She's not biased, she has been out on the road for a huge portion of her life seeing everyone play.
I've seen both play.
I've seen both play.
How good were Cole Dickson and Mark Tadd?
- Thread starter Magyar19
- Start date
If you watch tapes of Keith playing champions from the past, he gave them fits. Some pretty good matches of Keith on Youtube. Here he beats Efren:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwbkrXoo4xI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwbkrXoo4xI
A fun match to watch...McCready doing his Mick Jagger like strut & dance around the table...a real jumpin' Jack Flash. :thumbup:
She might be right, but that doesn’t mean she’s not biased. Maybe Jenny is the exception, but it would be pretty hard to be entirely objective in her circumstances.
Freddy.... who?
all these guys could beat one another on any given day. whoever happened to win was the holy grail. then a week later it changed.
there was and is only a small difference between the very top players.
what good is being the best if you just lose all your money the next day and be broke. the real test of the best players and gamblers are those that keep their winnings.
there was and is only a small difference between the very top players.
what good is being the best if you just lose all your money the next day and be broke. the real test of the best players and gamblers are those that keep their winnings.
I think I saw Cole play in Atlanta around 1970 give or take a year or so when he was very young. I emphasize the word THINK because at the time all I knew was that he was a sandy-blondish haired kid on the road from California as I remember but I am certain that his his first name was Cole. He stayed a few days mainly at the old 10th (or was it 11th?) street pool hall down in the hippie district, then disappeared after harvesting all the available cash in the area.
This doesn't answer the OP's question, but he was amazing to watch and about the most exciting thing to come to town during that era. I remember thinking at the time that it looked like enough cash was changing hands to eliminate most of the national debt. I was impressed.
If anybody here was around those parts then and has knows for sure I'd love to have my memory critiqued.
This doesn't answer the OP's question, but he was amazing to watch and about the most exciting thing to come to town during that era. I remember thinking at the time that it looked like enough cash was changing hands to eliminate most of the national debt. I was impressed.
If anybody here was around those parts then and has knows for sure I'd love to have my memory critiqued.
By early to mid 30s, Keith had 2 decades+ if pool battles under his belt...and likely all his easy action had been years gone.
He traveled on the road a lot at that time - somebody was taking him around, don't recall who. The only time I saw him play in his peak years was around 1974 or 1975 at Ronnie Allen's place in North Hollywood. He was playing Ronnie some kind of game on the snooker table (called Pay Ball or Moeney Ball, something like that). He was a straight shooter and fearless. I also saw him play at the Swanee one year maybe 10 years ago but he was just a decent player by then.
Here's a very interesting post from Jimmy Reid after Cole passed away:
COLE DICKSON - My friend for eternity - 07-04-2013, 09:22 AM
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COLE DICKSON; NOVEMBER 20, 1950 – MAY 15, 2013
Cole Dickson, born November 20, 1950 passed over in the wee hours of May 15, 2013 at the all too young age of 62.
Cole was one of my all time favorite people and true friends. Cole had the greatest aura and the coolest energy that ever walked into any room. Cole made Elvis look square.
Cole was never happier than the weeks preceding his demise. I know this for a fact because he told me so while riding around with his grandchildren one afternoon Cole called me from the car laughing about how wonderful his daughters and grandkids were, he had one of them on his lap and was having a ball. I was very happy for him.
On another occasion he went on to tell me how his daughters were smothering him with love. He said Jimmy I feel like the luckiest man alive. I know I don't deserve all this love and attention there giving me but I'll take it. Then he proceeded to laugh some more.
We'd been talking with each other sporadically over the last few months. After I heard he had some liver problems that weren’t going to go away very easily, I got Cole's phone number from one of our friends and called immediately.
Cole and I had been friends since 1968 and I can promise you this he would've won world titles and a lot more notoriety in pocket billiards had there been more prize money and tournaments.
Cole had called me in 2006 after I had been diagnosed with fourth stage cancer in two different areas of my body. He asked if I wanted any company and being the proud jerk that I've always been, naturally I refused.
In 2011 both of us being diagnosed with incurable liver disease was a heck of a coincidence. Cole and I love to laugh and kidded about how we earned our stripes.
Making no excuses for the excesses we put our bodies through we laughed and said this chemo and these Ribivirin pills are tougher than following Ronnie Allen playing liability.
But our daughters and loved ones have showered us with so much love it made us feel like we were a much less famous or wealthy version of Mickey Mantle (Cole), Ronnie Allen, the older Babe Ruth. Just think, I’m the leader of this bunch a Beat-nik before they had hippies.
Danny Diliberto thought I was the devil, smoking pot in the early 60’s. LOL, as the world turns. Cole and I both had really long hair.
We certainly lived the high life and in the end we really have no regrets. All because of our kids, no regrets and wouldn’t have changed anything because of them.
Whenever I would get depressed in life, I’ve been fortunate enough to have some great moments of insane laughter that I freeze framed in my memory bank just because I knew there would be moments in my future that I would be miserable.
