Greenway 1973

[hemicudas]

Here is the full video as posted earlier by Hemicudas....

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1490653580068911972&hl=en#


Best i can make out the section with the tournament (0-7min.) is from 78-80, the second section with the first trick shot (starting at 7 min.) is from 1981, the last section is July 2008.

You are correct on the time period, Tbeaux. Jay Helfert, was the first person to correctly ID Larry Hubbart sitting at the counter in the first part of the video. Joey A, will appreciate this part. In front of Larry are two girls. One is Larry's girlfriend and the other is Bobby Headrick's ex wife. Larry and Bobby were road partners when Larry was in the deep south. In fact, Bobby can be seen in the video playing in the tournament. Bobby Headrick is personal friends with Joey A and myself. I called Bobby and asked him when this tournament was held and he said it was late 1979 for sure. Bobby is tall and is in a white shirt with his back to the camera.

 

[8ballchump]

Mid-seventies or later is probably a good guess. I recognized a few faces in the video but the hair was different. A lot of guys were behind the times in Louisiana and our hair got a little longer in the late seventies and eighties. My avatar image is from '88, off of my Louisiana horse owner's license for the para-mutual tracks as it happens.

Things were crazy at Carencro and Acadiana Downs. I sold alfalfa both places and saw some fun things and some funny things! Pony horse races, chicken races, lunch bucket races, pretty much anything they could dream up to bet on. I ran my little red stud at the black track at Cheneyville and won every outing. Started him short and had to keep stretching the distance to get races. My jockey lost the reins and I won the last race there where I was supposed to be the underdog by seven lengths or so. Ooops! If you remember Louis Drake I still see him now and then. Machelle Benoit, Nancy's daughter too. Everybody else I can think of is dead or I've lost track of them.

I miss the horses and almost bought a foal awhile back. Came to my senses just in time, I'm done with horses.

Hu

Louis Drake! That's another name from the past.....please be sure and tell him that I said hello (Wesley was my last name then...). Those were some great days and I sure miss them..... I am pretty sure that I will remember you well - things are starting to roll around in my brain now (there's plenty of extra space) and I am starting to remember a lot of people that I haven't thought about in years!

I know what you mean about the horses....my daughter turned 11 this year and I wanted her to get involved in 4H so we leased a horse for her to start on....been having a ball with it all summer. Its' a draft cross so it's huge - and since I still had most of my old (ok...really old) western tack, we started her western and had that big ole horse running barrels and poles before the summer was out! We've had a blast and now I am looking for a good QH for her and one for Mom too........my husbands is trying to talk me out of it, but this past summer, spending time with Allison at the barn and with the horses just reminded me of how great it was and how much I miss it....

 

[8ballchump]

Tammy

In the 70's and early 80's Traveling back and forth to the Philippines I carried Fertilized Chicken eggs to the Philippines each trip. I guess you could say I was in the Import and Underground Export Business. A $ 10.00 bill got me through customs lickiely split in those days. I won't say on the Net where I got them from, but they were raised or laid behind a Popular Seafood restaurant not to far from GW. That owner has since passed and his sons were not into Cock fighting and still have that Restaurant. I bought that same Restaurant owners house and acreage in 1981, out Greenwell Springs Road near the State Hospital of the same name and raised Chickens myself. I won't talk about dog fights but the Flat track in Lafayette had more money riding than the Downs in N.O. which was a legal track. $ 20.00 9 ball games were 24/7 at GW and that was just the locals having fun. My point being everyone was into Gambling.

Louisiana was a wide open state in those days. Maybe it still is. Edwin Edwards (""The Silver Fly"", Because his zipper was so quick) was loved by most because he was an honest crook. If asked if he took the State airplane to Vegas, Edward would reply "Hell yes and I had a dam good time, but while I was there I talked with the Mayor of Podunk Iowa at the crap table and Therefore it was a political trip." This was at a time when Nixon lied about Watergate. I might be repeating myself telling the story about two different La. Sheriffs who were arrested and convicted of accepting Bribes. Both served time in there own jail while remaining Sheriff. One was re-elect after his jail term and the other was RE-ELECTED WHILE STILL SERVING HIS TERM IN HIS OWN JAIL.

