Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia Players...

B

billb

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
:confused: I was looking at some old issues of Pool and Billiard Magazine and Billiards Digest and the McDermott tournament coverage sparked my curiousity. What ever happened to these PA, MD and VA players...

Mike Painter
Cigar Tom Vanover
Max from Baltimore
Geese (deceased, I think)
Mark Ford
Jason Hill (I think this is the right name)
Sy Brown
Bruce Pfender
Fat Wayne (the Frey Custom Cue guy)
Spanish Rob
Punky Jones
David Smith (I think this is the right name. This guy wore a long pony tail. I watched him play the US Open in 1994 or 1995. I think he was from the Virginia area)

Many of these guys were at some of the McDermott tournaments that I attended a decade or so ago and I don't see their names a lot any more. Just curious.
 
billb said:
:confused: I was looking at some old issues of Pool and Billiard Magazine and Billiards Digest and the McDermott tournament coverage sparked my curiousity. What ever happened to these PA, MD and VA players...
Click to expand...

Mike Painter. He's actually a full-time painter and keeps a low profile, but he does make a cameo appearance from time to time. Last time I saw him was in Valley Forge at the action table. He lives somewhere in the middle of God's Country, the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Cigar Tom Vanover. Cigar Tom is in Dundalk, MD, and he still works at Running Out Billiards, last I hear. He enjoys games of stake today, but only by appointment. He usually has a strong following on the rail with plenty of side action.

Max from Baltimore. I saw him at Top Hat in Baltimore several months ago. He still hits 'em STRONG, especially in one-hole. Sometimes he takes a hiatus from pool, but he keeps coming back.

Geese (deceased, I think). Geese (Michael Gerace) passed away about 2 years from from cancer. He was living in Florida with his mom at the time. He will always be one of Maryland's shining stars.

Mark Ford. "Donut Man" is still around. He and his lady recently were blessed with child. I think he's running a league at Hot Shots on Pulaski Highway.

Fat Wayne (the Frey Custom Cue guy).Fat Wayne makes the rounds, and he's still hawking Frey cues. He's always been a great asset in any pool room he goes to, as he loves the action. He not only likes to bet it up, but the man's got game. I used to refer to him as the Pool Encylopedia because Fat Wayne could steer a player anywhere in the country.

Spanish Rob. Spanish Rob still plays at the local tournaments in my area. You can see him at Orange Ball in Rockville, MD on Wednesday nights. I think he runs a weekly 9-ball tournament at the old Champions in Rockville on Thursday, last I heard.

Punky Jones. Though he doesn't get out as much as he used to, due to an accident I think, he can be found most nights at Hagerstown Billiards. He's what I would refer to as an American road warrior. He's got game and shows no fear.

Hope this helps a little!

JAM
 
Shot in a local tourney with Fat Wayne a week ago at Hot Shots in Baltimore.

Saw Cigar Tom and his son Jason at Running Out Billiards last Saturday when I was shooting in a local tourney there.

As far as I know they seem well. Couldnt tell you about the other ones though.
 
I just heard from Dave Smith not long ago. He's alive and well in Mississippi, or something. Not playing much from what I understand.

Wow, the McDermott tour... you definitely pulled up some memories for me... thanks for the post.
 
billb said:
:confused: I was looking at some old issues of Pool and Billiard Magazine and Billiards Digest and the McDermott tournament coverage sparked my curiousity. What ever happened to these PA, MD and VA players...

Mike Painter
Cigar Tom Vanover
Max from Baltimore
Geese (deceased, I think)
Mark Ford
Jason Hill (I think this is the right name)
Sy Brown
Bruce Pfender
Fat Wayne (the Frey Custom Cue guy)
Spanish Rob
Punky Jones
David Smith (I think this is the right name. This guy wore a long pony tail. I watched him play the US Open in 1994 or 1995. I think he was from the Virginia area)

Many of these guys were at some of the McDermott tournaments that I attended a decade or so ago and I don't see their names a lot any more. Just curious.
Click to expand...

Sy Brown still lives in Pittsburgh. He's 60 years old but still plays strong 9-ball as well as one pocket.

Mike Painter is from the Luray Caverns area, south of Front Royal.
 
I haven't seen Mad Max from B'more lately but he spent quite a bit of time in Knoxville over the past couple of years. He would stay for a few days or weeks at a time, depending on what action he got.
 
Ktown D said:
I haven't seen Mad Max from B'more lately but he spent quite a bit of time in Knoxville over the past couple of years. He would stay for a few days or weeks at a time, depending on what action he got.
Click to expand...

He sure does get around, always manages to stay under the radar! :D

JAM
 
Many of these players came to a tournament in Keyser, WV around 1993 or 1994. The tournament was held at Dougs Billiards. It drew a very strong field with players coming from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia. There was a ton of action also. It had the same type of payout and format as todays Planet Pool events, but it was produced independently. I was only 19 at the time and had not traveled at all, so this tournament was my first big tournament experience. Needless to say, I remember alot of the names and faces. I specifically remember Mark Ford, Geese, Giles Darr, Don Steele, Sy Brown, Jerry Slivka, Max from Baltimore, Mike McClain, Jerry Elliott and Jason Hill. I'm pretty sure that Punky, Troy Frank and Mike Painter were there for the tournament. I know they have gambled there. Also, there were some very strong local players...John-John Muir and Allen "Smitty" Smith. I thought that was a pretty strong field for an 8 table room in the big town (Not!) of Keyser, West Virginia. Oh, another player that appeared was Mike Shaffer(spelling?) from West Virginia. Very strong player.
 
billb said:
Many of these players came to a tournament in Keyser, WV around 1993 or 1994. The tournament was held at Dougs Billiards. It drew a very strong field with players coming from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia. There was a ton of action also. It had the same type of payout and format as todays Planet Pool events, but it was produced independently. I was only 19 at the time and had not traveled at all, so this tournament was my first big tournament experience. Needless to say, I remember alot of the names and faces. I specifically remember Mark Ford, Geese, Giles Darr, Don Steele, Sy Brown, Jerry Slivka, Max from Baltimore, Mike McClain, Jerry Elliott and Jason Hill. I'm pretty sure that Punky, Troy Frank and Mike Painter were there for the tournament. I know they have gambled there. Also, there were some very strong local players...John-John Muir and Allen "Smitty" Smith. I thought that was a pretty strong field for an 8 table room in the big town (Not!) of Keyser, West Virginia. Oh, another player that appeared was Mike Shaffer(spelling?) from West Virginia. Very strong player.
Click to expand...

Slivka has matured into one of the best all-around players in the country. Jerry Elliott and Mike McClain (of Uniontown, PA) still play, but much more infrequently than at that time. Troy Frank has moved to Florida. Don Steele (Greensburg, PA) is 71 years old and still plays strong. Carl "Punky" Jones used to be a fairly strong player, but is a first-rate a**hole to play against.
 
BackPocket9Ball said:
Sy Brown still lives in Pittsburgh. He's 60 years old but still plays strong 9-ball as well as one pocket.

Mike Painter is from the Luray Caverns area, south of Front Royal.
Click to expand...

It's always weird to see an ancient thread pop up on AZ yet here I am doing that same thing.

Haven't thought of Sly Sy Brown since watching him play at Breakers in the mid-1990s but it was nice to see his name mentioned here.
 
Well Im glad you brought it up KAP. Im a crab cake and scrapple eating Marylander, I always like reading about pool in the area
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top