Nicknames???

punter said:
Thanks for the help, Jay. I saw Lou put on an exhibition in Austin, Tx, way back in the 70's ... great guy. After the exhibition, he asked if anyone had questions, I asked about Fats, and of course he said something like "Fats only played in one pro tournament and he came in dead last, and I got the newspaper clipping at home to prove it!". Lou is a great one.

FYI, Fats played in the first Johnston City One Pocket tourney in 1962 and finished second to Johnny Vevis.
 
I've been called The Serbian Bomber after a late night at the hall with nothing to do, and my wagering that people couldn't figure out the nationality of my last name (Martinovich).
 
jay helfert said:
FYI, Fats played in the first Johnston City One Pocket tourney in 1962 and finished second to Johnny Vevis.

Jay, Thanks again for the info. I had no idea what kinda record Fats had in tournament play. Lou did say that about Fats, I think a lot of the great players of that time were a little jealous that Fats was the best known pool player in the world, and some thought it was undeserved.
 
jay helfert said:
FYI, Fats played in the first Johnston City One Pocket tourney in 1962 and finished second to Johnny Vevis.
That first One Pocket tourney was in 1961. '62 was the first all around there.

I believe Fats also came in something like second or third or so at a lessor known early all around in some city in Georgia where the mayor gave somebody a 'key to the city' :)

He was supposedly responsible for giving many early players their nicknames, with his quick, creative and entertaining mouth :)

If nobody has posted it already, there is a long list here:

http://onepocket.org/Nicknames.htm
 
I think it was 4th

jay helfert said:
FYI, Fats played in the first Johnston City One Pocket tourney in 1962 and finished second to Johnny Vevis.

Jay, I know Vevis won it, but I think Fatty came in fourth. I'm 98% sure. Plus, the year was Oct. 1961. I love dotting your i's and crossing your t's.

Quote Jay My all time favorite was "Freddie the Beard, Without the Beard". They really called him that! Right Frederico?

DiLiberto rechristened me that when I showed up a Congress Bowl with a clean-shaven face.

My take: Kid Delicious is the greatest nick-name of all time, with Corn Bread Red and Dirty Low-down, Stinkin' Red a close 2nd and 3rd.
For more check out Steve's list on Onepocket.org. http://onepocket.org/Nicknames.htm

the Beard
 
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Hometown champ from back in the day that was running buddies with my Uncles.......... Rocky Creek... funny thing is that there actually is a Rocky Creek in Macon... dont know the story behind it but I bet it is an entertaining one...
 
Just a few local favorites:

"Bumpshape" - Good player but can't run three balls without running into other balls with the cue ball.

"Skunk" - Young guy has a natural white stripe of hair down the middle of his head.

"Lamb Killer" - Asks anyone and everyone to play but won't take a game unless he has at least a three ball lock and will ask for weight from your grandmother.

"ATM or Bozo the Clown" - a guy who owns carnival rides and goes off like a titan missile. Made the statement after going off one night that all someone had to do was slide an ATM card down the crack of his a$$ and he would spit out money.

Bit chalot or Sir Bit chalot" - always complaining about the rolls even when he gets a good one.

"Spearchucker" - got mad one night and threw his cue stick through the wall.

"Triple T" - short for "Tony the Thief", you couldn't turn your back on this guy as he would steal anything that wasn't bolted to the floor. Went by his house and he had 50+ ashtrays he had stolen from different bars and poolrooms. Stole a guy's stick one night and took it to the other side of the poolroom and sold it to someone else. Bragged about stealing his next door neighbor's barbeque grill and the neighbor never caught on. His proudest possesion: a mirrored disco ball that he had stolen from above a dancefloor while the place was packed with people.

"Break Even" - made the statement one night of "I hope I break even cuz I could sure use the money."

Others:

Dirt
Eggs
Weazel
Stinky
Tuna Can
Charlie Tuna
 
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Agreed on Undeserving

punter said:
Jay, Thanks again for the info. I had no idea what kinda record Fats had in tournament play. Lou did say that about Fats, I think a lot of the great players of that time were a little jealous that Fats was the best known pool player in the world, and some thought it was undeserved.
Based totally on Whimpy Lassiter's comments, I will say that "Fats" talked much better than he played. Luther L. (who lived within a couple of hours of me during my college years) would have loved to play Fats in anything, at any time, for any thing. He "was a loud hustler" who loved the attention and self-promoted himself into being a champion according to the Lassiter camp. If anyone could tell me if I was snowed in my early years by LL, let me know.
 
1pocket said:
That first One Pocket tourney was in 1961. '62 was the first all around there.

