Exactly. They did not depend on one event per year to keep the spirit of the game alive in the Northeast.
Gene nagy
- Thread starter martzcues
- Start date
Exactly. They did not depend on one event per year to keep the spirit of the game alive in the Northeast.
He wasn't eccentric. Some people saw him that way because they saw that he was different than themselves. He loved to experiment and try new things in pool, and while people were busy passing judgement on him, he was running hundreds.
Nearly every person that he helped, at one time or another, turned their back on him. They pawned him off as a nice guy who was a bit of a wacko. There was always a 'but' when they described Gene: "Yeah, Gene's a nice guy, but......
He never asked for money when helping people and they were only too happy to oblige by not paying him. Then when he wasn't around, they'd refer to him as an eccentric or a nut.
Gene Nagy
He sounds like a very interesting and talented guy. How would you describe his approach to running balls in straight pool? Anything that stands out, that differentiates him from some of the other big name players of his time?
He sounds like a very interesting and talented guy. How would you describe his approach to running balls in straight pool? Anything that stands out, that differentiates him from some of the other big name players of his time?
Gene wasn't a tap-tap type of player. He broke hard and big in 14.1. He studied nothing but break shots for a solid year and became an expert at going into the balls and how to control the cue ball off the pack, even with hard breaks. I am grateful to be a recipient of much of his hard earned information. He admired players like Lassiter and Mizerak.
Once at a tournament, he overheard Crane mocking him to other players about his supposed wild style of playing. So, when Gene was playing a match in a World Championship next to Crane, he shot one of his big break shots and 'accidentally' jumped the cb off his table on to Crane's table and disrupted Crane's entire layout. Crane was beside himself with anger, and it stopped tournament play for about 20 minutes until the referees could figure out what to do. In the meantime, Crane never recovered, and lost his match. Gene told me, "Well if they were going to mock me, the least I could do was oblige them."
If someone were to tell him he was going to be inducted into some bogus hall of fame, he'd laugh his fool head off about the hypocrisy of it all. He gave me a verbal list of all the druggies in the hall of fame.
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It seems to me that from its’ conception, this Hall of Fame for 14.1 has chosen to nominate some not so obvious choices of players. I don’t really know the criteria used to select the nominees nor does it matter that I do know. It just seems odd that a 14.1 Hall of Fame considers certain individuals before more apparent ones.
Aside from that, to be elected to the Hall of Fame in any sport is an honor that is bestowed versus earned. Certainly Gene Nagy does not have a long list of championships in his history. Nor was he nationally known as a great ambassador for the sport and unless you were from the New York or the Metropolitan area, you may not have ever even heard of him before now.
But, according to some pretty accomplished players, Gene Nagy probably knew more about dissecting a rack and creating patterns better than anyone alive. He may have run 100 balls more times than anyone who lived during his lifetime.
Gary Nolan and Nick Mannino had both iterated, to me, how he was so extremely talented at pool (and music, I believe) in his youth. Maybe even more so than anyone they had known. Though both expressed how Gene was different, perhaps a recluse or even a bit eccentric and definately no angel.
I would like to think that Gene may have shared some of the same thoughts and feelings I had when I fell in love with this game as a teenager. It would be during those quiet times and I would be bashing the balls around the table, alone, in a pretend game for the World Championship. In pocketing one ball after another, I could hear the ooo’s and ahhh’s from the crowd. Then, I would shut down my opponent’s chances to overcome his deficit to the pleasure of the on looking gallery of fans. Hence, to the deafening sound of applause, my hand would be raised in victory as the greatest, the best, the Champion.
Dreams we all may have shared as youngsters (or oldsters) in learning this magnificent sport.
So, no matter how severe the mistakes of our choices, regardless of how humble we may be, to have such an honor bestowed is just that, an honor of which to enjoy and to be proud of, a sign of the accomplishments we all dreamed of achieving as little boys.
If there is an actual banquet or a physical award’s presentation, I would hope that Fran Crimi would be the one accepting the accolades for Gene. It's a great honor.
Aside from that, to be elected to the Hall of Fame in any sport is an honor that is bestowed versus earned. Certainly Gene Nagy does not have a long list of championships in his history. Nor was he nationally known as a great ambassador for the sport and unless you were from the New York or the Metropolitan area, you may not have ever even heard of him before now.
But, according to some pretty accomplished players, Gene Nagy probably knew more about dissecting a rack and creating patterns better than anyone alive. He may have run 100 balls more times than anyone who lived during his lifetime.
Gary Nolan and Nick Mannino had both iterated, to me, how he was so extremely talented at pool (and music, I believe) in his youth. Maybe even more so than anyone they had known. Though both expressed how Gene was different, perhaps a recluse or even a bit eccentric and definately no angel.
I would like to think that Gene may have shared some of the same thoughts and feelings I had when I fell in love with this game as a teenager. It would be during those quiet times and I would be bashing the balls around the table, alone, in a pretend game for the World Championship. In pocketing one ball after another, I could hear the ooo’s and ahhh’s from the crowd. Then, I would shut down my opponent’s chances to overcome his deficit to the pleasure of the on looking gallery of fans. Hence, to the deafening sound of applause, my hand would be raised in victory as the greatest, the best, the Champion.
