I'm proud to call Buck my friend. I got to know Buck when we used to hang at the Springfield Fast Eddies. He showed me a lot about all games and if nothing was going on he would hold court and we would all laugh and tell jokes and have a great time. He was definitely a fierce competitor.
A lot of times we would all play scotch doubles, races to 5 and Buck and I maybe lost once when partnered together out of....twenty or more times. Others would dog it a lot with Buck because if they played a wrong shot he would definitely say something to them....making them nervous. I didn't have near the cue ball control that Buck has but would usually make most of my shots but didn't always leave him the best shape...he would say something about the poor shape...and I would reply with something like, that is good enough shape for you - fire it in, or something else to pump him up....and he would usually make it or play some jam up safe. He would always comment to me on our win percentage, lol.
I may be also be the only human to have photographs of Buck...in action. Before I left Northern Virginia I brought out the old CANON to the pool room and was taking some shots. Buck kind of looked at me funny when I told him that I wanted his picture. He said, "Sure....just don't be posting my photo on that ollllldddd internet.".....so they will just have to remain in my collection. And yes, I never got a 'still' portrait. Just photos of Buck in high action against another good player.
The thread on "DC BUCK" on onepocket.org has a lot of good stories...but there are plenty more. I remember one time Buck and I went to an apparent rougher pool room in Maryland (I forget the name) to watch a big one pocket match up. I didn't know that this pool room could be rough (nor did I care) but before leaving Buck looked at me and said, "Now, don't you worry. You'll have a great time -- and you'll have no problems because everyone will know you're with me." And we did!
Another gentleman posted about a sort of hierarchy in African American poolrooms, and I must say it was definitely apparent. You could tell that Buck was an esteemed member of that fraternity. Sterling was on a side table setting up a really hard one pocket shot as Buck and I sat across the room leaning against a gold crown dividing our attention between the match up and this shot Sterling was working on.
Finally Sterling made it once...and Buck leaned in saying, "Watch this shot." He made it again and glanced at Buck. Buck just stared letting him know that he saw it but wasn't too impressed. He set it up again, and made it again, then GLARED at Buck...and Buck doubled over with that loud, deep, laugh of his. There seemed to be a message being conveyed along the lines of, "Do you want some of this?", which Buck could appreciate.
Again....just one of many stories. Great thread.
A lot of times we would all play scotch doubles, races to 5 and Buck and I maybe lost once when partnered together out of....twenty or more times. Others would dog it a lot with Buck because if they played a wrong shot he would definitely say something to them....making them nervous. I didn't have near the cue ball control that Buck has but would usually make most of my shots but didn't always leave him the best shape...he would say something about the poor shape...and I would reply with something like, that is good enough shape for you - fire it in, or something else to pump him up....and he would usually make it or play some jam up safe. He would always comment to me on our win percentage, lol.
I may be also be the only human to have photographs of Buck...in action. Before I left Northern Virginia I brought out the old CANON to the pool room and was taking some shots. Buck kind of looked at me funny when I told him that I wanted his picture. He said, "Sure....just don't be posting my photo on that ollllldddd internet.".....so they will just have to remain in my collection. And yes, I never got a 'still' portrait. Just photos of Buck in high action against another good player.
The thread on "DC BUCK" on onepocket.org has a lot of good stories...but there are plenty more. I remember one time Buck and I went to an apparent rougher pool room in Maryland (I forget the name) to watch a big one pocket match up. I didn't know that this pool room could be rough (nor did I care) but before leaving Buck looked at me and said, "Now, don't you worry. You'll have a great time -- and you'll have no problems because everyone will know you're with me." And we did!
Another gentleman posted about a sort of hierarchy in African American poolrooms, and I must say it was definitely apparent. You could tell that Buck was an esteemed member of that fraternity. Sterling was on a side table setting up a really hard one pocket shot as Buck and I sat across the room leaning against a gold crown dividing our attention between the match up and this shot Sterling was working on.
Finally Sterling made it once...and Buck leaned in saying, "Watch this shot." He made it again and glanced at Buck. Buck just stared letting him know that he saw it but wasn't too impressed. He set it up again, and made it again, then GLARED at Buck...and Buck doubled over with that loud, deep, laugh of his. There seemed to be a message being conveyed along the lines of, "Do you want some of this?", which Buck could appreciate.
Again....just one of many stories. Great thread.