James "Youngblood" Brown
- Thread starter ONTHERAG
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I stayed out of South Carolina for years because of Sizemore. He was notorious for having players set up and robbed. I like my money. He was treacherous and dangerous. Myrtle Beach was a hot-spot for players all over the South to congregate during the summer months in the 70s. I did not go to Myrtle Beach, as did not many others, until after Sizemore was dead.
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Blood and Jimmy Reid were hanging around Chicago at the same time, late 60's, early 70's. They both tried they're hand at 3C, had could strokes but couldn't play a lick! I kept them both busted with every possible handicap I could come up with!
I always liked Blood, with his fast mumble talking!
Last time I saw Blood was in 88 in LA, at Montebello golf course, he was with Ronnie Allen. They heard I was making BIG money around there playing the Filipino players from the poolroom. They tried to muscle in on the action, I wouldn't let them, so they decided to try and trap me. I gave Ronnie 3 a side and Blood 2 a side for $500 each, they quit after 12 holes! Ronnie tried to put the old, 'Vaseline on the club' move on me, the sky was cloudy and his clubs shined like the bright sun! LOL!
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When I was at Michigan (mid 60s) Red (Cornbread not Jersey) would come to Ann Arbor occasionally. He usually went to the predominantly black pool hall. He would walk in the front door and announce loudly, "Any of you black motherf...ers want to play some $50 nine ball?"
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I just watched that from your link.
I think I may have seen it before, but I'm sure I won't be seeing it again.
It isn't "bad", but I won't give it any stars.
I don't think I ever saw the movie, but i do remember Youngblood bragging about being in it. The poolroom is Charley Neal's on Crenshaw Blvd. in L.A. I was in there many times. It was one of the main black poolrooms in the 60's and 70's, along with the Krooked Kue and Tournament Billiards. There were a lot of very good black players playing out of them. Black Nate, Rags Woods, The Iceman, California Shorty, Cecil the Serpant, Texas (or Crippled) Shorty, Peter Gunn, Rush Out Red, Big Lips Donald, Tall Aaron and Youngblood. Redd Fox used to come in there from time to time to hang out and gamble.
I liked to go there because they were always laughing and joking around, telling stories about each other. I could play all the Bank Pool I wanted in there and I even won a couple of times
. The original Fatburger was right across the street (you can see it when they walk out of the poolroom to the car). Most of the time I was the only white guy in there and they protected me when I left at night, walking with me to my car. Years later, when I opened my poolroom at Hollywood Park some of the old time players came in to see me and that helped me to be accepted into the black community in Inglewood. I did great in that room up until Churchill Downs bought out the racetrack and everything else that was there. I had a new landlord and they wanted me out. That was my last year (2004) and my last poolroom! I'm a little too old now for a seven day a week job, so I guess you could say I'm retired. I'm living off my Social Security ($400 a month, lol) and a few small investments in real estate. :wink:
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I see Young Blood all the time. He plays poker and the ponies mostly. He claims he's done with pool. I've known him since 1968 and he is one of the best pool hustlers ever. If he's in the match, he'll take it down. Nowadays like the rest of us old timers, he likes to tell past road stories. But, if he ever comes back to the game, he can play banks pretty sporty.
Anyone share the stories behind these two events, or know Anywhere I can read up on them? Sounds like a movie script!
Probably played my second longest Bank Pool match (the longest was an all-nighter with Artesia Kenny) with Youngblood the first time I ever met him. Someone brought him into my home room, Ye Billiard Den in Hollywood. They were looking for me since I had just beaten a couple of black players at Banks. Youngblood asked me to play and I watched him warm up a little and could see that he had game. I asked for a spot, 5-4, thinking that would be the nuts if I can get it. He said yes immediately which surprised me. I was 24 years old and full of myself and very confident on those tables. Blood was probably still a teenager, maybe 19 or 20 at the most. I never thought a kid that young could beat me.
We played for 20 a game, a good bet in the late 60's. I won the first two or three games and began to think they would pull up soon. But then he started hitting me with threes and fours and pretty soon he was ahead. I was stubborn and refused to quit a game I felt I had a chance to win. We played from early afternoon until closing time at 2 AM and he had me stuck four games I think. I had run my share of threes and fours as well and he hit with me with two or three 5 and outs! They asked me to continue the game down at Tournament Billiards which was open all night but my better judgement caused me to pull up. We never played again (except gin rummy) and I came to find out that Blood was one of the best Bank Pool players in the country.
He made it to the finals of the Bank Pool division in Dayton in the early 70's, going up against Jimmy Fusco. All the best bankers were in that tournament, including Bugs, Donnie Anderson, Buddy, Varner, Tony Fargo, Truman, Cannonball and Sigel. No easy pickings there. I beat a couple of guys (Willie Munson and Louie Lemke) but didn't even make the money. Sizemore knocked me out on the losers side (I lost WS to Lisciotti) and then he beat Blood out of some money ($400) with me backing him later, although I think they did a little business and I was in the middle. :wink:
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Only time I ever saw him was at the big Dayton tournament in the Fall of 1974. IIRC Buddy Hall won the all-around event but Youngblood took down the banks title.
Other than his great playing, what I remember most about him from that tournament was that every time a foxy lady passed by, he'd come out with a loud "YESSSS, YESSSSS!" Talent appreciating talent, so to speak.:grin:
Other than his great playing, what I remember most about him from that tournament was that every time a foxy lady passed by, he'd come out with a loud "YESSSS, YESSSSS!" Talent appreciating talent, so to speak.:grin:
Sizemore was an absolute madman. I once saw Lefty Joe torture him in a one pocket game at the old Coral Hills pool room on the DC/Maryland line, and he never stopped trash talking the entire match. Lefty Joe never said a word, but just kept taking down the cash until Sizemore had finally had enough. And in that pool room not even Sizemore was likely to start anything that he never could've finished.