I couldn't wait to get out of Dodge to attend the Joss tournament at the Golden Cue Billiards in Albany, New York. I had just mailed my taxes to Uncle Sam and was feeling mighty low, especially in the pocket book! 
A 6-hour drive, it was smooth sailing all the way. Even during rush hour on a Friday night in New York City, we bypassed parking-lot traffic clusters of the Big Apple and cruised right on up Route 17-North with no problems. The drive into Albany is quite lovely up Interstate 87, thanks to the scenic Catskill Mountains. The air is clean and almost sweet-smelling, a whole lot different than city air.
The tournament began at high noon on Saturday, and the players began to pour in one by one, ending up with a field of 49 players. We got a front-row parking space right out front. By the end of the day, folks had to park across the street because the place was packed. Albany appreciates and welcomes pool players, and they all came from far and near to see the big show.
First player we saw was Young Gun Tony Ruberto from Boston, wearing a bright red color-coordinated jogging suit with his trademark matching baseball cap, always turned to one side. Tony played well in the tournament. A feature match-up was between him and Power Breaker Frankie Hernandez of New York City, which came down to the hill-hill. Frankie was breaking 'em like a cannon, but the few times he got out of line, Tony fought back like a seasoned veteran and knocked Frankie out of the tournament!
[RUMOR: Heard that a young and popular road player from Mississippi is going to match up with Tony Ruberto next week!
]
At the players meeting, Mike Zuglan explained the rules, for anybody new to the Joss Tour, and thanked all of the sponsors. Spanish Pete Vasquez was in attendance and plays on the Joss Tour quite often, since he's from NYC, and he's got three second-place finishes so far this season. He's a strong tournament player in any event he enters. Zuglan informed the Joss Tour attendees about the NUTS and how it will provide new pool-playing opportunities to Joss Tour players. To get a chance to compete for a spot in Allen Hopkins' Skins Billiards Championship later this year was great news to players like Spanish Pete.
Roco Spinelli is the owner of Golden Cue Billiards in Albany, New York, and hosted this tournament with not only $3,000 in added monies, but put on a first-rate extravaganza which was enjoyed by spectators and players alike. Never a shortage of something to eat, the Spinelli family served hand-sliced fresh sandwiches of ham and turkey, delicious homemade sausage with green peppers, and homemade macaroni salad, which was enjoyed by players and spectators alike. Every seat in the place was filled. I can see why this pool room is so popular. This is a real players pool room.
Karen Corr and Julie Kelly were handing out 8-by-10 autographed pictures to fans. Keith and Karen went off on a side table during the tournament and shared some shooting strategies. The two lady pros were both eagerly looking forward to the BCA Open in Vegas. I told Julie that I picked her to win the whole shebang this year!
Mother Nature was kind to the Joss Tour this weekend. Each day was sunny with bright blue skies. During a smoke break outside, we met a guy from Mississippi who's now living in Albany due to his work, Lyle McLemore. He played in the tournament and said he's just getting his game back in gear. I have never met a player from the South that I didn't like, and Lyle is no exception. He plays with grace and is a true Southern gentleman.
Seems like we're always running into Ryan "Genie Man" McCreesh, whether on our home court or on the road. Fortunately, though, Keith and Ryan remain good friends, on and off the table. Ryan fights like a pitbull when he's in the ring. So, when Keith ended up having to play him for the hotseat this weekend, I was a "nervous Nellie." Ryan is from Albany originally, and he always enjoys coming back home to visit with his family, especially his mom. He ended up third, which ain't too shabby (IMO).
First two games of Keith and Ryan's match may have been a little too much for Ryan to overcome. Ryan wins the flip, breaks, pockets balls, and runs out to the 9, a fairly easy shot I was told by others, but missed, handing Keith the first game. The second game, Ryan makes it to the 9-ball once more. It was a very easy straight-in shot, right into the side pocket, but what happened next reminded me of one of those old pool-playing dog pictures. His tip must have been wet or unchalked, and he not only grossly miscued, the poor fellow, but the cue-ball actually hopped completely off the the table, landing on the floor. Keith rolls ahead, 2 to nothing, right out of the gate. When it was all said and done, it ended up 9 to 5, putting Keith in a very comfortable hotseat position to take off the tournament.
