Do you see your favorite pro pool players in the same way that you see celebrities?

JAM said:
I am aware of that table in L.A. Keith speaks about it all the time in his pool tales. Is Ferrell the same guy as Sparky?

I just don't understand the reasoning for why some like to beat up the pros, never have. I remember one time we went to an Orioles game at Camden Yards in Baltimore. They were playing the New York Yankees. Orioles and Yankees had a longstanding feud against each other when playing, and sometimes Camden Yards would fill up with more Yankee fans than Orioles fans. :eek:

Well, this player named Darryl Strawberry got up to bat, and at that time, he was involved in some hanky panky. I can't even remember what it was. I had good seats, right above the Orioles dugout, and I was yelling out "BOO! BOO! BOO! BOO!," like nonstop. My friend looked at me and said, "How would you like to be him and hear that?" I stopped booing and realized, hey, Strawberry is just another member of my higher power's human family.

Pool pros are also members of that human family. Yes, they sure do make mistakes, and so have I in my life. We all have skeletons. Pool pros don't have the income that most of us who work 9 to 5 do, yet they keep following their passion. Some hit it big, but the majority scrape by. Yes, I know nobody asked them to play pool for a living, and this is where a lot of resentment comes in from mainstream pool peeps. What's ironic, though, is in my experience at least, those who shout the loudest in a negative manner against the pros as the very ones who are standing in line asking for autographs and taking selfies with them. ;)
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I believe the only time I have asked for a pool player's autograph was when I took a 14.1 lesson from Ray Martin and asked him to sign my copy of "The 99 Critical Shots in Pool." There was no line.

oh yeah, and Willie Mosconi, after an exhibition in SF when I was a teen.

As a side note: I have been asked for my autograph a few times so there are four copies of WOP in existence inscribed with same (along with scads of other signatures). I'm always a little dubious when asked, like, "are you sure you got the right guy?" But then I sign carefully.

Lou Figueroa
 
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I did until I went to my first pool event (SBE) like 12 years ago. Seeing them just walking around made me realize they are just normal people that are trying their best to get by on this game... Im still very respectful to them though as there level of ability and talent in the same shared past time is incredible.
 
I have only met Mika Immonen in person when he came up here for some exhibition matches and while I fully admire his talent, I wasn't too impressed by his demeanor during the matches he played. I don't the man personally so I won't judge him.
 
I met a lot of celebrities, when I was an Assistant Golf Pro & I've met lots of Pro Pool Players at the big tournaments in our booth. For the most part, they all seem like regular folks (with the occasional exception).

Knowing there is some thing in common, when you meet someone, makes the situation easy from the start.
 
SJDinPHX said:
Pool players, or male celebs don't turn me on at all..Now female celebs, thats another story. I have had a huge crush on Jennifer Aniston forever! If she were to enter a room I was in, or speak to me, I might pass out, but I would never make a fool of myself by begging for her attention.

I don't think most people realize what the life of a high profile celebrity is like..Someone like Jen A., cannot go anywhere in public without adoring fans hounding and flashing cameras at her!..I can only imagine how tiresome that must be..BTW, I have always thought autograph seekers should be shot.
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Yeah, their fans should respect their privacy, and leave them alone. That is one reason why I would not want to bother one of my favorite pool players. I feel that they probably just want to be left alone (by strangers anyway). I would feel much more comfortable if one of their fellow friends offered to introduce me to them. That would make things feel much less awkward for me. I love Jen Anderson too , by the way. Never liked the show Friends though, lol.
 
SJDinPHX said:
Sorry Justin..Jennifer can give Natalie and Allison the 5 out and the break, in looks and class,..and shes 45 yrs. old! :grin:
(I better back off, or you guys will think I'm overly fond of Jennifer!) :cool:

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Let's just agree to disagree on that one. Jennifer is very beautiful (yes), but she is no Natalie Portman in my mind. Natalie has always been my dream girl. By the way, did you know that she has an ivy league education? She got her degree at Harvard. She is very smart, and very classy I think. Nothing against Jennifer though. I always loved her too.
 
Over the years, I've had occasion to meet a number of people with a level of notoriety or celebrity. When I was in the radio biz years ago, it was backstage passes to concerts to meet the musicians. Also met a couple Playmates, doing radio promotions. :p

In my retail career I've had more than a few actors/actresses etc shop in my store. I've been fortunate to have been able to meet more than a few profession baseball, football and hockey players over the years. And as I live in Bangor, Maine, it used to be no big deal to run into Stephen King on a regular basis around town.

(Not so much any longer, sadly, as a stalker put the end to that. Before that, he would go anywhere, anytime, it was no big deal. Sure, folks would always come up to him to talk and such, but he was pretty much a regular guy, at least as much as Stephen King could be considered normal...heh. He was very engaging to have any of a hundred basic conversations with.)

Mr. Dechaine is from Maine, and I had the chance to encounter him at our pool hall a short while ago, and that was pretty cool too. Not so much the interaction, which was fine, but to see him shooting from a few feet away, effortlessly (appearing, of course) running rack after rack, making the most amazing shots, even just messing around. Yeah, I guess I can include "pool celebrities" in the larger grouping.

Yes, I enjoy meeting folks with some notoriety about them. We spend a lot of time following their exploits in their areas of expertise, so its somewhat natural to be curious as to how they are in the real world. But I'm not awestruck or anything, I simply enjoy the chance to meet interesting folks, when the occasion presents itself. Most of the time you find it reinforced that they're pretty much like the rest of us, for better and for worse. Which is refreshing.
 
justinb386 said:
Yeah, their fans should respect their privacy, and leave them alone. That is one reason why I would not want to bother one of my favorite pool players. I feel that they probably just want to be left alone (by strangers anyway). I would feel much more comfortable if one of their fellow friends offered to introduce me to them. That would make things feel much less awkward for me. I love Jen Anderson too , by the way. Never liked the show Friends though, lol.
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Yeah, well you blew at the DCC....Alex loves everybody.

Paul Newman didn't like being asked for autographs....he didn't want to be put on a pedestal.
He showed up in my town....had a few hours to kill, so hung around a pool hall where they had a regular golf game....nobody bothered him other than to say hello....
...so he stayed for almost four hours.

Oh, and SJD...Jennifer calls me twice a week....eat your heart out...:D
 
BmoreMoney said:
So, ya didn't tell us ----- who is ur man crush?????
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Lol, my man crush? What do you mean by that? Johnny archer was my favorite pool player as a kid, and after seeing Alex pagulayan play, he has been my favorite. Morra is another of my favorites. Corry is another (always loved his game) . Speaking of actors ? I do not know, but I do not have a crush on any of them, lol.
 
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