Masters of Cue Sports

SkyscraperChris said:
We all have different opinions on the matter. Ultimately, I will have to make hard decisions, but I am trying to include all disciplines. I didn't include women or trick shot artists like Massey, Venom, or Allison Fisher. I do believe though that there are far more pool players than Snooker or billiards, more men than women, and American pool has a longer history and influence on pool than the other games - in my opinion. Therefore, looking at the BIG picture, the list should reflect that.
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Yes, I was kind of yanking your chain, or whatever it is you say in the States... and especially I would like to question the opinion of considering SVB as an all time great, an opinion on which many here would disagree with me, I know.

But deciding a list of sixteen is a hard task. I hope all the best for your decisions, and I wish to see some of the greats of Carambole and Snooker on your final list.
 
SkyscraperChris said:
Hey all. So I'm working on a huge upcoming project that I'll be unveiling soon that features the 16 Masters of Cue Sports that have ever lived.

I am mostly interested in the PROs, not so much the hustlers (I will be doing a series on those later). Also, I am taking all things considered - not just their winning ability (which is most important) - but also their personality, charisma, and maybe how they changed the game for the better. I know there aren't many Filipinos here, but I am thinking more big picture, since many of the late greats were around before the Filipino invasion in the 70s and 80s.

Here are my picks; I watch a lot of pool and have seen many of the legends, but my picks may differ from those who truly know the pros better than me. If you have a suggestion, list it, and I may replace my picks with what some of you think (these are in no particular order).

1. Earl Strickland
2. Efren Reyes
3. Shane van Boening
4. Willie Mosconi
5. Luther Lassiter
6. Irving Crane
7. Alex Pagulayan
8. Johnny Archer
9. Buddy Hall
10. Nick Varner
11. Mike Sigel
12. Steve Mizerak
13. Thorsten Hohmann
14. Francisco Bustamante
15. Sang Lee
16. Ronnie O'Sullivan
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Some of the old players you listing became famous because at their time and the words on the street was influencing factor, where in reality they are not better shooters than today's good players, also back then pockets were larger than today's pockets; so i would leave the old players dead or a live at a separate category, IMO. The other thing, i would remove Ronnie O'Sullivan from this list, he is far more superior than anyone listed no one can come close. You missed DAZ.
 
SkyscraperChris said:
Hey all. So I'm working on a huge upcoming project that I'll be unveiling soon that features the 16 Masters of Cue Sports that have ever lived.

I am mostly interested in the PROs, not so much the hustlers (I will be doing a series on those later). Also, I am taking all things considered - not just their winning ability (which is most important) - but also their personality, charisma, and maybe how they changed the game for the better. I know there aren't many Filipinos here, but I am thinking more big picture, since many of the late greats were around before the Filipino invasion in the 70s and 80s.

Here are my picks; I watch a lot of pool and have seen many of the legends, but my picks may differ from those who truly know the pros better than me. If you have a suggestion, list it, and I may replace my picks with what some of you think (these are in no particular order).

1. Earl Strickland
2. Efren Reyes
3. Shane van Boening
4. Willie Mosconi
5. Luther Lassiter
6. Irving Crane
7. Alex Pagulayan
8. Johnny Archer
9. Buddy Hall
10. Nick Varner
11. Mike Sigel
12. Steve Mizerak
13. Thorsten Hohmann
14. Francisco Bustamante
15. Sang Lee
16. Ronnie O'Sullivan
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Hoppe and Greenleaf, as others have said - I love the idea of all games played with a cue
but Ceulemans without a doubt, also, not only Steve Davis and Hendry,
also Joe Davis - who set the style for Snooker fundamentals.

If Walter Lindrum isn't on the list you should be arrested, likewise for
Harold Worst and Jake Schafer Sr, who never woried about pocket size.

I know more or less nothing about the Italian game that uses pins,
other than the fact there is one but I have no doubt there were
great players in that disipline also.

And then there are all those Russians. Have you ever seen one of their
6 x 12 Pyramid tables with those pockets the size of a shot glass?

