basavich bashing?

Enough about Kid D spending too much time between shots...... Danny has heart and knows how to match up.... He bares down and takes a little bit more time when he is in a tougher match and realizes he can't make any mistakes, but that is his style. If you don't like it don't play him or watch!

There are many players out there that talk shit when you are shooting...wine like little B!@#$es when they miss and try to get in your head with their antics. I agree that too many breaks can be disturbing, but things like that should be worked out prior to him playing a money match. And I don't think he is doing it to shark anyone he is playing.
 
SSach said:
Enough about Kid D spending too much time between shots...... Danny has heart and knows how to match up.... He bares down and takes a little bit more time when he is in a tougher match and realizes he can't make any mistakes, but that is his style. If you don't like it don't play him or watch!

There are many players out there that talk shit when you are shooting...wine like little B!@#$es when they miss and try to get in your head with their antics. I agree that too many breaks can be disturbing, but things like that should be worked out prior to him playing a money match. And I don't think he is doing it to shark anyone he is playing.

I've seen Danny play on numerous occasions, in action and competitively in tournaments. I have NEVER seen him have a take-a-break problem in a tournament/action settnig. Yes, he does shoot slow, but so what? So does Jeremy Jones, and because of his slow and deliberate play, he won the 2003 U.S. Open, and why not? If I was in the pit, I'd be doing everything possible to make it to the winner's circle. If shooting slow makes me a winner, I'm going to shoot slow.

Relating to a shot clock, I've seen Danny in this type of setting, too, and he DRILLED Corey Deuel at the GCO last year with a 30-second shot clock in force. Several weeks ago, Corey wins the Bike event by beating Danny in the finals. Danny's name seems to keep popping up in the semi-finals and finals matches in a lot of events as of late.

Vivian whistles, Nick Varner chews that gum, Earl Strickland talks when he's under the gun, Charlie Williams swipes his stick up and down repetitively before firing, Frankie Hernandez likes to poke fun at his opponents before a match, hoping to get under their skin, Buddy Hall likes complete quiet when he's in the heat of battle and slow walks his way around the table between shots, Mike Davis spends more time racking the balls than he does contemplating a shot, Danny Medina has a bizarre tongue movement when he's competing, and on and on. Whatever it takes to win, every player has their own personal traits when in their individual zones.

Danny Basavich wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and he's traveled up the pool totem pole the hard way. Because of his efforts, Pittsburgh Steel recognized some good qualities in Kid Delicious and sponsors him, providing him an opportunity to live out his dreams and keep his pool journey moving forward. In return, Danny practices non-stop and continues to this day to improve his game. He's come a long way, and he ain't done yet! (IMO)

He's also fortunate to have a very loving and supportive family who backs him up on his endeavors. As far as being a "road player," he hasn't traveled nearly as much as some players I know from yesteryear, but I give him credit for recognizing that the on-the-road pool player doesn't yield a very satisfying lifestyle, and he had the good sense to do something about it.

Slow or fast, fat or skinny, he's one of a kind. The first time I met him, I knew he was special. It was something in his eyes which revealed his deep passion for the sport and a strong desire to be somebody someday, at whatever cost. Some people are just result pickers. Those who recognize champion quality already know Danny Basavich is there.

Again, I'm proud to call him my friend, and Keith thinks the world of Danny himself, as long as it's not Danny on the other end of Keith's table (LOL).

JAM
 

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I saw kid before he had turned "pro" come to Missouri (Rolla) and play a top notch player from Missouri (who plays in the Music City Open about every year). The guy won the state 9 ball championship a few years ago, and had no clue who Bassavich was. They played even to start, and the guy dropped 4 straight sets for $500 a set. Then Kid offered Martin Warren (past state 9 champion) the call 7 and he turned it down, said there was no way he could beat him. I know Tommy Stephenson (Scarecrow), came up as well, and gave Martin 3 games to 9 for $500 a set.
 
This thread is good and bad. I love to hear the stories from the road but hate it when people start making comparisons that they are obviously not knowledgeable enough to make. Talking about possible matchups like these guys don't know each other and what they are capable of. I know it's a free country and we can say what we want(libelous not included), but can we try to refrain from trashing someone who is obviously not coming here to defend themselves. I've met Danny once, so to say were buddies would be a lie, but from that one encounter I was really impressed by him as a person and a player.
There are ususally several matches going on so if you can't stand to watch a slow match then move on to the next one. I've said it before, but the hill-hill match between Danny and Keith in Quincy was one of the best I've seen and it took a long time. I couldn't have cared less because the quality of play and non-stop woofing kept everyone in thier seats watching.

