Mosconi and Fats...Who's Next ?

1ab

1ab

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
There have been a lot of good threads suggestive of positive change to help increase the popularity of our sport. So what was it that created such interest in the late 70’s matchup between Mosconi and Fats? According to reports, no one knew of the unexpected drama that unfolded leading to the televised challenge matches. These guys were larger than life to many. A legend in their own right, with formidable skills yet polar opposite personality’s yielded great entertainment. I had always wondered about the mannerism of Willie Mosconi, famously reticent, he seemed irritated at times and I thought it to be contrived for television. I didn’t realize until I had read R.A.Dyers chronicle of events, how genuine Mosconi’s disdain. I just can’t help smiling and wishing I could have been a fly on the wall when it was all unfolding. To me it begs the question can lightning ever strike twice. Will there be such a rivalry in our sport again? I don’t know how many seats there were in the first audience, but still to get $600.00 a ticket seems amazing. http://www.billiardsdigest.com/untold_stories/fats.php
 
Danny Harriman vs John Schimdt......
Straight pool to 1,000.........
.....wearing mics...
Justin Collette as referee.

If Justin has to give one of them a backhander.....
...the over/under is 23 feet.
 
The beauty of the Fats/Mosconi rivalry was that it went on for years before they ever put them together on TV. Mosconi referred to Fats and his friends as a bunch of low-class hustlers who couldn't make a ball.

Mosconi gained a lot of support in his opinion as Fats did outrageous stuff and told absurd lies about Mosconi (whos name he pronounced Mos-KO-ni and he drug out the KO) whom he said had never beaten him and all about playing all the Kings and Sheiks and all that.

Anyone with a brain knew Fats was just doing his best WC Fields bit and was earning a good living with outrageous tales. He should never have been taken seriously. But a lot of players, including Mosconi, got really ripped about the fame that this "no-count" pool player was getting. They did not comprehend that Fat's skill was not with a cue, it was with his mouth, and he was really, really good at it.

We have a guy with Fats talent at wisecracking and joking and he also has the added plus that everybody really likes him. Alex Pagulayan. But he needs a Mosconi, a foil, a straight man. If Alex had someone to play off of and the audience he could really help put pool back on the map.
 
1ab said:
There have been a lot of good threads suggestive of positive change to help increase the popularity of our sport. So what was it that created such interest in the late 70’s matchup between Mosconi and Fats? According to reports, no one knew of the unexpected drama that unfolded leading to the televised challenge matches. These guys were larger than life to many. A legend in their own right, with formidable skills yet polar opposite personality’s yielded great entertainment. I had always wondered about the mannerism of Willie Mosconi, famously reticent, he seemed irritated at times and I thought it to be contrived for television. I didn’t realize until I had read R.A.Dyers chronicle of events, how genuine Mosconi’s disdain. I just can’t help smiling and wishing I could have been a fly on the wall when it was all unfolding. To me it begs the question can lightning ever strike twice. Will there be such a rivalry in our sport again? I don’t know how many seats there were in the first audience, but still to get $600.00 a ticket seems amazing. http://www.billiardsdigest.com/untold_stories/fats.php
Click to expand...


There's no chance of a Mosconi - Fats rivalry today. There was a history there that nothing today can approach: the king of tournament pool vs the king of the hustlers; two big personalities; genuine animosity; "The Hustler"; only three TV channels; and more. Just ain't happenin' nowadays. No Bobby Riggs v Billie Jean King either :-)

Lou Figueroa
 
Bc

A little side note.
Bruce Christopher accomplishment was preformed at Time Square Billiards
Across the Street from the famous Rose land Ball room in NYC.
52nd or 53rd street and Broadway.
The Pool Room was down stairs below an arcade. They had a table roped off and
Bruce Christopher was setting his record. I watched a bit but can't remember much
Other than they had a blackboard next to the table for a while posting his record.
What I did not know then what I know now it was the end of an era for pool in NYC
But that's another story for another time.
MCP
 
The evidence of just how good that rivelry was is that we are still talking about it today. I've read several books that highlight the interaction of these two greats and I have to agree I don't see anything in today's world of billiards even approaching this kind of angst and interest. Too bad as it could help if the general public got interested!!!!!!!! :(
 
If only Earl hated Shane. How fun would that be? Earls mouths and Shane the nice guy, whuppin his ass. Haha
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top