I don't think your response was inappropriate at all. Given the context, I think his comment was a bit out of place. You showed humor and adaptability with your response--an ability to go along with the flow. Your response made his comment seem less awkward, didn't reflect poorly on you, and allowed the conversation to move forward from there.
I think you handled yourself very well given the circumstances of the strong personalities who do this sort of banter for a living. I've never really listened to or read Neil before, but I liked him after this video. You showed wit, character, and intelligence on par with any of those guys, ultimately reflecting very well on a sport that (as mentioned in the video) has a very beleaguered reputation.
All that talk about Coriolis was new to me, so I even learned something, which I rarely do in pool videos, particularly those aimed at novices. I enjoyed the entire video. Many thanks!
Thank you for your kind and well written comments. I appreciate it.