Heart?

Opie

Opie

Stronger than shortstop?
Silver Member
I see alot of threads on here relating to which player has the smoothest stroke, most powerful stroke, etc. I thought it would be interesting to see who you guys thought had the most heart. I know that to be a pro (or even above average) player, a person has got to have a lot of heart and a "never say die" attitude towards the game. So, what player have you seen that you thought had the most heart? It can be a pro, or maybe just a shortstop you've seen in a gambling session. Also give the reason why you thought they had an extraordinary amount of it. Positive comments only please.
Thanks.
 
Heart, funny you should mention it. About two weeks ago I had to give a telephone interview to a writer from Billiards Digest about a friend of mine that is now a Pro player. When I gave the iterview one of the things I couldn't stop thinking about was how much heart my friend had to be able to accomplish the things he has.

When I first met my friend he started coming to my tournaments in the Pitburgh area. When I 1st met him he couldn't win one of my tournaments to save his life. He tried and tried but kept falling short. After talking with him he told me some of his past accomplishments but there weren't many. He aslo told me that he was going to win one of my events, Of course I didn't believe him but he kept coming to my events and practiing and trying. I noticed soon after that, that he had what it takes to be a champion. He had heart.

I remember his 1st win on my tour. He beat Leil Gay (JR the Indian from Cleveland) (Leil was the 3 time Viking Tour Champion at the time) twice in the finals to win his 1st Viking Tour event. Then he beat Leil again twice in the finals and then he did it another 4 times. He had to beat him twice because my events are true double elimintaion events. It takes a lot of heart to come from the 1 loss side and beat a great player and my friend was giving me an awesome display of it. He has now won almost 50 Viking Tour events.

This weekend he beat Earl Strickland in the finals of the Tiger Planet-Pool US Open Warm-Up event and that takes a lot of heart especially after already getting beat by Earl and having to come from the 1-loss side.

Shawn Putnam is currently the #1 ranked player on the UPA and the 6X Viking Tour Points Champion and he never would have been able to get there if he didn't have a lot of heart.

Congratulations Shawn and good luck at the US Open.

Mj
 
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Great read MJ and after watching Shawn play in the Joss finale, he is now one of my favorites to watch. Smooth player with loads of talent.

Regards,
Koop
 
I don't see how you can become a champion at this game unless you have alot of heart.
 
Parica should definitely be mentioned here. He's no muscular youngun bully drilling balls in the hole mile-a-minute with a screwface in hip hop chic/sports attire, but he won't give up and nothing intimidates him, it seems. Nothing droopy about the guy. No self-pity, nothing. Haven't seen him gamble yet, (talking tournaments here) so I don't know if other posters will qualify him as having heart based on what I said.
 
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Jeanette Lee, hands down.

She has an incredible competitive drive. She also has advanced to the highest level in women's pool with a back so bad the rest of us would be lounging around on our couch, pounding the Budweiser, just waiting anxiously for that next disability check. She's played in tournaments with pain so bad that she just has to take a break to cry (instead of taking painkillers that will impair performance). She almost never even MENTIONS her back, doesn't make excuses. She's got my vote.
 
whitewolf said:
Mika Immonen.

His motto is "show no mercy". In our Predator Pool School he let a 13 year old shoot a little, and then he crushed him. The other instructors and the students were giving him hell (and laughing of course) because this is a big point he made to everybody in his class.

For having started so late in pool, I think he had to have had a lot of heart just to get to where he is today.
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To be down in a money match or tournament against a great player and have the ability to overcome the elements and your opponent shows heart. To have no mercy on a 13 yer old kid at a pool school show something else entirely. That's pretty shitty if you ask my opinion. It's hard for me to respect a guy who would do something like that.

Mike
 
Marcus Chamat....have seen the little come from being way down many times in tournament play or money matches. Like him or not, he really epitomizes the phrase "never give up".
 
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a while ago, there was a B'ish player at an area poolhall...a guy came up to him and said he wanted to play something cheap...like maybe races for 50. The B player says he doesn't play people he doesn't know. The guy says he's the dishwasher at the place. so the B player says ok bet 100. The dishwasher has a lot of heart though and agrees to play. The dishwasher ends up beating the b player...the b player couldn't make a ball after someone told him that the guy he thought was the dishwasher...was actually a strong pro.
 
What about Rodney Morris? He has to have a lot of heart to do as well as he has been doing lately. No big wins, but a lot of top 5's. Very consistent.
 
To have no mercy on a 13 yer old kid at a pool school show something else entirely.

