This is truly amazing since all of the photos I have seen from that era show all men in suits in the audiences.
Who is the most well known Pool Player in the history of the USA??
- Thread starter manwon
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This is truly amazing since all of the photos I have seen from that era show all men in suits in the audiences.
And billiard matches were frequently front-page news - the predominant media of the day. This would be synonymous to hearing about TAR on your local news at 10 every night...
Cap Anson was given a city-wide "holiday" named after him. Johnny Kling had a (beautiful) Brunswick table named after him. Schaefer was thrown parades. DeOro was given a lifetime pension by his home government. Hoppe was invited to play at the white house with the president et al.
Miz did a beer commercial - and what did Fats get?
just sayin'
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That's so interesting. You know, I read somewhere in one of the older pool periodicals that Ray "Cool Cat" Martin was one of several considered for the Miller Lite beer commercials, but they ended up going with Steve Mizerak.
More than 15 years ago I read some where that Fats was committed by the Court for Involuntary Hospitalization into a Mental hospital in the state of Tennessee for allegedly stealing a steel spoon. I don`t know the truth about what I read regards Fat. Readers need to find out the truth.
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What do you mean what did Fat's get? Fat's got whatever Fat's wanted. He even got Zsa Zsa Gabor. How many pool players' passing gets mentioned by Dan Rather? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-ShdnNvtJo
Wow! I loved that. I've never seen that before. Man, thanks for sharing! :smile:
I think people are comparing apples to oranges.
Sure, people who play pool generally know Mosconi and (today) Lee, but the average person on the street who knows nothing about pool would probably have no idea who either of them are/were.
But I would bet money just about everyone, even if they knew nothing about pool, has heard the name Minnesota Fats. If you took a 20 year old kid who has never watched a baseball game in his life, and asked him to name a player I bet he could come up with Babe Ruth. Fats is kind of like that. Regardless of skill level, his name is almost universally associated with 'pool'.
Yeah, this
Sure, people who play pool generally know Mosconi and (today) Lee, but the average person on the street who knows nothing about pool would probably have no idea who either of them are/were.
But I would bet money just about everyone, even if they knew nothing about pool, has heard the name Minnesota Fats. If you took a 20 year old kid who has never watched a baseball game in his life, and asked him to name a player I bet he could come up with Babe Ruth. Fats is kind of like that. Regardless of skill level, his name is almost universally associated with 'pool'.
Yeah, this
dont get me wrong - there's no doubt Fats was exceptionally well known - if thats the only answer we're looking for here.
i'm just pointing out that he may not have been the most well known in the whole history of the u.s....
this is very similar to the "whats the best rock band of all time? " question, because its hard, if not impossible to accurately quantify the impact that each had in their own era and compare them side by side.
i'm just pointing out that he may not have been the most well known in the whole history of the u.s....
this is very similar to the "whats the best rock band of all time? " question, because its hard, if not impossible to accurately quantify the impact that each had in their own era and compare them side by side.
What did Fat's get? His own TV show, do you remember Celebrity Billiards. He also got a large amount of air time on ESPN, playing in my opinion one the best 14-1 players who ever lived Willie Mosconi. In addition from the 60's into the 70's everything from Pool Tables, Cues, Cases, Chalk, and even hand powder had his Mug and endorsement on them. He also had the balls to sue the Movie industry and to win because he claimed they used his name. Not to mention that all this was done by some one who never won a National title pool or billiards, and who publicly lost matches while on National Tv.
I think when you put all that together no player alive or dead has promoted themselves better than Fats or achieved the status he did without any World or even National Pool or Billiards Titles.
I am taking nothing away from the Miz, Steve certainly achieved more than Fat's when you look at all the Titles Steve Won, but Steve or no other player from that time achieved the Notoriety that Fats did that lasts even to this day.
JIMO
I did a quick poll around my office and pinged my non pool player friends. Of the 78 people I polled:
1 - Minnesota Fats (Because the guy is original from Minnesota)
32 - Jeanette Lee was the only person they could think of
11 - Jeanette Lee and "That big guy that does trick shots"
7 - "Black Widow" or "That Spider Chic", didn't know her name even after I told them her name.
27 - Could not think of anyone at all.
1 - Minnesota Fats (Because the guy is original from Minnesota)
32 - Jeanette Lee was the only person they could think of
11 - Jeanette Lee and "That big guy that does trick shots"
7 - "Black Widow" or "That Spider Chic", didn't know her name even after I told them her name.
27 - Could not think of anyone at all.
When I think of Pool, the USA, and a TRUE AMBASADOR of the Game. I think of my buddies cousin.
BTW Pool could use a few Willie Mosconi TYPES in 2011....IMHO.
BTW Pool could use a few Willie Mosconi TYPES in 2011....IMHO.
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In history? Might well be Ralph Greenleaf, who was reputed to have been a celebrity almost on a par with Babe Ruth back in the 1930's.
In the imaginable past, however, only two names merit mention: Minnesota Fats and Jeanette Lee. Strickland, Archer, Sigel, Crane, Lassiter and even Mosconi were never extremely well-known outside of pool circles.
In the imaginable past, however, only two names merit mention: Minnesota Fats and Jeanette Lee. Strickland, Archer, Sigel, Crane, Lassiter and even Mosconi were never extremely well-known outside of pool circles.
When I think of Pool, the USA, and a TRUE AMBASADOR of the Game. I think of my buddies cousin.
BTW Pool could use a few Willie Mosconi TYPES in 2011....IMHO.
Willie was certainly one of the greatest players to have ever lived, but in my opinion he was not an Ambassador of the game that attracted people! I only met him once and it was later in his life, while he was certainly very presentable to the public from all I have heard and from what I personally saw, he never said a nice thing about another player. He never gambled to my knowledge and when all was said and done he appears from all I have heard and seen not to be in my opinion what pool needs, I think he was a little too stiff.
Thanks for your post Cowboy, I appreciate it.:smile:
Willie was definitely not a people person. He made some kind remarks after watching Gene Nagy play Straight Pool and probably a few others. I'm sure you could count them on the fingers of one hand. Willie did, I believe, play for money earlier in his career, before he contracted with Brunswick, and maybe later. There are stories about his playing Fats One Pocket and some hustler in Philadelphia 9 ball and blowing them both away. He was very, very picky about exhibition conditions, who he was playing, had a habit of reminding opponents who the spectators had come to see, etc. He could get a little nuts if he lost and he did occasionally.
I talk to a lot of people every day. Whenever people talk pool, the older people all know of minnesota fats, and everyone knows of that attractive dark haired "black spider or something like that" girl. I would have to say that Jeanette Lee is the most well known player overall amongst those that do not play pool.
I was waiting to see Willie Hoppe's name mentioned.
I feel, percentage-wise, Willie had to be the most well known player in
history. He was also the first billiard millionaire and that was back when
a million made you truly wealthy.
I started playing just before 'The Hustler' hit the movie theaters. Snooker,
8-ball, and rotation were the only games we played....small town in the
middle of a farm area.
The ONLY famous name we knew was Willie Hoppe....and we thought he
was a snooker player......yeah...us'ns weren't all that well informed.:embarrassed2:
