What Makes Or Breaks A Fan

Gremlin said:
Drivermaker,

Here if ya like Jennifer again, is photo attached of JB and Ellie, two very good friends who make life miserable for each other in the trenches every match. LOL Can't compare Jen's advertising stock but is a nice shot of two friends.

"Gremlin" Oh, Ellie Chang, New York NY pool player very nice lady.
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Geez Gremlin...if you keep doing nice things like this I might even be a fan of yours too. Wait a minute....have I gone looney or something....naaaaah! Ain't gonna happen. :D Thanx.
 
I've had the opportunity to be around maybe 15 or 20 different pro players. Every time I've had that privilege I've not asked them for anything but instead have approached them with a friendly greeting and told them that I've really enjoyed watching them do their thing....that their pool playing skills have provided me with some memorable and happy times. Every one of them has responded like normal guys, i.e. they were grateful to be appreciated and acknowledged. Then we just shot the sh*t for a few moments or minutes...given the situation and I walked away having enjoyed their company and I felt good that I'd helped to make their day a little bit brighter.
 
Gremlin said:
I expected Jen to do well as she is a fine player but as real life would have it, ups and downs, I expected a lot, my expectations were not met. :eek:
"Gremlin" ;)
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I assume that you're talking about her pool playing ability and not a snotty demeanor/reaction to you and the pictures...correct or incorrect?

Just because she sent a bunch of pictures to me doesn't make me an ass kissing sycophant that's in awe of anything. I really do think that she's truly a decent human being with goodness to her soul, but it won't stop me from pulling her leg, busting her chops, and doing what I do best to flame someone.
Plus, I still think at times I could could give her the 8.

However, in defense of her and any expectations that one might have, I feel that she's had quite a rise up into the ranks from playing only 5 years and taking the game up so late in life. 12th in the WPBA rankings for the year isn't too shabby.

I'm one of those people that think you have to start this game and most any game such as golf at a very early stage in your life. I feel that the hand/eye coordination, the vision, and the wiring of the brain have to be put in place as young as possible. There have been a few exceptions to the rule in golf that took the game up in their low 20's and made it, but only a handful. In pool, I don't know of anyone that took it up that late and made it into the top 5, or even top 10. Most all of them whether men or women took up the game no later than their mid teens and many well before then. To take a game up at 30 and do well in the pro ranks is just about unheard of. She's one of the first. It's hard to say how far it'll go and I think anything at this point will be a bonus brought on mainly by hard work, dedication and drive. Either way, it's pretty damn good.
 
I remember watching one my first pool matches last year. It was a US open match between keith and buddy. Keith won the match but I was rooting for him the whole time. Just the way he played dazzled me, he was always smilling and in between racks he had a beer in his hands. That really made me think about how much this guy is having fun doing what hes doing. Also, he was doing it displaying pure talent and he was playing fast which is another thing I like to see.

What makes me like a player now is how much talent they show around the table. If they make shots and play positions that can make my jaw drop, I most probably root for them. Also, if they player is young, and like this, I like them even more b/c they have a chance to make their statement.

I got another chance to watch keith again this year at the skins tournie and it was the same thing. I think he even said that its just money that they are playing for. It's things like this that make me like players.
 
drivermaker said:
.....In pool, I don't know of anyone that took it up that late and made it into the top 5, or even top 10.
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A curious case is that of BCA Hall of Famer Joe Balsis. Practically all the competitive success Joe had at world class men's level came between 1965 and 1980, all of it in his mid-forties or later. He was playig the best pool of his life when in his early fifties.
 
sjm said:
A curious case is that of BCA Hall of Famer Joe Balsis. Practically all the competitive success Joe had at world class men's level came between 1965 and 1980, all of it in his mid-forties or later. He was playig the best pool of his life when in his early fifties.
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What age did he originally start playing the game? He is out of the ordinary.
 
