Watched a huge pile of BCA Hall of Fame pool players I have heard of but have never seen in action. I have seen a few of them on video, and a few of the currently active ones in real life, but it was totally awesome to see all of these ladies and gentlemen together playing pool. I think they enjoyed it as well.
Met up with JAM and chatted with her awhile. She and Keith were “wired” more than the other players. The tour apparently picked 10 players to follow with cameras for days. So, while talking with JAM, her photographer came up and asked her to put on her microphone. So when we were chatting, the photog came up and stuck his camera in our faces. I hope they trash that film!
Rackmsukr is even more adorable in person than in her pictures, if you can believe that. The same can be said for that Colin Colenso fellow. Looking very dapper the entire time. I wouldn’t recognize him in jeans and tennis shoes! Didn’t actually “meet” Bernie, but we almost talked a few times.
Met Murray Tucker and bobroberts too. Introduced myself to Deno, but he was a busy busy man the entire time. Met jjinfla at the computer terminals while he was there updating you guys!
Chatted with C.J. Wiley for a bit. Learned the answer to a few pressing questions that have come up in the forums… J means nothing – just J. He still has three pool tables in his upscale nightclub, Carsons, in the North Dallas area. When he opened it, there were 20 tables, and he’s incrementally scaled it down so that now there’s only three. And he says he still visits the old CJ’s and he’s recently improved it and that women now play free there. He says he’s opening another place up on the north side in a few weeks that will cater to the 35-and-older crowd, and there will be no pool tables there.
Chatted with Vivian Villarreal for a bit. Told her how happy we all were that she found her daughter, and asked if she had a current picture. She also pulled out a picture of her daughter when she was about four years old – when she was taken from Viv.
Thanked Gerda for beating Earl.
Thanked Kevin Trudeau several times for doing this.
Asked Marlon Manalo how his last name is pronounced.
At the request of a fellow forum member, talked with Lou Butera and his lovely wife. What a nice and pleasant man.
Went to dinner with Chopstick and Grady Matthews and his lovely wife, Randi. That was fun. Chopstick was a great host and made sure I had a ride back to my hotel every evening. Met Jimmy Fusco, a very pleasant fellow.
Introduced myself to Tony Robles, knowing that he lurks the forums.
Said “Howdy” to Mike Panozzo – Billiards Digest editor. Asked him to hook me up with Mason King, the guy who wrote the articles about PettyPoint in BD, but I didn’t see Mike after the first day, and never found Mason.
I was fortunate enough to be beside Bob Jewett (Billiards Digest’s resident physicist and expert pool player) and Fred Agnir (Inside Pool’s resident physicist and expert pool player) for awhile. That’s a great place to be and I wouldn’t mind spending more time there!
It was a “Who’s Who” collection of everyone who’s connected to pool in some way.
Met Greg Sullivan and got some insight into the IPT goings-on from him. Barry Behrman and his little doggy were there. Saw that Rob Sykora (BCn) and Pat Fleming (accu-stats) were there.
Krypto made it and bought one of my extra tickets. He’s a great guy and well versed in all things pool.
BTW – If anyone’s thinking about attending the next IPT tournament, there’s a rumor that it isn’t going to be in Orlando as the web site states, but will be in Las Vegas.
Met up with JAM and chatted with her awhile. She and Keith were “wired” more than the other players. The tour apparently picked 10 players to follow with cameras for days. So, while talking with JAM, her photographer came up and asked her to put on her microphone. So when we were chatting, the photog came up and stuck his camera in our faces. I hope they trash that film!
Rackmsukr is even more adorable in person than in her pictures, if you can believe that. The same can be said for that Colin Colenso fellow. Looking very dapper the entire time. I wouldn’t recognize him in jeans and tennis shoes! Didn’t actually “meet” Bernie, but we almost talked a few times.
Chatted with C.J. Wiley for a bit. Learned the answer to a few pressing questions that have come up in the forums… J means nothing – just J. He still has three pool tables in his upscale nightclub, Carsons, in the North Dallas area. When he opened it, there were 20 tables, and he’s incrementally scaled it down so that now there’s only three. And he says he still visits the old CJ’s and he’s recently improved it and that women now play free there. He says he’s opening another place up on the north side in a few weeks that will cater to the 35-and-older crowd, and there will be no pool tables there.
Chatted with Vivian Villarreal for a bit. Told her how happy we all were that she found her daughter, and asked if she had a current picture. She also pulled out a picture of her daughter when she was about four years old – when she was taken from Viv.
Thanked Gerda for beating Earl.
Thanked Kevin Trudeau several times for doing this.
Asked Marlon Manalo how his last name is pronounced.
At the request of a fellow forum member, talked with Lou Butera and his lovely wife. What a nice and pleasant man.
Went to dinner with Chopstick and Grady Matthews and his lovely wife, Randi. That was fun. Chopstick was a great host and made sure I had a ride back to my hotel every evening. Met Jimmy Fusco, a very pleasant fellow.
Introduced myself to Tony Robles, knowing that he lurks the forums.
Said “Howdy” to Mike Panozzo – Billiards Digest editor. Asked him to hook me up with Mason King, the guy who wrote the articles about PettyPoint in BD, but I didn’t see Mike after the first day, and never found Mason.
I was fortunate enough to be beside Bob Jewett (Billiards Digest’s resident physicist and expert pool player) and Fred Agnir (Inside Pool’s resident physicist and expert pool player) for awhile. That’s a great place to be and I wouldn’t mind spending more time there!
It was a “Who’s Who” collection of everyone who’s connected to pool in some way.
Met Greg Sullivan and got some insight into the IPT goings-on from him. Barry Behrman and his little doggy were there. Saw that Rob Sykora (BCn) and Pat Fleming (accu-stats) were there.
Krypto made it and bought one of my extra tickets. He’s a great guy and well versed in all things pool.
BTW – If anyone’s thinking about attending the next IPT tournament, there’s a rumor that it isn’t going to be in Orlando as the web site states, but will be in Las Vegas.
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