"Crashed and Burned"

[beetle]

Well, I don't know if I'm allowed to say anything so I'll leave it to Nick to provide the details. But there is a new sponsor of the PP tour, which means more money and more events closer to the Beltway!

I just checked the website, and see that the cat is out of the bag there. You will see that Tiger Products is a new sponsor:
http://www.planet-pool.com/

 

[landshark77]

You will see that Tiger Products is a new sponsor

Thanx Beetle. Congrats Nick, Ceci,, and Andy!

 

[Railbird]

My first U.S. Open was an experience that I will never forget. I was new to the tournament trail; thus, the beginning of my pool journey with Keith McCready.

Entering the grand ballroom of the Chesapeake Conference Center in Virginia, I was totally awestruck as I watched a parade of American pool phenoms arrive one by one for the players meeting. Keith enjoyed chatting it up with his fellow brethren of pool, and me, I was like the proverbial tourist, snapping pictures left and right with my disposable $10 camera.

A friendly spectator came up to Keith this one evening and asked him if he would like to comment about an article which contained a mention of him. As he perused the article, I watched the permanent grin on Keith's face immediately disappear as he pored through the disparaging words.

Fast forward to the year 2005. The other night, we attended a local weekly tournament, and a friendly spectator once more approached Keith and asked him about a recent article written by a free-lancer named Paul Berg which stated that Keith "crashed and burned" at the recent Super Billiards Expo in Valley Forge at, of all places, the so-called "action table."

I do not know what action table the free-lance writer Paul Berg was watching, but his accounting of the events were totally untrue. With a picture depicting Danny Basavich in the pit, those who were in attendance know that the charismatic Kid Delicious made a one-time very brief cameo appearance, not pocketing a quarter and only stepping up to the plate two or three games. It is hard to believe, as an example, that there was no mention of Ryan "Genie Man" McCreesh, who was in the pit 24/7. Ryan didn't even compete in any tournament. He chose to keep himself planted at the action tables throughout the event.

Worse, the article's rendition of what happened is not accurate. This year, Keith won big time at the action table, enjoying three 11-game-runs the first night, even though the article states he "crashed and burned." He actually busted the action table the first night, and the second night, he enjoyed several more lengthy runs until the wee hours of the morning, when I had to drag him away to get some rest for the next day's tournament match. And best of all, JAM brought home that bacon, the BIGGEST score we have had all year long.

Crash and burn? The only one who has crashed and burned is me as it pertains to the political quagmire of pool, especially with a recent turn of events. The "comprehensive coverage" of the action peaks in pits of Valley Forge is misleading and false in some instances, and my attempts to contact the source have unbelievably fallen on deaf ears.

My writing engine now overhauled, due to frustration and now anger, I will just let my fingers do the talking in tandem with Keith. Unlike the current pool "third estate" representation, it is my intention to publish a no-bars-hold accounting of pool in the United States, to include accurate detail-oriented experiences on the road and tournament trail beginning in the late '60s to the year 2005. Stay tuned because this fat lady is getting ready to sing!

JAM

Hey Jam,

Maybe this Paul Berg guy hasn't had his 15 minutes of fame yet and needs to use Keith as the vehicle to get it.

As you know, I was in attendance at the action table all four days & nights of the Expo, and can attest to the success that Keith enjoyed along with his second place finish in the Pro-Am Bar Table Challenge.

Celebrating St. Paddy's Day at the action table with the Keither, it doesn't get much better than that, totally entertaining.

I will however remind you that Ryan did in-fact take a break from the action tables to participate in the Pro-Am Bar Table Challenge where he finished tied for 3rd/4th.

See you and Keith somewhere along your travels.

"I think I hear the music starting"

 

[stolz2]

parica match

Shorty,
3 matches I would recommend are from the 2003 US Open.

The fist is a nailbiter hill-hill match between Keith & Buddy Hall. The other two are Keith's 2 battles with Jose Parica. Very entertaining stuff in the Parica matches. Keith's first match against Jose is by far the best match of the entire tournament.

I own that accustats tape. And love watching keiths fallow shot when he is on the rail shooting the 2 ball i believe and and goes 3 rails. After contacting the object ball the cue ball sits dead for what seems like a full second before ripping forward 3 rails to get position on the 3... sorry if what balls im stating are wrong but anyone that has the tape or watched the match knows the shot. Best part is he exacutes the shot right as billy is saying how he needs to play safe. I think keith only misses a few balls and there all 8 and 9's.

