Enie meenie minie mo...

[JAM]

A copy of this should be made and posted over on the aging thread about pro players. This hits the nail on the head...you know it...I know it...we all know it...we all just hate talking the truth and some of the tragedies that go along with it. In the mean time...let the good times roll...

When a pool player is on top of his game and is winning, EVERYBODY wants to be their friend and buddy, giving them high praise and recognition. Let the same pool player fumble, not cash in a high-profile event, or even grow old and along comes another school of thought about pool players who have devoted their life and entire being to the game/sport. For some, pool is a fool's folly, but for the pool champion who chooses this lifestyle, it is the only place where their spirit can soar.

As they say in the real world, you can pick your friends, but you cannot pick your family. Some players from days gone by like OldHasBeen have been blessed with the best of both worlds. I could write a thesis on this topic of WHY anybody would go through their entire life only playing pool. To them, it is the very essence of their being, this "pastime game for entertainment." There are some who will go out to pasture kicking and screaming and others who will just fade away, never to be heard of again.

Today, things are quite different than 20 or 30 years ago, even though the payouts and compensation relating to pool have dwindled. It is ridiculous to think that just because you can play pool topnotch that you are going to enjoy a happy career. The peaks and valleys do exist, and for those few shining moments when a player is on top of the world, it makes it seem all worthwhile.

As evidenced by world-class champions, i.e., Mike Sigel, Allen Hopkins, and Jean Balukas, there is a variety of reasons why players leave the sport, even if they are on top of their game. Whether it is a desire to achieve financial success in the field that you have expertise in or a political climate that is unfavorable, the ability to attain stability in pool is quite difficult for most.

Why do they do it? I don't know. I happen to be one of those who does have a deep passion for the game/sport, but I also enjoy having a roof over my head. As a realist, I recognize there are very few windows of opportunity to succeed in pool. Some players continue on their merry way down their chosen profession because of a deep passion and love for this game/sport. You can't live off of love, sad to say, but for the ones who continue to give it their all, I cannot condemn them for following their dreams.

Lifetime pool players are a rare breed, indeed. There is an air of freedom unconquerable when you are a champion at anything, and it is not confined to pool players.

JAM

 

[drivermaker]

When a pool player is on top of his game and is winning, EVERYBODY wants to be their friend and buddy, giving them high praise and recognition. Let the same pool player fumble, not cash in a high-profile event, or even grow old and along comes another school of thought about pool players who have devoted their life and entire being to the game/sport. For some, pool is a fool's folly, but for the pool champion who chooses this lifestyle, it is the only place where their spirit can soar.

As they say in the real world, you can pick your friends, but you cannot pick your family. Some players from days gone by like OldHasBeen have been blessed with the best of both worlds. I could write a thesis on this topic of WHY anybody would go through their entire life only playing pool. To them, it is the very essence of their being, this "pastime game for entertainment." There are some who will go out to pasture kicking and screaming and others who will just fade away, never to be heard of again.

Today, things are quite different than 20 or 30 years ago, even though the payouts and compensation relating to pool have dwindled. It is ridiculous to think that just because you can play pool topnotch that you are going to enjoy a happy career. The peaks and valleys do exist, and for those few shining moments when a player is on top of the world, it makes it seem all worthwhile.

As evidenced by world-class champions, i.e., Mike Sigel, Allen Hopkins, and Jean Balukas, there is a variety of reasons why players leave the sport, even if they are on top of their game. Whether it is a desire to achieve financial success in the field that you have expertise in or a political climate that is unfavorable, the ability to attain stability in pool is quite difficult for most.

Why do they do it? I don't know. I happen to be one of those who does have a deep passion for the game/sport, but I also enjoy having a roof over my head. As a realist, I recognize there are very few windows of opportunity to succeed in pool. Some players continue on their merry way down their chosen profession because of a deep passion and love for this game/sport. You can't live off of love, sad to say, but for the ones who continue to give it their all, I cannot condemn them for following their dreams.

Lifetime pool players are a rare breed, indeed. There is an air of freedom unconquerable when you are a champion at anything, and it is not confined to pool players.

