Hall of Fame Nominations

M

manlyshot

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hall of Fame nominations are coming up, and the winners will be announced April 1st, 2004, April Fools Day.

Two categories have been established in BCA's Hall of Fame.

The Greatest Players category shall be reserved for outstanding players who have been active in national or international competition for at least 20 years and have won at least one national or international championship.

The Meritorious Service category shall be reserved for those who have made lasting, memorable and important contributions to billiards.

Who do you think should be nominated for Greatest Players category and the Meritorious Service category?

For Greatest Players, my choices would be Earl Strickland, Allen Hopkins, Jose Parica, and Grady Mathews.

For Meritorious Service, my choice would be Ronnie Allen and Grady Mathews.
 
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Thanks, but I've been there before. That thread is closed. My last comment on the subject. Ronnie Allen.
 
hemicudas said:
Thanks, but I've been there before. That thread is closed. My last comment on the subject. Ronnie Allen.
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Hemicudas, did you send your nomination in to the BCA? I sent my choices in via e-mail and actually got a response within 2 hours from the BCA confirming receipt.

According to AzBilliards Headline News, ballots will be mailed to BCA Business Members in early December 2003 and will be due back to the BCA office by January 12, 2004, with the official announcement happening April 1, 2004.

You and anybody can submit your BCA Hall of Fame nominations (name and list of accomplishments) to:

Billiard Congress of America
Attn: BCA Hall of Fame Nominations
4345 Beverly Street, Suite D
Colorado Springs, CO 80918-5916


or

steve-ducoff @ bca-pool.com
 
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Thanks Manlyshot. Will contact.

Hit send key at 9:45 CST. Will see if and when I get a reply.
 
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Manlyshot, I received this reply at 12:29PM.

I have your nomination and will pass it to the Hall of Fame Committee.

Thanks

Stephen D. Ducoff
Executive Director
Billiard Congress of America

Pool...Everybody's Game

Good service I would say. Thanks again and in answer to Skleezicks question:

Ronnie (Fast Eddie) Allen:
1977, Joe Burns was holding his annual tournament in Dayton (Forest Park), Ohio.

Walter Tevis; author of "The Hustler" and later, "The Color of Money" was in attendance, and being a writer fascinated with the gambling aspect of pool, seemingly had asked all of my peers who the best money player was and they referred him to me.

I agreed to do a tape recorded interview with Mr. Tevis while playing chess in his suite at the Holiday Inn in Dayton, Ohio.

Subsequently, Nov.77 Sports Illustrated published a 3 page article about me, which began as me being the best money player in the world, and ended with me being some kind of womanizer...Go figure.

At one point during this interview, I became the interviewer instead of interviewee, I flat out asked Mr. Tevis who he based Fast Eddie Felson on?

His reply went something like this; I went to Corcoran's Pool Roon in Frisco and saw a young, brash player by the name of Ronnie Allen who was a worldbeater, got the idea for the book and the rest is fiction and history.

Rudolph Wanderone "Minnesota Fats" was "New York Fats" before The Hustler came out. He sued the movie studio and won $25,000 and the rights to the name Minnesota Fats, the similarities were undeniable on who Walter Tevis had based Jackie Gleason's character on.

I know who the real Fast Eddie Felson was based on in Walter Tevis's mind - - Ronnie Allen!

Ronnie was faster than a speeding bullet, able to lift spectators out of their chair, and who, disguised as a mild mannered poolplayer could talk the Pope into staking him, after all it wasn't gambling because Ronnie always had the nuts (pool slang meaning he couldn't lose), if you don't believe me, just ask Ronnie.

1967, Norwalk, CA.. The first time I saw Fast hit a ball, he was giving Dado (the phillipino) who was a pretty good player, a handicap. From afar I saw the crowd interest in the game and asked a sweater (professional watcher), how they were playing...
$300 one pocket, Ronnie's playing him - his 1 hand to Dado's 2, and giving him 8 to 5 and the break. Tough game huh?