But that was the over all atmosphere of Louisiana in those days. Some time in the early 80's the country hit a recession and Baton Rouge was the last to feel it hard. But when it got to BR about 84-85 people started leaving town and the Gaming money dried up. I think that is part of the demise of GW as well as many other things that may never be again. I remember about that time Dot would cook Spaghetti and give away free lunch-dinner to anyone who would come into GW just to promote business.

I am so Glad I had a chance to live in Louisiana during those times. I only wished I had Moved there full time sooner.

PS I hope I am adding to this thread because I sure am enjoying it. Tammy Your input along with some others is Fantastic. Thanks

I think I know which seafood restaurant....I never really was into the chicken or dog fights other than to be at the bars when things broke up so that we could "meet" the winners.....outside of Lake Charles was a favorite spot.

I'm real familiar with the GS Rd and the State Hospital area....was all over it - I saw you mentioned Pride Road. Clyde Wesley lived up around that area for years....he is the one that owned Comet, Jr. great horse..

You're right about Edwards too.....people just loved him....he didn't hide it all, just did it and told you about it. He had horses too! Kept them out at Kleinpeters for years - app's. Cleaned his stall a time or too and even talked horses with him a couple of times....he would show up during a horse show and just go hang out by his stalls... really was an interesting fellow.

Louisiana is unlike any other place.....some people may think that's a bad thing....I just call it home.:grin:

 

[8ballchump]

Tammie,
Are you referring to Earl Rapier? sp? Also in another thread, you described Jesse Padilla perfectly. Earl wrote at least one pool book, I belive on one pocket. He was very well liked and respected by everyone around the New Orleans area. I knew him only for a short period of time but he made a very positive impression on me.

A friend of mine still has one of his books and is going to lend it to me tomorrow. I was too young to remember much of Greenway Billiards. J/k, I was living in Jackson, MS for most of that era. Glad to see you posting. Hope to see you at the table some time in the near future.

JoeyA

Yep...Earl Rapier. Earl taught me so much about pool its unbelievable. Most of which I didn't "learn" until much later. He was way too advanced for me to comprehend it all at the level I was at then, but that didn't stop him from trying. Bless his heart, he was patient. Very quiet and very patient. He was try to tell me something and I would just argue and argue.....(what else would you expect..I'm just a woman!). I'd just say let me PLAY!

I've told this story before but this is pretty typical of things that would happen: we are playing one day and he is teaching me some 9-ball safeties. It is a pretty standard safety but I'm asking him how I can KNOW exactly where the cue ball and OB will wind up.....he tells me that if the CB hits the OB at 45 degrees, then both balls will travel an equal distance......... I said, oh....okay. I proceeded to look it over once more and then turned to him and SCREAMED ......"where the hell is 45 degrees????"! He just smiled and said, okay...just hit it.

Now....that's the type of teaching he would do. Rather than to tell me hit it here, hit it there, do this or do that...he would relay "theories" to me. Many many theories. Equations to use to figure out what to do. Truth is - that day I really didn't conceive of 45 degrees or even take the time to learn that theory from him. I'm ashamed to say...... but many, many years later - I was at a pro tournament, playing a top player when a situation presented itself and I wasn't sure of what to do.....I stood for a minute or so...and I heard him say....if the CB hits the OB at 45 degrees both balls will travel an equal distance......I nailed it. There are many times I still hear him - but now it makes sense. I truly wish I would have been more open to the information that he gave me then - he was really a genius.

Earl was a former career Navy guy....he had made it pretty far (E5, I think) and was up for a higher rank - needed only 2 years to retire. They did something bad to him and he just quit. Had an opportunity to leave and just quit. That's the way he was. He dedicated his all to something and would give and give but don't do him wrong. He was a quiet guy and a great friend. There wasn't anyone that I knew of that didn't like him. I too, have a set of his books. Wouldn't get rid of them for anything in the world. They would make a good read for you.

BTW....you did a great job commentating during the Galveston tournament....Troy listened/watch daily and I did too when I could. We soooo wish we could have been there! Life....sometimes it gets in the way.

