Are there any?

LucasBilliards

LucasBilliards

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
World class black players? I haven't seen one and was just curious if I just haven't heard of them. Golf has Tiger, tennis has the Williams sisters, even the NHL has black players but I can't seem to find any pool players that are pro level. Is it that there aren't many black players in general or is it that they don't pursue it as much as other sports? Or is it something else? This post is not meant to be anything racial at all just curious. My dad was hands down the best black player I've ever seen but I know there has to be others out there. Any you guys can think of?
 
LucasBilliards said:
World class black players? I haven't seen one and was just curious if I just haven't heard of them. Golf has Tiger, tennis has the Williams sisters, even the NHL has black players but I can't seem to find any pool players that are pro level. Is it that there aren't many black players in general or is it that they don't pursue it as much as other sports? Or is it something else? This post is not meant to be anything racial at all just curious. My dad was hands down the best black player I've ever seen but I know there has to be others out there. Any you guys can think of?
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There don't seem to be many today, except maybe Mark Tadd but he looks like he may be middle eastern, I'm not sure.

In the past there were quite a few top notch black players:

Cisero Murphy - 1965 World 14.1 Champion and hall of famer
James Evans - barred from World championship play in his prime but considered the best ever by many.
Rags Woods
Cannonball Chapman
Marvin Henderson - considered the best all-around black player ever
Strawberry Brooks

to name a few.
 
Is Raj Hundal indian or black? And Tiger is just as Asian as he is black :) Funny how he is classified as a black athlete, not Asian.
 
Would Cliff Joyner be considered World Class? I think so, if you're talking 1-pocket.

Ike Runnels plays pretty sporty too!

Maniac
 
Bobby said:
There don't seem to be many today, except maybe Mark Tadd but he looks like he may be middle eastern, I'm not sure.

In the past there were quite a few top notch black players:

Cisero Murphy - 1965 World 14.1 Champion and hall of famer
James Evans - barred from World championship play in his prime but considered the best ever by many.
Rags Woods
Cannonball Chapman
Marvin Henderson - considered the best all-around black player ever
Strawberry Brooks

to name a few.
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I think you forgot Bugs Rucker.
 
Maniac said:
Would Cliff Joyner be considered World Class? I think so, if you're talking 1-pocket.

Ike Runnels plays pretty sporty too!

Maniac
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I'm gonna look some of these guys up. This is what I was looking for, names I haven't heard of before. Thanks for the info guys.
 
vincentwu817 said:
Yup, pretty interesting. If you are 1/16th black, you would still be considered black in this country :)
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Yeah America is good for that. I'm only 1/4 black and to most don't even look black but if you ask someone to describe me I'm the big light skinned black guy with the curly hair. Just the way it is I guess.
 
Anyways, so why do you think is it that there just aren't many black world class pool players? I have met a couple black players here and they all played one pocket. There was also a grandpa who'd come into the room on a wheel chair to watch me shoot and give me pointers.
 
When I used to live in Milwaukee I used to see Willie Munson frequently, probably at the time one of the better black pool players around, I'm sure even more so in his day. A great guy too, very friendly to all of the players.

One day he brought a younger guy to the room to play for a few weeks and he terrorized the local tournaments the whole time he was there. His name - Cliff Joyner, yet another great all around black player.


I'm guessing the reason for the disparity at the highest levels of the game is historical prejudices and exclusions, which to some of us may seem like it was so long ago but really wasn't in the context of history. I hope given the way things are now, at least overtly, that in future years we'll continue to see talent rise to the top regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, or other similar distinctions.
Scott
 
vincentwu817 said:
Is Raj Hundal indian or black? And Tiger is just as Asian as he is black :) Funny how he is classified as a black athlete, not Asian.
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Raj is Indian who was born (maybe) but raised for sure in England.. If you talk about colors that makes him Brown lol (just to be at par with the thread topic)...

There is a famous snooker player called Rory Mcleod who is of Jamaican decent and probably the only black snooker professional
 
I think it's like Scott said that some prejudice and exclusions still exist or at least the thought of it scares some people off. Also I think for the most part pool is not a sport that is given much notariety in the black community. Growing up as a black kid you get taught how to play football and basketball seriously but pool is looked at as kind of a "game" and nothing to be taken too seriously. I too hope that pool can one day reach all communities and people. It's a beautiful sport and hopefully one day everyone will see it. "I have a dream....." ah nevermind you know what I mean.
 
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