JAM

I know what you're saying...as long as you can cut the mustard there's nothing like it for getting a high and the euphoria that goes along with walking out on any and every given night as a winner. In addition to that, it's the excitement and adrenaline flow of the competition itself and theatrics building up to the match. It's probably as addictive as any drug out there.

Hell, maybe more kids should be guided into pool. It could be worse in the long run. I mean...what would you think if your kid said, "Mom, I think I want to become a pro bronc and bull rider, maybe wrestle some steers too". Well not only is he going to be just as bad off in many ways, but he'll also be a busted up broken down piece of rickety bones by the time he's 30.

What about a kid that wants to be a pro skate boarder that wants to set a world record going down an iron railing located next to 300 steps? You know damn well the kid's going to do the nut buster routine in no time flat and be going down at least 230 of those steps with smoke and flames coming out of his groin before he hits the end.

How about the little dude that wants to become an alligator wrestler...oh SHIT. What sort of brain wave activity would create that kind of desire?

NOPE...pool it is! It's a hell of a lot safer in the long run (unless someone pulls a gun on you down the line with a hair trigger and he's epileptic)

 

[OldHasBeen]

JAM - Well said - Tap, Tap

When a pool player is on top of his game and is winning, EVERYBODY wants to be their friend and buddy, giving them high praise and recognition. Let the same pool player fumble, not cash in a high-profile event, or even grow old and along comes another school of thought about pool players who have devoted their life and entire being to the game/sport. For some, pool is a fool's folly, but for the pool champion who chooses this lifestyle, it is the only place where their spirit can soar.

As they say in the real world, you can pick your friends, but you cannot pick your family. Some players from days gone by like OldHasBeen have been blessed with the best of both worlds. I could write a thesis on this topic of WHY anybody would go through their entire life only playing pool. To them, it is the very essence of their being, this "pastime game for entertainment." There are some who will go out to pasture kicking and screaming and others who will just fade away, never to be heard of again.

Today, things are quite different than 20 or 30 years ago, even though the payouts and compensation relating to pool have dwindled. It is ridiculous to think that just because you can play pool topnotch that you are going to enjoy a happy career. The peaks and valleys do exist, and for those few shining moments when a player is on top of the world, it makes it seem all worthwhile.

As evidenced by world-class champions, i.e., Mike Sigel, Allen Hopkins, and Jean Balukas, there is a variety of reasons why players leave the sport, even if they are on top of their game. Whether it is a desire to achieve financial success in the field that you have expertise in or a political climate that is unfavorable, the ability to attain stability in pool is quite difficult for most.

Why do they do it? I don't know. I happen to be one of those who does have a deep passion for the game/sport, but I also enjoy having a roof over my head. As a realist, I recognize there are very few windows of opportunity to succeed in pool. Some players continue on their merry way down their chosen profession because of a deep passion and love for this game/sport. You can't live off of love, sad to say, but for the ones who continue to give it their all, I cannot condemn them for following their dreams.

Lifetime pool players are a rare breed, indeed. There is an air of freedom unconquerable when you are a champion at anything, and it is not confined to pool players.

JAM

but for the ones who continue to give it their all, I cannot condemn them for following their dreams.

Nor can I! - I just meant that it is not the path to follow for todays youth - "YET"!

TY & GL

 

[JAM]

Interesting perspectives from all three of us, Drivermaker, OldHasBeen, and JAM, all over the age of 50. (LOL)

Sometimes I am mystified by the lure of pool on a full-time scale. Professional pool and betting on one's capabilities in a game of stakes are definitely two completely different worlds. Neither one has much to offer as far as a future for a young'n.

The action part of pool seems fun and adventuresome. We all like to hear action reports and stories about two characters matching up, how much were they playing for, what was the spot (if any), what was said, who did what, and, of course, who got that cheese. For some pool players, though, addictive gambling is an occupational hazard. They lose all reason and continue betting until they go broke, and the higher the better. The win is never big enough, and the drive to find a bigger game keeps them broke. If there was ever the proverbial rich-man's high, it is pool, whether you're a professional player or a road agent, two completely different animals.

Whether you're a pool player or a successful businessman/woman or a retiree, if you've got that gambling addiction going, you're doomed. Each time a player steps up to the plate, he is betting on his skills at the table. I've seen many a so-called professional player gamble because it's a way to make money; a side income, if you will.