Gremlin said:
"I don't know of anyone that took it up that late and made it into the top 5, or even top 10. Most all of them whether men or women took up the game no later than their mid teens and many well before then. To take a game up at 30 and do well in the pro ranks is just about unheard of. She's one of the first. It's hard to say how far it'll go and I think anything at this point will be a bonus brought on mainly by hard work, dedication and drive. Either way, it's pretty damn good."
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Drivermaker,

Her reaction to my displeasure was normal and to be expected. I don't hold any ill will toward her. Yes, to take up any sport at 30 and be number twelve at 40 is a marvel and hard work, dedication and drive describes her exactly.

Oh, If you are not interested in the photo I can take it down. Be happy too.

"Gremlin"[/QUOTE]


I'm happy but I don't know about her being called 40. I think she's 35, I could be wrong. Boy, that pisses most women off.

Why would you make a comment like that about the photo. I already said Thanks in my earlier post, and you can post more, that would make me even happier. Hey, I always like and appreciate the photos of everyone you take and share, it's when you decide to go off on one of your whacky tangents that I and many others start hammering on you. Keep taking those photos, you do a good job on that.
 
drivermaker said:
What age did he originally start playing the game? He is out of the ordinary.
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Balsis was a great player as a junior, but he disappeared from the pool scene for twenty years. His retrun to serious pool in his early forties was obviously a big whopping success.
 
sjm said:
Balsis was a great player as a junior, but he disappeared from the pool scene for twenty years. His retrun to serious pool in his early forties was obviously a big whopping success.
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Yeah, this is what I'm talking about though. "He was a GREAT player as a junior". I think the earlier you learn the game and wire the brain correctly the better. He still did something quite unusual by NOT playing for many years, but it's much different than TAKING it up in the 30's or 40's and starting then.
Why? I have no idea, but it just works that way.
 
I think the things that endear a pro to his/her fans have mostly to do with their demeanor. Of course, they have to be good at what they do, but if they weren't they wouldn't be a pro to begin with. Appearance has something to do with it, but how they connect with the fans and how they relate to the fans is the biggest thing, IMHO. When I see a pro player at an event, if it reasonable to do so, I make a point of approaching them and speaking to them. I've had opportunity over the years to meet several pro pool players. Of those, here is my opinion FWIW:

Johnny Archer. Johnny lives near me. I have met him several times, played with him, taken lessons from him...I've sort of gotten to know him a little. Johnny is a quiet, unassuming, down to earth nice guy. He is always ready with a smile and a pleasant greeting. He is always willing to chat a little, sign autographs and even offer advice. That goes a long way with the fans.

Roger Griffis. Here is another nice guy. He's just a regular guy and is very friendly, fun-loving person. I met him in a pool hall in Kennesaw, GA several years ago (he was here for the Camel Pro Tour), and took him to another pool hall in Woodstock, GA because one of my buddies at that pool hall had said that he would play anyone in Bank Pool for any money...so I decided to call his bluff. He was more than a little shocked when Roger showed up to play and suddenly "remembered" that he had something else he had to do that night. That night was a blast. I would think that Roger would be pretty popular with the fans.

Allison Fisher. Allison seemed a little stand-offish. Not real friendly. She was with Gerda H. and Grady Matthews in Woodstock, GA. They were doing the "Play the pro" thing. Gerda was very nice and very approachable, as was Grady. Allison didn't seem to want to be bothered. She is a top-notch pool player and may just be skilled enough to offset some of her fan-relation issues. Watching her play is watching perfection, trying to talk to her is a different matter.

Nick Varner. Another nice, down-to-earth guy. He's quiet, but friendly enough.

Rudolfo Luat. Approachable, friendly...He didn't have a lot of time to talk, because he had a match.

Francisco Bustamante. Nice guy. Took time to go outside and pose for pictures with me and some of my friends.

Efren Reyes. Another nice guy. Seemed a little shy, maybe..but was friendly and approachable.

Weenie-Beanie Staton. One of the nicest pool players I've ever met. The man is a wealth of knowledge and has no problem sharing.

Jeremy Jones. I met Jeremy before he made the Pro tour. A helluva nice guy, and a great player.