Dave
 
"I have NEVER seen him have a take-a-break problem in a tournament/action settnig." Guess Danny's game has turned over new leaf cause against Gabe there WERE excessive take-a-break problems. It became a joke to Danny & one time, coming back from one of these take-a-breaks he told Gabe "that time it was only 8 minutes & 32 seconds, I timed it". Danny admitted that his breaks were too long but was going to keep taking them & that is why he agreed to add an extra hour to the time that Gabe & him agreed to play. Read my earlier post on Danny & how he plays AT THE TABLE. He is doing great things for the sport in getting corporate backing & his upcoming article in Sports Illustrated. He is a great player & won this round. Too bad he was so far from home cause Gabe asked him to bet 20 large & Danny could only come up with 7 large from a group stake effort. In another situation, he could've won more if he had the money or backers. Hopefully they will play again sometime. I would also like to see Reed Pierce come out of retirement to play Danny....I think Reed would get the cash.
 
where is tony watson????

I have enjoyed reading this forum over the past couple of months. I have kept pretty quiet but this time I must speak up. I fanyone, and I mean anyone thinks that Tony Watson can beat Danny playing nine ball, then let's get it on. I am a good friend of Danny's and I have been with Danny staking him at many of the stories you have talked about in this forum. I can reach Danny at any time and he will play. Anyone that likes Tony's side, " the window is open." It is a wide open. Let me know.
 
Nobody is bashing

I am not bashing Danny nor do I believe anyone else who has commented negatively on his slow play are doing that. I think in the long run and for the good of the game he must work on speeding it up if he can and I hear he is working on that. However has anybody ever thought about the possibility what the problems would be if they broadcast him live on T.V. It would be a disaster. They would have to put him on a shot clock. There is not a sport I can think of that does not have a shot clock of some sort. You must institute action in a competitive game or put everyone to sleep. That is the main reason they went to shot clocks in baskeball, because stalling was boring and bad for t.v. Someone metioned waiting forever for a pitcher to pitch in baseball but does that poster know that the pitcher "must" deliver the ball within a designated time frame and it is less than a minute. Imagine if BCN was televising live this year and charging you for the Basavich, Bustamante match. As I mentioned on another thread in the last game of that match Danny had ball in hand on the one and we were betting over and under 7 minutes on the length of that game. Well it went over 7. For 9 ball action that is way too slow and you could never show that match live on t.v.
In that round of tournament matches their match took about 45 minutes longer than every other one. I know baseball can even put you to sleep even with their attempts to speed up the game but pool should never do that. And this thread is in no way a bashing of Danny as I think he is a great player and a great person and I wish him all the best in his effort to speed up.
If he did great in matches with a clock before then maybe just instittute a 30 or 45 second clock in all tournaments and for everybody.
 
You guys are killing me with this thread...I been reading and laughing...It reminds me so much of a time down at Southern Billiards when the Preacher came and played in our tourney. He was so dern slow...we were all about put to sleep. Problem was, he never missed! I believe he won that tournament and the Professor said he was going to implement a shot clock next tourney, Preacher never came back as I recall. Danny also won a tourney down at the Professor's place...so makes me wonder if he was playing slow then as well.

Heck I am in a wheelchair and sometimes I have to use two different cue extenders and my special bridge and I know I still shoot in under a minute. It's partially rhythm. I once played in a wheelchair tourney and got my butt spanked...why? Cause everyone was so friggin slow! I been playing you standup guys and gals all my life, I was totally unprepared to nap between shots. I could not get into any kind of rhythm whatsoever. I mean heck, my chair can do 20mph so why not run a rack that fast? Just kidding...only thing I run to is the fridgerator.

My theory is this...if you know he shoots slow and it aggrivates, you...don't play him...period. He got gamble yeah, but there are a lot of other people that have perfectly good cabbage for the picking as well. Eventually he will have no one to play and he will get the hint that his game has to speed up. See my point?

Shorty
 
I actually had to join up.. this thread was pissing me off....Its a tactic to play as slow as the Kid just like a guy who plays super fast ...It takes you out of your game...People know how he plays so why would you want to match up with him for 10 ahead or such chances are you are going to lose or get frustrated or both...Thats a Veteran move no different than a savy football team running the ball to control the clock and the game...How can you fault a guy for finding ways to win...I've seen him play more than a few times and its hard to watch forget about play him...A great player is one who does not allow outside factors such as speed deter his game...Look at Reyes half the time the guy looks like he is asleep while the other guy shoots.