If the money payouts were higher in pocket billiards here in the States or anywhere for that matter, you may see a new pool breed and the sport/game may gain some SELF-respect and have a brighter future down the road. JMHO, FWIW!

JAM

 

[OldHasBeen]

Drivermaker - Who would you say had the biggest Heart?

I know what you're saying...as long as you can cut the mustard there's nothing like it for getting a high and the euphoria that goes along with walking out on any and every given night as a winner. In addition to that, it's the excitement and adrenaline flow of the competition itself and theatrics building up to the match. It's probably as addictive as any drug out there.

Hell, maybe more kids should be guided into pool. It could be worse in the long run. I mean...what would you think if your kid said, "Mom, I think I want to become a pro bronc and bull rider, maybe wrestle some steers too". Well not only is he going to be just as bad off in many ways, but he'll also be a busted up broken down piece of rickety bones by the time he's 30.

What about a kid that wants to be a pro skate boarder that wants to set a world record going down an iron railing located next to 300 steps? You know damn well the kid's going to do the nut buster routine in no time flat and be going down at least 230 of those steps with smoke and flames coming out of his groin before he hits the end.

How about the little dude that wants to become an alligator wrestler...oh SHIT. What sort of brain wave activity would create that kind of desire?

NOPE...pool it is! It's a hell of a lot safer in the long run (unless someone pulls a gun on you down the line with a hair trigger and he's epileptic)

"MY VOTE GOES TO THE FIRST GUY WHO ATE AN OYSTER"!
How sick OR hungry must he have been?

TY & GL

 

[JAM]

"MY VOTE GOES TO THE FIRST GUY WHO ATE AN OYSTER"!
How sick OR hungry must he have been?

When I was about 18, a salty dog fisherman came to my hangout, Hank Dietle's Tavern, and he had a glass jar of raw oysters. All the regulars seemed to gravitate around this fellow and were enjoying munching down on 'em like they were potato chips.

Within a matter of minutes, somebody called my name and asked me to partake in the consumption of these delicate little morsels. At first, I politely declined, but my buddies insisted that I at least try just one. I placed my fingers on the slimy gray-colored matter, looking at it ever so briefly, and then raised it over my mouth. After bracing myself for the unknown, I dropped the raw oyster in my mouth and swallowed it whole. The salt taste was bad enough, but I did manage to get it down my esophagus within seconds. Before it hit my stomach, though, an unknown force repelled it back upward and it came right back out of my mouth and into my hand.

I wasn't sick and I sure wasn't hungy, but ANYBODY who can eat one of them oysters must have a whole lotta heart!

JAM

 

[OldHasBeen]

Yea - They say..........

When I was about 18, a salty dog fisherman came to my hangout, Hank Dietle's Tavern, and he had a glass jar of raw oysters. All the regulars seemed to gravitate around this fellow and were enjoying munching down on 'em like they were potato chips.

Within a matter of minutes, somebody called my name and asked me to partake in the consumption of these delicate little morsels. At first, I politely declined, but my buddies insisted that I at least try just one. I placed my fingers on the slimy gray-colored matter, looking at it ever so briefly, and then raised it over my mouth. After bracing myself for the unknown, I dropped the raw oyster in my mouth and swallowed it whole. The salt taste was bad enough, but I did manage to get it down my esophagus within seconds. Before it hit my stomach, though, an unknown force repelled it back upward and it came right back out of my mouth and into my hand.

I wasn't sick and I sure wasn't hungy, but ANYBODY who can eat one of them oysters must have a whole lotta heart!

JAM

Yea - They say if you eat enough of 'em - You get used to it.
Hell, If you hang long enough, you'll get used to it to.
No Thanks!

TY & GL

 

[drivermaker]

"MY VOTE GOES TO THE FIRST GUY WHO ATE AN OYSTER"!
How sick OR hungry must he have been?

TY & GL

LMAO...yeh, where was his head? It was probably that damn Eve again. While trying to pull a prank to make Adam puke, she said, "Hey Big Boy...eat one of these and we'll be able to do it for 4 hours straight". After Adam DIDN'T puke and ended up going for 4 hours straight...that's when Eve left her legacy to all womankind...she invented HEADACHES and BEING TOO TIRED!

