (88 and 89), the tables were still slower, and the players had to stroke them. I think that’s why Grady did so well. He liked to pop them hard. By that time, Mataya was a part time player on the “tour.
Nice to see this match again after so many years. I was on the crew with Pat Fleming and Joe Kerr, and may have been in the TV truck during this match as an aide to the producer and director. A couple of things I noticed. Number one, these guys could play pool back then! Often we tend to overlook the skills of all but the very best players from that era, but here you can see that the level of competition was high even then. Jimmy was one of a number of very good players who usually finished high but rarely won on tour (He did win the McDermott Masters that year in Vegas I believe at the Imperial Palace in Vegas beating Earl in the finals!). Johnny had yet to win a major tournament at this time. He got hot in the 1990's though and won just about everything. Notice also that Johhny never once stopped to pick up any lint from the table. He got on with it back then.
Even then the use of the overhead camera was useless imo. Just not needed. Note also that when the cameras closed in on the balls you could see them quite clearly. And of course we recognize all these balls by their colors! I thought Miz did a good job of commentary and his use of the telestrator was excellent. He outlined most of the shots perfectly.
I see so many familiar faces in that crowd, many of them departed now. Ewa looked stunning as always and Dennis Hatch made sure to grab a seat next to her. Smart kid. Dave Hemmah the ref was a pretty fair player himself.
Wow, what a find! I don't recall ever seeing Johnny Archer play live before about 1991. He was an early bloomer and, like Gorst and Filler, had won a World 9-ball title before the age of 25. Jimmy was a fine player, too, often ranked in the top 10 back then, and he was never a guy you much wanted to see in your draw.
Those were the days.
Those were the days.
tomatoshooter
Well-known member
I love the announcers joking about Mataya's self aggrandizement and Archer's youth. These classic matches are some of my favorites to watch.
Awfully few pool pros compete successfully into their mid-fifties. Of today's crop, the most noteworthy is the still dangerous Ralf Souquet, BCA hall of famer and reigning European 8-ball champion. Both Archer and Souquet were born in November 1968.
pool room owner i think.
That cue JA is using is up stairs in the vault. Safe and sound. It’s a joss east
He owns a pool room in Georgia, he’s doing well. Not playing at the moment. He’s spending time with his kids and running the biz. All good
He owns a pool room in Georgia, he’s doing well. Not playing at the moment. He’s spending time with his kids and running the biz. All good
Dave Hemmah was the house pro at Hard Times for a long time. I wonder what he is up to since it closed?
Surfing “Big wave Dave”
He must have been quite young in this video- interesting that he was reffing tournaments at such a young ageSurfing “Big wave Dave”
I feel the same way about the old school matches, said it several times today is like watching robots
I love old snooker Matches to snooker, but today's is very entertaining as well