A history of watching
For reasons not known to me I have from childhood been fortunate enough to watch many of the worlds best players and occassionally play them and have discovered that one common theme runs through all the greats and that is tenacious , unyielding, incomprehensible,devotion to winning.They see the beauty in the game coming to life on the canvas of victory. I have never known or watched or played a great player who liked to lose a practice game, a match game , a money game or a game to decide the dinner check.Each talent is different, each approach has differences both grand and subtle but the resolve to use every centilla of their talent to win is as obvious as acne on an adolecent. Of the older players I loved watching Joe Balsis(the meat man) , cowboy Jimmy Moore who played in my home with Eugene Puckett who lost more style and hustle than many of the modern players will find in a lifetime and Jimmy Caras. Of the more recnt players I would have rather watched Steve Mizerak play straight pool than breathe, and to watch Buddy hall come on to the balls in nine ball is the moral equivalent of watching Bobby Fisher lock a chess match. Buddy has a grace at the table and a squeeze that still stands him amongst the best to ever stepto the table. Watching Luther Lassiter dismember tournament opponents one after another after another was at times beyond the pale and truthfully watching Ronnie Allen play one pocket in his prime was a gift.Pool this past fifty years has been the beneficiary of more concentrated talent than any sport I can think of without widespread accalim or notice and it's a tragedy when personality and banter or TV appeal become more important than the committment required to occupy one of the elite spots in the sport. I find I love pool more every day not becasue of the personality of any or all of the players but because I understand the committment required to grace the upper echelons of the game, and I couldn't be happier with what some may belive to be a mispent youth or now middle age, I just hope the fates will grant me some more time on the back nine to play and watch these gifts to the game,Always the Duck
For reasons not known to me I have from childhood been fortunate enough to watch many of the worlds best players and occassionally play them and have discovered that one common theme runs through all the greats and that is tenacious , unyielding, incomprehensible,devotion to winning.They see the beauty in the game coming to life on the canvas of victory. I have never known or watched or played a great player who liked to lose a practice game, a match game , a money game or a game to decide the dinner check.Each talent is different, each approach has differences both grand and subtle but the resolve to use every centilla of their talent to win is as obvious as acne on an adolecent. Of the older players I loved watching Joe Balsis(the meat man) , cowboy Jimmy Moore who played in my home with Eugene Puckett who lost more style and hustle than many of the modern players will find in a lifetime and Jimmy Caras. Of the more recnt players I would have rather watched Steve Mizerak play straight pool than breathe, and to watch Buddy hall come on to the balls in nine ball is the moral equivalent of watching Bobby Fisher lock a chess match. Buddy has a grace at the table and a squeeze that still stands him amongst the best to ever stepto the table. Watching Luther Lassiter dismember tournament opponents one after another after another was at times beyond the pale and truthfully watching Ronnie Allen play one pocket in his prime was a gift.Pool this past fifty years has been the beneficiary of more concentrated talent than any sport I can think of without widespread accalim or notice and it's a tragedy when personality and banter or TV appeal become more important than the committment required to occupy one of the elite spots in the sport. I find I love pool more every day not becasue of the personality of any or all of the players but because I understand the committment required to grace the upper echelons of the game, and I couldn't be happier with what some may belive to be a mispent youth or now middle age, I just hope the fates will grant me some more time on the back nine to play and watch these gifts to the game,Always the Duck
I would love to watch Sigel play. Never watched him play but have a few of his videos and everything he does seems so fluid and natural. Maybe next year he will make a few of the Florida Tour games. Allen Hopkins because I can never tell what he is doing or when he is pulling the trigger on his shot. Scotty of course.
Jake -25-
Jake -25-
Re: A history of watching
I agree. Living in Tampa, I've gotten to watch Buddy Hall play quite a bit. He's slow and steady and not only shoots lights out, but his control of the cueball is a thing of beauty. Even at 58, he is still competing with the young straight shooters and winning tournaments. But most of all, he's never lost his figure... Doug
Duck said:
I agree. Living in Tampa, I've gotten to watch Buddy Hall play quite a bit. He's slow and steady and not only shoots lights out, but his control of the cueball is a thing of beauty. Even at 58, he is still competing with the young straight shooters and winning tournaments. But most of all, he's never lost his figure... Doug
K
King Cueball
Guest
I am a huge Efren fan and i really like to watch him at the table. I like the way he plays postion, He just seems to play diffrent postion than everyone else. He also is the best banker that i ever saw, He can get out of just about any safe you leave him with his great kicking! I also like his mental game a bomb could go off and it would not get in the way of his playing! I also like Johhny, Earl Franciso, Nick varner, mika immonen
For 9 Ball: Efren, Earl, and Buddy.........For Entertainment: Keith, Pancho=(Vince), Ronnie Allen and Hal Johnson ^_^.........For 3C Billiards: Sang Lee.........And For The Greatest Pool Game In The World, One Pocket: Current One Pocket Players - Efren, Cliff, Shannon D. and Scott Frost --- One Pocket Players From The Recent Past: Ronnie Allen, Miami, Jack Cooney, Eddie Kelly, and Bugs.........And I'd Take 10 to 5 From Any Of 'Em ^_^
Efren, Earl, & Bustamante.
maughanm said:
Good to see Miz's name mentioned here. The Miz has to be the most under rated one pocket player ever. In his prime, he played Ronnie Allen EVEN one hole. He lost more times than he won but the Miz could play that game as well as all others. Beautiful stroke.