How Did Tony Ellin Die?

L

LastTwo

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I watched an Accustats tape of Tony Ellin playing Shannon Daulton. Tony drilled Shannon relentlessly, 11-4 (9-ball).

Anyways, a friend of mine told me Tony died from getting hit by a train. Does anyone know how this happened, what the circumstances were? It's a shame, he was an amazing player. May he rest in peace.
 
Yes his car was hit by a train.
I am not 100% on the details but it was while
crossing the train. I was told he was trying to beat the
train. It was close to his home I believe.

Does anyone know what happened to his wife/girlfriend?
I think her name was Shelby and she played as well.

Tony would be right there with the top guys today. He had
a very good break and was very competitive at the table.
 
Sorry for not elaborating more...he was driving in TX, trying to beat a train across an intersection, and didn't make it. I hear that is is not uncommon there and, in fact, I have a relative (never met her) who died the same way.

-piga
 
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Another train story

Weird. One junior player here in Finland died years ago when he was hit by a train. He and his buddy were crossing the rail road tracks and fences in between at a station to change platforms, when his friend tripped and hit his head and apparently went unconscious. The pool player returned to help his friend and they were both hit by a train and both died instantly.

Creepy...
 
frankncali said:
Yes his car was hit by a train.
I am not 100% on the details but it was while
crossing the train. I was told he was trying to beat the
train. It was close to his home I believe.

Does anyone know what happened to his wife/girlfriend?
I think her name was Shelby and she played as well.

Tony would be right there with the top guys today. He had
a very good break and was very competitive at the table.
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I think (a very good break) is the understatment of the year, Tony hit the break harder than I could shoot it with a rifle!
 
a little more info

Straight from AZbilliards

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On Wednesday, June 14, the billiard world was dealt the tragic loss of one of its finest players. Tony "The Hurricane" Ellin, 34, of Ladson, S.C. was killed Wednesday when a train hit his 1999 Cadillac as he crossed an intersection. The collision, which occurred just before noon, happened less than a block from his home.

Tony had been playing pro pool for many years, and had gained the respect & admiration of players & spectators throughout the world. My first memories of him were from December of 1991 Sands Regency in Reno, followed up by Jack Johnston’s “Last Call for 9-ball” at the Sands in Las Vegas. Since then, I have seen him at just about every professional tournament that existed. Over the last several years, he had established himself as a permanent fixture at tournaments. As anyone who knows him would say, he was always happy and in good spirit, and as such shared it with the people he came in contact with. When Tony was not playing, he always had a kind word to offer, and was known as being kind & gentle. On the table, however, he was a fierce competitor, oftentimes stringing numerous racks against his unfortunate opponents. Hence the nickname “the Hurricane” was born. Tony was not alone on his trek to be the best. For several of those years, he was accompanied by his wife Shelby, who was an accomplished player in her own right, as I can personally attest to. Three years ago, Tony & Shelby were blessed with the birth of their daughter Ashley.

Tony's victories at the professional level include a victory at the 1994 Sands Regency XIX, and the Hard Times Pro-Am, also in June of 1994. He also made it to the finals on many other occasions, only to be held to several 2nd place finishes, including the September 1993 US Open 9-Ball Championship , 1994 Bay State Shootout in April, and the 1994 Dallas Open in July. There were also numerous trips to the semi-finals as well, ending with 3rd place finishes, including the Sands Regency XXII, Legends of 9-Ball in June of 1996, and again at the Sands Regency XXV in 1997. At Chalker’s San Francisco 9-Ball Classic in June of 1995, and yet again at the Sands Regency XXVIII, he placed 4th. His rankings on the Pro Billiards Tour for 1995 were 12th place at years end, and a career high in 1996 at 9th place at years end. Over the years, there were many articles published about him in many publications, including the American Cueist in August 1994, Pool & Billiard in July 1994 & July 1996, and Q Action Magazine in July & August issue 1994.

Tony will be sorely missed by those whose lives he touched. Our thoughts & love go out to his surviving family. Tony is survived by his wife, Shelby, and daughter Ashley Annette, 3; parents George and Bonnie Ellin; sister Nancy and niece Sarah. Memorials may be made to the Billiard Education Foundation Fund, c/o B.C.A. 4345 Bevery St., Suite D, Colorado Springs, CO 80918. The BEF is a non-profit foundation that provides college scholarships to junior billiard players
 
I only knew Tony for a short time before his death as I just got into shooting pool. I do see his wife frequently but I rarely see her play. She is still living in Ladson and raising their daughter.
 
Tony was a great player and a great guy. He was an occasional road companion of Johnny Archer when they were both coming onto the scene. Also, Tony, at least before weight problems became a serious issue late in his life, was a pretty sporty basketball player.

I always rooted for Tony, cheered hard when he won, and it broke my heart when he missed a routine five ball with a clear runout in the one-rack playoff against Nick Varner in the Challenge of Champions with 50,000 riding on it (approx 1995).

Real nice guy who is missed a lot.
 
Actually Fast Larry I'll agree with you on this one. I've heard of this happening quite a bit from a former US OPEN 9 ball winner I'm acquaintances with and my dad is friends with, and I won't mention his name.

What can you say. In the broke world of professional pool, MONEY TALKS. You can buy a tin cup.

