How Good Was Minnesota Fats?

Post

alstl said:
It might have been this one. Scroll down to 24 January 1968.

If you click on his name it will give a list of the other shows he was on which include David Frost and Johnny Carson.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0762336/

Al,
St Louis
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Freddy did speak of this on ABR.

The videos available on YouTube or web video site. I've seen several game shows and talk shows on YouTube and others....the copy rights have probably expired anyways.




Rob.M
 
I actually have the vhs video footage of Fats and Mosconi appearing on What's My Line, and I've Got a Secret. They stumped all the panelists! :D

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

dontlitethat said:
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Freddy did speak of this on ABR.

The videos available on YouTube or web video site. I've seen several game shows and talk shows on YouTube and others....the copy rights have probably expired anyways.




Rob.M
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Post

Scott Lee said:
I actually have the vhs video footage of Fats and Mosconi appearing on What's My Line, and I've Got a Secret. They stumped all the panelists! :D

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
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Those videos are on YouTube. I want to see the videos of fats on the tonight show asxa guest with Muhammad Ali where they supposed canceled other guests to keep fats on.

I've also heard that fats was not a good pool player... Whoever started that rumor is silly! If he's playing mosconi we all know he's a great player. Watch him shoot in the videos you can find online. He shoots standing up! Try it sometime and you will see how great he is.

IN MY BOOK FATS IS ONE OF THE GREATEST! I wish he was still here to match up with earl'



Rob.M
 
jay helfert said:
And he couldn't read or write. With barely a third grade education, I would read the menu to him in restaurants or he would just ask for what he wanted. He signed his autographs with a stamp, because for him to write out Minnesotas Fats was difficult and time consuming.
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First off, this is probably the best thread I've read on AZ. Thanks to those that revived this old gem.

I had the pleasure of meeting Fats at a Bicycle Club Pro Event here in Los Angeles in 1994, which I think Efren won. The poster for the event is below which I had signed by:

Johnny Archer
Roger Griffis
Mike Massey
Franciso Bustamante
Tony Ellin
Paul Potts
Nick Varner
Jeff Carter
Buddy Hall
Danny Harriman
Rudolpho Luat
Howard Vickery
Steve Mizerak
Efern Reyes
Leonardo Andam
Luc Salnas
Minnesota Fats




At the time, I was a little displeased with the "signature" Fats put on my poster. Here's a close up:



It wasn't until now, some 20 years later, I get clarification on why he did that. Everyone else signed with my gold paint pen but Fats used a stamp. I thought he was just being lazy. Thanks for the insight Jay! I now know I truly have an "authentic" Fats signature.
 
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Post

rexus31 said:
First off, this is probably the best thread I've read on AZ. Thanks to those that revived this old gem.

I had the pleasure of meeting Fats at a Bicycle Club Pro Event here in Los Angeles in 1994, which I think Efren won. The poster for the event is below which I had signed by:

Johnny Archer
Roger Griffis
Mike Massey
Franciso Bustamante
Tony Ellin
Paul Potts
Nick Varner
Jeff Carter
Buddy Hall
Danny Harriman
Rudolpho Luat
Howard Vickery
Steve Mizerak
Efern Reyes
Leonardo Andam
Luc Salnas
Minnesota Fats




At the time, I was a little displeased with the "signature" Fats put on my poster. Here's a close up:



It wasn't until now, some 20 years later, I get clarification on why he did that. Everyone else signed with my gold paint pen but Fats used a stamp. I thought he was just being lazy. Thanks for the insight Jay! I now know I truly have an "authentic" Fats signature.
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Thanks for sharing, when I read Freddy the beards post about what he has discussed on ABR years later and seeing such good posts I had to bring it back to the front.


Rob.M
 
70-71

rexus31 said:
First off, this is probably the best thread I've read on AZ. Thanks to those that revived this old gem.

I had the pleasure of meeting Fats at a Bicycle Club Pro Event here in Los Angeles in 1994, which I think Efren won. The poster for the event is below which I had signed by:

Johnny Archer
Roger Griffis
Mike Massey
Franciso Bustamante
Tony Ellin
Paul Potts
Nick Varner
Jeff Carter
Buddy Hall
Danny Harriman
Rudolpho Luat
Howard Vickery
Steve Mizerak
Efern Reyes
Leonardo Andam
Luc Salnas
Minnesota Fats




At the time, I was a little displeased with the "signature" Fats put on my poster. Here's a close up:



It wasn't until now, some 20 years later, I get clarification on why he did that. Everyone else signed with my gold paint pen but Fats used a stamp. I thought he was just being lazy. Thanks for the insight Jay! I now know I truly have an "authentic" Fats signature.
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At Janscos during the latter years, a hippie chick from SIU Carbondale asked fats for his signature....he pulled out the stamp....her exact words, and mind you fats Did NOT have a come back. I''f I want a stamped signature I'd go to the bank.'' Oops fats miscue :).
 
hmmmm....islandrive and quicklitethat.......

either gay for fats or retarded, clearly......and very stupid

lmfao @ fats being a world class player....he was a good shooter who could shark and did not get fazed by money matches....lots of balls

unlike......islanddribe and quicklite

meh...i digress im with ya, lol

fack.......nfl players come out and damn....look what happens to pool forums
 
I was at the BCA show in Louisville one year and Fatty and I were walking around the show and looking at all the exhibits.

