Jean Balukas
- Thread starter jayz
- Start date
Wow! That's the first I've heard of this! Has there never been talk of a longer race for bragging rights (or cash)?cheemagun said:
jayz said:
I would have to go with Balukas. I have a video from
the 1987 Men's U.S Open 9-ball and Jean destroys
Larry Liscotti 11-1 or 11-2. She really did shoot
like a man, strong break, powerful stroke. She only
missed a couple of shots in the match but the
pockets appeared to be tight, and her misses looked
like they would have gone in on the buckets that
the WPBA uses today. She also beat Buddy Hall in
that tournament.
If straight pool is included, Jean is hands-down the best ever, and it probably should be. But if we're talking nineball only, and I've had the opportunity to compete against both Jean and Allison, it's another story. I first saw Jean play when she was only twelve. I saw her in her prime in eight different world championships and probably saw her play about 70 pro matches. I wonder if anybody other than Jean's parents have seen more of her matches than I have, and her parents have said the same thing to me. I have probably seen Allison Fisher play in about 30 WPBA events, and have probably seen her play over 100 pro matches. Having said all that, my opinion is just an opinion, but I think it's an educated one.
In my view, Allison plays nineball better than Jean ever did, but not by much. I'm sure the legendary status of Jean will cause her to win this poll, but she doesn't deserve to:
Jean broke the balls better than Allison
Which of them ran the table better is too close to call
Allison plays much better defense than Jean ever did
Allison kicks far better than Jean ever did
The old schoolers who lost to Jean would have us all to believe that Jean played far better than any of the ladies of today because it's good for their self-esteem (LOL), but it just ain't so.
Still, I don't feel my post would be complete without one last comment. If Jean had Allison and Karen around, it would have pushed her nineball game to a higher level than she ever attained, one I personally suspect would have been higher than that of either Fisher or Corr.
A "what if" for the ages............
In my view, Allison plays nineball better than Jean ever did, but not by much. I'm sure the legendary status of Jean will cause her to win this poll, but she doesn't deserve to:
Jean broke the balls better than Allison
Which of them ran the table better is too close to call
Allison plays much better defense than Jean ever did
Allison kicks far better than Jean ever did
The old schoolers who lost to Jean would have us all to believe that Jean played far better than any of the ladies of today because it's good for their self-esteem (LOL), but it just ain't so.
Still, I don't feel my post would be complete without one last comment. If Jean had Allison and Karen around, it would have pushed her nineball game to a higher level than she ever attained, one I personally suspect would have been higher than that of either Fisher or Corr.
A "what if" for the ages............
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cheesemouse said:
A good friend of Jean's once told me that Jean never
really loved pool. She just loved to win. She'd
rather pay softball, bowl, golf, etc. From what I
understand the other women were against her and
nitpicked everything she did, so she'd had enough
and quit. I'm just relating what I've heard.
manlyshot said:
that BD article states Dec 2003 ???
Jerry Orbach is dead and when is Jean stepping up ?
Nineball King said:
no offense, but you either have a small imagination or need to get out and watch more men's tourney's then............LOL
Nineball King said:
does the term "snowflakes chance in hell" ring a bell here...............no offense to the women, karen may win a regional joss tour stop every now and then, but put them in the men's U.S. Open, BCA Open, or WPA World Championships.........it wouldn't be a pretty sight......
i'll probably start a flame war here............but hey........the truth hurts....
VAP
vapoolplayer said:
No flame war with me, as I agree. I've always reckoned that Karen and Allison need three on the wire going to eleven to have even action with any of the top twenty men in the world. Still, I've seen players that play no stronger than them post top ten finishes in the US Open nine ball event.
Anyone else have an opinion?
sjm said:
There is only one problem with this, boy v girl, idea, SJM. None of the people that think, A,K or any other woman, can beat the top men will gamble on it. Believe me. I have posted a $10K 9 ball challenge for A or K to play a guy that plays far under the top 32 men and no one showed any interest at all. In fact, it got so heated, Mike, pulled the thread. Talk is cheap. POST.
sjm said:
i'm not going to say that at some point and time a woman CAN'T win a men's pro tourney............just that its not likely and if it does happen it WON'T be a regular occurance (unless the women raise their level of play)
in the U.S. Open its winner breaks, and from what i've seen the women don't have the CONSTANT runout power that the men do........again this is on a regular basis........you may see one of the women string some together sometimes, but you won't see them putting six or so packs on men at the U.S. Open on a regular enough basis to win........
also, just as an example, when gabe won the open, i believe it was his 9th win, or maybe his 10th to put him on the hill.........he jumped over TWO balls, BANKED the object ball, DREW the ball back for position on the next ball and RAN OUT........from my vantage point in the front row, he hit the shot with so much athuority that it appeared to me that his is the shot he MEANT to shoot, not just luck.............
when was the last time you saw something like that on the WPBA??? i've seen some good shots there as well, just not as much or to the extent as the men..................
they are far superior when it comes to PURE RUNOUT POWER..........
VAP
hemicudas said:
If you don't mind me asking Bill, who was the male player? if you don't want to post his name i understand.........just curious..........
VAP
vapoolplayer said:
The original post was to play, Reed Pierce. BUT,,,,,,,,,,,,, if they think he plays too well? They can play another guy that plays under, Reed, for the same amount. Like, Vagabond, said, they might even be able to play the, Red Riffle, the same game for the same amount. All they have to do is ask.
P.S. You could be right, Vagabond, but you will never know if some of you guys don't pool your money and stake the game.
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a vs j
I agree. I saw Vivian play against a small time local pool hustler in Florida and she got drilled in a set for $500. I don't think Allison or Karen could beat a lot of lower level players on the tough tables you find in most pool halls around the country.
hemicudas said:
I agree. I saw Vivian play against a small time local pool hustler in Florida and she got drilled in a set for $500. I don't think Allison or Karen could beat a lot of lower level players on the tough tables you find in most pool halls around the country.
amatuer said:
Yes, when taking straight pool and nineball into account, Jean is without equal in the history of women's pool.
The only woman player I've ever seen that plays straight pool near the level Balukas played it is Jeanette Lee, who has countless hundred ball runs, including a 152 against me and a 124 against Mika Immonen. In 1999, Lee put her straight pool skills up against the best men at the National Straight Pool Championships in NYC, and in races to 150, she beat John Ervolino, Jimmy Fusco and Dallas West in succession. Yes, all were past their respective primes, but it remains a great accomplishment that serves testament to her excellence at straight pool. In a very elite field, she finished as high as both Robles and Immonen.