 

[8ballchump]

You are correct on the time period, Tbeaux. Jay Helfert, was the first person to correctly ID Larry Hubbart sitting at the counter in the first part of the video. Joey A, will appreciate this part. In front of Larry are two girls. One is Larry's girlfriend and the other is Bobby Headrick's ex wife. Larry and Bobby were road partners when Larry was in the deep south. In fact, Bobby can be seen in the video playing in the tournament. Bobby Headrick is personal friends with Joey A and myself. I called Bobby and asked him when this tournament was held and he said it was late 1979 for sure. Bobby is tall and is in a white shirt with his back to the camera.

There is one thing that bothers me about the time frame of 1979...is that I was in GW during that time period and from the time I started there, they used the back wall for the tournament chart....the back wall can be seen in the video at 3:14 - behind Jimmy Wax and to the left of the back hallway door. There isn't any tournament chart there...they had it laminated and mounted on that wall. Now...I'm not disputing Bobby - just trying to use the tools we have to figure it out....it very well may be possible that it was 79 - but now it is bothering me that I can't remember!

One of the other things I would really like to know and probaby $Bill or one of you guys know right off hand, but the poster that is in the background at 5:48.......does anyone know which poster that is of? Is the original video quality good enough to identify it? I think it may help.....just wondering!

 

[JoeyA]

Yep...Earl Rapier. Earl taught me so much about pool its unbelievable. Most of which I didn't "learn" until much later. He was way too advanced for me to comprehend it all at the level I was at then, but that didn't stop him from trying. Bless his heart, he was patient. Very quiet and very patient. He was try to tell me something and I would just argue and argue.....(what else would you expect..I'm just a woman!). I'd just say let me PLAY!

I've told this story before but this is pretty typical of things that would happen: we are playing one day and he is teaching me some 9-ball safeties. It is a pretty standard safety but I'm asking him how I can KNOW exactly where the cue ball and OB will wind up.....he tells me that if the CB hits the OB at 45 degrees, then both balls will travel an equal distance......... I said, oh....okay. I proceeded to look it over once more and then turned to him and SCREAMED ......"where the hell is 45 degrees????"! He just smiled and said, okay...just hit it.

Now....that's the type of teaching he would do. Rather than to tell me hit it here, hit it there, do this or do that...he would relay "theories" to me. Many many theories. Equations to use to figure out what to do. Truth is - that day I really didn't conceive of 45 degrees or even take the time to learn that theory from him. I'm ashamed to say...... but many, many years later - I was at a pro tournament, playing a top player when a situation presented itself and I wasn't sure of what to do.....I stood for a minute or so...and I heard him say....if the CB hits the OB at 45 degrees both balls will travel an equal distance......I nailed it. There are many times I still hear him - but now it makes sense. I truly wish I would have been more open to the information that he gave me then - he was really a genius.

Earl was a former career Navy guy....he had made it pretty far (E5, I think) and was up for a higher rank - needed only 2 years to retire. They did something bad to him and he just quit. Had an opportunity to leave and just quit. That's the way he was. He dedicated his all to something and would give and give but don't do him wrong. He was a quiet guy and a great friend. There wasn't anyone that I knew of that didn't like him. I too, have a set of his books. Wouldn't get rid of them for anything in the world. They would make a good read for you.

BTW....you did a great job commentating during the Galveston tournament....Troy listened/watch daily and I did too when I could. We soooo wish we could have been there! Life....sometimes it gets in the way.

Thanks for the nice compliment, Tammie. Glad you and Troy enjoyed it.

BTW, you pegged Earl just like we all remember him.
JoeyA

 

[Ball Banger]

I think I know which seafood restaurant....I never really was into the chicken or dog fights other than to be at the bars when things broke up so that we could "meet" the winners.....outside of Lake Charles was a favorite spot.

I'm real familiar with the GS Rd and the State Hospital area....was all over it - I saw you mentioned Pride Road. Clyde Wesley lived up around that area for years....he is the one that owned Comet, Jr. great horse..

You're right about Edwards too.....people just loved him....he didn't hide it all, just did it and told you about it. He had horses too! Kept them out at Kleinpeters for years - app's. Cleaned his stall a time or too and even talked horses with him a couple of times....he would show up during a horse show and just go hang out by his stalls... really was an interesting fellow.

Louisiana is unlike any other place.....some people may think that's a bad thing....I just call it home.:grin:

Tammy

You always had a great personality to go with your good looks and it is really coming out here. I am learning stuff and I am putting two and two together now. Thanks for the great posts.

