Keith McCready Alive and Kickin'
- Thread starter sjm
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NewYork_NewYork
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That was a great article! Keith was an amazing player back in the day. He was a top tier player from the time he was a teenager.
I appreciate the kind words about Keith. Most people who know him—I mean really, really know him—from the early days until today are well aware of the kind of heart he has as a man. Through all his ups and downs and all around, he's still a popular pool personality today, even though his cue stick will remain in its case. If you read the article, it explains why.
It’s worth mentioning that Michael Phillips Geffner wrote this Billiards Digest (BD) article and spent countless hours on the phone with both Keith and me over several weeks. He is meticulous when it comes to facts, constantly texting to confirm dates, names, and details, because he wants every piece he writes to be the best it can be as well as accurate.. That’s the kind of journalist he is.
His credentials speak for themselves: Recognized seven times in Best American Sports Writing, named Best Sports Writer by New York Press in 1990, awarded 1st place by SPJ (NJ) for magazine profile writing in 2000, and voted among the nation’s best sports columnists by the Associated Press Sports Editors in 2005. His poem “Everywhere” has also been published in two anthologies. Over the years, he has interviewed President Nixon (twice), and written long-form profiles on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dennis Hopper, Roger Clemens, Forest Whitaker, and many other iconic figures.
What some may not know is that Michael was a regular in the New York City pool scene back in the day. He wasn’t just an outsider looking in. He was in the mix, spending time around legends like CJ Wiley, Ginky, Frankie Hernandez, Gypsy, Spanish Pete, Mike Zuglan, Jeanette Lee, and many others. They even gave him a nickname: “The Sportswriter.” That tells you all you need to know.
He speaks the language, too. He understands the rhythm, the jargon, the culture. Talking to him about pool was fun. Real fun. The kind of conversation where you know you’re talking to someone who’s actually lived it, not just covered it. He’s shared some incredible stories from those days, stories that stick with you.
Personally, given his longstanding contributions to print pool media—including his recent articles in BD about Mika Immonen and California Congresswoman Laura Friedman, along with many others over the years—I believe he would be an excellent candidate for the BCA Hall of Fame.
And now, he’s taken that same creative energy in a different direction, working in music on Broadway. Just goes to show, the man knows how to evolve without ever losing who he is.
This is Michael Phillips Geffner today.
It’s worth mentioning that Michael Phillips Geffner wrote this Billiards Digest (BD) article and spent countless hours on the phone with both Keith and me over several weeks. He is meticulous when it comes to facts, constantly texting to confirm dates, names, and details, because he wants every piece he writes to be the best it can be as well as accurate.. That’s the kind of journalist he is.
His credentials speak for themselves: Recognized seven times in Best American Sports Writing, named Best Sports Writer by New York Press in 1990, awarded 1st place by SPJ (NJ) for magazine profile writing in 2000, and voted among the nation’s best sports columnists by the Associated Press Sports Editors in 2005. His poem “Everywhere” has also been published in two anthologies. Over the years, he has interviewed President Nixon (twice), and written long-form profiles on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dennis Hopper, Roger Clemens, Forest Whitaker, and many other iconic figures.
What some may not know is that Michael was a regular in the New York City pool scene back in the day. He wasn’t just an outsider looking in. He was in the mix, spending time around legends like CJ Wiley, Ginky, Frankie Hernandez, Gypsy, Spanish Pete, Mike Zuglan, Jeanette Lee, and many others. They even gave him a nickname: “The Sportswriter.” That tells you all you need to know.
He speaks the language, too. He understands the rhythm, the jargon, the culture. Talking to him about pool was fun. Real fun. The kind of conversation where you know you’re talking to someone who’s actually lived it, not just covered it. He’s shared some incredible stories from those days, stories that stick with you.
Personally, given his longstanding contributions to print pool media—including his recent articles in BD about Mika Immonen and California Congresswoman Laura Friedman, along with many others over the years—I believe he would be an excellent candidate for the BCA Hall of Fame.
And now, he’s taken that same creative energy in a different direction, working in music on Broadway. Just goes to show, the man knows how to evolve without ever losing who he is.
This is Michael Phillips Geffner today.
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When BD Publisher Michael Panozzo first came to me about this article, I was timid. My first instinct was to protect Keith, to keep certain things private, because once you open that door, you don’t get to control what walks through it. But the truth is, there’s a lot to Keith. And only the people who truly know him—I mean really know him—understand the kind of man he is off the table. He has a huge heart that some may have never seen. Some only remember the “Stu Ungar of pool” and not the man I’ve come to know. He's lived a rough, complicated life long before he ever met me. I had to step back and realize this isn’t about protecting an image. It’s about telling the truth, about him, and about the journey that shaped his life.
I give a lot of credit to Michael Panozzo. He didn’t shy away from any of it. He let the story be told the way it needed to be told by hiring Michael Phillips Geffner to write the article, and he gave Keith something that doesn’t come easy in this game. Real recognition. For an old-school player who paid his dues the hard way, that means everything. It’s an honor.
I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised to see it make the cover of Billiards Digest, the feature article, to boot. Wow! I had no idea until it was published that it was the cover story. I only got my copy a few days ago in the mail.
But wait, there's more. The From the Publisher article in this March edition of Billiards Digest, Michael Panozzo shared his thoughts entitled "March: Overdue but Worth the Wait": https://www.billiardsdigest.com/showblogentry.php?id=638
I give a lot of credit to Michael Panozzo. He didn’t shy away from any of it. He let the story be told the way it needed to be told by hiring Michael Phillips Geffner to write the article, and he gave Keith something that doesn’t come easy in this game. Real recognition. For an old-school player who paid his dues the hard way, that means everything. It’s an honor.
I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised to see it make the cover of Billiards Digest, the feature article, to boot. Wow! I had no idea until it was published that it was the cover story. I only got my copy a few days ago in the mail.
But wait, there's more. The From the Publisher article in this March edition of Billiards Digest, Michael Panozzo shared his thoughts entitled "March: Overdue but Worth the Wait": https://www.billiardsdigest.com/showblogentry.php?id=638
Rusty in Montana
Well-known member
You also have a quality for writing a good story Jam ! I like many others enjoy it a great deal even if I for one may not always say it I mean to ha ha .
As there's so many great stories out there waiting to be shared with those who are willing to take the time really listen and let them sink in to be repeated over and over again .
I've always felt that stories like that make up the rich past help expand the future of the sport to a wider audience .
Case in point NASCAR basically got its start because of illegal booze and a thirsty public ha ha yes I know its quite a reach for pool to reach that level but one can dream .
As there's so many great stories out there waiting to be shared with those who are willing to take the time really listen and let them sink in to be repeated over and over again .
I've always felt that stories like that make up the rich past help expand the future of the sport to a wider audience .
Case in point NASCAR basically got its start because of illegal booze and a thirsty public ha ha yes I know its quite a reach for pool to reach that level but one can dream .
Listening to the podcasts posted above, 4 part interview. Great stuff!
JAM,
I wouldn't worry too much about any perceived negativity. The folks who look back at Keith's heyday, and see nothing but the blind side, are generally cursed with an incurable case of "presentism."
Yes Keith had his "vices." That being said, I doubt he was sitting alone in light traffic. In my opinion Keith will always be the epitome of "the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts."
I still find myself watching old matches between Keith and Buddy, Keith and Efren, Keith and Earl, etc. Those battles will stand the test of time. Long after we leave this rock, and without question, "The Earthquake" will be remembered.
Much love.
j2