Rodney Morris at 2006 UPA: "I'm BY FAR the most talented player in the world"

Da Bank said:
I always thought that Rodney was fairly humble, but I'm watching here on ESPN classic the UPA 2006 championships and in two instances already in side interviews he's said that he is BY FAR the most talented player in the world alive today. :rolleyes:

He's amazing, but most talented player on the planet!??!?!

I'm gonna go with Earl as having the most pure talent, that's my opinion.
Click to expand...

Rodney did win the 2006 UPA Championship, therefore, he was confident at the tournament and he backed-up his word with his performance.
 
mantis99 said:
I heard him say that a long time ago, and was pretty turned off by it myself. People seem to be defending him here, but what he said seems pretty straight forward. That is an awfully bold thing to say when he hasn't won many major events. I wonder if he thinks playing faster than everyone else makes him better. I think he would be a lot better if he slowed down.

He generally seems to be a pretty decent guy, but this statement was a bit much. Also, I don't believe every pro thinks they are the best player. People generally overestimate themselves, its human nature, but at the same time, most people know who really plays the best.

I also heard Charlie Bryant say (I believe it was at the same tournament), that while Rodney was a good player, he doesn't know what Charlie knows.
He seems like a good guy also, but again a bit much for someone without the major titles.
Click to expand...

In 2006, Rodney won $214,950 not chump change....

2006 Winnings: $214,950
View 2006 Tournament Results

2005 Winnings: $44,998
View 2005 Tournament Results

2004 Winnings: $88,537
View 2004 Tournament Results

2003 Winnings: $53,475
View 2003 Tournament Results

2002 Winnings: $35,767
View 2002 Tournament Results

I guess it was a reasonable statement by Rodney....
 
mantis99 said:
Michael Jordan was the greatest basketball player in existence, and he knew it, but you never heard him say it. Those who KNOW they are the best, also know they don't have to tell everyone else. Someone who says this out loud is probably still trying to prove something, maybe to others, and maybe to himself.

I believe in confident humility. You make your statements on the pool table, or whatever playing field you are on. While it may be advantageous to believe something like this, saying ir out loud, is in my opinion disrespectful to the other great players that are his colleagues. Just my opinions!
Click to expand...

I have always admired Michael's performance on the court but ... he is pretty arrogant off the court from what I understand. I read multiple accounts that he doesn't tip generously or at all. From what I read, he was with Charles one time and said of some service that they didn't have to tip since their "presence" was tip enough. :rolleyes: I have heard that Charles is very generous though.
 
I saw that match, and I am a big Rodney fan. I thought it was him just being funny in a cocky kind of way. I am like that too.....of course I never claimed to be good at pool. Although I wish I was good enough to make coments like that.
 
I just saw the interview in question

I can't say if Rodney is always tongue in cheek but I definitely thought he was hamming a bit when he said it that time.

It takes an ego to compete well. The higher the level you compete at, the more ego it requires. A mistake to think anyone playing at a top level doesn't have a large ego. Even Efren reveals his now and then but never that I know of on a wide stage.

I don't think that Rodney is foolish enough to boast in an interview like that and be serious about it. Years ago I was just starting out in benchrest competition and had entered a nearby invitational shooting against some world class shooters. I said something on a benchrest forum about snatching up the easy pickings at that match before going on to tougher competition thinking everyone would realize it was tongue in cheek. Most did but I thoroughly annoyed and sharked one competitor. Every time he walked past me at that match I could hear him muttering angrily, "easy pickings" and he never forgot my comment I made in fun.

Hu
 
Da Bank said:
I always thought that Rodney was fairly humble, but I'm watching here on ESPN classic the UPA 2006 championships and in two instances already in side interviews he's said that he is BY FAR the most talented player in the world alive today. :rolleyes:

He's amazing, but most talented player on the planet!??!?!

I'm gonna go with Earl as having the most pure talent, that's my opinion.
Click to expand...
I saw Rodney before his "time out" of pool season. Say he expected to win the pro event at the BCA trade show and he did. Sometimes to be the best you have to believe you are the best. You mentioned Earl. He used to believe he was the best 9 ball player on the planet and so did alot of other pro players about him. I once heard him say he was the best jacked up off the rail shooter in the world. He jokingly said it was because he rarely kept the cue ball in the middle of the table. I once saw him telling a lower level pro what made him a notch above the rest. He set a ball 1/2" off the end rail on the middle diamond and fanned that ball in from the kitchen over and over. He then said, "The reason I am the best is that I pratice shots like that over and over." I would watch other players at the tournaments trying to get gambling action and Earl would be over playing 15 ball rotaton for hours, staying in stroke.
 
EDITED DUE THE FACT I CANT DO MATH WHILE DRINKING

that being said..... for as long as i've been trying to play, if i increased my skills that exponentially every 2 years, I would be THE GOD of pool and there would be shrines and altars where the ritualistic "sacrificing of the fish" would take place.

having had the pleasure of knowing him, he really is a funny but mostly soft spoken humble guy.
 