I tried to bring out some background info about Louisiana to help the younger members understand GW better. You jumped on it and I think it added.

You and I talked about Clyde Wesley years ago at GW. Sorry I didn't know him.

 

[jungledude]

Great memories of Greenway and many of you

:grin: I wrote a pool book in 1999 entitled "The Green Felt Jungle" which was loaded with war stories many of which occured in Greenway Billiards,
I owned Racketeer's Billiards in New Orleans for many years, it had 27 pool tables and a half crazy owner who was lucky enough to parlay it into a nice payday. I certainly enjoyed Tammy's memories of Greenway, I was very close to Earl Rapier as well as good friends with almost every one mentioned here. Had a very funny account in Greenway in my book of a 125 lb. guy knocking out the pool room bully to my great surprise. My book
sold very well, was given a rave review in Pool & Billiards magazine and I have a few copies laying around though the book is currently out of print it is still available if ordered from any book store or you can call me at 504-451-9603. I'm retired now and living in Thbiodaux, Louisiana and quit playing pool to coach high school football which was put aside during my 40 years of pool gambling. :grin: :grin:

 

[houmatroy]

Nice post hump !

:grin: I wrote a pool book in 1999 entitled "The Green Felt Jungle" which was loaded with war stories many of which occured in Greenway Billiards,
I owned Racketeer's Billiards in New Orleans for many years, it had 27 pool tables and a half crazy owner who was lucky enough to parlay it into a nice payday. I certainly enjoyed Tammy's memories of Greenway, I was very close to Earl Rapier as well as good friends with almost every one mentioned here. Had a very funny account in Greenway in my book of a 125 lb. guy knocking out the pool room bully to my great surprise. My book
sold very well, was given a rave review in Pool & Billiards magazine and I have a few copies laying around though the book is currently out of print it is still available if ordered from any book store or you can call me at 504-451-9603. I'm retired now and living in Thbiodaux, Louisiana and quit playing pool to coach high school football which was put aside during my 40 years of pool gambling. :grin: :grin:

You was one of the guys i looked up to..I know alot of others were after you cuz you had money..I never tried to take a shot at the money...I always wanted to stay friends & thought the knowledge u had could guide me way further than a quick score...thx again...your friend alway...Troy

 

[hemicudas]

There is one thing that bothers me about the time frame of 1979...is that I was in GW during that time period and from the time I started there, they used the back wall for the tournament chart....the back wall can be seen in the video at 3:14 - behind Jimmy Wax and to the left of the back hallway door. There isn't any tournament chart there...they had it laminated and mounted on that wall. Now...I'm not disputing Bobby - just trying to use the tools we have to figure it out....it very well may be possible that it was 79 - but now it is bothering me that I can't remember!

One of the other things I would really like to know and probaby $Bill or one of you guys know right off hand, but the poster that is in the background at 5:48.......does anyone know which poster that is of? Is the original video quality good enough to identify it? I think it may help.....just wondering!

Tammie, did you play the girl player, Kris, from NOLA? Looked and dressed like Marilyn Monroe.

 

[Black-Balled]

...My avatar picture is from '88 but I wasn't usually quite that hairy. I always gave my name as Hu(gh) the same then as now. Just wondering if we know each other.

Hu

Yes, Charles Manson, we know who you are.

 

[Ball Banger]

NO! NO! NO! Don't do that. I want to hear more about that Hunting Mule riding in the back of a Datsun pickup. This is a first for me. What was the size of the King Cab? j/k I enjoy hearing about the lives that people live and I will surely miss it if you move the story to NPR or even worse, PM.

JoeyA

JoeyA

My apology I miss your question until this morning. First a Hunting Mule is normally from a Small Jackass and a Shetland or Welsh Pony, therefore are small. Most people ride them with only a blanket instead of a saddle. When coming to a Fence the Blanket is thrown over the fence and the Mule jumps flat footed over the fence with no running start. The rider goes over the fence first and holds the reins to make the mule jump. Mules are great jumpers. Mules walk faster than a horse but run slower. Most hunting Mules are used to chase the coon dogs (Famous La. Catahoula Cur dogs). It is hard to sneak up on wild life with a Mule, But I have driven a Diesel tractor without mufflers right up to a deer on several occasions.