I walked in close for a better view (so help me this is true), Ronnie was almost frozen on the end rail, there were four balls that had been broken out of the stack and they were surrounding Dado's pocket.

Ronnie started grinning, talking to the crowd in general and Dado in particular, said something to this effect; I don't understand it Dado, don't you ever make a mistake, man you move as good as I do.

Look at the trap I'm in here.

Ronnie looking hard at the shot, still talking, smiling and chuckling about what a bad game this is, Then he seemed to see something(a way out) nobody else could see...

Ronnie jacked up (w/1 hand) & fired into the highest ball above Dado's pocket...
When the smoke cleared - all 4 balls were spinning toward and transplanted in front of Ronnie's pocket, and low and behold - the cueball was frozen against the stack!!!

Dado looked like he just got sentenced to the electric chair!!!

To this day it is right up there with the best one pocket shots of all time. Fast Eddie beat him flat after that, Dado never won a game...

In 1966 - Ronnie won the Straight Pool, Nine Ball, and One Pocket All-Around Championship, held at the Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas.

For over 20 years, nobody would play him even-up one pocket. Facts speak for themselves, in 1971 Ronnie grabbed the microphone at the beginning of the Hustlers Tournament in Johnston City Illinois, offered everybody there 10 to 8 in one pocket --no takers.

Ronnie will go down in my mind as having the highest gear I've ever seen in one pocket, and you know I've seen them all.

Ronnie will go down in my mind as being one of the most entertaining players to watch.

Ronnie will go down in my mind as someone who always looked for and created action.

Jack (Jersey Red) Breit told it like it is (or was), he said; " With plastic balls, Ronnie Allen is the greatest one pocket player of all time."

Ronnie ( Fast Eddie Allen ) deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.

He deserves it, justice demands it... Jimmy Reid
 
hemicudas said:
in answer to Skleezicks question:

Ronnie (Fast Eddie) Allen: ...
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I don't see any meritorious service. Greatest player would be more applicable, IMO.
 
I've seen Ronnie Allen twice in the last 45 days. One Pocket and 9 ball tournaments I ran at Hard Times... I still can't believe this guy was still alive. For the last 15 years, I thought he had passed.

Still chats to the crowd, still plays pool better than most short stops and still has his hands full when he's not shooting. Beer in one hand, cue in the other.. trying to make a game.

Future Hall of Fame member? maybe. Hall of Fame Charater? yes, he could give the orange crush to Keith.
 
Tom In Cincy said:
Hall of Fame Charater? yes, he could give the orange crush to Keith.
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When Ronnie was in his prime, almost every player wanted to bypass him, especially for the money. When it came to the gift of the gab, he was better than Fattie. He would always entertain the crowd. As far as one-pocket goes, he is probably the best one-pocket player that ever lived.

But there is one thing they should not take away from him is the Hall of Fame. He should already be in there.
 

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How about the High Priest of Pocket Apiece, Mr. Jack Breit, aka Jersey Red, for the HOF??
 
Cactus Ed, I too agree that Jack should be in the HOF but to again quote "Jersey Red",

Jack (Jersey Red) Breit told it like it is (or was), he said; " With plastic balls, Ronnie Allen is the greatest one pocket player of all time."
 
Gremlin said:
I sent my nominations to the BCA and received my reply. I wonder what goes through the comittee members minds? Road players and tournament players? I sure have a load of questions?
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Gremlin, you should check out the Billiard Congress of America website: www.bca-pool.com

There is loads of information not only about Hall of Fame, but other items that may interest you. I am impressed that I, too, got such a quick reply when I cast my vote via e-mail.

Ed Kelly and Efren Reyes were inducted into the BCA Hall of Fame on Saturday, July 12, 2003 at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Billiard Congress of America is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado - home of Pikes Peak, the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Olympic Committee.

The BCA Hall of Fame Committee consists of: Tom Shaw (chair),
Conrad Burkman, J.R. Calvert (Publisher, Inside Pool), John Nusser, Mike Panozzo (Publisher, Billiards Digest), Mike Shamos (Contributing Editor, Billiards Digest, and many other titles), and Stephen Ducoff (staff liaison of Hall of Fame Committee).

