pretty much they way i see it. with the death of inner-city poolhalls there's less black dudes playing. most of the top guys were from Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, etc.
Why are there so few black pro players..?
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Thank you for your most interesting, some would say even enlightening comment..
Three off the top of my head: Evan Lunda, Josh Roberts and Ryan Robinson(good player from Little Rock). Like someone else already said: who really cares? How many Chicano or Hasidic Jew players are there? Beats the fk outta me.
cueball2010
Active member
I think it's just a height thing. They probably bump their heads and get blinded by the low hanging lights.
Ok, we found out and can close the thread
Going Pro takes a personality/drive to accept a million misses, much less Hitting a Million Balls.
Just like the female question, its a numbers game maybe a money game. Don't exactly know the population percentages of White vs Black but believe that Black folks in the US are still a minority.
Then there's always the money thing. No matter if you're white black or green, you need cash to compete in Pro Tournaments.
Just like the female question, its a numbers game maybe a money game. Don't exactly know the population percentages of White vs Black but believe that Black folks in the US are still a minority.
Then there's always the money thing. No matter if you're white black or green, you need cash to compete in Pro Tournaments.
The majority of black players that I know of or had a chance to meet are literally regional hustlers/road players.
Earl Herring, a very good pro player from years past who plays north of NYC has told me that there's no incentive for black players to bother becoming pro level tour players. Why? There's way more money in action matches than there is in tournament pool. He always brings up Josh Roberts as a perfect example of his thinking. Not that black players wouldn't be able to hang with the top tournament players, but it's a different mindset.
Earl Herring, a very good pro player from years past who plays north of NYC has told me that there's no incentive for black players to bother becoming pro level tour players. Why? There's way more money in action matches than there is in tournament pool. He always brings up Josh Roberts as a perfect example of his thinking. Not that black players wouldn't be able to hang with the top tournament players, but it's a different mindset.
To be more direct ...who gives a fk. Next thread...Why are there so few pigmies and giants pro players? Not trying to be funny..what happens if pigmy asks to play for cash...do you say you're looking for a little action?
Didn't look but waay back there was a similar thread.
Flakeandrun
Well-known member
It's a money game, a class game, a privilege game (privilege takes many shapes and forms - from a shove in the right direction, to fully fledged hand holding).
Numbers corespondend to the opportunity that is both presented, and afforded to, certain people (as well as types of people).
Flakeandrun
Well-known member
Yup, whether that is social, or financial. Both impact, and affect, not only a persons ability to tour or play the game, but how they feel in match, or about their relative progress. Once you can move a stick backward and forward, let's not pretend that it's not mostly psychology.Pool is a game of privilege?!
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As long as you define "privilege" as on the lower end of the socio-economic scale, I'll agree...
Flakeandrun
Well-known member
Sure, I think one of the problems in such discourse, is that the ideas of 'privilege' that we are conditioned to see as the normal, or even the perceived definition of the word itself, doesn't really bridge the understanding of what it's like to not receive it to those who do receive or benefit from it. It becomes too uniformed to truly address or resolve issues that divide or drive things forward.As long as you define "privilege" as on the lower end of the socio-economic scale, I'll agree...
It exists in many different class, race, gender, culture etc etc brackets/contexts
it is a combo of things.
as bbb said ,, the great athletic ones go to other sports.
plus few pool rooms to hang out nowadays especially in lower income areas.
pool is much more expensive than in the far past. where if you had little money you still could make some playing.
and black players could find good gambling spots and games. no such action is around any more that is strong enough to eck out a living.
as bbb said ,, the great athletic ones go to other sports.
plus few pool rooms to hang out nowadays especially in lower income areas.
pool is much more expensive than in the far past. where if you had little money you still could make some playing.
and black players could find good gambling spots and games. no such action is around any more that is strong enough to eck out a living.
