Nick Varner vs Grady Mathews Video!

Im not sure when billiard world championships started, but it wasn't in 1988
grady would be annilihated by today's stars even in his prime.

But thanks for the post, its interesting to go back in time, and see what they considered world class pool.
 
av84fun said:
Thanks for the blast from the past...but were you being sarcastic about
Grady playing great pool?

He had 4 shots in the two racks...made 1, dogged 1 and played 2 poor safeties.

No disrespect intended. I'm just sayin'.

(-:
Jim
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LOL,he did shoot great pool obviously to get to the finals even though when he got to the hill he might have made some errors.
 
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A perfect example

This a perfect example why I don't post anymore on AZ. I could tell you everything about that tournament, including facts unknown to the general public. Why get picked apart by idiots? It just isn't worth it.
To those of you who would enjoy finding out interesting things about that event or other questions, ask me on Onepocket.org .
 
Grady made it to the finals, give the guy a break. He plays better pool than 99% of the people on this site and has been a contributor to the site and we bash his game. That is nuts. I think Grady offers some real insight into pool and its history. It would be a shame to have him leave.
 
Thanks alot!

RunoutalloverU said:
Im not sure when billiard world championships started, but it wasn't in 1988
grady would be annilihated by today's stars even in his prime.

But thanks for the post, its interesting to go back in time, and see what they considered world class pool.
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RunoutalloverU,
You couldn't be more wrong. Grady not only played at a world class level, he WON the World One Pocket Championship 4 different times, over the likes of Mike Sigel, Buddy Hall, Danny DiLiberto, Jim Rempe, Larry Johnson, Ed Kelly, Larry Lisciotti, Nick Varner, Allen Hopkins, etc. So, according to your gauge, what does that make all these guys he BEAT to win the title(s)? Chumps?

Also, apparently you didn't know that he also played 9 Ball at a world class level. Anybody that finishes 2nd in World 9 Ball Championship, believe it or not, really does know how to play.

Grady is universally hailed by his peers as being an elite player in 14.1. His high run is 326! Have you ever seen ANY of his 14.1 matches on Accu-Stats where he beats other world class 14.1 players?

There's a reason why he's in the Onepocket HOF with guys like Ronnie Allen
and Jack Breit.

So now, Grady's going to stay away from here for who knows how long.

Hey, RunoutalloverU, how about YOU making a series of videos on kicking and saftey play?
Maybe Pat Fleming could hire YOU to do some commentary? Or are you all booked up doing commentary with T.A.R. and the IPT?

Here's looking forward to you keeping us all enlightened!
 
Grady said:
This a perfect example why I don't post anymore on AZ. I could tell you everything about that tournament, including facts unknown to the general public. Why get picked apart by idiots? It just isn't worth it.
To those of you who would enjoy finding out interesting things about that event or other questions, ask me on Onepocket.org .
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Grady you obviously shot great pool to get to the finals in that field,this video is to show people who have doubts that you were playing at the top level of the Pro Tour.I cant even imagine what it was like to be in the finals of an event like that and get to the hill before Nick did,an inch here or there on one of your safeties and you would have been Champion.I posted this video to commend you for your fine shooting and not to bash you because you lost in the finals of this match,its more then 99.9% of us on the forum will ever accomplish in pool. ;)
 
av84fun said:
Thanks for the blast from the past...but were you being sarcastic about
Grady playing great pool?

He had 4 shots in the two racks...made 1, dogged 1 and played 2 poor safeties.

No disrespect intended. I'm just sayin'.

(-:
Jim
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Grady played nearly flawless for the rest of the TV event, beating Kim Davenport in the quarters, absolutely crushing Jimmy Mataya in the semis, and then bringing the finals to a climactic hill-hill classic!!!

The missed shot and the couple of short safeties late in the final match are unfortunately misrepresenting just how good he was shooting. He was playing fantastically, no doubt.

Fred
 
This was the match that my dad recorded and I watched it probably 10,000 times as a kid (I was 11 when it took place and was televised). This match inspired me to play pool.

That was ANYONE'S match. Nick made a lucky shot when he was trying to play safe (hey, luck is a part of 9 ball) and he capitalized on it. Simple as that. That finals was anyone's match, and Nick got the roll.

They both played top notch world-class pool.

YES, the level of play over the last 20 years has stepped up, so defining world class play has changed. Why? Mainly Accu-stats and ESPN to be honest. Before that people couldn't study tapes to learn technique, patterns, etc, so much quicker and easier. Back then you had to get out, and play, play, play. Of course you still have to play a lot, but you go into sessions even when you're learning with a good idea of what you need to be doing.

This remains one of my favorite matches ever, just because it gets me a little misty-eyed, LOL.
 
