Cliff Joyner looking for sponsors

There have been a couple of comments to the effect of how hard it is "on the road."

Do you know what is really hard? Getting up every morning and going to work year after year and saving and investing for the life you want.

I doubt there is a single individual on this forum who would not rather be playing pool all the time. But, most folks here implicitly understand that that would be a poor life choice. If one day I were to discover that I had a talent for playing tiddlywinks and decided to go on the road and hustle tiddlywinks, match up at tiddlywinks, and play in tiddlywinks tournaments people would know I was nuts. But, for some reason many folks have a different mentality when it comes to pool.

Pool is not golf, or tennis, or like any other sport that lucratively rewards its best players. If you dedicate your life to the game you do so at your own peril.

Lou Figueroa
Hello Lou, Your views on this don't surprise me at all. What I can tell you is I personally haved worked since a kid.
1 Shining shoes as a kid
2 cutting grass, raking leaves, shoveling snow Etc.
3 Nurseries , hard work . My family had nothing so I learned how to work at a very young age. Be careful when you get your shoes shined for the kids become very good judges of character at a young age. do you have black polish on your white socks yet Lou ?? I owned 2 large billiard room restaurants in the St. Louis area for 25 years. Be there by 10am - 230am 7 days a week. I added $6500 3 times a year for several years. It was the Original Texas Express ran by John McChesney, It in my opinion was the best Midwest event along with Shooters in Olathe Ks.
I added 15k out of my pocket to host the St. Louis Open in 1997. It was a PCA event that was Cj's dream, Or one of them.
I learned I couldn't make it playing so I went in to business, I didn't play the speed I played ever again, Now I play your speed Lou. All im saying some people didn't make the choice you did Lou. Does that make them not equal as a human being as you ?
These guys like Cliff paved the way for young players all over the world, I hope that pool makes it and I hope Cliff and the rest of the oldtimers may still have a chance at their pot of gold.
If guys like Ronnie, Keith, Cliff didn't stick it out , There wouldn't be anyone to belittle and bash. I played them all . My hats off to each and every one of you.
Now I have to go and get showered, And Lou, you can tend to your beautiful garden, And have a nice glass of wine with your wife, Have a nice day.

Sincerely, Gary Lutman
PS. Lou , Would you like a shine sir ?
 
There have been a couple of comments to the effect of how hard it is "on the road."

Do you know what is really hard? Getting up every morning and going to work year after year and saving and investing for the life you want.

I doubt there is a single individual on this forum who would not rather be playing pool all the time. But, most folks here implicitly understand that that would be a poor life choice. If one day I were to discover that I had a talent for playing tiddlywinks and decided to go on the road and hustle tiddlywinks, match up at tiddlywinks, and play in tiddlywinks tournaments people would know I was nuts. But, for some reason many folks have a different mentality when it comes to pool.

Pool is not golf, or tennis, or like any other sport that lucratively rewards its best players. If you dedicate your life to the game you do so at your own peril.

Lou Figueroa
Does this make him a bad guy looking for a sponsor?
 
Gary.. I am going to take your adivce and work real hard to become a "World Class Player" now that I am retired.

I will need some funding to pay for all the time that I will have to spend at the Pool Hall and maybe a lesson or 2 from a top flite coach to fine tune my game.

Any chance I can count you in on a sponsorship?

Hey! I want in on this deal too! ;)
 
Hey! I want in on this deal too! ;)

I have added probably 100k over the years . I owned Star-Lite Café & Billiards in St. Louis Mo, 1986-1996. I hosted a lot of $6500 added events.3 times a year not including the $1k and smaller weekly events.
I opened Sharky's in Collinsville Il. in1996 .I hosted the St. Louis Open that year. It was a PCA event. Cj's tour. It was a tremendous success. I added $15k to this event. This was the nicest most talented field St. Louis ever had. 3 out of 4 top finishers were from the Phillipines. JA finished 3rd.
I have put up a lot of cash to support pool.
Gary
 