Earl Strickland. I found Earl to be a lot friendlier than you would think from watching him play. I expected him to blow me off, but that's not what happened.

The ones above are the ones that I've actually gotten to spend more than a few seconds with, or were sort of blown-off by. I've met plenty of others, Mike Coltrane, Jeanette Lee, Jennifer Chen, Mika Immonen, Corey Deuel,, but only for a second...long enough to shake hands and say "Hi".

The only one that has really sort of been unfriendly toward me was Allison Fisher, and she may have just been having a bad night. I only met her the one time. Maybe she's really not like that. It hasn't kept me from being a fan, but not a die-hard one. I still like to watch her play, but sometimes I'm sort of rooting for her opponent depending on who it is. :)
 
sjm said:
JAM, I'll preface my comment by saying that Buddy's credentials as a player say he's one of the best that ever played the game, and is one of the four best nine ballers of all time, along with Earl, Archer, and Efren.

Still, I've never thought of him as a true ambassador for the game. Still, rather than arguing he isn't one, I'd rather just assume I'm mistaken and ask for an education. What does Buddy Hall do to advance the cause of professional pool and in what way does he qualify as an ambassador of the game?
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I think Buddy Hall is an ambassador for pool because of his actions. He makes himself available to fans at all times when in the public eye, and he is very conscientious about the image of the sport. Buddy has been a good friend to Keith in recent times, giving him very good advice, and he is one of the few people that Keith will listen to because of his respect for Buddy as a person AND a player.

At the recent Glass City Open in Toledo, Buddy Hall was right there in the front lobby donating his time at the Challenge the Pro table for charity. There were other name-brand professional players who were politely "asked" if they could participate by donating one hour of their time, and they were a no-show, even though they were enjoying the benefits afforded to them by the promoters. Buddy seems to like interacting with the spectators, fans, and pool enthusiasts, and he spent hour after hour on that charity table having a blast, just being Buddy Hall. The fans ate it up like candy.

If you ever get the chance to chat with Buddy Hall, he is a hoot, and has quite an accurate memory of times gone by. He is an encylopedia of pool and knows the ups and downs very well, and he still plays strong in any event he competes in. Although he knows the downsides of pool, he tends to look at the positive and never has a bad thing to say about anybody or anything. That's the Buddy Hall most people know.

Fans love Buddy, and if more name-brand players exerted a little more of their time to promote the sport like him, it would be great for the advancement of pocket billiards in these United States of America. I can't tell you how many times I've seen pro players immediately leave the venue site after a match, never taking a moment to mingle with the fans. Some of these pro players are given free entry fees and paid hotel expenses, but don't think it prudent to give back. Buddy, on the other hand, will sit down and draw a crowd when he's relaying one of his tales on the road.

Buddy Hall is in the Hall of Fame for very good reason, not only because he's a strong pool player, but he continues to this day to be an ambassador for pool. The sport needs more folks like Buddy Hall (IMO).

JAM
 
JAM said:
I think Buddy Hall is an ambassador for pool because of his actions. He makes himself available to fans at all times when in the public eye, and he is very conscientious about the image of the sport. Buddy has been a good friend to Keith in recent times, giving him very good advice, and he is one of the few people that Keith will listen to because of his respect for Buddy as a person AND a player.

At the recent Glass City Open in Toledo, Buddy Hall was right there in the front lobby donating his time at the Challenge the Pro table for charity. There were other name-brand professional players who were politely "asked" if they could participate by donating one hour of their time, and they were a no-show, even though they were enjoying the benefits afforded to them by the promoters. Buddy seems to like interacting with the spectators, fans, and pool enthusiasts, and he spent hour after hour on that charity table having a blast, just being Buddy Hall. The fans ate it up like candy.

If you ever get the chance to chat with Buddy Hall, he is a hoot, and has quite an accurate memory of times gone by. He is an encylopedia of pool and knows the ups and downs very well, and he still plays strong in any event he competes in. Although he knows the downsides of pool, he tends to look at the positive and never has a bad thing to say about anybody or anything. That's the Buddy Hall most people know.

