if you wasnt so big.
Top 10 Influential People in the Pool World, let's say last 50 years
- Thread starter Desmondp
- Start date
if you wasnt so big.
Walter Tevis
Fatty
Pat Flemming
Fatty
Pat Flemming
Walter Tevis - He wrote The Hustler and The Color of Money.
Richie Florence - He put pro pool on TV (ESPN).
Minnesota Fats - He kept pool in the public eye for over twenty years.
Barry Hearn - He put pro pool on TV worldwide and established ground breaking new events which still exist today.
Jeanette Lee - The most high profile player of the last twenty years.
Larry Hubbart and Terry Bell - Brought amateur pool to the masses with the APA.
There are many others who made major contributions - Mort Luby and Mike Panozzo with Billiards Digest, Harold Simonsen and Shari Stauch with Pool and Billiards magazine, J.R. Calvert with Inside Pool, Pat Fleming and Accu-Stats, Barry Behrman with the U.S. Open, Mark Griffin more recently, Mike Zuglan with his highly successful tour, Danny Janes who has sponsored pro pool for so long, Mike Howerton who created THE website for pool worldwide, and Yen Makabenta who put big time pool on the map in the Philippines. There are probably many more I've overlooked here.
Kevin Trudeau could be considered influential as well if his enterprise hadn't failed so badly at the end. Sorry but Don Mackey did more damage then good.
Richie Florence - He put pro pool on TV (ESPN).
Minnesota Fats - He kept pool in the public eye for over twenty years.
Barry Hearn - He put pro pool on TV worldwide and established ground breaking new events which still exist today.
Jeanette Lee - The most high profile player of the last twenty years.
Larry Hubbart and Terry Bell - Brought amateur pool to the masses with the APA.
There are many others who made major contributions - Mort Luby and Mike Panozzo with Billiards Digest, Harold Simonsen and Shari Stauch with Pool and Billiards magazine, J.R. Calvert with Inside Pool, Pat Fleming and Accu-Stats, Barry Behrman with the U.S. Open, Mark Griffin more recently, Mike Zuglan with his highly successful tour, Danny Janes who has sponsored pro pool for so long, Mike Howerton who created THE website for pool worldwide, and Yen Makabenta who put big time pool on the map in the Philippines. There are probably many more I've overlooked here.
Kevin Trudeau could be considered influential as well if his enterprise hadn't failed so badly at the end. Sorry but Don Mackey did more damage then good.
I'm surprised you left out Charles Ursitti and the Jansco brothers. Deno Andrews should be mentioned as well.
I don't think he could fade your dudu chop.... If he does just shoot him right in the belly. LOL
Jay...I think you belong in there some place.
When it comes to pool you're an all-round athlete...
..'though I think RKC installs better...
It's people like you made golf great
Minnesota Fats
Nobody ever brought more attention to pro pool than Fats, still the best known player ever.
Jeanette Lee
The most dynamic personality ever in women's pro pool. Jeanette has always brought a lot of attention to our sport.
Ewa Mataya Laurance
An incredibly charismatic player and an enduring picture of elegance and grace in our sport. Ewa was on the cover of the Sunday New York Times magazine once upon a time, and it was one of our sport's finer moments. Ewa was the first female European transplant to win a major professional title on American soil, ushering in an era in which many other European women would accomplish the same feat, including Gerda Hofstatter, Allison Fisher, Helena Thornfeldt, Karen Corr, Kelly Fisher, and Jamin Ouschan.
Allen Hopkins
A founder of the PPPA tour in 1976, the entrepreneur that developed the Super Billiards Expo, and a many time tounament producer and financier, Allen has had a huge impact on our sport.
Mark Griffin
The man behind the BCAPL and CSI, and the man behind the May pool extravaganza at the Riviera, an event that seems to get better every year.
Charlie Williams
The sometimes controversial man behind Dragon Promotions has been the producer of countless new events, has supported both men's and women's pro pool, and is still one of our sport's greatest visionaries.
Aristeo "Putch" Puyat
The man behind the Filipino invasion of professional pool. In his stable of players, he counted Reyes, Bustamante, Andam, Luat, and several other superstars of our sport.
Robert Byrne
The greatest author in our sport's history. His first book, at least for me, remains the bible of our sport.
Pat Fleming
The mastermind behind Accustats, which will bring entertainment and instruction for generations to come, has delivered something of lasting value to our sport.
Shari Stauch
The woman behind Pool & Billiards magazine and also one of the founders of the WPBA Classic Tour, Shari's contributions have made a huge difference in our sport, and those contrbutions continue.
Greg Sullivan
The man behind the Derby City Classic is one our sport's giants, and his commitment to its future is unswerving.
