I can't say I disagree with John Ditoro

alstl

alstl

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I was watching the replay of the SVB vs Mika match in the finals of the Seminole event and he made this comment.

Pool players are the black sheep of our families. We get together for the holidays but the rest of the time we would rather be with other pool players.

It doesn't hold true in every case but...
 
Or our families would rather not be with us in some cases... sad but true. My wife is 90% supportive and I love her dearly for that. The other 10% is when she is pissed I'm out until 2 three nights a week and that I know is my own fault. Bless the woman.
 
Amen to that. My wife gets pissed cause I'd rather be @ the
poolhall with other Poolplayer than out visiting family. Even on
the holidays. But Ive always been like that
 
TXsouthpaw said:
Amen to that. My wife gets pissed cause I'd rather be @ the
poolhall with other Poolplayer than out visiting family. Even on
the holidays. But Ive always been like that
Click to expand...

It comes down to who you may have little in common with beyond dna, or people who enjoy doing the same thing as you.
 
The Clan

The compulsion and depth of passion of a true pool degenerate is hard for others outside of the clan to fathom.

Clan members are called, tested, measured and found worthy or wanting. They come to the gathering without contract and without direction but driven nevertheless.

Those that are found wanting are not shunned but allowed to visit the fringes on occasion as long as they remember to respect the siren of the green felt jungle.

JoeyA (Senior Clan Member)
 
I used to spend every weekend after Thanksgiving in Wichita at Shooters for there annual 8 ball event that Evelyn & Danny Dysart ran. It was always a huge success because all of us "players" had enough of the FAM and wanted to get back with our extended family. Paul Wiggins ran a great event over the years, one the highlights during the winter holidays. I heard Loudly when Ditoro made that statement, its only too true.
 
Island Drive said:
I used to spend every weekend after Thanksgiving in Wichita at Shooters for there annual 8 ball event that Evelyn & Danny Dysart ran. It was always a huge success because all of us "players" had enough of the FAM and wanted to get back with our extended family. Paul Wiggins ran a great event over the years, one the highlights during the winter holidays. I heard Loudly when Ditoro made that statement, its only too true.
Click to expand...

It is true, but you always had an ability to balance both worlds too. I remember when your two girls would show up with you and well behaved and quiet. Heck they couldn't even see over the tables then!! WOW, it just hit me, they must be almost grown now??
 
In conversations with my mother, if I mention a name she hasn't heard before, she'll say in a voice loaded with disdain, "Is that someone you know from pool?"
 
Lea A said:
In conversations with my mother, if I mention a name she hasn't heard before, she'll say in a voice loaded with disdain, "Is that someone you know from pool?"
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When I was a kid we moved all over the country. I got interested in pool while we were living in a small town in Iowa where there wasn't much to do except hang out in the tavern/pool hall and either play when I had a couple bucks or watch others play when my pockets were empty. My Mom was and is a church lady and hated for me to be hanging around that place but if she had any idea what the other kids were doing who weren't in the pool hall she would have paid my table time to keep me there.
 
makes perfect sense

Of course after John said that I was setting there sorta soaking it
in .I've been in recovery/12steps/NA/God's grace for 19 (continuous)
years and I have seen alot of "black sheep" in my day.Thank God
some of us have cleaned up a little,found recovery ,grew up,or decided
there is no profit in the high cost of low living.
There is a underlying bond between some of the people I have met
at tournaments,pool rooms ,and events .John hit the nail on the
head with that statement and it made alot of things I had been thinking
about make perfect sense.In my experience most of these "black sheep"
are some of the best of folks who have many talents but at times lack
the talent for making the right choices .It's also true most would rather
be with other true pool nuts with that passion Joey A references than
with there own family.Although I don't know if I am a "degenerate" anymore ?
I would rather think I am a re-generate and am getting a little better
everyday and can still relate to the worst of em and run with the best.
Stick with the winners
 
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alstl said:
I was watching the replay of the SVB vs Mika match in the finals of the Seminole event and he made this comment.

Pool players are the black sheep of our families. We get together for the holidays but the rest of the time we would rather be with other pool players.

It doesn't hold true in every case but...
Click to expand...

There is no way to be around John DiToro and not feel as if you were part of his family. As a matter of fact, personally, I look up to John DiToro as if he was my long lost grandfather.

:rotflmao1: :outtahere: :duck:

:lol:
 
Matt90 said:
Of course after John said that I was setting there sorta soaking it
in .I've been in recovery/12steps/NA/God's grace for 19 (continuous)
years and I have seen alot of "black sheep" in my day.Thank God
some of us have cleaned up a little,found recovery ,grew up,or decided
there is no profit in the high cost of low living.
There is a underlying bond between some of the people I have met
at tournaments,pool rooms ,and events .John hit the nail on the
head with that statement and it made alot of things I had been thinking
about make perfect sense.In my experience most of these "black sheep"
are some of the best of folks who have many talents but at times lack
the talent for making the right choices .It's also true most would rather
be with other true pool nuts with that passion Joey A references than
with there own family.Although I don't know if I am a "degenerate" anymore ?
I would rather think I am a re-generate and am getting a little better
everyday and can still relate to the worst of em and run with the best.
Stick with the winners
Click to expand...

OK, you get to pick, "black sheep" or "pool degenerate"? :D
How about "pool nut or" or "pool enthusiast"? :wink:

JoeyA
 
alstl said:
I was watching the replay of the SVB vs Mika match in the finals of the Seminole event and he made this comment.

Pool players are the black sheep of our families. We get together for the holidays but the rest of the time we would rather be with other pool players.

It doesn't hold true in every case but...
Click to expand...

Actually, I've spent more holidays IN poolrooms than I have with family. Thank goodness poolrooms here are open xmas eve, xmas, thanksgiving, etc., or else a lot of us would have nowhere to go!
 
blah blah said:
Actually, I've spent more holidays IN poolrooms than I have with family. Thank goodness poolrooms here are open xmas eve, xmas, thanksgiving, etc., or else a lot of us would have nowhere to go!
Click to expand...

A few years ago hurricane rita was coming up through the gulf and the city ordered a mandatory evacution. instead I went to the pool hall. :D It was awesome too because all the other pool halls locally were closed except the 1 I usaully shoot at, so it was full of all the local players from all the otehr poolhalls cause it was the only one open. It was awesome. That night is when my wife found out I had a problem. :grin-square:
 
Not only would I feel very comfortable being in the pool room on holidays, but even in different towns that I currently live in. Thats one of the things I love about pool, that it is truly like one big cult and even separated by thousands of miles, you walk into a good pool room and its the same as you remember back home.
 
alstl said:
I was watching the replay of the SVB vs Mika match in the finals of the Seminole event and he made this comment.

Pool players are the black sheep of our families. We get together for the holidays but the rest of the time we would rather be with other pool players.

It doesn't hold true in every case but...
Click to expand...

It makes perfect sense. I have come to accept the fact that most people just can not understand or grasp what it is we love to do. I can remember friends in high school kind of like making fun of me when I'd always be hanging out in the poolroom on the weekends and they'd be going to parties and chasing girls. The worst though is when people act like they don't believe it when you try to explain things to them, like the action, or maybe winning a tournament and pocketing 2500 or so. I find myself not even wanting to talk about pool to people who are in the dark on the subject.
 
One thing that all of the great pool rooms used to do on Christmas and Thanskgiving was open at 6pm. If your in a real pool room it doesn't matter where, it just feels right.
 
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I feel like the black sheep nearly everywhere I go, except the pool hall. Fortunately I found another black sheep and married him. ;)
 
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