Bottom line does he get cash more often than not....Thats the bottom line
 
I, myself, could care less how fast or slow Danny plays. As a fan, if he is too slow for me I can watch someone else or play someone. It would suck if I started playing someone who slowed down dramatically or took continuosly long breaks, especially if I didnt know it. If I did know it and still decided to play the game, its on me. I do not know if Gabe knew or not, oh well. In a tournament the director can put a clock on you if deemed neccisary. TV can do the same. Besides pool on ESPN is edited anyhow. As if you need to edit the stupid games they air. Sevenball, or nine ball, if you miss your opponent gets ball in hand. Hell, I can beat any of the pros if we play a race to seven, seven ball, rotate breaks, one safety per game, you must call it, then if you miss after that its ball in hand. The rules ESPN has for televised pool brings the level of the game down and they still edit that by skipping ahead a few games.

Anyhow, let Danny play the way he sees fit as long as its within the rules and his opponent or the tourney director agress to it.

I too have seen Danny a couple of times once at the open and once at the Carolinas Open and he seems like a great guy with a matching personality.

As for the other poster that claims to have been to every US Open in the last 15 years and has never seen or heard of Tony Watson playing Danny or Alex, I dont know what to tell you, maybe you were at the Convention center,who knows. Besides Tony and Alex have played the same game several times with both winning, I just think it became apparent to alex that he could not win giving up the seven and last two. Did you also miss Efren giving Scott Frost something like 10-6 and playing all night.

My main point in posting in this thread is that I disagreed with some saying Danny Basavich is the best road player(gambler) in the country over the last five years. I think there are about 20 players that play in the US that Danny cannot/shouldnot beat, of those only about 10 still gamble and will gamble. That said IMO Danny is about the tenth or eleventh best money player in the states.JMO
 
In fact, at the same open, I think Danny got BBQ'ed in a $50 tenball ring game. Sam Monday took a severe beating. Sparky and Keith Bennett won. Steve McAnnich lost, I think the game broke up when Scott Frost got in, or maybe it was alex that got in at the end.
 
Danny, who I've known since he was about fifteen is a wonderful guy and a wonderful player. He has earned the right to be called one of the best, and I hope 2005 will be a great year for him.

Still, I can't imagine him beating Antonio Lining in any long match, not even if Lining gave up the eight. Just my honest opinion.
 
johnrp2005 said:
tony watson has not been named by a bunch of billiards magazines calling hime best road money player in the last five years. neither has gabe as much as i like the guys and respect them. but in the end my friend when all was said and done who was up 5 games! not gabe! ok how about this tell tony to play kid next time at derby! hell last time i saw tony watson playing durbin for 40,000 total he was running around the table like a mad man and when he wasnt shooting he was fidgeting like a crack head in need of a fix i saw him hot box a pack of cigs in one game!! and let me tell you with those 2 characters playing the match could be rigged and a set up! probably lots of good people lost their money that night on side bets it was a sham!
QUOTE]



Will Basivich play Jose Parica for the money? I think Not. Keith McCready? James Walden? Cliff Joyner? Corey Deuel? Johnny Archer? Efren Reyes (doubt it)? Stated in Billiards Digest in 2004, that Jose Parica claims he is the best money player on the planet, bar none! I would like to see both of these guys put up their own money (highly unlikely) and play some 9 ball or one hole.
 
Jam, I agree with you on everything except for Danny crushing Antonio Lining. This guy Lining does not play tournaments anywhere near as well as he plays for the money. In the Phillipines, Antonio is the SECOND best money player next to Efren. That tells alot. Efren is easily the best tournament/money player in the world, and to rank Antonio right below him, even amongst all of the unknown champions in the Phillipines, tells alot. Antonio vs. Anyone except for Efren, my money would be on Antonio, that's for sure.

Did I mention about 8 years ago this guy Lining hustled me? What a jerk lol.
 
Folks, for the record Efren is the best player in the world for the money. Period Whether its the last 4 or 5 years or 40 years. Efren still plays in this country, quite often as well, and he still plays for the cash and any amount.

In fact, I will list several players that still gamble that play in the US that are at least a little better than the Kid at this point in time in nine/ten ball.

1 Efren Reyes
2 Corey Deuel
3 Francisco Bustamante
4 Jose Parica
5 Antonio Lining
6 Johnny Archer
7 Rodney Morris
8 Shannon Daulton
9 Mika Immonen
10 Dennis Hatch
11 John Schmidt
12 Jeremy Jones


There is a dozen. IMO I would put Tony Watson in there too. Since he already beat him 10-ahead once for $10k. But that was about five years ago so I'll leave him off for now. I would also bet on James Walden over Danny too.


Now we get to the players I think Danny has beat, in nine/ten ball.

Charlie Williams, Tony Robles, Frankie Hernandez, Eric Durbin, Max Eberle, Mike Davis, Stevie Moore, Cliff Joyner, Santos Sambajon, Marco Marquez, Tony Chohan, David Guiterez, and almost everyone else in america that I can think of. That is a heck of an accomplishment IMO.


