> Sigel,first and foremost,for his stroke and patterns.His shotmaking was incredible to watch in his prime,it looked like he hit everything at warp speed,but the cue ball never flew around. I am also heavily influenced by his break,not that bending the shaft like that is desirable or "cool" looking,but when you strike a blow like that and keep your bridge hand rooted to the table,that bending is inevitable.
> Jim Rempe,for his patterns,devious safety play,the way he always knows exactly what to do,and he has a huge heart.
> Earl,for his overall presence at the table,when he is in gear and not wasting energy arguing and muttering to himself. Awesome break,inhuman stroke,more heart than Secretariat,and one of the very few that strike me as an all-around athlete. His golf,bowling,and tennis skills do translate themselves to pool as intangibles.
> Shannon Daulton,for his stroke,break and one pocket games. To me,one of the more "entertaining" players,as far as pure aesthetics of stroke and demeanor go.
> Danny Harriman,one of the few players that combine pure,raw power and mechanical perfection in the same stroke. If you were going to build a machine to pocket balls like Iron Willie,it would have as few moving parts as possible,right? His stroke pretty much IS that machine. This also makes for an insane break,a cue ball jump of 3-4 feet in the air is not uncommon.
> Buddy,for overall knowledge of the game,stroke,and heart.
> As far as players that are just plain "fun" to watch,Ray Schultz and Eric Durbin do it for me. These are just a few,I'll watch anyone that plays better than I do. Then again,there are times when I walk up and see two guys playing that I KNOW play better than I do,say Scott Frost and Hennessee,and from outside the box it doesn't look like it,and if I didn't know who they were I'd be in the box with them,if the cash allowed. Tommy D.
