Celtic, I beg to differ, there is a young kid from the western part of NC( I think) and he may have a brother that beat Earl Strickland even 7-1 or so in a tournament. The kid is about 14!!! and beating a five time world champ, 5 time US Open champ. I think the same kid took the seven ball from a player the same speed as BJ Ussery, Sparky, Sam Monday and drilled him for $500 or $1K a set, and it wasnt even close. That is a lot of money and pressure for a 14 year old against a seasoned player/gambler. This kid is the answer to the greatest young American player today. Period. sorry I cant remember his name.
Who's the Most Promising Young American Player
- Thread starter sjm
- Start date
Chuck Raulston said:I agree with the others, but I don't know about that Chuck guy. He can't play.
I think you are wrong, Chuck. I know the guy and he is playing better all the time. Oh-Hell, forgot, I don't knock anybody.
The answer to the ??????,,,,,,,,Because I don't knock anyone, I wont tell you his name but he is like 18 now and lives in the Windy City.
That had to be a joke, some brother of some kid you "think" beat Earl in a race to 7 and you "heard" played for 500-1000 a rack getting the 7 and winning. And yet you cannot even manage a name...
Smacks of the "look my best friend has a cousin who said her boyfriend once saw a kid who was 12 and ran 50 racks in a row!" Everyone I talked about is real, I myself have witnessed them play, and if there was a 14 year old phenom in the USA I think he might have been mentioned before now and maybe he would have actually been at the worlds instead of a Canadian playing on the USA's dime.
Smacks of the "look my best friend has a cousin who said her boyfriend once saw a kid who was 12 and ran 50 racks in a row!" Everyone I talked about is real, I myself have witnessed them play, and if there was a 14 year old phenom in the USA I think he might have been mentioned before now and maybe he would have actually been at the worlds instead of a Canadian playing on the USA's dime.
Celtic said:
Celtic, maybe the question should have been more descriptive and stated players under 20 years old.
I'm not sure how old you are, Celtic, but people in their late 20's and early '30's are YOUNG in my eyes. Of course, if your age is within that range, then "young" to you would be teenagers.
It would be interesting to do a survey to determine the median age of posters on AzBilliards Discussion Forum, but that's a topic for another thread.
Being a half-century old myself, young men and women in their twenties are not over the hill yet in my book and do have the capability of getting better with their game, i.e., Danny "Kid Delicious" Basavich. I don't think we have seen Danny's "best" game yet either!
BTW, "Spanish Mike" Lebron of Philadelphia won the U.S. Open when he was 54 years of age!
Picture of Spanish Mike taken at the recent 2004 U.S. Open!
JAM
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I think what the thread starter is asking, is who are the pool prodigies of today? Meaning young kids, maybe in their teens or early 20's, that already play at a champion's speed. Out here in California, there are so many young players who play really good. I have yet to see one of them play at a pro's calibur, however.
In the Phillipines I heard there are 11 and 12 year old boys who can run racks of 15-ball rotation. Now that is something to be reckoned with.
If I knew of a kid who plays like a champion, I wouldn't mention his name, especially not on the internet. Why would I want to knock someone who I don't even know? Sometimes I see threads on this board where people ask "who is such and such, from this place, how good is he, etc." and amazes me at how quick people are to describe this person right down to his eye color, and some even post a picture for everyone to see. Most of these guys try to make a living playing pool, and it hurts them when someone makes them known to the rest of the world.
In the Phillipines I heard there are 11 and 12 year old boys who can run racks of 15-ball rotation. Now that is something to be reckoned with.
If I knew of a kid who plays like a champion, I wouldn't mention his name, especially not on the internet. Why would I want to knock someone who I don't even know? Sometimes I see threads on this board where people ask "who is such and such, from this place, how good is he, etc." and amazes me at how quick people are to describe this person right down to his eye color, and some even post a picture for everyone to see. Most of these guys try to make a living playing pool, and it hurts them when someone makes them known to the rest of the world.
LastTwo said:
In today's age of modern technology, i.e., Internet, cell phones, and the like, it is pretty darn near impossible to escape the radar screen for young up-and-coming players.
If the desire of these youngsters is to make money or earn a living playing pool, their future pool-playing career is fraught with occupational hazards and a lifestyle that most parents wouldn't want for their kids.
We are living in a tournament-inclined pool world (IMO). Gone are the days of traveling the circuit cross-country and stuffing your pockets with dough. A few lucrative scores here and there in a few pockets of the country may seem glamorous and exciting, but the action ain't what it used to be. Gambling is an addiction. I can relay a story of a young roadster who beat a guy out of $360,000-plus in Las Vegas and was broke one month later.
Being anonymous and playing pool ain't going to pay the bills in the year 2004. There are too many road obstacles along the way which has ruined many a player. If a young player exhibits extraordinary talent and exceptional pool-shooting capabilities, I would advise them to go the tournament route and climb the ladder, much like Johnny Archer.
JMHO, FWIW!
JAM
1pRoscoe said:
I'd like to see Ross play. In fact I would love to play him. I have a few extra rooms at the house and if he feels like it we could try out the table in the basement. What do you think?
Jack Madden
www.johnmaddencues.com
shawnNC said:
From Hickory, would that be Tony Watson? I definitely like Tony's game, and there is no question that he's got heart. He is also a much better player in games of stake than in a tournament competition setting (IMO). Tony Watson won the Louie Roberts A/E Award at the Derby City Classic in Louisville 2 years ago because of his style. Everybody likes to watch Tony play, unless, of course, you're on the opposite end of the table from him, trying to beat him. He's like a dog with a bone when it comes to gambling. It's very hard to take it from him.
Currently, I'm following B.J. "G.I. Joe" Ussery's recent wins, another fine North Carolinean.
Lots of GREAT players from North Carolina: Earl Strickland, Wade Crane, and even Cliff Joyner!
JAM