Sorry, too many Lindrums in Aus...

Dale
 
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sjm said:
Take out Alex and put in Parica.
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Alex is the only world 9-ball champion who has also had a 147 at snooker.
He has titles at almost every game but carombole.

...and I know they're a generation apart, but Jose's record against Alex
is abysmal.
 
Here is my updated list. Remember, these are always going to be contested by others. I will do separate individual 9-part series for all the Snooker, Pool, Billiards, and trick shot/other categories. What I'm making are different series of collectible items, and this will be the first set. They will be sold like baseball cards - some rarer than others (but they won't be cards!). I will keep you all updated and show a preview in a few weeks of what I'm creating.

1. Earl Strickland
2. Efren Reyes
3. Shane van Boening
4. Willie Mosconi
5. Willie Hoppe
6. Steve Davis
7. Alex Pagulayan
8. Johnny Archer
9 Ralph Greenleaf
10. Nick Varner
11. Mike Sigel
12. Steve Mizerak
13. Thorsten Hohmann
14. Francisco Bustamante
15. Thorbjorn Blohmdahl
16. Ronnie O'Sullivan
 
SkyscraperChris said:
Hey all. So I'm working on a huge upcoming project that I'll be unveiling soon that features the 16 Masters of Cue Sports that have ever lived.

I am mostly interested in the PROs, not so much the hustlers (I will be doing a series on those later). Also, I am taking all things considered - not just their winning ability (which is most important) - but also their personality, charisma, and maybe how they changed the game for the better. I know there aren't many Filipinos here, but I am thinking more big picture, since many of the late greats were around before the Filipino invasion in the 70s and 80s.

Here are my picks; I watch a lot of pool and have seen many of the legends, but my picks may differ from those who truly know the pros better than me. If you have a suggestion, list it, and I may replace my picks with what some of you think (these are in no particular order).

1. Earl Strickland
2. Efren Reyes
3. Shane van Boening
4. Willie Mosconi
5. Luther Lassiter
6. Irving Crane
7. Alex Pagulayan
8. Johnny Archer
9. Buddy Hall
10. Nick Varner
11. Mike Sigel
12. Steve Mizerak
13. Thorsten Hohmann
14. Francisco Bustamante
15. Sang Lee
16. Ronnie O'Sullivan
Click to expand...

I like everyone on your list.......so I feel the list isn't big enough......

Torbjorn Blumdahl.....maybe the greatest 3-cushion player...good at 9-ball and snooker.
Raymond Ceulemans....dominated carombole for over 20 years.
Harold Worst....belongs on ANYBODY's list.
Walter Lindrum....still no one can come close to him at English billiards.......
...I believe this man belongs at the TOP of anyone's list.

Joe Davis....the father of snooker.
Ronnie Allen....many who saw him play rate him over Reyes at one-pocket......
....and at alllround.

How about 24 players?
 
pt109 said:
I like everyone on your list.......so I feel the list isn't big enough......

Torbjorn Blumdahl.....maybe the greatest 3-cushion player...good at 9-ball and snooker.
Raymond Ceulemans....dominated carombole for over 20 years.
Harold Worst....belongs on ANYBODY's list.
Walter Lindrum....still no one can come close to him at English billiards.......
...I believe this man belongs at the TOP of anyone's list.

Joe Davis....the father of snooker.
Ronnie Allen....many who saw him play rate him over Reyes at one-pocket......
....and at alllround.

How about 24 players?
Click to expand...

I updated my picks ^^
And it has to be 16 for what I'm doing. One could argue that a list of 100 is too small, can't please 'em all! But I think this pleases most.
 
SkyscraperChris said:
I updated my picks ^^
And it has to be 16 for what I'm doing. One could argue that a list of 100 is too small, can't please 'em all! But I think this pleases most.
Click to expand...

It's a tough job, sir......and I appreciate you doing it.

,,,perhaps separating into pool, snooker, and carombole.
....I think only Harold Worst has a chance at more than one category.