Looking at the members of the HOF Committee, I am unable to get a flavor of who they may possibly select.
 
He has to go in under the "GREATEST PLAYERS" catagory or its a sham!

I have a story about Ronnie,
Here's what I thought at the time was a WEIRD comment from him BUT THINK ABOUT IT, as I did:

Cornbread took me down to Nashville in 83, a tournament at the Maxwell House. Fats was living there, U.J. was there, everybody. Anyway, Ronnie sits me down one day and starts telling me stories, giving advice, pointers, stuff he's seen, stuff he's done, just talking and talking. Kind of like he started reflecting on his life.

Now here it comes...................out of the blue he say's............."Ya know kid, when this is over I'm going back to Oakland and become a sucker"....................I'm like??????

I say "What are you talking about?", and he tells me to look around. "You can't live like this (the hotel) being a pool player and you can't get rich playing in tournaments so look at us! We spend our time looking for suckers to beat. Cause the suckers ALWAYS got money!"............Then he looks right into my eyes and says "But YOU tell ME!, WHO'S THE REAL SUCKER?, us....always gettin broke or the SUCKERS.......who always got money?"

I start thinking to myself. What the hell?, is he really kinda nuts??? I'm a young kid (24), no real responsibilities (yet), playing good, around big money and action all the time, I really start thinking he's crazy (damn, he knew i didn't even get to play in the tournament cause I started playing the owners limo driver and beat them all week...out of alot...cause everybody thought I was Reds' bodyguard. LOL kinda thought every now and then money just fell from the sky). But.................I keep thinking about what he said....................alot!.

I'm back home and I start looking at everybody different now. Watching everybody. Thinking. Watching. DAMN if he aint right!. The SUCKERS....do always have money....always. The smart guys (there were exceptions) were always gettin broke....no matter WHAT they won.

Well the moral of this story is he kinda changed my life a little I think.....I got married the next year to Reds' daughter (who hated gambling, LOL, so that got toned down a bit), watched my 2 kids grow up into adults loving every minute, just a "normal" life. I'd love to say I took his advice and became a millionaire....but I didn't and thats OK (theres still time), because I had alot of things that I probly wouldn't have had otherwise.

I've never told this story before (I have used his comment) and he has no clue that what he said was taken to heart.

I apologize for the length and rambling on, its just so many people try to knock CHAMPIONS every chance they get, I just wanted to get it off my chest and tell something decent for a change.

The BCA would like to have just saints and martyrs, they'd like to ignore and turn a blind eye to alot of stuff....BUT THE HALL OF FAME IS ABOUT POOL AND POOL PLAYERS and Ronnie Allen was one of THE BEST!!!!

The Hall of Fame......DESERVES......to have Ronnie Allen in it.

Steve Lomako
 
Great story Steve!! Ronnie said it right too! He was smart enough to understand that, wise enough to impart that knowledge to you but, unfortunately for him, too wrapped up in the life to free himself from it. Pool and action are addicting to be around and some people just can't break away from it.

I've heard stories about Ronnie when he was in his prime and he truly sounds like he was a great player. I was fortunate to see him and even practice with him a little. He still shoots great in spite of his age and physical maladies! I hope he gets voted in too! I am going to visit that website and enter my vote for him as the greatest player.
 
Louie "St Louie Louie" Roberts. Hands down the greatest 9 ball player I have ever seen. Regardless of his personal demons, Louie belongs there more than most that are already in. Just my opinion. I'd also throw a vote for Mike Carella in there too, but it'll never happen.

Meritorious .... probably Joe Kerr. He really did a lot for the industry back when he was promoting tournaments. Great guy, and he put all of his heart and soul into all the tournaments he held.

Blackjack
 
I have also sent another nomination in. For "Both" Greatest Players and Meritorious. The greatest "Promoter" and one of the top 5 "Greatest" One Pocket players ever.....The "Great, Professor" Grady Mathews.
 
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