Look at the 2003 finals match between Jeremy Jones and Jose Parica. I'm not taking anything away from Jones who is a phenomenal player, but I have heard through the grapevine (as I'm sure have quite a few others) that Parica dumped that match..although he made it almost painfully obvious if you watch the tape. I'm not saying Jones wouldn't have won anyways, but Parica was obviously giving him some help. Of course, this is just my personal opinion.

I had not heard that about when Mike Lebron won the Challenge of Champions. Lebron was a great player in his prime though, and is still a very good player. He's an interesting character because he didn't start playing professionally until he was in his late 40's I believe.

As far as Tony Ellin dumping against Varner in another Challenge of Champions finals. I will say, he did miss a STRAIGHT IN EASY SHOT....but if he was dumping..then he dumped like a champ, because for the last 10 years that I've been watching that match I would have never thought it. He missed an easy shot that gets taken for granted and I think he just missed. I don't see any reason for him to dump, as at that time Varner was winning everything in sight anyways and was the favorite to win. I guess the only people who really know regarding that match is Tony, possibly Nick, and anyone else who was involved financially.

Pretty interesting subject though, to say the least.

I look forward to hearing what others have to say regarding this one.
 
The guy ask's a simple question about Tony Ellin and who is the first person to bring up crap? You guessed it, Fast Larry.

Kent Mc.
 
the bookies handling the action must have been morons to accept 5k bets and higher from large #'s of players ( or their friends laying the bets) and not drop the odds drastically as the bets came in. i accept the possibility of bets of a few hundred dollars being made, but would have to say BS to the story above.
 
ramdadingdong said:
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I warned you, there it is, you still cannot believe it. For the cash, Tony does not miss a straight in shot, use your common sense here. If Tony wins, he gets 50 grand. Playing agaisnt the top 10 players of that time and he did not rank in the top 5, the odds of him going home broke with nothing were very good. Sigel or Varner are favorites to win this event. Everyone knows, Spanish Mike can't win this in a thousand years, he has zero chance.
So Tony goes with the dump, bets his 5K, everything else he can scape up at 20 to one and walks out with a sure l00K plus. Does that explain it to you, so you can now understand it and accept it. To be perfectly honest with you, I have never dumped on any one before, but if that deal was laid on me, I could walk with that much loot, I would have taken the money and ran with the rest of them. No way I could have passed that one up, I could go home and open up a new pool hall on that much money. It is a pool players retirement move, his hit of a life time. His dream dump, this was what I call, the mother of all dumps. If will take you some time, but this will finally sink in and then you go holy S***, he is right. If pool players were making the kind of money they deserve, the top ranked players pulling down over a mil a year in prize money, this low rent S*** would not have ever happened. It happens because we are starving our stars, that is what makes them ho's, simple need to survive, it turns them into predators. I don't blame the pros for becoming ho's, I blame the industry for not supporting them so they can all make a decent living and be prosperous. :D :D :D
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What I'm saying here is, the finals match between Tony Ellin and Nick Varner....Tony was the long shot. Not Nick Varner. If anyone was to take a dump, after placing bets on the side for the longshot (which in that match at that time would be Tony), it would have been Nick. I'm not saying that either one of them wouldn't have dumped...but if you're talking about schemes, I don't see the benefit in Tony dumping that finals match. The odds were on Nick Varner to win anyways.

There could have been something else going on though, because that shot in the corner Tony missed, I could make 10 times in a row one handed and not miss...it was that easy. He had to play no position. Just stop the cue ball. The cue ball was about a foot from the object ball, and the object ball was about 15 inches from the hole...just make it and stop. A little bit shady...but like I said...IF he dumped, he dumped like a pro and I've believed he just literally took it for granted for the last 10 years, so let's just leave well enough alone. I will say that Varner looked at Tony with a "What the f--k?" look after Tony missed that shot, and Nick thanked his lucky stars. The point is our champions can't make enough to KEEP from doing this dimestore crap. All these guys know is pool, and have nothing else to make money from, so they have to do what they have to do to support their families.

I've heard so many of these pros who might have been on a tournament winning streak saying they don't gamble anymore at one time or another (Johnny Archer, Jeremy Jones, etc) but it doesn't take but a couple of tournament losses and a short pocket book to bring the gamble out. Money talks, and momma needs a new pair of shoes..you know? If I played at Johnny Archer or Jeremy Jones speed, ANYONE could get even action anytime.

As far as Lebron to win the challenge of champions, I think he was a good enough player to win. It was only 10 players and it was 9 ball which can be very fickle. The guy was a real strong player Larry. But, you may be right in your story about them going in for Lebron to win. That's a whole different year of a Challenge of Champions tournament, so who knows. I wouldn't put it past em' to say the least.
 
ramdadingdong said:
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Even when I sit people down, explain it to them ahead of time, who is going to win and why, it happens that way, they still think I am nuts.


I will still think you are nuts no matter what happens but i will at least respect your opinion on this matter if you can do that.

Sometime in the near future give us your picks in advance here and why and let's see how you do. If you dont want to post publicly as you feel it might change things, just send a private message to me (or another neutral party) which i will keep sealed til the event is over. Right or wrong i will give the results here.
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