And then along comes Canadian Champion Danny Hewitt. Keith had played Danny the previous day and knocked him to the B side, but it was neck and neck all the way. Danny Hewitt won the Trump's Marina 10-Ball Challenge, defeating Hall of Famer Jim Rempe, in Atlantic City, 2 years ago. Anybody who's seen Danny play knows of his intense focus and deliberate shooting style, a very formidable opponent in any setting.
While Keith was waiting for the semi-finals to conclude, we went over to Joe's Grill, "Home of the Sausage Burger," right next door to the Golden Cue. Established in 1942, this tavern is an old-fashioned neighborhood gathering spot, and the regulars are some of the best people you'd ever want to meet, greeting every single pool player with good cheer. As soon as you walk in, you feel comfy and right at home.
The first game between Danny and Keith, it was all Danny Hewitt, who snatched an overwhelming 9-to-3 victory. Danny seemed to be dead in stroke and wasn't missing much, and Keith remained seated for much of the match. Mike Zuglan, the Joss Tour TD, announced a 10-minute intermission before the next set. The Joss Tour is a TRUE double-elimination tournament, with the B-side player having to beat the A-side player twice. I had my eyes on that beautiful trophy and really wanted Keith to win it, but after that showing, I was starting to sweat it a little.
The second round, a different Keith McCready showed up. The very first game of the match was a safety-play battle, with each player waiting to get a good shot for the run-out. The score seasawed a little, but Keith did take an early lead, 8 to 5 and was ON THE HILL. Danny Hewitt maintained his composure and continued pounding away at Keith, scoring a few more games. He was on the war path, and before long the score was Keith 8, Danny 7. The next game, Danny had an easy run-out, but ended up accidentally snookering himself on a shot. After he tried to kick, he missed, and Keith ran out the remaining balls on the table for the first-place win.
That's a couple of happenings about the event. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Rocco Spinelli and his whole family for making this tournament possible to players like Keith. The Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour machine runs strong because of host pool rooms like the Golden Cue. The Joss Tour is definitely a whole lot of fun and provides a platform for players of all caliber to showcase their skills and compete, thanks to these fantastic pool rooms who open their doors and make it happen.
Here's a few pics from the event: JAM's pictures from Joss Tour Stop No. 19
JAM
A 6-hour drive, it was smooth sailing all the way. Even during rush hour on a Friday night in New York City, we bypassed parking-lot traffic clusters of the Big Apple and cruised right on up Route 17-North with no problems. The drive into Albany is quite lovely up Interstate 87, thanks to the scenic Catskill Mountains. The air is clean and almost sweet-smelling, a whole lot different than city air.
The tournament began at high noon on Saturday, and the players began to pour in one by one, ending up with a field of 49 players. We got a front-row parking space right out front. By the end of the day, folks had to park across the street because the place was packed. Albany appreciates and welcomes pool players, and they all came from far and near to see the big show.
First player we saw was Young Gun Tony Ruberto from Boston, wearing a bright red color-coordinated jogging suit with his trademark matching baseball cap, always turned to one side. Tony played well in the tournament. A feature match-up was between him and Power Breaker Frankie Hernandez of New York City, which came down to the hill-hill. Frankie was breaking 'em like a cannon, but the few times he got out of line, Tony fought back like a seasoned veteran and knocked Frankie out of the tournament!
[RUMOR: Heard that a young and popular road player from Mississippi is going to match up with Tony Ruberto next week!
]At the players meeting, Mike Zuglan explained the rules, for anybody new to the Joss Tour, and thanked all of the sponsors. Spanish Pete Vasquez was in attendance and plays on the Joss Tour quite often, since he's from NYC, and he's got three second-place finishes so far this season. He's a strong tournament player in any event he enters. Zuglan informed the Joss Tour attendees about the NUTS and how it will provide new pool-playing opportunities to Joss Tour players. To get a chance to compete for a spot in Allen Hopkins' Skins Billiards Championship later this year was great news to players like Spanish Pete.
Roco Spinelli is the owner of Golden Cue Billiards in Albany, New York, and hosted this tournament with not only $3,000 in added monies, but put on a first-rate extravaganza which was enjoyed by spectators and players alike. Never a shortage of something to eat, the Spinelli family served hand-sliced fresh sandwiches of ham and turkey, delicious homemade sausage with green peppers, and homemade macaroni salad, which was enjoyed by players and spectators alike. Every seat in the place was filled. I can see why this pool room is so popular. This is a real players pool room.