Hello Lou, Your views on this don't surprise me at all. What I can tell you is I personally haved worked since a kid.
1 Shining shoes as a kid
2 cutting grass, raking leaves, shoveling snow Etc.
3 Nurseries , hard work . My family had nothing so I learned how to work at a very young age. Be careful when you get your shoes shined for the kids become very good judges of character at a young age. do you have black polish on your white socks yet Lou ?? I owned 2 large billiard room restaurants in the St. Louis area for 25 years. Be there by 10am - 230am 7 days a week. I added $6500 3 times a year for several years. It was the Original Texas Express ran by John McChesney, It in my opinion was the best Midwest event along with Shooters in Olathe Ks.
I added 15k out of my pocket to host the St. Louis Open in 1997. It was a PCA event that was Cj's dream, Or one of them.
I learned I couldn't make it playing so I went in to business, I didn't play the speed I played ever again, Now I play your speed Lou. All im saying some people didn't make the choice you did Lou. Does that make them not equal as a human being as you ?
These guys like Cliff paved the way for young players all over the world, I hope that pool makes it and I hope Cliff and the rest of the oldtimers may still have a chance at their pot of gold.
If guys like Ronnie, Keith, Cliff didn't stick it out , There wouldn't be anyone to belittle and bash. I played them all . My hats off to each and every one of you.
Now I have to go and get showered, And Lou, you can tend to your beautiful garden, And have a nice glass of wine with your wife, Have a nice day.

Sincerely, Gary Lutman
PS. Lou , Would you like a shine sir ?

2) Describes what every kid in my neighborhood did. Nothing special when you grew up in the suburbs of Detroit.

Anyhoo, we all make our choices in life....deciding to go the route that has no retirement check, IMO, is a poor choice.
I have seen some exceptions to the rule, Nick Varner comes to mind. He has done well with his business and marketing products. My hat is off to him and many othes who have learned to live in a tough business.

I have seen countless others who, without the help of a spouse, friend, whoever, would never eat day to day.

I guess Lou and I agree on styles of living. You could put me in the same boat as him. I chose to have a career, pool is no a good living unless you are at the very pinnacle.

JMHO, but I think Cliff would do better in his local room trying to get travle money and entry fees. Most of us, including me, have never met him. I'm sure if I saw him o a regular basis in my local pool room, I would give him $50 or so just to get him going.
 
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2) Describes what every kid in my neighborhood did. Nothing special when you grew up in the suburbs of Detroit.

Anyhoo, we all make our choices in life....deciding to go the route that has no retirement check, IMO, is a poor choice.
I have seen some exceptions to the rule, Nick Varner comes to mind. He has done well with his business and marketing products. My hat is off to him and many othes who have learned to live in a tough business.

I have seen countless others who, without the help of a spouse, friend, whoever, would never eat day to day.

I guess Lou and I agree on styles of living. You could put me in the same boat as him. I chose to have a career, pool is no a good living unless you are at the very pinnacle.

JMHO, but I think Cliff would do better in his local room trying to get travle money and entry fees. Most of us, including me, have never met him. I'm sure if I saw him o a regular basis in my local pool room, I would give him $50 or so just to get him going.

A lot of people didn't grow up in the suburbs .............
 
Just a thought.

Without the participation of some of the top players, And I do hope they can play.
Cliff may have the nuts !!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Lou....Do you mean that nobody went down the "high school" (grammar school for some) graduation line and assigned our vocations (i.e. electrician, fireman, policeman, pool player, serial killer etc..etc..)? OH NO!...You mean I could of chosen "serial killer" instead?....SHIT!


Monsignor, you know me well enough to know I would never insinuate something like that :-o

Lou Figueroa
 
Hello Lou, Your views on this don't surprise me at all. What I can tell you is I personally haved worked since a kid.
1 Shining shoes as a kid
2 cutting grass, raking leaves, shoveling snow Etc.
3 Nurseries , hard work . My family had nothing so I learned how to work at a very young age. Be careful when you get your shoes shined for the kids become very good judges of character at a young age. do you have black polish on your white socks yet Lou ?? I owned 2 large billiard room restaurants in the St. Louis area for 25 years. Be there by 10am - 230am 7 days a week. I added $6500 3 times a year for several years. It was the Original Texas Express ran by John McChesney, It in my opinion was the best Midwest event along with Shooters in Olathe Ks.
I added 15k out of my pocket to host the St. Louis Open in 1997. It was a PCA event that was Cj's dream, Or one of them.
I learned I couldn't make it playing so I went in to business, I didn't play the speed I played ever again, Now I play your speed Lou. All im saying some people didn't make the choice you did Lou. Does that make them not equal as a human being as you ?
These guys like Cliff paved the way for young players all over the world, I hope that pool makes it and I hope Cliff and the rest of the oldtimers may still have a chance at their pot of gold.
If guys like Ronnie, Keith, Cliff didn't stick it out , There wouldn't be anyone to belittle and bash. I played them all . My hats off to each and every one of you.
Now I have to go and get showered, And Lou, you can tend to your beautiful garden, And have a nice glass of wine with your wife, Have a nice day.

