Mount Rushmore of pool?

gerard soriano

gerard soriano

HIGH RUN STILL TO COME !
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JusticeNJ said:
I think I'd break it up into eras rather than limit it to 4.

I think Mosconi and Efren are locks for their respective times.

Lassiter for the period between Mosconi and the rise of Sigel, Miz, Varner, etc.?

I would vote for Sigel as the 3rd/4th but Mizerak for the 1970s is a strooong contender.

After that, it's a little harder - the period from say 1994-2010ish. I vote Earl.

For the period from the early 2000's to about a few years ago (so the generation before Filler, Gorst, etc. really came into full swing), it's really hard. SVB? Mika?

Time will tell for the current crop, but Filler is out there chiseling his face into the mountainside as we speak.

So:
Mosconi
Lassiter
Sigel
Efren
Earl
SVB

If only 4, then Mosconi, Sigel, Efren, Earl.
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I agree it should goin era, but let me tell you back in the 70s I would watch the Miz run balls thinking this guy never misses. I can honestly say (The Miz) hade the smoothest stroke I have ever seen. IMHO
 
lfigueroa

lfigueroa

AzB Silver Member
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well, wait a minute... if we're discussing a Mt Rushmore would that not be American players?

OTOH, if it's just a metaphor, then I would have to agree that Willie and Efren would have to be locks. Think that covers 14.1 and 1pocket, perhaps leaving rotation and 3C? If it's an Merican thing, I think Hoppe would take the 3C, not sure who for 1pocket? Ronnie Allen?

9ball is a fist fight : -) Sigel, Earl?

Lou Figueroa
only four faces
on Mt Rushmore
 
fan-tum

fan-tum

AzB Silver Member
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jbart65 said:
My Mount Rushmore of pool might not have anyone on it, at least not yet.

Why? The game was dominated by the U.S. in the modern era until about 20 or 30 years ago. As such it was pretty insular.

An American Mt Rushmore of Pool is easy: Mosconi, Strickland and SVB. Sigel, too. How much he won is astonishing, and he was quite a showman.

A global Mt Rushmore? Incomplete.

Mosconi would seem like a shoo-in. He helped to make pool more popular in the U.S. But he stopped playing at a high level in the mid-1960s and didn't have much influence on the global game. Not sure he laid a foundation for anything in particular.

Efren? Didn't have the greatest success in "world" championship events, but he revolutionized how the game is played. He also helped to popularize it internationally in a way that Mosconi never did.

He is the only person I put on my global Mount Rushmore for now.

SVB might be next. Why? Not just his sustained success. His dominant break changed the game and how it is played.

Beyond that? Time will tell. Filler is the most promising, but he does need to win more world titles first. He is young and just needs more time.

What I love about his game is his stellar fundamental play, including his overlooked mastery of center ball. He makes the game as easy as possible, whereas others often overcomplicate the game.

A fourth person? That player is not on my horizon at the moment. You could make a semi-serious case for Florian Kohler, the best trick shot artist ever in my view. The guy has 2 million Facebook followers!
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I don't recall Filler missing a makeable shot. Of course he has, but not many people have witnessed that rare event.
 
ShootingArts

ShootingArts

Smorg is giving St Peter the 7!
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Bob Jewett said:
Taco Bell the title sponsor. 👍🌮🌮🌮

If we're not restricting this to 'Merkins, Mingaud has to be up there-- pretty close to a founding father.
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Yep, Captain? Mingaud was my first thought. Hardcore to ask to stay in prison longer to keep working on a pool table!

Hu
 
Dunnn51

Dunnn51

Clear the table!
Silver Member
sjm said:
For the men, this is easy. Efren Reyes, Mike Sigel, Willie Mosconi, Ralph Greenleaf. For the 9ball era only, I'd go with Efren Reyes, Mike Sigel, Nick Varner and Josh Filler.

The ladies Mount Rushmore is a little trickier, but I'd go with Allison Fisher, Jean Balukas, Karen Corr and Ruth McGinnis. For the 9ball era only, I'd replace Ruth McGinnins with Kelly Fisher.
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How about this: Lets equate the PRO pool players to those really on Mt. Rushmore.
Washington: 1st Commander & Chief & "Father" to a newborn country unlike any other.
Lincoln: Guided the country through the 1 Industrial Revolution. Opened up the Western Frontier, and Navigated the Civil War.
Jefferson: He was the original Author of The Declaration Of Independence, nuff said.
T. Roosevelt: He created the National Park system, built the Panama canal.

So, what unique thing did a certain PRO pool player do that fit this description??
WHO fits best---
Founder-
Growth-
Preservation-
Development-

Mosconi
Buddy Hall, Earl Strickland,
Luther Lassiter, Alan Hopkins
Definetly Efren

I'm sure there are others; just on 1st thought here
 
Tin Man

Tin Man

AzB Gold Member
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lfigueroa said:
well, wait a minute... if we're discussing a Mt Rushmore would that not be American players?

OTOH, if it's just a metaphor, then I would have to agree that Willie and Efren would have to be locks. Think that covers 14.1 and 1pocket, perhaps leaving rotation and 3C? If it's an Merican thing, I think Hoppe would take the 3C, not sure who for 1pocket? Ronnie Allen?

9ball is a fist fight : -) Sigel, Earl?

Lou Figueroa
only four faces
on Mt Rushmore
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Good point. But if we go too far down that road though things get messy. For instance, if this were actually to be constructed, are there viable Native American lands that could be commandeered?
 
Island Drive

Island Drive

Otto/Dads College Roommate/Cleveland Browns
Silver Member
True, tho when Jason Shaw gets rolling with winner break your lead is never safe till you win that last game.
Personally, I'd take Shaw when he rollin' over any player.
 
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