I had my 40 gripes and was asked to post my 40 likes. Here they are in no special order.
What I like about pool is:
1. The sound of a solid break.
2. Balls hitting the back of the pocket.
3. Straight in winning balls.
4. Figuring out a tough shot for a breakout/shape and completing it.
5. One Pocket
6. Golf (The pool game)
7. Playing against a strong competitive team.
8. The satifaction of getting out on a tough rack.
9. Seeing the Shooters Billiard Club Junior League grow year after year.
10. Seeing the Shooters Junior League place high in local and national tournaments.
11. Teaching pool and getting a "WOW" moment.
12. Listening and participating in the pool room BS.
13. My pool friends.
14. Having a flashback and actually playing great pool for a day.
15. Working a $5 game to a $50 game.
16. Teaching players that grasp concepts fast.
17. Working up a pool sweat.
18. Having a talking,sharking fun match.
19. Playing a serious, "all the marbles" match.
20. Mastering a difficult shot to the 90% level.
21. Being in the room when Jimmy Mataya walks in.
22. Hall of Fame Billiards in Warren, Michigan.
23. Being previledged to see tournaments with the Hall of Fame greats, including a teenage Jeanne Balukas, Crane, Lassiter, Mosconi, Moore, Miz, Hopkins, Fats, etc.
24. The round robin knock-out format used by the IPT.
25. Simonis/Championship cloth.
26. Centennial Balls
27. U.S. cuemakers and old Huebler cues.
28. Ball return systems (as I get older). I used to like to take the victory lap with drop pockets.
29. Watching Alex Pagulayan playing the ghost in 9 ball, 10 ball and 15 ball.
30. Watching Beau Runningen and Jesse Engel develop into players.
31. Players that accept the loss even though the pocket wasn't patched.
32. League systems that are non profit.
33. Leagues where the fees are 100% paid back out to the players.
34. Watching aggressive play ring games.
35. When a room is filled to capacity watching a tournament final. (When was the last time you saw that?)
36. Mike Chewakin's trick shot show.
37. Willie running a 100 balls on demand.
38. The "character" that inhabits every pool room.
39. A perfectly executed one pocket 3 rail object ball with a 3 rail cue ball position.
40. SVB playing golf on a 9' table playing 9 holes and running all 9 holes.
What I like about pool is:
1. The sound of a solid break.
2. Balls hitting the back of the pocket.
3. Straight in winning balls.
4. Figuring out a tough shot for a breakout/shape and completing it.
5. One Pocket
6. Golf (The pool game)
7. Playing against a strong competitive team.
8. The satifaction of getting out on a tough rack.
9. Seeing the Shooters Billiard Club Junior League grow year after year.
10. Seeing the Shooters Junior League place high in local and national tournaments.
11. Teaching pool and getting a "WOW" moment.
12. Listening and participating in the pool room BS.
13. My pool friends.
14. Having a flashback and actually playing great pool for a day.
15. Working a $5 game to a $50 game.
16. Teaching players that grasp concepts fast.
17. Working up a pool sweat.
18. Having a talking,sharking fun match.
19. Playing a serious, "all the marbles" match.
20. Mastering a difficult shot to the 90% level.
21. Being in the room when Jimmy Mataya walks in.
22. Hall of Fame Billiards in Warren, Michigan.
23. Being previledged to see tournaments with the Hall of Fame greats, including a teenage Jeanne Balukas, Crane, Lassiter, Mosconi, Moore, Miz, Hopkins, Fats, etc.
24. The round robin knock-out format used by the IPT.
25. Simonis/Championship cloth.
26. Centennial Balls
27. U.S. cuemakers and old Huebler cues.
28. Ball return systems (as I get older). I used to like to take the victory lap with drop pockets.
29. Watching Alex Pagulayan playing the ghost in 9 ball, 10 ball and 15 ball.
30. Watching Beau Runningen and Jesse Engel develop into players.
31. Players that accept the loss even though the pocket wasn't patched.
32. League systems that are non profit.
33. Leagues where the fees are 100% paid back out to the players.
34. Watching aggressive play ring games.
35. When a room is filled to capacity watching a tournament final. (When was the last time you saw that?)
36. Mike Chewakin's trick shot show.
37. Willie running a 100 balls on demand.
38. The "character" that inhabits every pool room.
39. A perfectly executed one pocket 3 rail object ball with a 3 rail cue ball position.
40. SVB playing golf on a 9' table playing 9 holes and running all 9 holes.
