Playing Pool After A 25 Year Break
3/4/2007 10:43:05 AM
Playing Pool After A 25 Year Break
I took a 25 year break from pool, but I never stopped loving the game. I always watched tournament play on TV in preference to anything else that was on. So, recently I got the bug, went to the local action tournament room and played for a few hours alone. WHEWWW. I stink.
A lot has changed over the years. The level of play has improved dramatically for one, and we never heard of jump cues. In fact, legal jumping had just come into vogue about the time I retired. Tournaments were just really becoming popular.
In '79, '80, and '81 I frequented the legendary "Rack" in Oak Park, Michigan and saw many of the greats like Cornbread Red, Bugs, Jimmy Reid, Ronnie Allen, and even a bit later at another joint a now famous Filipino player who had just come to Detroit and kept a low profile then;) . You never knew from one night to the next who you might see. One night I was at an action bar with some of my friends and bar league teammates. We were playing partners 8 ball for $10 a man with two older strangers. It was very casual, and we were playing bank the 8 into the last pocket. My mentor, an old player called "One Eyed Jesse" , a legend himself around Detroit, called me over and said, "Don't be playing for very much with these guys". I asked why and he said with a serious look, "Because that old guy is Bugs from Chicago, and he's the best bank pool player in the WORLD":eek: . Bugs eventually banked or kicked the 8 like 2 or 3 rails into the last pocket to win and we quit, but I can say that I once played Bugs some banks.
tpdtomPlaying Pool After A 25 Year Break
Playing Pool After A 25 Year Break
- Title: Playing Pool After A 25 Year Break
- Author: tpdtom (Tom Danahey)
- Published: 3/4/2007 10:43:05 AM