I don't blame you Grady, for pulling the plug on this forum after remarks like that.When I first came on this forum I was amazed the amount of professionals that posted on here, BUT where are they now?
 
jimmy-leggs said:
I don't blame you Grady, for pulling the plug on this forum after remarks like that.When I first came on this forum I was amazed the amount of professionals that posted on here, BUT where are they now?
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I've noticed aswell...and alot of other non-professional players...:(
 
I think runoutalloveru should take a road trip on down to Grady's nice new poolroom and bet sumptin and if he can beat Grady he can run his mouth, and I hope he holds his breath till that happens.--Leonard

Runout feel free to PM me for directions to Grady's
 
Terry Ardeno said:
RunoutalloverU,
You couldn't be more wrong. Grady not only played at a world class level, he WON the World One Pocket Championship 4 different times, over the likes of Mike Sigel, Buddy Hall, Danny DiLiberto, Jim Rempe, Larry Johnson, Ed Kelly, Larry Lisciotti, Nick Varner, Allen Hopkins, etc. So, according to your gauge, what does that make all these guys he BEAT to win the title(s)? Chumps?

Also, apparently you didn't know that he also played 9 Ball at a world class level. Anybody that finishes 2nd in World 9 Ball Championship, believe it or not, really does know how to play.

Grady is universally hailed by his peers as being an elite player in 14.1. His high run is 326! Have you ever seen ANY of his 14.1 matches on Accu-Stats where he beats other world class 14.1 players?

There's a reason why he's in the Onepocket HOF with guys like Ronnie Allen
and Jack Breit.

So now, Grady's going to stay away from here for who knows how long.

Hey, RunoutalloverU, how about YOU making a series of videos on kicking and saftey play?
Maybe Pat Fleming could hire YOU to do some commentary? Or are you all booked up doing commentary with T.A.R. and the IPT?

Here's looking forward to you keeping us all enlightened!
Click to expand...


Ok ill agree. He is a great United States Champion. But now Terry, pool is ACTUALLY a world sport. With people from all over the WORLD that play. You can't have a sport where its all US playes, and two philipino guys, and call it a world championship. Im not sure how much more obvious or clear the situation has changed from then to now can be. And regarding hurting grady's feelings, that is part of being a professional athlete, getting criticized. So if he can't handle it, I wouldn't question me for my opinion. I would question those who can't handle criticism and thier professionalism.
 
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Perhaps, but the Accu-stat ratings from pros twenty years ago are just as high as current players. Look through Mike Sigel's old scores, many above .920, .930, .940+. You can talk semantics about what constitutes a World Championship, but regardless Grady deserved a spot in the finals of that tournament. In his prime he was a champion. At any game. Period.

RunoutalloverU said:
Ok ill agree. He is a great United States Champion. But now Terry, pool is ACTUALLY a world sport. With people from all over the WORLD that play. You can't have a sport where its all US playes, and two philipino guys, and call it a world championship. Im not sure how much more obvious or clear the situation has changed from then to now can be.
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StevenPWaldon said:
Perhaps, but the Accu-stat ratings from pros twenty years ago are just as high as current players. Look through Mike Sigel's old scores, many above .920, .930, .940+. You can talk semantics about what constitutes a World Championship, but regardless Grady deserved a spot in the finals of that tournament. In his prime he was a champion. At any game. Period.
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I agree, good point. But then again, that doesn't disagree with anything ive ever thought or said. Sigel is on a different level. Sigel could have played with and beat in his prime any kid today from any asain country. Or any other country for that matter. I think strickland is in that category as well. Yes, they all played with each other and beat each other, i.e. grady, varner etc.... But so what? Jordan probably got outplayed once or twice too. But we don't know who they are. Because its about greatness over a long period of time, not just a couple of years or so.
 
OK one last point from me then I'm done. Refer first to the following archived Accu-Stats publication: www.whereswaldon.com/pool/V1_N07.pdf

If you'll notice, Grady shoots one match covered in this issue where he beats Kim Davenport while shooting a .953! He also finished second to Buddy Hall, maintaining a tournament average of .872 -- within .006 points of both Earl Strickland and Mike Sigel (.877 and .878 respectively).

On page 8, there's a "900 Club" clip that shows players who have scored matches shooting over .900 in the 7 *Major* tournaments that Accu-Stats covered that year. Grady is #8 on the list out of all the pros, with 5. (Strickland with 15, Hall: 13, Sigel: 12, Crane: 8, Reyes: 7, Davenport: 6, Hopkins: 5, Matthews: 5).

Also in that tournament, he had wins over: Kim Davenport, Howard Vickery, Jose Parica, Steve Mizerak, Jimmy Reid, Mike Sigel, and Earl Strickland!

Further, he was:
#2 in least balls missed (5.8 per 100)
#2 in kick performance (27/30; .900)
#6 in Run Out Opportunities (67.9)
#7 in Position Errors (37 errors of 829 balls made; 4.5%)



RunoutalloverU said:
I agree, good point. But then again, that doesn't disagree with anything ive ever thought or said. Sigel is on a different level. Sigel could have played with and beat in his prime any kid today from any asain country. Or any other country for that matter. I think strickland is in that category as well. Yes, they all played with each other and beat each other, i.e. grady, varner etc.... But so what? Jordan probably got outplayed once or twice too. But we don't know who they are. Because its about greatness over a long period of time, not just a couple of years or so.
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