Greater than Greenleaf? Emmett Blankenship on PoolHistory.com

RabbiHippie

RabbiHippie

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R. A. Dyer just posted an excerpt about Emmett Blankenship from my book, The Oklahoma Roots of One Pocket.

Not much has ever been published about Blankenship, but he won a world championship on his first and only attempt in 1916 and many pros who knew his game ranked him above Greenleaf.

You can check it out at PoolHistory.com.
 
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RabbiHippie said:
R. A. Dyer just posted an excerpt about Emmett Blankenship from my book, The Oklahoma Roots of One Pocket.

Not much has ever been published about Blankenship, but he won a world championship on his first and only attempt in 1916 and many pros who knew his game ranked him above Greenleaf.

You can check it out at https://poolhistory.com/1916-world-champion-emmett-blackenship-one-of-early-greats/.
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Great article. Any idea why he quit pool so early and what did he do afterwards?
 
kling&allen said:
Great article. Any idea why he quit pool so early and what did he do afterwards?
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Yes, it's a sad story I cover in some depth in the book. Blankenship was blacklisted by Brunswick, denied exhibition opportunities and never given a chance to repeat as champion. He was plagued by drugs and alcohol like Greenleaf. Without Brunswick's blessing, he was forced to hustle on the road and lost his right arm to infection after being bitten in a brawl. He basically became a "hobo" and, with no other way to make a living, had to keep on hustling one-handed to survive.
 
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RabbiHippie said:
Yes, it's a sad story I cover in some depth in the book. Blankenship was blacklisted by Brunswick, denied exhibition opportunities and never given a chance to repeat as champion. He was plagued by drugs and alcohol like Greenleaf. Without Brunswick's blessing, he was forced to hustle on the road and lost his right arm to infection after being bitten in a brawl. He basically became a "hobo" and, with no other way to make a living, had to keep on hustling one-handed to survive.
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Wow!
 
RabbiHippie said:
Yes, it's a sad story I cover in some depth in the book. Blankenship was blacklisted by Brunswick, denied exhibition opportunities and never given a chance to repeat as champion. He was plagued by drugs and alcohol like Greenleaf. Without Brunswick's blessing, he was forced to hustle on the road and lost his right arm to infection after being bitten in a brawl. He basically became a "hobo" and, with no other way to make a living, had to keep on hustling one-handed to survive.
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Holy shit, that's a wild story! Thanks for sharing. Super interesting to read about.
 
Bob Jewett said:
I vaguely recall a story that he lost it due to a street car accident -- maybe a sanitized version.

Was there ever an explanation of why he was blacklisted?
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Minnesota Fats told Tom Fox that Blankenship accidentally killed a man in a brawl soon after winning the championship in 1916 and that was the reason for his blacklisting.

However, I didn't find any newspaper reports about a manslaughter charge nor any record of incarceration. That said, I was able to confirm most everything else Fats said about Blankenship.

Steve Booth heard from someone that Blankenship may have been blacklisted due to a gambling scandal. I think that's entirely possible based on the box scores alone from his title defense against Layton.

Blankenship had a few exhibitions through the Brunswick-controlled NBAA up until the early 1920s, but all signs suggest he was definitely barred from world championship competition after winning in 1916.

By the way, I've also heard the vehicle accident explanation for the loss of his arm as well. I don't know which version is true.
 
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Via newspapers.com....

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Emmett isn't buried there, but several members of his family are buried at Oaklawn Cemetery in Tulsa.

Grave of Emmett Blankenship's parents William A. (1856-1931) and Alvina Blankenship (1860-1954)

Parents of Emmett Blankenship.jpg


Grave of Emmett Blankenship's youngest brother Wesley Paul Blankenship (1899-1984)

Brother Wesley Paul Blankenship 1899-1984.jpg
 
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