Pool players do funny things when they put their all into a match. In this instance, you had two fine players giving it their all.
A personal experience for me that was extremely embarassing was when Keith McCready had to come up against Tony Crosby at the Carolinas Open.
Because of the large player roster, the wait for each match seemed to be an unknown entity. I remember getting there at 10:00 a.m. one day, and Keith's match did not take place until 5:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, Johnny Archer was told EXACTLY when he could arrive for his match. He and his wife and her parents were able to relax in his hotel room as opposed to standing up all day long in the pool room, like the rest of us had to endure. Chairs in this joint were a luxury, and believe or not, some chairs had "reserved" signs on them. I stood all day long, and my feet were horribly swollen. I got literally sick from this tournament. What can I say, I'm old and can't stand on my feet for 6 or 7 hours.
To pass the time away, Keith enjoyed the amenities of the full bar, especially Budweiser. Evening came and Keith was feeling no pain. He was supposed to be playing Tony Crosby, whenever they called their names. Outside, the locals had a barbecue for the attendees with Georgia delicacies. I happened to see Tony chowing down. He heard me talking to a friend about Keith's state of mind, and he came up and introduced himself to me.
The match finally came to the fore, and Keith acted like a jerk during the match on several instances. Tony, the gentleman that he is, knew Keith was feeling no pain and did not respond to Keith's rudeness. What a gentleman, Tony Crosby is.
After the match, Keith walks over to the chart to collect his winnings, as he made the money rounds for the week-long event. The TD handed him a check for $75, and Keith threw it up in the air, in full view, and said, "Come all the way here, played my heart out, and I get 75 bucks for my efforts."
I was embarassed and picked up the check. I felt like crying and was ashamed. About 10 or 15 minutes later, Tony Crosby came over to me and said he knew from listening to me earlier outside that Keith had too much to drink, and he tried to calm me down. I will never, never, never forget Tony Crosby for that.
Meanwhile, Buddy Hall and I had words with Keith about his behavior. Keith didn't seem to listen to me, but, boy, oh, boy, was he shocked when Buddy Hall spoke to him about his demeanor at that event. But that's the topic for another thread.
I guess the point of my post is to say players do things that later they regret. Nobody likes to lose. Show me a loser who likes to lose, and I'll show you a loser.
JAM