Sincerely, Gary Lutman
PS. Lou , Would you like a shine sir ?


Well, all righty. (Where to begin?)

First off, thanks for sharing your curriculum vitae. (Shoe shine boy -- who knew.) Second, given your familiarity with shoes you must be aware that if the shoe does not fit, you must aquit, er, or at least you shouldn’t try and force it to fit -- your foot will hurt and you will walk funny. Third, I’m sorry to hear that you’re playing so poorly nowadays. Fourth, Cliff didn’t pave anything. The romantic notion of the itinerant pool player goes back in time far beyond his doings. Lastly, I believe all God’s chil’ens are created equal. (I also believe I don’t own a pair of white socks, but I digress.)

I think that’s it. Oh yeah, no thanks on the shine.

Lou Figueroa
 
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2) Describes what every kid in my neighborhood did. Nothing special when you grew up in the suburbs of Detroit.

Anyhoo, we all make our choices in life....deciding to go the route that has no retirement check, IMO, is a poor choice.
I have seen some exceptions to the rule, Nick Varner comes to mind. He has done well with his business and marketing products. My hat is off to him and many othes who have learned to live in a tough business.

I have seen countless others who, without the help of a spouse, friend, whoever, would never eat day to day.

I guess Lou and I agree on styles of living. You could put me in the same boat as him. I chose to have a career, pool is no a good living unless you are at the very pinnacle.

JMHO, but I think Cliff would do better in his local room trying to get travle money and entry fees. Most of us, including me, have never met him. I'm sure if I saw him o a regular basis in my local pool room, I would give him $50 or so just to get him going.


Welcome aboard, Tuscon :-)

The thing is, when you boil it down to its essence, what you're left with is a guy who is asking for money so he can play pool.

Lou Figueroa
 
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Well, all righty. (Where to begin?)

First off, thanks for sharing your curriculum vitae. (Shoe shine boy -- who knew.) Second, given your familiarity with shoes you must be aware that if the shoe does not fit, you must aquit, er, or at least you shouldn’t try and force it to fit -- your foot will hurt and you will walk funny. Third, I’m sorry to hear that you’re playing so poorly nowadays. Fourth, Cliff didn’t pave anything. The romantic notion of the itinerant pool player goes back in time far beyond his doings. Lastly, I believe all God’s chil’ens are created equal. (I also believe I don’t own a pair of white socks, but I digress.)

I think that’s it. Oh yeah, no thanks on the shine.

Lou Figueroa

You think big words scare me, Not anymore. I have learned to google !!!!
 
You seem to dog the pro players
So I ask you that

You play.. uhh.. pretty sporty. Why aren't you on here asking for money instead of working?

Secondly, do you think it's appropriate to show up when it's to only ask for money?

Just questions. I'd like to see him play some time, but it's nothing I can justify throwing money at right now. I was also wondering if Poolplayer2093 was going to show up in this thread. :eek:
 
You seem to dog the pro players
So I ask you that


If by that you meant I do not slavishly idolize them and am willing to ask some of them legitimate questions, that would be fine. But I suspect you mean something else and to that I would say you are incorrect and barking up the wrong tree.

Lou Figueroa
 
You play.. uhh.. pretty sporty. Why aren't you on here asking for money instead of working?

Secondly, do you think it's appropriate to show up when it's to only ask for money?

Just questions. I'd like to see him play some time, but it's nothing I can justify throwing money at right now. I was also wondering if Poolplayer2093 was going to show up in this thread. :eek:

Maybe his first post ever on az should not be to ask for a sponsor.
But I do think az should be a good place for guys to get some kind of a sponsor.
If 10 to 20 guys on here who have some gamble and there are plenty on here that do put up 100 or so each they could have a good horse.
 
One time in band camp....

A pro asked for money to play pool in the US Open on AZB.

He found a nice sponsor, regular guy. And the pro went on to win the US Open and he split 40k wirh his sponsor.
 
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