OK, that's my top 11.
Nobody ever brought more attention to pro pool than Fats, still the best known player ever.
Jeanette Lee
The most dynamic personality ever in women's pro pool. Jeanette has always brought a lot of attention to our sport.
Ewa Mataya Laurance
An incredibly charismatic player and an enduring picture of elegance and grace in our sport. Ewa was on the cover of the Sunday New York Times magazine once upon a time, and it was one of our sport's finer moments. Ewa was the first female European transplant to win a major professional title on American soil, ushering in an era in which many other European women would accomplish the same feat, including Gerda Hofstatter, Allison Fisher, Helena Thornfeldt, Karen Corr, Kelly Fisher, and Jamin Ouschan.
Allen Hopkins
A founder of the PPPA tour in 1976, the entrepreneur that developed the Super Billiards Expo, and a many time tounament producer and financier, Allen has had a huge impact on our sport.
Mark Griffin
The man behind the BCAPL and CSI, and the man behind the May pool extravaganza at the Riviera, an event that seems to get better every year.
Charlie Williams
The sometimes controversial man behind Dragon Promotions has been the producer of countless new events, has supported both men's and women's pro pool, and is still one of our sport's greatest visionaries.
Aristeo "Putch" Puyat
The man behind the Filipino invasion of professional pool. In his stable of players, he counted Reyes, Bustamante, Andam, Luat, and several other superstars of our sport.
Robert Byrne
The greatest author in our sport's history. His first book, at least for me, remains the bible of our sport.
Pat Fleming
The mastermind behind Accustats, which will bring entertainment and instruction for generations to come, has delivered something of lasting value to our sport.
Shari Stauch
The woman behind Pool & Billiards magazine and also one of the founders of the WPBA Classic Tour, Shari's contributions have made a huge difference in our sport, and those contrbutions continue.
Greg Sullivan
The man behind the Derby City Classic is one our sport's giants, and his commitment to its future is unswerving.
OK, that's my top 11.
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Greg Sullivan - Diamond tables and Simonis cloth, Derby City Classic.
Mark Griffin- BCAPL, CSI, US Open 10 Ball, Swanne, US Bar Box, US Open One Pocket
Matchroom Sports and the Masconi Cup
Sulac billiard ball supplier. Perfect Balls all the time.
AZ Billiards as a medium for players to validate their opinions with other pool players. We do think the same on a majority of pool related subjects and it is nice to know your opinions are shared by others.
All those Great Pool Rooms that add money along with the entry fees for 100%payouts for the players in Weekly, Monthly and Yearly events.
Regional Tours for providing those players with a weekend extravaganza of POOL that without the tours, there would be just the same old thing weekend after weekend. Joss Tour is a fine example.
and the most impressive and influential people of the last 50 years... goes to
the PROS for continually proving that they are a solid group of indiviuals that thrive on competition for the present.
Mark Griffin- BCAPL, CSI, US Open 10 Ball, Swanne, US Bar Box, US Open One Pocket
Matchroom Sports and the Masconi Cup
Sulac billiard ball supplier. Perfect Balls all the time.
AZ Billiards as a medium for players to validate their opinions with other pool players. We do think the same on a majority of pool related subjects and it is nice to know your opinions are shared by others.
All those Great Pool Rooms that add money along with the entry fees for 100%payouts for the players in Weekly, Monthly and Yearly events.
Regional Tours for providing those players with a weekend extravaganza of POOL that without the tours, there would be just the same old thing weekend after weekend. Joss Tour is a fine example.
and the most impressive and influential people of the last 50 years... goes to
the PROS for continually proving that they are a solid group of indiviuals that thrive on competition for the present.
Walter Tevis
Bob Byrne
Bob Jewett
George Fels
David Alciatore
Ray Martin
Can't forget the science guys, because they've taken a lot of the myths/disinformation out of pool.
Bob Byrne
Bob Jewett
George Fels
David Alciatore
Ray Martin
Can't forget the science guys, because they've taken a lot of the myths/disinformation out of pool.
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Joe Tucker.
You're right about Charlie Ursitti and the Jansco brothers. Plus Greg Sullivan for creating DCC and Diamond tables. The Diamond Smart Table (bar size) is one of the greatest innovations of the last thirty years. I told you I would forget a few people.
Since you chose 50 years I would have to say the Hustler directed by Robert Rosen from the book. Many people may not remember but it was nominated to 9 academy awards and lifted the game to huge public attention. Spawned much of the boom in pool through the 60's and 70's resulting the opening of hundreds if not thousands of room and exposing a whole new generation to the game. I would bet many of the people on some of the lists in this thread may not have even played the game had it not been for the Hustler.