At least the contestants on Fear Factor are doing it in hopes of winning money. I'm not sure if it makes them any smarter though...YUK!! SICKOS!

 

[chefjeff]

LMAO...yeh, where was his head?

At least the contestants on Fear Factor are doing it in hopes of winning money. I'm not sure if it makes them any smarter though...YUK!! SICKOS!

The world is my oyster...I just coughed up the Great Wall of China and picked my teeth with the rocky mountains, and washed all down with the Nile.

Jeff Livingston

"It is ridiculous to think that just because you can play pool topnotch that you are going to enjoy a happy career." ---JAM

 

[Kevin]

When I was about 18, a salty dog fisherman came to my hangout, Hank Dietle's Tavern, and he had a glass jar of raw oysters.

JAM

I have a book of quotes around here somewhere, attributing the story to a great foriegn violinist who had heard wonderful things about oysters, and finally getting his chance, he ate one! The crowd asked, so, what do you think?

"I feel as if I just swallowed a baby.."

Don't ask about my 18hr ride in the back of a camper from New Orleans to Kansas with a smelly sack of raw oysters after the worst 2wk trip of my life. Turkeys all the way.

Tomato, lemon, and horserdish... best I can say about raw oysters swallowed whole. Deep fried are a whole other pleasant story, including fresh lemon juice and mayonnaise. But Scallops sauteed in lemon and butter with parsley... mmmmhhhmmm, hmm. heavenly.

 

[DaveK]

...Mike Tyson received $5 million just for showing up.

.... Mike Tyson now has a nice bank roll to enter his "twilight years" at 38 years old.

...Mike Tyson bites the dust, but he does so with very full pockets, hopefully with a good sum of monies after he pays his creditors. I hear he owes big time.

JAM

I believe that Iron Mike owes the IRS something like $40M. If they take the entire $5M, which of course they can't as Mike has to pay a lot of folks out of that payday, Mike still owes the IRS $35M. I do not think that Mike Tyson is retiring with much money at all, rather I'm guessing the opposite ... he's BROKE ! Of course he might do OK on endorsements. He could pitch anger management courses, public speaking, do walking promos for tattoo parlors, and perhaps market dentistry and plastic surgery practices. You think that people avoid pool players who aren't winning ... I'm thinking that Mike Tyson has a very lonely future ahead of him. He may have been a truely great heaveyweight fighter, but he doesn't seem to be a nice man in general. Hopefully he will mellow out in his retirement. To quote a fantastic old blues tune, "nobody loves you when you're down and out."

Dave

 

[chefjeff]

I believe that Iron Mike owes the IRS something like $40M. If they take the entire $5M, which of course they can't (snip)

Dave

They can't???!!!??? lol. Get real, Dave. They can do anything they want, whenever they want, against anyone they want.

Jeff Livingston

 

[drivermaker]

They can't???!!!??? lol. Get real, Dave. They can do anything they want, whenever they want, against anyone they want.

Jeff Livingston

That's not the way it works though, Jeff. If the reports are in fact true and he does owe $40 million in back taxes (I doubt it), it's such an astronomical amount that even the IRS knows that they're chances of collecting all of it are slim and none, especially now with a broken down fighter that wants to go into missionary work. Even prior to this fight, lawyers for Tyson were more than likely working with the IRS on a "negotiated settlement". The $5 million that he earned for this last fight would be thrown into the pot as part of the settlement process. Would they take the ENTIRE $5 million? No, they'd leave him some. How much would they leave him for personal use? Only his lawyers and the IRS know for sure, but they wouldn't take it all, trust me on that.

 

[Egg McDogit]

well they wouldn't want mike to eat their children

How much would they leave him for personal use? Only his lawyers and the IRS know for sure, but they wouldn't take it all, trust me on that.

 

[drivermaker]

well they wouldn't want mike to eat their children

You have him mixed up with Mike Jackson....Tyson is a gourmet and only likes ears.