Fans love Buddy, and if more name-brand players exerted a little more of their time to promote the sport like him, it would be great for the advancement of pocket billiards in these United States of America. I can't tell you how many times I've seen pro players immediately leave the venue site after a match, never taking a moment to mingle with the fans. Some of these pro players are given free entry fees and paid hotel expenses, but don't think it prudent to give back. Buddy, on the other hand, will sit down and draw a crowd when he's relaying one of his tales on the road.

Buddy Hall is in the Hall of Fame for very good reason, not only because he's a strong pool player, but he continues to this day to be an ambassador for pool. The sport needs more folks like Buddy Hall (IMO).

JAM
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Thanks, JAM. Guess I was right in that all I needed was a little education. Thanks for providing it. Here's to Buddy and all others who find the time and make the effort to advance the cause of pro pool.

On another subject, JAM, though I don't recall in which thread you did it, I was glad to read of your approval of the way Tony Robles dresses for tournaments. Tony's a close friend of mine and I know he works hard at looking his best in tournament venues. It's nice to learn that a knowledgeable fan like you notices it and appreciates it.
 
sjm said:
Thanks, JAM. Guess I was right in that all I needed was a little education. Thanks for providing it. Here's to Buddy and all others who find the time and make the effort to advance the cause of pro pool.

On another subject, JAM, though I don't recall in which thread you did it, I was glad to read of your approval of the way Tony Robles dresses for tournaments. Tony's a close friend of mine and I know he works hard at looking his best in tournament venues. It's nice to learn that a knowledgeable fan like you notices it and appreciates it.
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I'd have to say that Buddy is one of the most approachable Hall of Famers and continues to make himself available to any and all fans. He doesn't mind giving out his autograph; in fact, he appreciates being asked, unlike some others. If you ever get a chance to hear him tell a road story, you will know why Buddy Hall is very special. We are fortunate to have Buddy still on the tournament trail, and I wish him many, many more good years up ahead.

Tony Robles definitely has style. Being an American red-blooded woman who enjoys shopping immensely, I know quality when I see it, and Tony has very good taste, from his Italian black leather shoes to his perfectly manicured haircut. His pleasant disposition complements his championship-level shooting capabilities. Most times, he is accompanied by his son, and you can see how happy and well-adjusted he is. What a lucky kid to have a dad like Tony! :)

JAM
 
JAM said:
I'd have to say that Buddy is one of the most approachable Hall of Famers and continues to make himself available to any and all fans. He doesn't mind giving out his autograph; in fact, he appreciates being asked, unlike some others. If you ever get a chance to hear him tell a road story, you will know why Buddy Hall is very special. We are fortunate to have Buddy still on the tournament trail, and I wish him many, many more good years up ahead.

Tony Robles definitely has style. Being an American red-blooded woman who enjoys shopping immensely, I know quality when I see it, and Tony has very good taste, from his Italian black leather shoes to his perfectly manicured haircut. His pleasant disposition complements his championship-level shooting capabilities. Most times, he is accompanied by his son, and you can see how happy and well-adjusted he is. What a lucky kid to have a dad like Tony! :)

JAM
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JAM, you're right about both of these guys. I've played Buddy several times in tournaments and after I beat him in San Antonio, I asked him for his autograph. :D We had both been approached by a guy with a black hardwood case that had autographs from players such as Mosconi, Fats, Lassiter, and many more. I got to sign my name next to these legends names and it was an incredible feeling, still is actually. After signing the case, I asked Buddy for his autograph and he said, " You ran 6 racks on me, you just ran...........six...........racks."
Tony Robles, whatta class act he is. I've watched my one and only match with him so many times and even though the score was so lop-sided, 11-2, I still can't see anywhere in the match that I could have done anything different, except in the second game where I played bad position on the 7. One mistake, that's all it took! The guy plays good, that's all I can say. But it's not his playing that left an impression on me, it was his class. You can see it in the way he carries himself, on and off the table, that he truly enjoys what he's doing.
Peace, John.
 
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