I believe Fats also came in something like second or third or so at a lessor known early all around in some city in Georgia where the mayor gave somebody a 'key to the city' :)

He was supposedly responsible for giving many early players their nicknames, with his quick, creative and entertaining mouth :)

If nobody has posted it already, there is a long list here:

http://onepocket.org/Nicknames.htm

Steve, didn't Fats finish second to Vevis that first year?
 
crawfish said:
Based totally on Whimpy Lassiter's comments, I will say that "Fats" talked much better than he played. Luther L. (who lived within a couple of hours of me during my college years) would have loved to play Fats in anything, at any time, for any thing. He "was a loud hustler" who loved the attention and self-promoted himself into being a champion according to the Lassiter camp. If anyone could tell me if I was snowed in my early years by LL, let me know.

For the hundredth time, Fats could play. He was no champion, but he wasn't a shortstop either. His best games were One Pocket, Banks and Three Cushions. I saw him play all three for money and beat good players.

He would have no chance with Wimpy playing 9-Ball or 14.1. That much is correct. Fats would have loved to get Wimpy in a One Hole game. You can believe that.
 
freddy the beard said:
Jay, I know Vevis won it, but I think Fatty came in fourth. I'm 98% sure. Plus, the year was Oct. 1961. I love dotting your i's and crossing your t's.

Quote Jay My all time favorite was "Freddie the Beard, Without the Beard". They really called him that! Right Frederico?

DiLiberto rechristened me that when I showed up a Congress Bowl with a clean-shaven face.

My take: Kid Delicious is the greatest nick-name of all time, with Corn Bread Red and Dirty Low-down, Stinkin' Red a close 2nd and 3rd.
For more check out Steve's list on Onepocket.org. http://onepocket.org/Nicknames.htm

the Beard

Kid Delicious is a great name. And so is Cornbread Red. The Velvet Foghorn wasn't bad either. That's Ervolino. Who thought that one up anyway?
 
jay helfert said:
For the hundredth time, Fats could play. He was no champion, but he wasn't a shortstop either. His best games were One Pocket, Banks and Three Cushions. I saw him play all three for money and beat good players.

He would have no chance with Wimpy playing 9-Ball or 14.1. That much is correct. Fats would have loved to get Wimpy in a One Hole game. You can believe that.

Thank you for clarifying this. It has become almost a custom to say that Fats couldn't sink a ball, since he never won a tournament. But tournament play was not his forte. He did very well matching up for big bucks. Like a lot of players in that era, he thought the tourneys were playing for "he-haw".
 
LL got me fired up

jay helfert said:
For the hundredth time, Fats could play. He was no champion, but he wasn't a shortstop either. His best games were One Pocket, Banks and Three Cushions. I saw him play all three for money and beat good players.

He would have no chance with Wimpy playing 9-Ball or 14.1. That much is correct. Fats would have loved to get Wimpy in a One Hole game. You can believe that.
When I was at East Carolina, Whimpy used to come to Greenville and BS with some of the folks. Very modest, EXCEPT when it came to the Fat man. He got "fired up" if you will. He really had contempt for the Fats. And... from what he quoted me, he would play Fats in anything, one hole included. He said he once offered him a ball in "any" game, and ten to a hundred in 14.1. Now, I can only go by what I was told by the man himself. Whether this was true or not, I'll never know. He did say, though, that Fats was in the top one hundred for their time. I think he was saying this as a slam, though.
 
crawfish said:
When I was at East Carolina, Whimpy used to come to Greenville and BS with some of the folks. Very modest, EXCEPT when it came to the Fat man. He got "fired up" if you will. He really had contempt for the Fats. And... from what he quoted me, he would play Fats in anything, one hole included. He said he once offered him a ball in "any" game, and ten to a hundred in 14.1. Now, I can only go by what I was told by the man himself. Whether this was true or not, I'll never know. He did say, though, that Fats was in the top one hundred for their time. I think he was saying this as a slam, though.


Professional jealousy. Many players had it for Fats. They played better and he got all the acclaim and $$$.

Fats could talk circles around all of them. And did to their dismay.
 
8ballEinstein said:
Thank you for clarifying this. It has become almost a custom to say that Fats couldn't sink a ball, since he never won a tournament. But tournament play was not his forte. He did very well matching up for big bucks. Like a lot of players in that era, he thought the tourneys were playing for "he-haw".

A famous Fat's quote, "The only trophies I want are the ones with pictures of Presidents on them". That pretty much says it all.
 
crawfish said:
When I was at East Carolina, Whimpy used to come to Greenville and BS with some of the folks. Very modest, EXCEPT when it came to the Fat man. He got "fired up" if you will. He really had contempt for the Fats. And... from what he quoted me, he would play Fats in anything, one hole included. He said he once offered him a ball in "any" game, and ten to a hundred in 14.1. Now, I can only go by what I was told by the man himself. Whether this was true or not, I'll never know. He did say, though, that Fats was in the top one hundred for their time. I think he was saying this as a slam, though.

You know it is just this type of attitude that got many good players "lightened" up. If Wimpy ever had given Fats a ball at One Pocket, he would have got flattened, just like Richie did trying to give up 8-7 to Fats.

As far as I'm concerned Wimpy escaped. Fats was probably just too busy or never heard Wimpy make those comments in front of him. If he had, Wimpy would have been in trouble.
 
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