I had a 1978 Datsun and then a 1982 Datsun truck The 1982 was a 8 ft long bed which was made for only a few short years. Now I am going to get myself in trouble here with the Horse lovers. Horses while very noble beasts are very DUMB. Donkeys and Mules are in fact very smart and must be out thinked in order to be trained. Horses can in fact be trained by beating them, where a Mule will bulk. Horses and Mules love to ride in trailers etc. By first feeding the mule in the back of the Datsun he would jump in very quickly. A mule will stop eating when full, a horse will eat himself to death. By getting in the truck and driving it slowly while the mule is eating you train them to ride. Because of no side to lean against the mule is smart enough to sit-lay down and enjoy his ride. It is actually fairly easy to train a mule to ride in a pick up. BTW I normally threw a blanket in the truck for the mule to lay on.

Now Tammy told stories about meeting Gov Edwin Edwards at Horse shows. LSU use to have many Rodeos and horse shows and is right down the road from Edward's house on Highland Rd. But I have on occasion loaded up my Mule and gone to these shows just as a goof. Driving across town and down main streets with stop light was fun watching people watch my mule in the back of the truck. You could just see them mouthing the words "What Hell is that Thing".

Now maybe my Mule story will add some more understanding about La. and GW in general. La. has many Bayous wetlands and spillway areas as well as woodland. Therefore Hunting and fishing are real big as is the GOOD OLD BOY attitudes that go along with it. That Good Old Boy Attitude was carried into GW and other gambling events Like Cock fighting and horse racing etc. BTW Micheal Vick was small time compared to some in La. But I said I wouldn't talk about that.

Now I might add that the Demographics of Baton Rouge in those day included a lot of outsiders. Myself included being a non native of La. My sister's Husband was a PhD who worked for Exxon and that is how I got to La. Many of these people were in fact Republicans but registered Democrats because most all elections were determined in the Primary. But as Tammy said the republicans embraced Edwin Edwards and in fact all of La. culture including the gambling.

I hope I am adding to thread and not just rambling on about non pool related stuff. But I am trying to give a broader picture of GW and La. I will let Tammy tell about the pool player who she knows much better than I.

 

[ShootingArts]

the funny thing

Yes, Charles Manson, we know who you are.

The funny thing was that I was a pillar of the community at the time that picture was taken. I was well known and liked in the local community and had many friends in all levels of law enforcement and local politics. I also gave over $10K a year to local charities and community activities. Thing is that I was running three or four businesses, several involving long hours and one where I was on call 24/7.

Getting my hair cut wasn't a priority and wearing nice clothes would have been silly, I owned an auto salvage, mechanic shop, and radiator or body shop when I was in the mood, plus a 24 hour wrecker service. I had to get the people working for me out of any fixes they got themselves into so I was usually pretty dirty and greasy by the end of the day.

One Christmas we were really busy so my wife and I were grabbing up a Christmas tree at the last minute. I picked out a nice one and asked the man how much. Turned out it was a KC lot or some such charity and they said they were just taking donations. I handed him $40 which was about right or a little high for the tree at the time. He said, "Oh no, five dollars is plenty!" I looked down at my greasy clothes and laughed. "I don't look like this because I work in a salvage yard, I look like this because I own one."

I still wear blue jeans and t-shirts. My dogs wouldn't know me if I wore anything else. The beard has been there for almost forty years now, I would be looking at a stranger in the mirror if I cut it off.

Hu

 

[8ballchump]

Tammie, did you play the girl player, Kris, from NOLA? Looked and dressed like Marilyn Monroe.

We played in some tournaments but never gambled....I stayed out on the road quite a bit after the first couple of years. I think she started playing pretty much after we hit the road and I only saw her a few times after that.

 

[8ballchump]

JoeyA

My apology I miss your question until this morning. First a Hunting Mule is normally from a Small Jackass and a Shetland or Welsh Pony, therefore are small. Most people ride them with only a blanket instead of a saddle. When coming to a Fence the Blanket is thrown over the fence and the Mule jumps flat footed over the fence with no running start. The rider goes over the fence first and holds the reins to make the mule jump. Mules are great jumpers. Mules walk faster than a horse but run slower. Most hunting Mules are used to chase the coon dogs (Famous La. Catahoula Cur dogs). It is hard to sneak up on wild life with a Mule, But I have driven a Diesel tractor without mufflers right up to a deer on several occasions.

