John Grissim was a freelance newswriter. He dabbles at everything like
Sports, Entertainment and global news. He was doing a follow-up report
about the Philippine's 1970 First Quarter Storm. The year was 1972. He
was caught up in a big rally that was going on at Rizal Ave. The police and
the firemen came. The firemen started pumping their powerful hoses to
the crowd. Grissim scampered for safety. He saw a stairway and he immediately
went up. He stopped at the 2nd floor thinking he was already safe from the
firemen's hoses and the maddening crowd. He took a left that leads directly
to a pool hall. There were pool tables in front of him, a carom table to his
left, and a makeshift Coffee Shop in front of the carom table.
He proceeded to the makeshift Coffee Shop, ordered a cup of cofee while
stretching his neck through the windows facing Rizal Ave., checking if the
rallying crowd have already dispersed and the police and firemen are back
to their respective precincts. There was still a lot of chasing going on and he
decided to stick it out inside the pool hall.
He almost spilled his coffee while he was taking a sip when he heard a
thunderous break coming from a table were a small crowd started to gather.
He saw a lanky young man, not more than 18 years of age, shooting balls
by himself. He asked the carinderia attendant what was the young man
playing, the guy replied, "That's Rotation sir. He shoots the lowest ball first
and so on." I know Rotation! That's what Grissim wants to say to the guy
but kept it to himself. He started watching the young lad who was playing
alone. He ran the first rack. He scattered 14 balls, tying some of them, and
placed the 1 ball in the spot area. He shoots, boom! Boom! Boom! All 15
balls are in the pockets. He repeated the same routine about 5 more times.
John Grissim have covered pool tournaments before. He was hubknobbing
with the best of them, but he've never ever seen a man treat the balls with
disdain! "That is unbelievable! Can you do that over and over again?"
said Grissim, who couldn't resist talking to the guy. "Yes sir!" said the guy
with a thin moustache. He ran out 4 racks this time, to Grissim's pleasure.
Grissim and the guy, who gave his name as Efren Reyes chatted for a while.
Grissim wished him well and he said he should try his luck in the US, were
there's a lot of pool action, and side money to be made.
Grissim went back to the US and warned pros like Jay Helfert and Jim Rempe,
just like what the article said. The late 70s saw Parica's entry into the US
pool scene and the American pros started asking Grissim, "Is that the
Filipino guy you're talking about?". "Nope! He was a head taller than that guy!"
replied Grissim. "But that guy is very good!" said one of the pros.
"But the one that I saw was even better" quipped Grissim.
The rest is history...
Sports, Entertainment and global news. He was doing a follow-up report
about the Philippine's 1970 First Quarter Storm. The year was 1972. He
was caught up in a big rally that was going on at Rizal Ave. The police and
the firemen came. The firemen started pumping their powerful hoses to
the crowd. Grissim scampered for safety. He saw a stairway and he immediately
went up. He stopped at the 2nd floor thinking he was already safe from the
firemen's hoses and the maddening crowd. He took a left that leads directly
to a pool hall. There were pool tables in front of him, a carom table to his
left, and a makeshift Coffee Shop in front of the carom table.
He proceeded to the makeshift Coffee Shop, ordered a cup of cofee while
stretching his neck through the windows facing Rizal Ave., checking if the
rallying crowd have already dispersed and the police and firemen are back
to their respective precincts. There was still a lot of chasing going on and he
decided to stick it out inside the pool hall.
He almost spilled his coffee while he was taking a sip when he heard a
thunderous break coming from a table were a small crowd started to gather.
He saw a lanky young man, not more than 18 years of age, shooting balls
by himself. He asked the carinderia attendant what was the young man
playing, the guy replied, "That's Rotation sir. He shoots the lowest ball first
and so on." I know Rotation! That's what Grissim wants to say to the guy
but kept it to himself. He started watching the young lad who was playing
alone. He ran the first rack. He scattered 14 balls, tying some of them, and
placed the 1 ball in the spot area. He shoots, boom! Boom! Boom! All 15
balls are in the pockets. He repeated the same routine about 5 more times.
John Grissim have covered pool tournaments before. He was hubknobbing
with the best of them, but he've never ever seen a man treat the balls with
disdain! "That is unbelievable! Can you do that over and over again?"
said Grissim, who couldn't resist talking to the guy. "Yes sir!" said the guy
with a thin moustache. He ran out 4 racks this time, to Grissim's pleasure.
Grissim and the guy, who gave his name as Efren Reyes chatted for a while.
Grissim wished him well and he said he should try his luck in the US, were
there's a lot of pool action, and side money to be made.
Grissim went back to the US and warned pros like Jay Helfert and Jim Rempe,
just like what the article said. The late 70s saw Parica's entry into the US
pool scene and the American pros started asking Grissim, "Is that the
Filipino guy you're talking about?". "Nope! He was a head taller than that guy!"
replied Grissim. "But that guy is very good!" said one of the pros.
"But the one that I saw was even better" quipped Grissim.
The rest is history...