Some of them were moments of uncontrollable laughter where we would stop just long enough to breathe. Having them with my father and stepfather doesn’t tell you anything because you didn’t know them.
It was 1974 I think. The weatherman predicted the worst ice storm in Detroit's history. Randy Epperson and I were sharing a Motel room, that claimed to have a back up generator, sharing it till the storm passed, just that coming bad weather day. The power went off and it looked like there was a chance we might freeze to death because the generator wouldn't start either. Power lines were down and the poles were brittle and breaking way too often and easy. It was 10 below 0 and windy, wind chill factor of about 30-40 below.
We got out of the Motel, my car wouldn’t start and we started walking and eventually survived getting a ride from an emergency vehicle to the pool room (The Rack). The power was on there and it was nice and warm. Gil owner/manager left his home a mile away because of no power. What a great roll that was.
When the car didn’t start and we started to walk I started laughing, my lips were cracking and bloody. Randy thought I was nuts but it would’ve been worse if I tried to explain it. If it was my turn to go, I was going out laughing. I thought about Norman (the jockey) Howard and Cole and rolling around on jockey's floor laughing till we couldn't breathe.
To this day Randy Epperson probably thinks I'm crazy, I never did explain to him why I was laughing but he did laugh a little at me when we were walking. Declaring me crazy.
Offhand I can remember having other laughing jags similar to Cole. Jimmy Mataya has filled many sad times in my mind with joy. Moments like that with Harley Bryant, Cornbread Red, Grady Matthews, Ed Burton, Bob Ogburn, Steve Carter, Tony Rila, TR McIntosh, Ronnie Allen, Keith McCready who used to have them all the time with everybody. Keith and Charlie Brinson stay depressed for about a minute then they find something else to laugh about.
Here’s what happened to Cole Dickson and I;
It was 1970 and Popcorn (John Miller), Alibi Al, Joel Marx, Joe Visi, Buttermilk, Eddie Burton, Wade Crane, Don Watson and Boston Shorty were all sharing one apartment in ElMonte, CA.
Next door Norman (the jockey) Howard, John (cagey) Calhoun and the jockey’s young wife Phyllis had another apartment.
Popcorn called Vern Peterson’s pool room in Bellflower CA to see if anyone was there. Cole, David Sisemore, Bob Ogburn, Steve Carter and I were there but there weren’t any backers there yet. We were waiting for a couple of other players and backers to arrive and maybe get a ring pay ball game started or if Artesian Kenny showed the Baker Bros. would be with him and they would all play liability on the 6 X 12. Kenny called just before popcorn (John Miller), it was the middle of the day and he would be there in a few hours.
Having busted the ring game the previous weekend and since I was the only one there besides Sisemore to have a bankroll Popcorn asked to speak to me, they had gotten the eviction notice already and had a couple of hours to come up with the money for both apartments. The Sheriff was on his way.
We knew that jockey’s wife had given birth to a little girl a few months earlier and letting all those other pool players get evicted – fageddabouddit. So Cole and I took a ride. I handed Popcorn 2 month’s rent then we went next door.
After giving Jockey 2 month’s rent (Calhoun and jockey’s wife weren’t there), Cole and I walked over to see his little girl, she was beautiful and we told him so.
Cole picked her up and laughed at her, she was smiling. Then Cole noticed she had a web between the second and third toe on her right foot. It was just a web between 2 toes, no problem.
Then I took my turn and played with her awhile, she was so beautiful and giggled easy, she was a very happy, beautiful baby.
Jockey looked at us after we put her back in bed and said “you know it’s the funniest thing, Calhoun has a web just like that between those same 2 toes. What a coincidence huh Reid?”
Then jockey looked at me with those huge child like eyes of his and said “you don’t think Calhoun and Phyllis fooled around do you Reid?” His eyes getting bigger and glassier by the second.
Cole and I looked at each other and here it came, the gates opened, we laughed until we couldn’t breathe, rolling around on the floor, we'd stop for a second then start again. Everybody came over from popcorn's and already knew what we were laughing about. Corn came in saying "what's the odds, hey (Canadian hey) Reid?" Then everybody started laughing, including "The Jockey".
Well that lasted everytime there was a lull in the action for the next month, all we had to do was look at each other or the jockey. It lasted for 42 years now with me.
During a ring game in 1977 at Joe Burns room in Dayton Ohio. Jimmy Mataya and I had probably the all time greatest laughing jag ever. We had gotten into a $10 ring ten ball game that they wanted to bar us from. It all started when I missed an easy shot and Mataya said "bar him?' and laughed a little. Then he had like 3 balls hanging and missed so I said "no let's bar you" and laughed a little.
This particular laughing jag has lasted me for 35 years or so now and I can still see him clearly on the opposite side of the pool table, both of us on the floor looking at each other and doing some side splitting laughing while the other players were asking us to get up and shoot. Every time either one of us was at the table, the other would start laughing and we both got so weak it was impossible for us to make a ball.