I had a 1978 Datsun and then a 1982 Datsun truck The 1982 was a 8 ft long bed which was made for only a few short years. Now I am going to get myself in trouble here with the Horse lovers. Horses while very noble beasts are very DUMB. Donkeys and Mules are in fact very smart and must be out thinked in order to be trained. Horses can in fact be trained by beating them, where a Mule will bulk. Horses and Mules love to ride in trailers etc. By first feeding the mule in the back of the Datsun he would jump in very quickly. A mule will stop eating when full, a horse will eat himself to death. By getting in the truck and driving it slowly while the mule is eating you train them to ride. Because of no side to lean against the mule is smart enough to sit-lay down and enjoy his ride. It is actually fairly easy to train a mule to ride in a pick up. BTW I normally threw a blanket in the truck for the mule to lay on.

Now Tammy told stories about meeting Gov Edwin Edwards at Horse shows. LSU use to have many Rodeos and horse shows and is right down the road from Edward's house on Highland Rd. But I have on occasion loaded up my Mule and gone to these shows just as a goof. Driving across town and down main streets with stop light was fun watching people watch my mule in the back of the truck. You could just see them mouthing the words "What Hell is that Thing".

Now maybe my Mule story will add some more understanding about La. and GW in general. La. has many Bayous wetlands and spillway areas as well as woodland. Therefore Hunting and fishing are real big as is the GOOD OLD BOY attitudes that go along with it. That Good Old Boy Attitude was carried into GW and other gambling events Like Cock fighting and horse racing etc. BTW Micheal Vick was small time compared to some in La. But I said I wouldn't talk about that.

Now I might add that the Demographics of Baton Rouge in those day included a lot of outsiders. Myself included being a non native of La. My sister's Husband was a PhD who worked for Exxon and that is how I got to La. Many of these people were in fact Republicans but registered Democrats because most all elections were determined in the Primary. But as Tammy said the republicans embraced Edwin Edwards and in fact all of La. culture including the gambling.

I hope I am adding to thread and not just rambling on about non pool related stuff. But I am trying to give a broader picture of GW and La. I will let Tammy tell about the pool player who she knows much better than I.

Banger hits it on the head......we were a little bit raw around the edges, but man.....we had fun. Never a dull moment in La........

I swear I remember that mule.....the memories are flowing now.......and sooner or later it will all come back! I remember those old Datsuns too....my sister had one and drove it for years (used to be her "farming" truck - from up around St Francisville - um....til the "farm" was discovered by an overhead "flyby".....).

 

[jungledude]

Thanks Troy

:grin: Thanks for the kind words Troy, you have always been a good friend,
as well as many others on this post have. God Bless you all....

 

[Black-Balled]

Quite an enjoyable thread. I never saw a mule in a pick-up, growing up in DC.

 

[Ball Banger]

jungledude

There was a BB Player from N.O. whose came to GW for tournaments but didn't play on the 9 footers. He would instead catch the road player on the BB and take their money. He was very thin as I remember and well known as a BB player. Do you know who I am talking about??? and do you have any stories about him??? This would have been in the 1980's

til the "farm" was discovered by an overhead "flyby".....).

Tammy

One advantage of a Hunting Mule is you can go where no man cares to go. However Summer in Louisiana woods were pure hell. If I remember right the State Bird is the Mosquito. Add in Red bugs and Chitters and farming isn't much fun.

 

[houmatroy]

jungledude

There was a BB Player from N.O. whose came to GW for tournaments but didn't play on the 9 footers. He would instead catch the road player on the BB and take their money. He was very thin as I remember and well known as a BB player. Do you know who I am talking about??? and do you have any stories about him??? This would have been in the 1980's



Tammy

That's not Cliff Brown you thinking of ?

 

[Ball Banger]

That's not Cliff Brown you thinking of ?

houmatroy

I had to stop and think. But yes I think that is the name. At the time GW had two BB and it might of been after Jessie bought GW and made some nice changes like comfortable chairs in a Conversation grouping. Jessie tried his best to keep GW alive but I think the Economy and the Changing Times did GW in.