Mike[/QUOTE]

I agree with you here. Once I played a beginner in a weekly 9-ball tournament and was asked by the director to take it easy on her. I ended up plowing her 7-1 or something, but I didn't feel good about it (one of those days where you get out from everywhere - I wasn't going to dog on purpose). I did give her pointers almost every rack though when she was shooting however, so don't think I'm all bad.

Anyway this doesn't go to show that I have heart. I believe heart is when you come through in the clutch, overcoming great pressure, or surmount great odds or adversity.

I'm reminded of the story (http://www.azbilliards.com/roadstories/index.html) where Archer runs 13 racks on Bustamante, then Busta asks to double the bet! And he wins the next set! I think Archer even quits on him eventually.
 
Let me amend my initial post, and give an "Honorable Mention" in the "heart" category to our own Sarah Rousey. To accomplish what she has despite the burden of Type I diabetes is EXTREMELY admirable. You have to have heart like an elephant to excel at anything given that type of burden.
 
Williebetmore said:
Let me amend my initial post, and give an "Honorable Mention" in the "heart" category to our own Sarah Rousey. To accomplish what she has despite the burden of Type I diabetes is EXTREMELY admirable. You have to have heart like an elephant to excel at anything given that type of burden.
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That's not nearly the burden as putting up with all of us on the board when she sees us out at a tournament :D .

Joking aside, I agree. I have seen Sarah in the heat of battle, and there is no quit in her at all.

Mike
 
I'm reminded of the story (http://www.azbilliards.com/roadstories/index.html) where Archer runs 13 racks on Bustamante, then Busta asks to double the bet! And he wins the next set! I think Archer even quits on him eventually.[/QUOTE]

That instance may show heart, but I think what it really shows is savvy gambling prowess. For the reasons below:

> Being down a set, the right thing to do is double, or you are playing to just get back to even in the next set. Which takes ALL the pressure off the other guy. You either lose, then quit, or you are up on the guy.

> Doubling the bet also sais to the guy "hey, I'm not afraid of anything you can do".

> There can also be a let down factor after a great accomplishmemnt like running out a set like that. Not that Archer has any dog in him I think. So you may as well shoot all your bullets at him right after it happened.

Just a few thoughts....Later.....G
 
> Being down a set, the right thing to do is double, or you are playing to just get back to even in the next set. Which takes ALL the pressure off the other guy. You either lose, then quit, or you are up on the guy.

> Doubling the bet also sais to the guy "hey, I'm not afraid of anything you can do".

> There can also be a let down factor after a great accomplishmemnt like running out a set like that. Not that Archer has any dog in him I think. So you may as well shoot all your bullets at him right after it happened.

Just a few thoughts....Later.....G[/QUOTE]

G, great points. Letting down is definitely a reality in sports. But nevertheless, watching a guy (not just any guy mind you) run 13 flawless racks then having the nerve/heart/balls to up the stakes is impressive, and could only be pulled off by a champ like Django (the coolest nickname in pool for my money btw).

Bumping the bet may have been the right thing to do cash-wise but you have to have the goods to deliver. The fact that he won the 2nd set is what proves his heart, not just the challenge.
 
Marlon Manalo.....he is the epitome of just "playing the balls". He looks and acts like a professional, nothing rattles him, and he just seems to give it his all every single shot.
 
whitewolf said:
Mika Immonen.

His motto is "show no mercy". In our Predator Pool School he let a 13 year old shoot a little, and then he crushed him. The other instructors and the students were giving him hell (and laughing of course) because this is a big point he made to everybody in his class.

For having started so late in pool, I think he had to have had a lot of heart just to get to where he is today.
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Actually, I think it could be translated as "Mercy is a disease !" which has been Mika's motto since the beginning of his career. That sounds even more ruthless, eh ? :)

And yes, Mika really really hates to lose, in no matter what circumstances. Many years ago a few (very few) practice sets went my way and he was totally disgusted. With nothing at stake. That's vintage Mika alright. :p
 
Jim Rempe has loads of heart. He has made some unreal comebacks in his day and always puts in 110%.

Mike Sigel is as successful as he is all on heart, that guy just refuses to let anyone beat him.
 
Today, Ralf Souquet, Jeremy Jones, and Jeanette Lee come to mind. Still, I suspect Nick Varner played with more heart than anyone I've ever watched.

Of course, if 2005 alone is considered, it isn't easy to omit Wu, who broke and ran four straight with opponent on the hill to win the final of the World Championships. Now that's heart!
 
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