Last edited:
cueman said:
I saw Rodney before his "time out" of pool season. Say he expected to win the pro event at the BCA trade show and he did. Sometimes to be the best you have to believe you are the best. You mentioned Earl. He used to believe he was the best 9 ball player on the planet and so did alot of other pro players about him. I once heard him say he was the best jacked up off the rail shooter in the world. He jokingly said it was because he rarely kept the cue ball in the middle of the table. I once saw him telling a lower level pro what made him a notch above the rest. He set a ball 1/2" off the end rail on the middle diamond and fanned that ball in from the kitchen over and over. He then said, "The reason I am the best is that I pratice shots like that over and over." I would watch other players at the tournaments trying to get gambling action and Earl would be over playing 15 ball rotaton for hours, staying in stroke.
Click to expand...

Great story. I always like hearing stories like this that make me realize how much I suck!
 
tjlmbklr said:
Great story. I always like hearing stories like this that make me realize how much I suck!
Click to expand...

one of my all time favorite's


rodney is playing on table 2 at The Ballroom in Toms River NJ (years ago)
its a notorious one pocket table that plays perfect but is tightly triple shimmed.
after rodney runs a coupla racks a few people in the peanut gallery watchin him practice are kinda WOWING and OOOHING etc loudly. Rodney just looks up and says matter of factly

"Pockets are all the same size when you split the hole."

Rodney if you you hop on to read these now and then
I ready to play you for woofin rights again...
 
jersey jer said:
As a kid he first really picked up a pool cue at age 17

Then won the us open at 19

THAT'S TALENT

that being said..... for as long as i've been trying to play, if i increased my skills that exponentially every 2 years, I would be THE GOD of pool and there would be shrines and altars where the ritualistic "sacrificing of the fish" would take place.

having had the pleasure of knowing him, he really is a funny but mostly soft spoken humble guy.
Click to expand...

The youngest pool player to have ever won the US Open Nine-Ball Championship was Mike Sigel, 21 years old in 1976.
 
juegabillar said:
In 2006, Rodney won $214,950 not chump change....

2006 Winnings: $214,950
View 2006 Tournament Results

2005 Winnings: $44,998
View 2005 Tournament Results

2004 Winnings: $88,537
View 2004 Tournament Results

2003 Winnings: $53,475
View 2003 Tournament Results

2002 Winnings: $35,767
View 2002 Tournament Results

I guess it was a reasonable statement by Rodney....
Click to expand...


I still have to disagree. The only year he made a lot of money was 2006 when he took second at the IPT 8 ball championships which made him something like $150,000 at one event.

Please don't take the statement to mean that I do not think he is a very good player. I do think he is a very good player, and very talented. However, if you are going to make a statement like that, it better be well backed up. Compared to some of the current players at the time of the statement, Rodney's tournament wins simply did not match up.
 
jersey jer said:
As a kid he first really picked up a pool cue at age 17

Then won the us open at 19

THAT'S TALENT
Click to expand...

And U believed that story?? :p :D :rolleyes: :o

Brian
 
Da Bank said:
I always thought that Rodney was fairly humble, but I'm watching here on ESPN classic the UPA 2006 championships and in two instances already in side interviews he's said that he is BY FAR the most talented player in the world alive today. :rolleyes:

He's amazing, but most talented player on the planet!??!?!

I'm gonna go with Earl as having the most pure talent, that's my opinion.
Click to expand...


Has Morris ever won a world title?
 
juegabillar said:
The youngest pool player to have ever won the US Open Nine-Ball Championship was Mike Sigel, 21 years old in 1976.
Click to expand...


MY POST EDITED DUE TO THE FACT I CANT DO MATH WHILE DRINKING


APOLOGIES ALL
 
I have no knowledge of Rodney Morris' character as a man because I don't know him personally, but I'm definately not going to take any comment made via a television broadcast to heart and base my opinion of the man on such. I have heard him make many comments during telecasts and I've found him to be quite entertaining to say the least. So some say he's got a valid point in this one statement and others disagree...hmmmmm well I offer the following solution...

Get Rodney on TAR and lets see just how many other "world class talents" come barkin' at the door to jump up and play him some for the cash. I'm not takin' sides, but I doubt the line will be all that long! Hey, and if someone does jump up I'm sure we'd all enjoy watching the show! ;)

These are just my opinions though.

I'm Sam Waltz and I approved this message!
 
Sam Waltz said:
I have no knowledge of Rodney Morris' character as a man because I don't know him personally, but I'm definately not going to take any comment made via a television broadcast to heart and base my opinion of the man on such. I have heard him make many comments during telecasts and I've found him to be quite entertaining to say the least. So some say he's got a valid point in this one statement and others disagree...hmmmmm well I offer the following solution...

Get Rodney on TAR and lets see just how many other "world class talents" come barkin' at the door to jump up and play him some for the cash. I'm not takin' sides, but I doubt the line will be all that long! Hey, and if someone does jump up I'm sure we'd all enjoy watching the show! ;)

These are just my opinions though.

I'm Sam Waltz and I approved this message!
Click to expand...

I don't think too many people are arguing against what you are saying. The question is wether or not it is reasonable to make a statement like that about yourself.

I don't think it is a good idea to judge someone based on one incident. He seems to be a pretty decent guy every time I see him except this time. His pattern of behavior seems to be different than the statement he made, so I will give him the benefit of the doubt. The statement itself though, seemed a little uncalled for to me. That is all I am saying!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top