How about a list of the biggest losers....Rosy at the top?.....
...but also a Parisian Cardinal from 2 or 3 centuries ago. :)
 
SkyscraperChris said:
Hey all. So I'm working on a huge upcoming project that I'll be unveiling soon that features the 16 Masters of Cue Sports that have ever lived.

I am mostly interested in the PROs, not so much the hustlers (I will be doing a series on those later). Also, I am taking all things considered - not just their winning ability (which is most important) - but also their personality, charisma, and maybe how they changed the game for the better. I know there aren't many Filipinos here, but I am thinking more big picture, since many of the late greats were around before the Filipino invasion in the 70s and 80s.

Here are my picks; I watch a lot of pool and have seen many of the legends, but my picks may differ from those who truly know the pros better than me. If you have a suggestion, list it, and I may replace my picks with what some of you think (these are in no particular order).

1. Earl Strickland
2. Efren Reyes
3. Shane van Boening
4. Willie Mosconi
5. Luther Lassiter
6. Irving Crane
7. Alex Pagulayan
8. Johnny Archer
9. Buddy Hall
10. Nick Varner
11. Mike Sigel
12. Steve Mizerak
13. Thorsten Hohmann
14. Francisco Bustamante
15. Sang Lee
16. Ronnie O'Sullivan
Click to expand...
Axe half your list. Consider just the top four of four cue sports since you have historic players there. American pool, UK Snooker, English Billiards, 3C Billiards.

To me, you can't have a list like this without Walter Lindrum, Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, Torbjorn Blomdahl, Ray Ceulemans, and Willie Hoppe.

And then you have Greenleaf, Jake Schaefer...

Freddie <~~~ not on the list
 
Cornerman said:
Axe half your list. Consider just the top four of four cue sports since you have historic players there. American pool, UK Snooker, English Billiards, 3C Billiards.

To me, you can't have a list like this without Walter Lindrum, Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, Torbjorn Blomdahl, Ray Ceulemans, and Willie Hoppe.

And then you have Greenleaf, Jake Schaefer...

Freddie <~~~ not on the list
Click to expand...

You should read the whole thread. I updated the list and included some of those.
 
worst

Harold Worst was the best. If you are going with snooker, billiards,9-ball,one pocket, 8-balland straight pool. no contest on #1.all around players like Varner, SIEGEL,DALLAS WEST,ALLEN HOPKINS JIM REMPE THE MIZZ,LARRY HUBBART.SORRY EARL ISNT #1 ON ANY ALL TIME LIST.9 BALL BUDDY. ONE POCKET RONNIE. 14-1 THE MIZZ,ALL AROUND VARNER OR SIEGEL.
 
Rasputin said:
You have decided to go with quite an American-heavy field. I begun to list an alternative list but then realized that I was myself missing too many great players, and I am known to have a bad memory...

Still, since your chosen topic as the Masters of Cue Sports, not only pool, I do wonder how you have chosen players like SVB before those as

Ceulemans
Hoppe
Blomdahl
O'Sullivan
White
Davis
A. Higgins
Hendry,

... just to mention some. To me, this kind of listing seems like an impossible task.
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I absolutely agree
:D
 
^me too.

adding some more players: Fong Pang Chao and Yang Ching Shun. and Ralf and Steve Davis.
 
Lindrum trumps them all.

Any list will always have differences of opinion.
There have been a few names tossed in the ring that are worthy and any that I put forward might be backed by some and scoffed at by others.
I suggest you speak with some actual World Champions regarding their viewpoints and I can assure you of one thing.
Each should recognize that WALTER LINDRUM dominated his discipline more than any other man to ever hold a cue.
In fact to indicate the measure of his talent, he was more dominant than Michael Jordan, Kelly Slater, Tiger Woods and Babe Ruth combined.
Rules were changed because of his outstanding performances.
World Champion players of other disciplines prayed to their respective gods that he did not choose to change disciplines or even attempt exhibitions against them.

Yes. The man was that good.
 
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