Dreams we all may have shared as youngsters (or oldsters) in learning this magnificent sport.
So, no matter how severe the mistakes of our choices, regardless of how humble we may be, to have such an honor bestowed is just that, an honor of which to enjoy and to be proud of, a sign of the accomplishments we all dreamed of achieving as little boys.
If there is an actual banquet or a physical award’s presentation, I would hope that Fran Crimi would be the one accepting the accolades for Gene. It's a great honor.
How was Gene a recluse if he lived with a woman he called his wife for 20-odd years? Rumors and more rumors. He used to laugh at some of the stories that came back to him about himself. Just because somebody doesn't fit someone's definition of ''normal,' it doesn't mean there was something wrong with them.
I'm not the least bit interested in accepting any accolades on Gene's behalf because it would have been forced on him rather than with his consent. Everyone who was close to him knows exactly what I mean. They're kidding themselves if they think he'd want this.
Sorry, I checked and there's no message from you. Maybe you sent it to someone else.
I do not idolize anyone, I heard he and I might have some similar mannerisms ( no ill intent towards him - God rest his soul). Again I just noticed a look on his face when they took the picture that he was having a lot of fun. In my view that is part of what it takes to play great, competition can definitely be unnerving and stressful. He sounds to me like a fellow who didn't talk in circles - honest. Again I would have like to have met him.
My 2 cents
I did not know Gene Nagy nor do I know Fran Crimi or Charlie Williams etc
But here is my 2 cents.
It's obvious Mr. Nagy was incredibly Gifted and talented at 14.1 and from what
I can tell from some of the post a modest person but I believe he was also a person
Of integrity and self reflection to be able to speak publicly about some of his shortcomings that takes courage.
In the movie the Gladiator there was a line.
"Win the people win your freedom"
Mr. Nagy won the people and they spoke that's a Hall Of Famer.
Peace to all.
MCP
I did not know Gene Nagy nor do I know Fran Crimi or Charlie Williams etc
But here is my 2 cents.
It's obvious Mr. Nagy was incredibly Gifted and talented at 14.1 and from what
I can tell from some of the post a modest person but I believe he was also a person
Of integrity and self reflection to be able to speak publicly about some of his shortcomings that takes courage.
In the movie the Gladiator there was a line.
"Win the people win your freedom"
Mr. Nagy won the people and they spoke that's a Hall Of Famer.
Peace to all.
MCP
What about what HE would have wanted? Doesn't that count for anything? I happen to agree with Gene. Once you take performance enhancing drugs to compete, that should automatically disqualify you from consideration in any hall of fame, unless it's a drug abuse hall of fame.
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Sorry, i resent it to you.
Thanks for the insight. I had heard he hit them hard, but that was all I had heard about his game.
Practicing break shots for a year. That is pretty intense. I heard from another guy, Frank "Sailor" Stellman that when he was learning break shots, he would pay a guy to rack for him so he had more time at the table. Similar area of learning but it sounds like Nagy took it up a notch.
That is a great story about Crane and jumping the ball to the other table.
Anything different about the type of patterns he played? Break shots he preferred?
Sure, there's plenty more but I'm not sharing it here or anytime before any bogus hall of fame induction ceremony.
Well, that is certainly your prerogative. My query had nothing to do with the hall of fame and only to do with Straight Pool and people who want to learn about it. If you choose not to share, we will just have to soldier through on our own.
Have a nice day.
Fran,
How was John Grissim's description of Gene in "Billiards: Hustlers and Heroes, Legends and Lies, and the Search for Higher Truth on the Green Felt"? He wrote that Mosconi said, after watching Gene play in a tournament match, "That's the best I've seen the balls taken off the table." Do you know Mosconi's opinion of Gene as a player?
I think, by the way, that this is the book Danny read, I don't remember anything about Gene in "McGoorty".
How was John Grissim's description of Gene in "Billiards: Hustlers and Heroes, Legends and Lies, and the Search for Higher Truth on the Green Felt"? He wrote that Mosconi said, after watching Gene play in a tournament match, "That's the best I've seen the balls taken off the table." Do you know Mosconi's opinion of Gene as a player?
I think, by the way, that this is the book Danny read, I don't remember anything about Gene in "McGoorty".
It's hard to believe Mosconi said anything like that about anyone. He wasn't that kind of a guy. Gene knew about the comment, as he had a copy of the book, but he never knew for sure whether or not Mosconi actually said it. Mosconi was never asked about that alleged comment to my knowledge, so we'll never know.
I don't have any information on how Mosconi felt about Gene's game. Gene said he wishes he knew then what he knew in the future. He felt his form back then was all wrong.
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your right
I think it WAS tales of the higher truth on the green felt (great book), that was many moons ago for me. I do understand about what would have been Gene's wishes in reference to the Hall Of Fame and I can understand his humble position but would drinking coffee be considered a enhancment performance drug just cause it's legal? The reason I ask is I was under the influence of caffeine during my 351. Any thoughts?
I think it WAS tales of the higher truth on the green felt (great book), that was many moons ago for me. I do understand about what would have been Gene's wishes in reference to the Hall Of Fame and I can understand his humble position but would drinking coffee be considered a enhancment performance drug just cause it's legal? The reason I ask is I was under the influence of caffeine during my 351. Any thoughts?