As we were walking down one isle, a beautiful small blonde women was walking toward us.

When she saw Fatty she came up in front of us and stopped.

She looked at Fats and with eyes blinking rapidly said " Why you're Minnesota Fats. Can I have your autograph ?"

Without saying a word Fatty took out his stamp and stamped her right in the middle of her pretty forehead.

She was so surprised that she just stood there like a Barbie Doll on overdrive.

I started laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes.

Typical Fats. He had the best comedic timing of anyone I ever met.

Bill Stroud
 
thanks

love reading stories like these.......I have to admit I never knew much about Fats....I think the first time I ever saw him was on TV with Mosconi and all the other old time greats.....of course they were past their primes then, but Fats hadn't lost his gift of gab......my impression of him from that was that
he wasn't as good a player as the pros, but a big mouth who could throw you off your game......after reading all these stories, however, I realize he was a lot more than just a hustler; a true character who was unique and smart, but most of all, a great entertainer of the kind you don't see often enough in life.......I have always had a soft spot for people who could make you laugh.....
 
wahcheck said:
love reading stories like these.......I have to admit I never knew much about Fats....I think the first time I ever saw him was on TV with Mosconi and all the other old time greats.....of course they were past their primes then, but Fats hadn't lost his gift of gab......my impression of him from that was that
he wasn't as good a player as the pros, but a big mouth who could throw you off your game......after reading all these stories, however, I realize he was a lot more than just a hustler; a true character who was unique and smart, but most of all, a great entertainer of the kind you don't see often enough in life.......I have always had a soft spot for people who could make you laugh.....
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His prime playing years, few alive now have ever seen. 1941-52 is what Evelyn said. I was just being born then.
 
I am growing tired of this ridiculous argument. Most of the opinions are coming from those who eons away from actual facts or the truth. Few are qualified to give an opinion. I am 73 and when I seen Fats I was in my 20s and he still was past his prime at that time. He still played pretty crispy then, I might add.

I came out of a big time poolroom, Bensingers. A place where many of the legendary encounters that we talk about actually happened. A place where I encountered people with first hand knowledge of matches between many of the greats.

All I know is that in Bensingers Eddie Taylor played the house champ, Pony Rosen, 8 to 7 and Pony beat him. (late 30s early 40s) Fats played Pony the same way and the whole poolroom bet on Fats! Fats outsmarted everybody and had his minions in the room betting on Pony and Fats tossed everybody off to an unsuspecting Pony. I didnt read this in a magazine. Pony told me himself. He said at first he couldnt understand it, "Fats kept leaving me banks. And in those days if I got a shot I was out."

The only guy to spot Pony more than that was Rags Fitzpatrick. He gave Pony a ball and the break and beat him.

Beard

One other thing. If you read my book you would know that Fats lied about his age and he was at least 10 years older than he claimed. So when he played Mosconi he was already ancient.
 
I just think it's a bit odd, why bring up a thread 8 years old that's been hashed over already?
 
Pushout said:
I just think it's a bit odd, why bring up a thread 8 years old that's been hashed over already?
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Because of this guy....

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Fat was not a great player. He was more of a showman and exhibition player.
 
Fats was on Johnny Carson several times. One of the times, he did some trick shots. He made a $1 bet with Johnny about something, and won the bet. When Johnny tried to pay him, Fats just told him to include it in his check. Which Johnny made sure happened.

Back then, every guest received the same amount for appearing on the show. Fats knew that, and when he got Johnny to include that one dollar on his check, he then became the highest paid star ever on the Tonight Show. A little fact he didn't let go to waste.
 
I like it when these old threads get revived and new life is breathed into them.

How good was Minnesota Fats?

If you asked 100 people at random who Minnesota Fats was many would know he was a pool player.

If you asked those same 100 people if they know who Irving Crane, Shane Van Boening or Efren Reyes are maybe 1 or 2 would know.

I put Fats in the same category as Donald Trump. There are many far more successful and less well known businessmen than Trump but he has done an excellent job of promoting himself. His name makes him money.
 
:thumbup2:
alstl said:
I like it when these old threads get revived and new life is breathed into them.

How good was Minnesota Fats?

If you asked 100 people at random who Minnesota Fats was many would know he was a pool player.

If you asked those same 100 people if they know who Irving Crane, Shane Van Boening or Efren Reyes are maybe 1 or 2 would know.

I put Fats in the same category as Donald Trump. There are many far more successful and less well known businessmen than Trump but he has done an excellent job of promoting himself. His name makes him money.
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:thumbup2:[:thumbup2:[:thumbup2:[
 
Neil said:
Fats was on Johnny Carson several times. One of the times, he did some trick shots. He made a $1 bet with Johnny about something, and won the bet. When Johnny tried to pay him, Fats just told him to include it in his check. Which Johnny made sure happened.

Back then, every guest received the same amount for appearing on the show. Fats knew that, and when he got Johnny to include that one dollar on his check, he then became the highest paid star ever on the Tonight Show. A little fact he didn't let go to waste.
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Once again the perfect hustle.
 
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