Knoxville Bear
Back in the '70s, I was traveling through Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky, and all I remember hearing from the steers was "Watch out for the Knoxville Bear." I never did get the opportunity to see Eddie Taylor play. I remember wondering: What does he look like, and how good does this guy play? There were no Internets to catch up on all the latest pool smut, and most of what people knew on the road was by word of mouth.
Fast forward to now, and I'm very well aware of Eddie Taylor. In a pool-related project, I have gathered bits and pieces of data. After reading Terry's reasoning for initiating this thread, I thought I'd post up what was written about Eddie Taylor in Snap magazine in April of 1990:
In 1964 and 1967, Eddie Taylor was the World's All-Around Champion. He won the World One-Pocket Championship in 1963 and 1964. Eddie played the best players the game has ever known, and few could stay with him. He was unfortunate to be born in the South where not much straight pool was played. So he never got the media attention he deserved. This is probably the biggest reason he's not in the Hall of Fame. But ask any of the older great players and they'll tell you Eddie Taylor was one of the best that ever lived...Let's start the move to put this fine player in the Hall of Fame where he belongs.
Within the same above-referenced article, which is entitled "Why Isn't This Man in the Hall of Fame?," some pool greats in the 1990's era were asked to tell what they thought of the Knoxville Bear, and here is what they said.
JERSEY RED:
Eddie played all games great except straight pool, his worst game. He only had 100-ball runs in straights, but at all other games, he was fantastic. Ask anybody. Eddie deserves the Hall of Fame for his ability.
DANNY JONES:
Eddie definitely belongs in the Hall of Fame. You can't name two players in the Hall of Fame now who could beat Eddie Taylor if they played an all-around match of 9-ball, one pocket, and banks.
U.J. PUCKETT:
What a player! He played everything good and hardly ever missed a bank. Why, it's injustice that he's not in the Hall of Fame!
JR. GOFF:
He came from a rough time in history, but he has never embarassed pool, and he was the greatest bank pool player I ever saw. He played all games, and we recognize him as one of the top 10 all-around players ever.
WADE CRANE:
Here was a man that could bank more balls than most players today can run in rotation. One of the greatest players of all time. He definitely deserves the Hall of Fame.
Three years later, Eddie Taylor was finally given his due by the BCA when he was inducted in the Hall of Fame in 1993, the same year as Mike Phelan who invented diamonds on the table. The pool public demanded it, and this time, the BCA listened!
I don't have any firsthand stories about Eddie Taylor, but I sure would love to read some posts from those who knew the man. There is no pool archives in America, and much of the facts about these pool phenoms comes from the mouths -- or fingers in this instance -- of those who were there!
May he rest in peace!
JAM
