I'm Getting To Old For This

T

tom mcgonagle

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I spent all day yesterday, I left at 11:00 A.M. and several hours this morning, I got home at 7:00A.M. playing in a tournament. At fifty-eight years old,[I'll be fifty-nine in April] am I crazy. Thank god I still love the game. It's the force that drove me to play, as well as I did, as long as I did. I ended up in third place. At least I lost to two guy's younger than me.

I spent this afternoon removing about six inches of snow from my driveway. The pool playing was a lot more entertaining. Are there any more nuts like me out there.
 
You are not crazy

Glenn Atwell who is 50 just got done putting a clinic on at the USBTC finishing 2, 1 and 2 in the three events. On Friday I watched him play from about 10am until about midnight one match after another.

I am sure when (if) I get to your age I will be doing the same thing for the same reasons as you (except for the snow thing :))

BVal

tom mcgonagle said:
I spent all day yesterday, I left at 11:00 A.M. and several hours this morning, I got home at 7:00A.M. playing in a tournament. At fifty-eight years old,[I'll be fifty-nine in April] am I crazy. Thank god I still love the game. It's the force that drove me to play, as well as I did, as long as I did. I ended up in third place. At least I lost to two guy's younger than me.

I spent this afternoon removing about six inches of snow from my driveway. The pool playing was a lot more entertaining. Are there any more nuts like me out there.
Click to expand...
 
Why Not?

What, It's like we have something better to do at our age? :D :D :D

Congrat's on the third! First is better but I know you had to whip up on a buncha young pups just to get to third.

Hu


tom mcgonagle said:
I spent all day yesterday, I left at 11:00 A.M. and several hours this morning, I got home at 7:00A.M. playing in a tournament. At fifty-eight years old,[I'll be fifty-nine in April] am I crazy. Thank god I still love the game. It's the force that drove me to play, as well as I did, as long as I did. I ended up in third place. At least I lost to two guy's younger than me.

I spent this afternoon removing about six inches of snow from my driveway. The pool playing was a lot more entertaining. Are there any more nuts like me out there.
Click to expand...
 
To Tom In Cincy. Handi-capped nine-ball event. There were 64 players. Not what was expected. Only nine tables. I think that answers your final question.

What is theUSBTC?
 
tom mcgonagle said:
To Tom In Cincy. Handi-capped nine-ball event. There were 64 players. Not what was expected. Only nine tables. I think that answers your final question.

What is theUSBTC?
Click to expand...

The United States Bar Table Championship. They had events in 10ball, 9ball and 8ball. It was last week and started Monday or Tuesday and finished on Sunday.

BVal
 
Just The Opposite

tom mcgonagle said:
I spent all day yesterday, I left at 11:00 A.M. and several hours this morning, I got home at 7:00A.M. playing in a tournament. At fifty-eight years old,[I'll be fifty-nine in April] am I crazy. Thank god I still love the game. It's the force that drove me to play, as well as I did, as long as I did. I ended up in third place. At least I lost to two guy's younger than me.

I spent this afternoon removing about six inches of snow from my driveway. The pool playing was a lot more entertaining. Are there any more nuts like me out there.
Click to expand...

I played in a tourney all day yesterday and beat all the younger guys (I'm 42) in the winners bracket.

Then I lost to Rod Flenoi (50 something) in the final.
 
Tom, you keep going to tournaments and playing pool because you love and it has probably has been what you've done most of your life. I'm 68 and I'm going to start hitting the tournaments very shortly. The day I die I want to be in action or playing in a tournament.

I hope your book is selling well. Im going to order a copy right now. Johnnyt
 
tom mcgonagle said:
I spent all day yesterday, I left at 11:00 A.M. and several hours this morning, I got home at 7:00A.M. playing in a tournament. At fifty-eight years old,[I'll be fifty-nine in April] am I crazy. Thank god I still love the game. It's the force that drove me to play, as well as I did, as long as I did. I ended up in third place. At least I lost to two guy's younger than me.

I spent this afternoon removing about six inches of snow from my driveway. The pool playing was a lot more entertaining. Are there any more nuts like me out there.
Click to expand...

Tom,

OK, I have to hand it to you - you did good.

I don't know what kind of physical shape you're in, but I've found that cardio exercise, specifically running and bicycling, has greatly improved my energy levels and has (so far) set the clock back for me physically. I'm almost 56 and 10 years ago I was a couch potato and a heavy smoker.

That being said, I'm still worthless without a decent night's sleep and have no motivation whatsoever to play pool all night!

Chris
 
BTW Mr. McGonagle,

I am 61 and have run THREE 64 player ONE DAY tournaments in the last 3 years. Starting at 1pm on a Sunday afternoon. Double elimination race to 6 on the winners and race to 4 on the one loss side. BUT, I did have 16 tables to work with... that does make a huge difference.

Lots of one day tournaments with 50+ players.
The most tiresome tournaments are the Saturday One Pocket events with 40+ players starting a 1pm and ending 12 hours later.

Back in my younger days I don't know how I could last that long having to WAIT so much.

But, back then, I didn't have a tournament director like ME running the events. :wink:


tom mcgonagle said:
To Tom In Cincy. Handi-capped nine-ball event. There were 64 players. Not what was expected. Only nine tables. I think that answers your final question.

What is theUSBTC?
Click to expand...
 
CocoboloCowboy said:
Did you see someone mention snow? Hint Post 31

I spent this afternoon removing about six inches of snow from my driveway.
Click to expand...

When you say something to someone and don't quote them it makes no sense and even when you do, it usually makes no sense.

Forgive me.

BVal
 
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old?

Ok... Here is my thought... You are never too old to play all night if you want to. We play in some tournaments that go until approximately 5 in the morning. I love to be the last one standing! Every time I'm there at the end, I question was it worth it? Hell yea! A lot of young people went home way before me.


Smile:)
 
I was approached by someone, close to my age, in the wee hours of the morning. He asked,"Are we crazy?" I told him, "Pete were playing pool." He understood and said nothing more.

It wasn't the pool I dreaded. It was removing the snow, later that day.
 
Tom- good to see you again. You had the right call...it was a record...I played three matches in 9 1/2 hours....my wife wanted to know what the hell I was doing when I got home. Can you imagine if there was smoking in that place! Thank god for the Smoking Nazi's! I never thought I would be thankful for their efforts.

Anyway, Curly hasn't updated his web site...who won?
 
I left and Mike Deshane and Nelson Olivera were getting ready to play. If I had to guess I'd say mike. Nelson had to beat him twice.
 
tom mcgonagle said:
I spent all day yesterday, I left at 11:00 A.M. and several hours this morning, I got home at 7:00A.M. playing in a tournament. At fifty-eight years old,[I'll be fifty-nine in April] am I crazy. Thank god I still love the game. It's the force that drove me to play, as well as I did, as long as I did. I ended up in third place. At least I lost to two guy's younger than me.

I spent this afternoon removing about six inches of snow from my driveway. The pool playing was a lot more entertaining. Are there any more nuts like me out there.
Click to expand...

I had a similar experience this weekend. I started playing a tournament at 7:30 Friday night. As I moved through the brackets, the wait between matches was getting longer. I ended up waiting over an hour for one match. At 2:30 AM (I had been up over 20 hours) I played my final match. I felt I should have won, but I was so tired and sore, I made a couple of critical mistakes. Ended up taking 4th place, but I know I wouldn't have lasted until 4AM had I actually made it to the final match.

The thing was, I did have fun, and that's why I play. At 56 years old, I enjoy showing some of the younger players a thing or two. But it's like that country song..."I'm not as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was". :grin:

Steve
 
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