Speaking of Jack White

IbeAnEngineer...I was at Tech with Jack a few times. I also play in a sportcoat and tie...it never bothers me one bit! :D

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

IbeAnEngineer said:
I saw him several times at Texas Tech in the late 80's early 90's. He was always entertaining and very approachable.

One of the things that I noticed was that he always played in a sport coat (usually a fairly loud one). I always thought that would really be uncomfortable to play in but he was a product of a different era.
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deadstroke7...Yep, I was there, in the Memorial Union. I remember they had set up some 'bleachers' on both sides of the table that Jack was playing on. That "youngster" was 40 at the time! LOL :D

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

deadstroke7 said:
I think you must have been there 'in the background' someplace Scott -- I remember him talking about 'this youngster' taking over for him.

Glad to hear Jack is well. Best wishes.
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NewStroke said:
I read his book long ago, in fact I think I still have it. It was entertaining, but we this guy for real? I don't see much documentation about him besides his book.
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i played him 2 years in a row at the Jr college i went to, I was the best player there(a weak C player) so I was his challenge match, first year he beat me, the next year I missed the 8 ball on purpose and looked up and winked at him(he couldnt beat me by that year), I helped him take his stuff to his big white Caddy, nice guy, he was funny, I awalys liked him.
 
Jack taught me the basics in 1-hole back in 1967. He has a great sense of hurmor. We went to some UCLA basketball games. UCLA treated Jack
as an honored guest. The full VIP treatment. It was always a lot of laughs with around Jack. Hope he will see this thread - I would like to hear from him. Maybe Scott Lee could let me have his number?
Ken Thomason
 
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Scott Lee said:
muttley76...Jack did his 5-day "clinic" at Auburn for almost 20 years. I was with him, the last time he did it, in 1994, and was "promised" by the Union Director to 'take over the gig'. I was told they took the tables out (because of the internet cafe idea), and when I went back there in '95, the room was empty. Didn't know if they put in the cafe, but they never brought back the gameroom! :mad:

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
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Yeah, I saw him there in the early 90's. They never did put anything there, at least not for about 5 years. Don't know what it is now. I hate that, as that's where I started playing. Ahh, the good old days, when table time was 2 cents per minute for the whole table. Pretty cheap when there is 4 kids, lol. That place really was fun. 10 nine footers, 4 ping pong tables, and 30 video games, all for next to nothing. Man am I getting old. Sorry to hear about them pulling out on you.
 
Scott Lee said:
lunchmoney...CWU was one of my first gigs, when I took over Jack's tour. He is retired now...

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
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So...did you take over his debts too?!

:D

EDIT: I should explain. Jack still owes me a new bicycle. ;)

1983, October 6.

I attended Jack's exhibition at Adams State College in Alamosa, CO. He set up a table and said he'd run out and didn't. Then he set it up again and said if he didn't run out he'd buy me (the youngest There a bicycle. He didn't run out and I never got my bicycle.

What gives? I guess he thought that would never come back to haunt him.

:D

~rc

Ps. I hereby release Jack from that obligation but I retain the right to talk about it. :)

Pps... I heard he had trouble beating the local champ at the pool hall after the show too. Must have been off his game.
 
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A couple of notes...

I also was at Auburn during Jacks events and always had a blast. During that time we had two good pool players hanging around Auburn. A few years Bruce Berrong was there and one year Robb Seaz was in town.
Both Robbie and Bruce at that time were very good players and easily could have talked a lot of crap to Jack. Both were VERY respectful. Robb even declined to play Jack a game or two. Robbie told me that it was his gig and there was no need for it.
Jack told me he thought alot of Robb and Bruce for their shows of respect.

Speaking of the coat.. I went to dinner once with Jack and it might have took him 10 minutes to get hi coat hung up just the way he wanted it! He was always a card whether at dinner or the pool room.
Quite the entertainer.

I talked to two old timers years ago in Jr. Goff and Eddie Taylor and asked both about Jack. Both knew who he was but wasnt friendly with him. Both said he had respect of pool players but most thought he was dodging them. When I told both how successful his tour was they both thought it was great but neither thought it was the life for them.
Jr said that once he was called from Tampa to come to Miami to play. It was Jack. They never matched up as Jack made his exit. Jack told me that it was true and that his pockets werent full by playing guys like Junior. I believe Jack was posing as a Chef or something.

Good guy and great at what he did.
 
muttley76 said:
Yeah, I saw him there in the early 90's. They never did put anything there, at least not for about 5 years. Don't know what it is now. I hate that, as that's where I started playing. Ahh, the good old days, when table time was 2 cents per minute for the whole table. Pretty cheap when there is 4 kids, lol. That place really was fun. 10 nine footers, 4 ping pong tables, and 30 video games, all for next to nothing. Man am I getting old. Sorry to hear about them pulling out on you.
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What about the new union?? Its got a gameroom but I am not sure what is in it. You should go check it out. Hard to pass as an Undergrad but you might get by with returning to college or an older Grad Student :D
 
Ken...Yes, Jack was quite a celebrity during the John Wooden years. This story is in his book...Jack was living in Denver, CO. Jack's wife, Mollie, said to him, "Jack, you always draw a crowd around you, wherever you are. Why don't you do some exhibitions?" He laughed, and said, "Yeah, right. Go ahead and get me one." Mollie was an alumni from UCLA, and contacted the school. UCLA had been booking Mosconi for exhibitions for years. Mollie convinced them to hire Jack, and he went to L.A. for the gig. He was such a hit, that they immediately gave him a contract to come back the next year. After that, he came back for 20 years straight! During this period Jack & Mollie moved to Los Angeles, and had a place in the Hollywood Hills area, close to the UCLA campus. He was good friends with all the basketball players, including Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul Jabar, Sven Nader, and tons of others. Coach Wooden would not let the players go anywhere off campus, EXCEPT to Jack & Mollie's house. Why?...because he knew Jack would never let them do anything that would get them into trouble. A few years ago Sven Nader contacted me, wanting to get back in touch with Jack, which I helped him do.

Ken...Unfortunately Jack is a dinosaur, and will NEVER own a computer...so he never will see these kinds of threads. I can't give you Jack's number, but I will forward your information to him, so that he can contact you, if he desires. PM me, and I'll pass it along to him, as I have done for several others.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

onepocket1 said:
Jack taught me the basics in 1-hole back in 1967. He has a great sense of hurmor. We went to some UCLA basketball games. UCLA treated Jack
as an honored guest. The full VIP treatment. It was always a lot of laughs with around Jack. Hope he will see this thread - I would like to hear from him. Maybe Scott Lee could let me have his number?
Ken Thomason
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I saw Jack while attending Bowling Green State University, 1971 - 1975, and once more at Toledo U. a few years later. He had the single most amazing stroke. Mike Massey has a stroke, but its "muscled". Jack had a smooth, finessed stroke.

(By the way, I also saw Cicero Murphy at BGSU. Another smooth stroke.)
 
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