Biloxi Boy
Man With A Golden Arm
There's an excellent article written by Mike Geffner about Cisero Murphy in the Village Voice, entitled "Murphy's Law," December 13, 1994. It delves into the segregation of Black pool players at one time. Mr. Geffer said one tournament allowed Cisero to compete because of his last name being Murphy. They thought he was Irish. He competed and won. Years later, he was admitted into the BCA Hall of Fame in 1995, a year before he passed.
Pool as a professional sport was not available to many Black pool players at one time. It was not welcoming to women, either. Today, of course, times have changed.
I created a Wikipedia page for Cisero Murphy many years ago. I'm proud to say it was honored in the Did You Know section of Wikipedia, which is only granted to some Wiki articles: "Did you know that Cisero Murphy was the first African American professional pocket billiards player to ever win a World or U.S. National billiard title?"
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cisero_Murphy
Growing on in the DC pool scene, we have many Black pool players who could at one time outrun the nuts of any champion that came to town. DC's Melvin "Strawberry" Brooks, the best in DC at one time, founded the Capital City Classic in an effort to create a venue for players of all caliber and race. Many of these Black players today are what I call "unsung heroes" because they were well known in the American pool world but much preferred to fly under the radar. They realized and were correct that you could make much more money gambling and staying in action than attending pool tournaments. Tin cups and titles were not as attractive to some. Names that come to mind at the time of this writing are Bus Driver Ronnie, Patcheye, "John Henry," Jake and his Uncle Nate, Bugs, Left-handed Kevin, Cecil Tugwell, Marvin Henderson, Youngblood, Ike Runnels, Sterling, Eddie Brown, et cetera. Cliff Joyner did dip his toe in pool tournaments, but he was definitely no stranger to action.
Interestingly, there is an excellent article about James Evans, relatively unknown Black pool great, in Billiards Digest written by Mike Geffner, but I can't find it. It explains a lot about the Black pool community many moons ago.
Strawberry and Keith McCready. Photo taken a year before Strawberry passed away. Strawberry and Left-Handed Kevin had cameo appearances in "The Wire" TV series when it was filmed in Baltimore.
Left-Handed Kevin and Melvin Williams, who plays The Deacon in "The Wire."
Pool as a professional sport was not available to many Black pool players at one time. It was not welcoming to women, either. Today, of course, times have changed.
I created a Wikipedia page for Cisero Murphy many years ago. I'm proud to say it was honored in the Did You Know section of Wikipedia, which is only granted to some Wiki articles: "Did you know that Cisero Murphy was the first African American professional pocket billiards player to ever win a World or U.S. National billiard title?"
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cisero_Murphy
Growing on in the DC pool scene, we have many Black pool players who could at one time outrun the nuts of any champion that came to town. DC's Melvin "Strawberry" Brooks, the best in DC at one time, founded the Capital City Classic in an effort to create a venue for players of all caliber and race. Many of these Black players today are what I call "unsung heroes" because they were well known in the American pool world but much preferred to fly under the radar. They realized and were correct that you could make much more money gambling and staying in action than attending pool tournaments. Tin cups and titles were not as attractive to some. Names that come to mind at the time of this writing are Bus Driver Ronnie, Patcheye, "John Henry," Jake and his Uncle Nate, Bugs, Left-handed Kevin, Cecil Tugwell, Marvin Henderson, Youngblood, Ike Runnels, Sterling, Eddie Brown, et cetera. Cliff Joyner did dip his toe in pool tournaments, but he was definitely no stranger to action.
Interestingly, there is an excellent article about James Evans, relatively unknown Black pool great, in Billiards Digest written by Mike Geffner, but I can't find it. It explains a lot about the Black pool community many moons ago.
Strawberry and Keith McCready. Photo taken a year before Strawberry passed away. Strawberry and Left-Handed Kevin had cameo appearances in "The Wire" TV series when it was filmed in Baltimore.
Left-Handed Kevin and Melvin Williams, who plays The Deacon in "The Wire."
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Did you mean Frustration?Pool is a game of privilege?!