Brooklyn still proud of Jean Balukas
- Thread starter Jude Rosenstock
- Start date
not that easy.. can.t just pick up an fly somewheres takes money i don.t have an what lil i do have goes too what me an my mom needs.. i.ll go someday when i hit the power ball ;-)
When I hit powerball, I will buy you and your mom a ticket to Brooklyn.
Sweet!! well would have tobe just me nothing in this world would get my mom on an airplane lol
That's your opinion. Mine is if you are competeing and someone is talking and distracting you as you are shooting, you have a right to address that, as Robin did.
You know, since we're talking about Queen Jean, I never understood *why* Jean Balukas did not come to Orlando, FL in December 2005 when Kevin Trudeau was gifting each BCA Hall of Famer with $30,000 just for showing up for the tournament. Plus, each BCA Hall of Famer got two byes in the tournament, to include Efren. Efren won the thing and certainly did not need any byes.
But Jean was invited and I guess or assume she declined. I never understood that, other than maybe she had family or businses reasons to keep her close to home. I understand that. $30,000 is a nice chunk of change, though, just for showing up. :wink:
Very good point. Maybe she didn't get the letter, lol, that would be a pisser. Can't see passing up $30K, but maybe she did (intentionally I mean).
She hardly needs the money
Well Excusssssse meeeee!!!
Hey Fatboy, you got plenty of cheese....would you show up for a free $30K? Just curious.
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Yea sure ... Address it with the official and let him handle it. That's how a person with class handles it. Robin handled it with the same lack of class and sportsmanship jean did.
Jean was losing, so in an attempt to change things, she decided to get verbal and shark Robin. That was lack of class. The referee did talk to Jean because she was distracting Robin. So there was no need to address it with the official, he and everyone else already knew. You call Robin's response a lack of class, I don't. If someone is talking while I'm shooting, I'm going to address it directly. It doesn't have to be done with a lack of class, and Robin certainly did not do so, again IMO.
My goodness, it is so easy for some of the perfect people on this forum to get on a keyboard and spat about class lol...
There is no doubt in my mind she would have eventually won that match regardless of the incident. Why? Because the past proved it over and over. Having come from a much more skilled game as she, I would be pretty upset too, seeing all that slop go in. As Grady said many times, 9 Ball should be a call pocket game like many others.
I remember the 80s and pool very well. I don't think there is anyone that would have liked drawing Queen Jean in any tournament (man or woman).
There is no doubt in my mind she would have eventually won that match regardless of the incident. Why? Because the past proved it over and over. Having come from a much more skilled game as she, I would be pretty upset too, seeing all that slop go in. As Grady said many times, 9 Ball should be a call pocket game like many others.
I remember the 80s and pool very well. I don't think there is anyone that would have liked drawing Queen Jean in any tournament (man or woman).
"Id rather be lucky than good" I said that in action yesterday a few times. Good Lord I couldnt stand how lucky I was getting.It was embarrassing.
On the square, It all depends. Putting myself in her shoes for a minute-no I wouldnt whore myself out for 30 racks after taking a stand like she did. I respect her for that. Now if she was broke or had returned to pool at some point then yes I would have showed up. But she didnt so she made the correct move not to sell out. I respect that for what ever reason. Thats Jeans biz, no mine. That's my answer for her.
I dont know Jean, never met her, I do know Robin and think highly of her. I really dont have a opinion on everything that happened except it should have died right there and then for both of them. And forgotten, its been explained to me by several people what all happened and I honestly cant remember the story. So I'm neutral on it, not on anyone's side.
No not being in her shoes, would I jump on a plane for 30 and come home? yeah these days I would, at one time my time was too valuable and I wouldnt have done that. It all depends on what the highest and best use of my time is. and currently i have ZERO going on, so yes sign me up!!! we can chop it if you find a "Show up $$$" for me.:thumbup:
Keith would get the cash, 10/10 times back then.
no knock on Jean but in a long gambling session Keith would have won. in a tourney race to 11 Jean could win a set for sure over Keith or anyone IMO based on all the video I have seen.
Obviously Jean was talking about tournament play, so I hope you're not assuming that I was trying to make the case that Jean could beat Keith back then for the cash (or Buddy, for that matter).
of course, however in tournys she was a threat to beat anyone any time. And win the whole thing. On slow cloth against the men. I aint seen that since, no knock on any of the girls they play amazing and I have always supported the girls playing, infact i'd rather play any top woman than man. I love to play the best girls. they bear down and play hard-all biz I like and respect that. And if I lose there is no shame in it for me, if I win its cause i played better. for someone my speed playing top women is great, and more fun. I cant beat the top men, obviously, the top girls win too but they have to play to win, I can put some heat on them(not all of them) so it makes for a better game.
Back to Jean, I still think it should have died that day. I respect her for her decision and having the stones to roll with it all these years. Not many people have stones like that in any walk of life.
That's not the point. The point is if she was so good why did she have to resort to whining like a baby? Just play, and shut up when your opponent is shooting.
It would be interesting to hear from players who did compete with the slow cloth of yesterday and the fast cloth of today. I think Archer, Varner, Sigel, and Strickland would fall in that category.
Next time you speak to Johnny, ask him his thoughts of the cloth as far as how it affects his game. I would think that shot selection and game strategy would be affected significantly.
Oh, and Poolbum is right.
The guy Jean Balukas beat at the BC Open before Buddy Hall was Keith. Here I am saying I forgot the name of the guy. I had to look it up in my Keith journal. Sheesh! Talk about selective memory.
Keith was walking down the hall after Jean spanked him, leaving the tournament room. Here comes Buddy Hall getting ready to play his match with Jean. Before Keith could say what happened, Buddy growled at him stating he didn't want to hear about Jean, probably didn't want it to get in his head, I'd imagine. The entire audience was pulling for Queen Jean, applauding after every good shot, cheering after a good break. Keith said Jean broke the balls better than most men.
Most of the male pros don't like competing with the girls. I remember when Gerda spanked Earl Strickland at the 2005 IPT King of the Hill. He couldn't get out of the Orange County Conference Center fast enough, and there was a slew of TV cameras following him. You could fry an egg on his head about that time.
Karen Corr is another strong lady pro. Earl and several other male pros have voiced their opinion about Karen playing in the men's events. At the Joss Tour Season Finale in Maine, one of Earl's matches was going to be against Karen, and he was outside whining about it, how the girls are interfering in the men's events. Meanwhile, it was quite obvious to me at least that Earl knew Karen was very capable of beating him, and he was sweating the upcoming match.
Inside the pool room, Keith and Earl were practicing side by side, and Keith had to rib Earl a little bit about his next match, as Karen stoically sat tableside gazing at her prey. Earl looks like he's smiling here, but believe me, he was hating life at this juncture.