Mack

 

[JAM]

...Maybe this Paul Berg guy hasn't had his 15 minutes of fame yet and needs to use Keith as the vehicle to get it....

I don't think that's the case, but when a player reads something that is definitely factually incorrect about themselves in the print media, it is disconcerting. To say Keith "crashed and burned," when actually Keith was the BIGGEST WINNER at the action table, it doesn't sit well. After expenses, which were pretty hefty for my camp, we still managed to bring home a very, very large chunk of change!

...I will however remind you that Ryan did in fact take a break from the action tables to participate in the Pro-Am Bar Table Challenge where he finished tied for 3rd/4th.

You are right, Railbird! Ryan got backed in the Pro-Am Table Challenge, which began Saturday night and ended Sunday. It was a tough field. He did not, though, participate in any of the amateur tourneys or the pro event which began at the beginning of the SBE. It was his intention to keep himself planted at the action table, where he thought he could do the most damage!

Railbird, there's a Hampton Ridge tournament today, Sunday, 5/22, at Castle Billiards in East Rutherford, New Jersey. I'm not sure how far you are from this pool room, but it's going to be a good field, to include Lee Holt, Josh Brothers, Shaun Wilkie, and most likely Frankie Hernandez. Ryan McCreesh may go, but I haven't heard from him today. While the players are banging balls, I will be stuck at home banging pages for my job.

It was great seeing many of the West Coast players at the SBE. In particular, Tony "T-Rex" Chohan is always a treat, full of enthusiasm, confidence, and a delight to be with. He had a mini run at the action table and came out winner.

JAM

 

[JAM]

...Best part is he executes the shot, right as Billy [Incardone]is saying how he needs to play safe. I think Keith only misses a few balls and they're all 8's and 9's.

Keith is a very offensive player, "offensive" meaning going for shots.

Take Nick Varner as an example. Veteran Hall of Famer Nick Varner will play a safety if he is not confident he will execute a shot successfully. Keith, on the other hand, is always trying to "make things happen," as he puts it, which keeps me on the edge of my seat at all times.

At the 2003 U.S. Open, Keith was loose as a goose and, shall I say, feeling no pain. When the semi-finals commenced at 12:00 noon on Sunday, we received phone calls from around the country from well-wishers. Going into the Chesapeake Conference Center, there were four men left standing: Jeremy Jones, Keith McCready, Jose Parica, and Rodney Morris. Jeremy managed to bring his A game and snatched the U.S. Open championship title.

Keith grew up in California as a youngster, and when he was acquiring his pool skills set, he was watching and learning the game from veteran players like Billy Incardone. Billy was one of the great ones in the '70s era when action was prevalent. The two of them have remained good friends over the years!

JAM

 

[Railbird]

I don't think that's the case, but when a player reads something that is definitely factually incorrect about themselves in the print media, it is disconcerting. To say Keith "crashed and burned," when actually Keith was the BIGGEST WINNER at the action table, it doesn't sit well. After expenses, which were pretty hefty for my camp, we still managed to bring home a very, very large chunk of change!



You are right, Railbird! Ryan got backed in the Pro-Am Table Challenge, which began Saturday night and ended Sunday. It was a tough field. He did not, though, participate in any of the amateur tourneys or the pro event which began at the beginning of the SBE. It was his intention to keep himself planted at the action table, where he thought he could do the most damage!

Railbird, there's a Hampton Ridge tournament today, Sunday, 5/22, at Castle Billiards in East Rutherford, New Jersey. I'm not sure how far you are from this pool room, but it's going to be a good field, to include Lee Holt, Josh Brothers, Shaun Wilkie, and most likely Frankie Hernandez. Ryan McCreesh may go, but I haven't heard from him today. While the players are banging balls, I will be stuck at home banging pages for my job.

It was great seeing many of the West Coast players at the SBE. In particular, Tony "T-Rex" Chohan is always a treat, full of enthusiasm, confidence, and a delight to be with. He had a mini run at the action table and came out winner.

JAM

Unfortunately for me, I have to catch a flight to Phoenix this afternoon, otherwise I would have played in the Hampton Ridge tourney at Castle Billiards today.