Agree or disagree????????? with whom do you disagree????
 
also I'll take Keith McCready over kid if Keith has the same designater breaker he had at the Carolinas Open when he drilled Keith Bennett 11-1 or so. McCready didnt miss a ball, he played great as usual. However without the desiganted breaker, my money is on Kid Delicious.
 
NorthCarolinian said:
Folks, for the record Efren is the best player in the world for the money. Period Whether its the last 4 or 5 years or 40 years. Efren still plays in this country, quite often as well, and he still plays for the cash and any amount.

In fact, I will list several players that still gamble that play in the US that are at least a little better than the Kid at this point in time in nine/ten ball.

1 Efren Reyes
2 Corey Deuel
3 Francisco Bustamante
4 Jose Parica
5 Antonio Lining
6 Johnny Archer
7 Rodney Morris
8 Shannon Daulton
9 Mika Immonen
10 Dennis Hatch
11 John Schmidt
12 Jeremy Jones


There is a dozen. IMO I would put Tony Watson in there too. Since he already beat him 10-ahead once for $10k. But that was about five years ago so I'll leave him off for now. I would also bet on James Walden over Danny too.


Now we get to the players I think Danny has beat, in nine/ten ball.

Charlie Williams, Tony Robles, Frankie Hernandez, Eric Durbin, Max Eberle, Mike Davis, Stevie Moore, Cliff Joyner, Santos Sambajon, Marco Marquez, Tony Chohan, David Guiterez, and almost everyone else in america that I can think of. That is a heck of an accomplishment IMO.


Agree or disagree????????? with whom do you disagree????

All in all, a very solid and well-considered post, but the one guy I'd disagree with you on is Tony Robles. True excellence is defined by how you perform in the toughest field events. The two toughest nine ball fields of the year in America in 2004 were the BCA Open and the US Open, in which Tony Robles came 1st and 9th. That's a strong pedigree if you ask me.

Also, would Danny beat Jamie Baraks for the cash? Might be a good one, right? How would Danny fare with Charlie "Hillbilly" Bryant? Too close to call, in my opinion.
 
I dont know if Tony Robles gambles, if he did I'd take Danny in nine or ten ball and Tony is straight pool.

quote-------------------------
Also, would Danny beat Jamie Baraks for the cash? Might be a good one, right? How would Danny fare with Charlie "Hillbilly" Bryant? Too close to call, in my opinion.
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those two would be good matches

but for my money I'd take Danny over Baraks and I would flip a coin on the other match. I'd bet smaller on this match and I'd flip a coin to see who I'd bet on. Heads is the Kid, Tails is Hillbilly and I'd kinda hope the coin lands on heads, if not thats cool too. I just wouldnt bet much either way on this match. I would love to see it though.
 
Being the best road player has nothing to do with being the best player...Its about matching up the best, total sales package, and getting paid....The ability to woof and being a salesman go a long way...If your only goal is to make money on the road why would you ever want to try to beat the world....You just try to make money..So of course no matter who you are why would you want to match up against top notch players when you can take lesser players money....

If you had a choice between working hard for years to make a million dollars or winning the Lottery for a million which would you choose?????
 
NorthCarolinian said:
Folks, for the record Efren is the best player in the world for the money. Period Whether its the last 4 or 5 years or 40 years. Efren still plays in this country, quite often as well, and he still plays for the cash and any amount.

In fact, I will list several players that still gamble that play in the US that are at least a little better than the Kid at this point in time in nine/ten ball.

1 Efren Reyes
2 Corey Deuel
3 Francisco Bustamante
4 Jose Parica
5 Antonio Lining
6 Johnny Archer
7 Rodney Morris
8 Shannon Daulton
9 Mika Immonen
10 Dennis Hatch
11 John Schmidt
12 Jeremy Jones


There is a dozen. IMO I would put Tony Watson in there too. Since he already beat him 10-ahead once for $10k. But that was about five years ago so I'll leave him off for now. I would also bet on James Walden over Danny too.


Now we get to the players I think Danny has beat, in nine/ten ball.

Charlie Williams, Tony Robles, Frankie Hernandez, Eric Durbin, Max Eberle, Mike Davis, Stevie Moore, Cliff Joyner, Santos Sambajon, Marco Marquez, Tony Chohan, David Guiterez, and almost everyone else in america that I can think of. That is a heck of an accomplishment IMO.


Agree or disagree????????? with whom do you disagree????

James Walden is a very nice guy and a solid shooter, but he is not quite at the others level. I would back Danny against anybody on your list. He can play well for the money and is a hell of a nice guy. :) Everybody on your list knows that Danny is a tough player to beat.
 
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