Isn't It Funny...

[lfigueroa]

Yesterday an older kinda round guy came into the pool room.

It looked like he was having a bit of trouble getting around and I didn't pay much attention to him. But over time I did note that he was quietly making a lot of balls, running them off in rotation. I stopped playing to answer a text and glanced over the top of my phone and watched him get into a tight shooting position, which he did with a distinctive grinding motion to plant his left foot.

And I said to meself, "I know that motion."

And suddenly I knew who it was -- a player I hadn't seen in at least 20 years. And when I looked at his cue, a red merry widow forearm and black wrap, that also brought back a positive ID.

I could have stared at this guys face forever and not remembered who he was. But isn't it funny that one look at his stance and cue made him as surely as a fingerprint.

Lou Figueroa

 

[336Robin]

Yesterday an older kinda round guy came into the pool room.

It looked like he was having a bit of trouble getting around and I didn't pay much attention to him. But over time I did note that he was quietly making a lot of balls, running them off in rotation. I stopped playing to answer a text and glanced over the top of my phone and watched him get into a tight shooting position, which he did with a distinctive grinding motion to plant his left foot.

And I said to meself, "I know that motion."

And suddenly I knew who it was -- a player I hadn't seen in at least 20 years. And when I looked at his cue, a red merry widow forearm and black wrap, that also brought back a positive ID.

I could have stared at this guys face forever and not remembered who he was. But isn't it funny that one look at his stance and cue made him as surely as a fingerprint.

Lou Figueroa

When I was younger my stroke was longer. Guy I used to play with walked in and said you know I saw that big long stroke in the back of the room and knew it
was you. Then he wanted his pool book back that he used to put the bite on me 20 yrs earlier. lol

 

[arnaldo]

And I said to meself, "I know that motion." . . .

isn't it funny that one look . . . .

A tangential non-pool experience, Lou: I amusedly relate to "I know that motion" and "all it takes is one look . . ." because of the following:

I love mariachi music . . my grandfather played professionally in a group for many years -- it was long ago and far away, but we grew up listening to it at family gatherings. I especially loved his accordion skills.

And I can't help cracking up whenever I see Grandpa's arm motions oddly and ridiculously mimicked about ten times a month in so many televised news reports. Reports that are hilariously compiled by this terrific 2-minute Youtube gem:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7OihyehgtI

Arnaldo

 

[Bob Jewett]

... I could have stared at this guys face forever and not remembered who he was. But isn't it funny that one look at his stance and cue made him as surely as a fingerprint.

Lou Figueroa

During his trick shot exhibitions Semih Sayginer sometimes does impressions of the other top players. How they line up the shot, how they chalk, how they walk, how they stroke, how they react to the shot. The audience immediately gets who he is being.

 

[ShootingArts]

Happened to me ...

I was sitting in a kinda rough joint, about 100 feet across. He looked like an old friend I hadn't seen in years but I couldn't tell for sure. I was going to look kinda odd taking a stroll to the dead end area of that bar and turning around and walking back. On the other hand, he was staring at me too and I probably should kick his ass if it wasn't Claude.

I stuck most of my change that had been laying on the table in my shirt pocket and ambled over. It was Claude. He said he didn't know for sure it was me either in the dim light and smoke until I stuck the change in my shirt pocket, a form of advertising I had done for many years. No place was so rough that I didn't usually break a hundo for my first beer and stick the change in my shirt pocket, a little advertising around the pool tables usually.

I knew guys with other small habits, labeled them more surely than a name tag from across the room.

Hu

 

[Patrick Johnson]

During his trick shot exhibitions Semih Sayginer sometimes does impressions of the other top players. How they line up the shot, how they chalk, how they walk, how they stroke, how they react to the shot. The audience immediately gets who he is being.

That sounds like fun - do you know of a video of him doing it?

pj
chgo

 

[lfigueroa]

A tangential non-pool experience, Lou: I amusedly relate to "I know that motion" and "all it takes is one look . . ." because of the following:

I love mariachi music . . my grandfather played professionally in a group for many years -- it was long ago and far away, but we grew up listening to it at family gatherings. I especially loved his accordion skills.

And I can't help cracking up whenever I see Grandpa's arm motions oddly and ridiculously mimicked about ten times a month in so many televised news reports. Reports that are hilariously compiled by this terrific 2-minute Youtube gem:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7OihyehgtI

Arnaldo

That's pretty funny (at least to some of us).

Personally, I love mariachi music. A couple of years ago Gail and I got a chance to see Luis Miguel perform in Mexico City and midway through his show he was joined by an amazing mariachi band and he sang a number of classic boleros. Probably one of the best concerts i've ever seen.

Lou Figueroa

 

[lfigueroa]

During his trick shot exhibitions Semih Sayginer sometimes does impressions of the other top players. How they line up the shot, how they chalk, how they walk, how they stroke, how they react to the shot. The audience immediately gets who he is being.

That would be pretty funny to see.

Lou Figueroa