Neither one of us strong enough to get up and play and when we did take our turns, neither one of us could make a ball. Then it would start all over again, it took about an hour to play 4 games of ring 10 ball. Steve Oaks won all the money, they changed the order and he either followed Mataya or me and you couldn't fix them where either one of us could run 3 balls.
Then we played another hour or so but Mataya or I never won a game. I asked him to shoot for me once and they allowed it, he followed me so he just rolled the cue ball up a couple of feet to where all he had to do was shoot and stop to run 4 balls and win. Oaks followed Mataya and Jimmy missed an extremely easy 9 ball with the 10 ball hanging. Then we started for another ten minutes. Everything, on the floor and all.
All of you pool players need to savor memories like those when they happen. They can bring you through the toughest of times when your depressed. Laughing will cure what ails ya.
Years later Cole squatted down and came up to my chest and looking up with the biggest he could make his eyes and said “you don’t think Calhoun and Phyllis fooled around, do you Reid?”
Then Cole laughed extra hard and had to tell somebody about what happened. How serious Jockey was wanting someone to tell him it was probably just a coincidence. LOAO.
Thank you Cole Dickson and Jimmy Mataya. You guys and those memories have been the best therapy in the world for my depression. With memories like those there's no hill too high.
Later, I’ll tell you about two religious happenings that occurred in my life, I told Cole and he said “man Jimmy I know you wouldn’t lie to me and I sure hope you’re right”
I know I'm right and anyone that wants to prove it just call me for the facts!
The first was a supernatural occurrence with witnesses. The second was an absolute miracle that I knew was going to happen and it too is a matter of record. Both are 100% provable.
If any of you want to hear about this direct call me at 772-370-0311
Mataya, Diliberto, Ed Kelly please call. Kenny owner of the pool room in Vegas, please call.
Eternity is in this Universe and good energy burns bright forever.
God Bless And Keep Cole Dickson. Love you man, life and a day.
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I watched and played with Cole and Keith from the beginning. Those two, along with Richie Florence, Ronnie Allen, Jay Swanson, Kim Davenport and Denny Searcy made hustling pool in California a mine field for road men.Almost all of Cali was a no-go zone for all but the very best players, and even many of them went broke messing with the above monsters. I saw a lot of "name" players get humbled out here. The smart ones ducked these guys and looked for easier action.
As far as Mark Tadd is concerned, he had a brief moment on top of the pool world, and then he fell off the map. Cole was a great high line gambler who played his best with big money on the line. He never made much of an impression in tournaments. He preferred playing for the cash and could care less about a trophy.
Keith likewise was a great money player, but unlike Cole he was a threat to go deep or even win a tournament. He was definitely not someone you wanted to draw, and even the top guns feared drawing Keith. His wide open shoot 'em up style was very intimidating.
All that said, both these guys were at their peak from their late teens to early to mid twenties.
As far as Mark Tadd is concerned, he had a brief moment on top of the pool world, and then he fell off the map. Cole was a great high line gambler who played his best with big money on the line. He never made much of an impression in tournaments. He preferred playing for the cash and could care less about a trophy.
Keith likewise was a great money player, but unlike Cole he was a threat to go deep or even win a tournament. He was definitely not someone you wanted to draw, and even the top guns feared drawing Keith. His wide open shoot 'em up style was very intimidating.
All that said, both these guys were at their peak from their late teens to early to mid twenties.
Earl too. From 17 or so til he was at least 27, 28. His best years, by far. He had success for many years after that but the "fear" factor began fading by his late 20s.
Jay,
Did you ever see Mike Zimmerman from the northwest running around with Cole? Supposedly he went on the road with Cole and handled any billiard action, and the easier One Pocket action, while Cole shot down everybody else...
Thanks for this Chris. Those were good times for sure. I always say that I've never laughed so hard as when I was in the poolroom. The pool players of that era were a bunch of real characters. I ran around with Jimmy when he and I were young pups, and he was absolutely fearless, would take on anybody at any game and usually won. I was friends with Cole but I also gambled with him quite a bit in my poolroom in Bakersfield.
As far as Popcorn and his crew, they were notorious for taking people off one way or another. The only guy I ever saw get out with the money was Frank Tullos and I was in with him. That made me personna non grata with that crowd forever, although Cornbread took a liking to me after I wrote about him. I knew everybody Jimmy wrote about very well and they all could play and each had his own unique personality. Like I said I was lucky to have witnessed that era in pool.
I know Mike well. He is one sharp cookie and he knew all the action spots around the Northwest. He took Cole around and they made some nice scores. I remember Cole telling me about beating Tacoma Whitey for 20K in the mid 70's, a huge score back then.
I met Mike the first time I went up there. I played him on one of those 8' bar boxes they have all over the Northwest. I liked them because it was more like playing on a big table. Mike was a pretty good shortstop and he gambled good. We came out about even and I didn't want any more of his action. We have remained friends all these years.
What a fantastic player Frank Tullos must have been back in the day. I watched him play a match or two in the Banks at DCC, and he had an amazingly smooth stroke and banked REAL good, even at an advanced age..