Karen Corr and Julie Kelly were handing out 8-by-10 autographed pictures to fans. Keith and Karen went off on a side table during the tournament and shared some shooting strategies. The two lady pros were both eagerly looking forward to the BCA Open in Vegas. I told Julie that I picked her to win the whole shebang this year!
Mother Nature was kind to the Joss Tour this weekend. Each day was sunny with bright blue skies. During a smoke break outside, we met a guy from Mississippi who's now living in Albany due to his work, Lyle McLemore. He played in the tournament and said he's just getting his game back in gear. I have never met a player from the South that I didn't like, and Lyle is no exception. He plays with grace and is a true Southern gentleman.
Seems like we're always running into Ryan "Genie Man" McCreesh, whether on our home court or on the road. Fortunately, though, Keith and Ryan remain good friends, on and off the table. Ryan fights like a pitbull when he's in the ring. So, when Keith ended up having to play him for the hotseat this weekend, I was a "nervous Nellie." Ryan is from Albany originally, and he always enjoys coming back home to visit with his family, especially his mom. He ended up third, which ain't too shabby (IMO).
First two games of Keith and Ryan's match may have been a little too much for Ryan to overcome. Ryan wins the flip, breaks, pockets balls, and runs out to the 9, a fairly easy shot I was told by others, but missed, handing Keith the first game. The second game, Ryan makes it to the 9-ball once more. It was a very easy straight-in shot, right into the side pocket, but what happened next reminded me of one of those old pool-playing dog pictures. His tip must have been wet or unchalked, and he not only grossly miscued, the poor fellow, but the cue-ball actually hopped completely off the the table, landing on the floor. Keith rolls ahead, 2 to nothing, right out of the gate. When it was all said and done, it ended up 9 to 5, putting Keith in a very comfortable hotseat position to take off the tournament.
And then along comes Canadian Champion Danny Hewitt. Keith had played Danny the previous day and knocked him to the B side, but it was neck and neck all the way. Danny Hewitt won the Trump's Marina 10-Ball Challenge, defeating Hall of Famer Jim Rempe, in Atlantic City, 2 years ago. Anybody who's seen Danny play knows of his intense focus and deliberate shooting style, a very formidable opponent in any setting.
While Keith was waiting for the semi-finals to conclude, we went over to Joe's Grill, "Home of the Sausage Burger," right next door to the Golden Cue. Established in 1942, this tavern is an old-fashioned neighborhood gathering spot, and the regulars are some of the best people you'd ever want to meet, greeting every single pool player with good cheer. As soon as you walk in, you feel comfy and right at home.
The first game between Danny and Keith, it was all Danny Hewitt, who snatched an overwhelming 9-to-3 victory. Danny seemed to be dead in stroke and wasn't missing much, and Keith remained seated for much of the match. Mike Zuglan, the Joss Tour TD, announced a 10-minute intermission before the next set. The Joss Tour is a TRUE double-elimination tournament, with the B-side player having to beat the A-side player twice. I had my eyes on that beautiful trophy and really wanted Keith to win it, but after that showing, I was starting to sweat it a little.
The second round, a different Keith McCready showed up. The very first game of the match was a safety-play battle, with each player waiting to get a good shot for the run-out. The score seasawed a little, but Keith did take an early lead, 8 to 5 and was ON THE HILL. Danny Hewitt maintained his composure and continued pounding away at Keith, scoring a few more games. He was on the war path, and before long the score was Keith 8, Danny 7. The next game, Danny had an easy run-out, but ended up accidentally snookering himself on a shot. After he tried to kick, he missed, and Keith ran out the remaining balls on the table for the first-place win.
That's a couple of happenings about the event. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Rocco Spinelli and his whole family for making this tournament possible to players like Keith. The Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour machine runs strong because of host pool rooms like the Golden Cue. The Joss Tour is definitely a whole lot of fun and provides a platform for players of all caliber to showcase their skills and compete, thanks to these fantastic pool rooms who open their doors and make it happen.
Here's a few pics from the event: JAM's pictures from Joss Tour Stop No. 19
JAM
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