Let's see...
• Actual pros:
They join the forum, then disappear. Some are driven off by the 'forum experience'
which is basically lots of people arguing from positions of ignorance and then
getting nasty with those who disagree.
Others probably just have better things to do with their time.
CJ Wiley - former US open champ. Sort of dropped off the public's radar for years
but has newfound popularity thanks to the forums.
John Schmidt - also very high caliber, but less active lately both in pool and the forums.
Not retired or old, just has other interests. Also a US Open champ, famous for 2 runs of over 400
balls in straight pool, has won titles in straight pool and 10 ball also.
Danny Harriman - pops on once every six months to spew hatred at John Schmidt
because one time years ago they played and John swiped a chalk off the table and it hit Danny.
A strong player, known for straight pool, but an absolute nutjob.
John Brumback - arguably world's best banker.
Bobby Chamberlain - VA/MD pro who plays top level straight pool, has posted some video
of very high runs over 100 recently.
Chris Bartrum - midlevel pro who likes to gamble. Regularly gets in big money sets
with the upper level pros. A man of few words, at least on here.
Mike Dechaine - young pro who has gained some momentum and made some notable appearances
in the mosconi cup and a tar match vs. shane. Known for his break and his, er.. antics.
Keith McCready - posts very rarely, letting his girl JAM do the typing. Won a number of events throughout the 80's, retired now, known for his colorful chirping and woofing and crowd interaction.
Appears as "grady seasons" in The Color of Money.
Stan Shuffett - known as one of the best instructors but can actually play too.
Has videos of him shooting 100+ in straight pool and shooting balls 'blind' into a pocket
covered by a curtain.
Geno Machino (Gene Albrecht) - recently gave me a free phone lesson, thanks Geno!
It was an eye opener for sure. A great instructor who teaches "Perfect Aim".
Spends tons of time in action and on the road. Possibly the strongest playing instructor.
Wrote a great thread where he gives all the gory details of life on the road
with an aspiring young player, detailing the gambling matches he gets into and the
road player lifestyle.
Freddie "The Beard" Bentivegna - seldom posts anymore but has fantastic
road stories and is legendary for his banking skills.
wincardona - Billy Incardona, probably the most popular pool commentator of all time, you'll see him
on hundreds of Accu-Stats videos, and he plays pretty sporty too.
Jay Helfert - road player, room owner, tournament director, author, Jay's done it all.
Been close to everything major in the industry for a long time. Writes very articulate, intelligent
posts on here, and some great trip reports from the Phillippines.
There are others I'm probably forgetting.
Inactive: at times we've had Earl Strickland, Mika Immonen, and other top pros (past and present)
who made a few posts and disappeared. I'm lazy to list 'em but if you search under the members
list for famous player names, you'll find accounts (some of which are fans using the name
but many of which are the actual player).
• Semi-pro, low level pro, shortstops, A players, high stakes gamblers, and so on.
Too many to mention. Lock'n'Load: cheerful and polite posts, and apparently plays very strong, has mentioned names of known pros he's gambled with. Has forum buddies who post as part of a clique called the Lock Society. Joey A: Nice guy with some strong opinions, but always civil. Louisiana player I believe. Cardiac Kid (Lyn): Winner of this year's "super seniors" event at SBE. John Barton: famous case maker living in china. Has gotten into lots of arguments on the forums, has gotten banned too.. so he definitely has an anti-fan club. But seems like a decent guy.
I can't even really list all of these, I shouldn't have even started.
• Famous instructors: Scott Lee, Geno, Randy G, Stan Shuffett, and others.
• The "science guys" - Dr. Dave, Bob Jewett, Patrick Johnson, etc... they delve into the actual mechanics and physics of every aspect of pool, and are great at debunking the quirky superstitions and myths that crop up around pool... cues, equipment, deflection, english, and so on. Lots of respect for these guys, they really broaden your understanding of the game. I suspect they can play well too.
• Longtime AZ regulars: JAM, lfigueroa, patrick johnson (though possibly he's gone forever), JB cases (again),
Nick, JCIN, ShootingArts, there are just too many to mention. If you sort the members list by rep points, that first few pages is basically your list.
• Banned Trolls: guys like Chris Banks, Poolkiller, Pangit etc... famous just for pushing people's buttons
enough to get banned.
• Guys in the industry: Mark Griffin (BCA pool league, CSI), JCIN, cleary and others (TheActionReport), etc.
• Guys who know guys: some pros don't post here but they sort of communicate indirectly
with the forum via guys who know them... I believe bfdlad knows Johnny Archer, Earl, and others.
Superstar knows Larry Nevel. Jam of course knows Keith. And so on.
Guess that should get you started!
. Crazy (but funny on occasion) posters!