 

[chefjeff]

That's not the way it works though, Jeff. If the reports are in fact true and he does owe $40 million in back taxes (I doubt it), it's such an astronomical amount that even the IRS knows that they're chances of collecting all of it are slim and none, especially now with a broken down fighter that wants to go into missionary work. Even prior to this fight, lawyers for Tyson were more than likely working with the IRS on a "negotiated settlement". The $5 million that he earned for this last fight would be thrown into the pot as part of the settlement process. Would they take the ENTIRE $5 million? No, they'd leave him some. How much would they leave him for personal use? Only his lawyers and the IRS know for sure, but they wouldn't take it all, trust me on that.

Of course you can't get blood out of a turnip. That's obvious.

What I mean is, the collectors don't follow very strict guidelines of rules of behavior. Due process and all that "radical" stuff isn't much of a problem for them.

I wonder if these negotiated settlements and their protocols are included in the...what is it now, 200,000?... pages of instructions.

Jeff Livingston

 

[DaveK]

They can't???!!!??? lol. Get real, Dave. They can do anything they want, whenever they want, against anyone they want.

Jeff Livingston

My thinking is that by taking the entire purse, the IRS would essentially be stealing other peoples payroll from a 'business' as part of recovering outstanding taxes from Mike. In other words, I'm thinking that the obligations to employees comes before the tax obligation. The essence of this situation is that some of the $5M is in fact not Mike Tysons, rather it is being held 'in trust' to pay staff who have already earned the money. Of course what does a Canadian know about the IRS other than how to spell it

Dave

 

[drivermaker]

My thinking is that by taking the entire purse, the IRS would essentially be stealing other peoples payroll from a 'business' as part of recovering outstanding taxes from Mike. In other words, I'm thinking that the obligations to employees comes before the tax obligation. The essence of this situation is that some of the $5M is in fact not Mike Tysons, rather it is being held 'in trust' to pay staff who have already earned the money. Of course what does a Canadian know about the IRS other than how to spell it

Dave

You actually are correct Dave...why don't you cross the border...we need your tax dollars.

 

[drivermaker]

What I mean is, the collectors don't follow very strict guidelines of rules of behavior. Due process and all that "radical" stuff isn't much of a problem for them.

I wonder if these negotiated settlements and their protocols are included in the...what is it now, 200,000?... pages of instructions.

Jeff Livingston

Sounds to me like a guy that's been audited once or twice, maybe more. You're also starting to sound like a government hating radical when in fact...it's the government that allows you the freedom to pursue your livelyhood and dream without any asshole boss telling you what and when to do it.

The IRS DOES NOT CREATE OR WRITE those 200,000 pages of instructions. You can give thanks to all of the members of Congress that WE vote into office that want to create the lingo, laws, loopholes, and everything else to fit their parties agenda. You can also thank those same Congress members for spending the living shit out of every tax dollar on multiple state projects and pork-barrel interests that they have constituents contributing big bucks to get them voted in.

The IRS is nothing more than a collection and enforcement agency, based on the codes written. As far as enforcement goes, they're probably nowhere near as bad as the FBI, CIA, NSA, DEA, ATF, and the military. Hey...they KILL people all the time. I never heard of the IRS whackin' someone for back taxes. Those other agencies flat out confiscate and steal EVERYTHING when they make an arrest.

Let's face it, the only reason someone gets in trouble with the IRS is if they lie, cheat, or try to defraud the government on what they earned, what they paid, or whether they filed or not.

If it wasn't for the money collected by them, we'd ALL be in a heap of trouble.
I don't love paying just like the next guy, that's why we vote for different presidents and have the right to put different people into office. But, I have been audited in my lifetime and was treated with the utmost respect and consideration. I can't bitch about it, I owed some money and that was the end of it....I guess shitheads work everywhere though and if you're unlucky enough to get stuck with one there or in a department store, it can be an unpleasant experience.

 

[chefjeff]

Sounds to me like a guy that's been audited once or twice, maybe more. You're also starting to sound like a government hating radical (snip).

Oh Drivermaker....stop trying to butter me up...you cad, you.

I don't hate government; I hate dishonesty. Where it resides is interesting and important, but I don't really seek out one area and "hate" that.

Btw, you used the word "we" several times in your post. As in "[...we voted them into office...]" or something like that. Anyway, speak for yourself. No one or no thing that I have ever voted for has won, so don't blame any of this shit on me.

Jeff Livingston