Well you know what they say about opinions, so I am not going to counter that, lol. But your facts definitely do not always appear to be that solid -- maybe a kernel of truth but the way you state them, not so good. Yet you insist never in the wrong in the slightest.
The worst thing is that often, your implausible "facts" end up slighting or hurting people. Obviously Wayne and others took offense to your sweeping statement of no action at Santa Monica for example, which by most accounts was greatly exaggerated. Likewise, I really did not like your belittling comments about players from the JC era and how most (except a handful of legends) could not break 50 in straight pool on today's equipment. That was a ridiculous statement, and you posted it in a thread started by a significant player from that era. BTW, I countered with real "facts" -- a player list of over a hundred players from JC alone. There were a lot of good players on that list, which definitely did not support your flip comment belittling the players of that era.
Just the other day you threw out another deprecating comment about "others" here on OnePocket.org that won't bet $10 as if it was some kind of undercurrent that defined this website. If those others exist, I have no idea who they are because even the players that I know that NEVER gamble, have been willing to play for $10 or more when we get together at DCC. I asked you who the "others" were and got crickets. If you don't readily know who the "others" are, why would you even make a comment like that?? Ah, to make a point...
My facts are solid, you may not like my opinions, and when I have been wrong I have apologized.
My “sweeping statements” about SM were true, period. They are considered exaggerated by three SM players who cannot accept that someone could be in their cherished poolroom and not get a game, and apparently yourself, though I doubt you’ve ever been there.
No one would play. I did not get a game. demonrho drones on but he didn't get up and offer to play either when I was there.
Here’s a bit more that Fatboy had to say, “LA is the worst pool action for a city its size in the world. cant get shit bet here, they have ZERO gamble. Rooms are nice, guys on the rail are cool but just no action, its pathetic they have $$$, LA aint cheap to living, but they dont bet. the card rooms get action is all i can figure, i used to get good action here years ago, not sure what happened. I cant get more than $300/rack bet in SM and nobody on the rail will side bet. Its a miracle i even got that game, and when i beat it-the spot HAS TO CHANGE or there is no more action, they wont flip a coin for $20 here, F'em all i got better things to do.”
In another post he wrote, “HOB (SM) is tough action for anyone who aint used to the equipment in there, its about a 2 maybe a 3 ball advantage for guys that are used to it. I am now, it took a long time for me to get used to it. And I still have to be playing there regularly to play well. The humidity changes in there more than any room I ever played in, even in florida I never seen anything like that room. Its a trap. I was in action there last week a few days then the game dried up.”
BTW, his comments about the gaffed up tables were echoed to me by a well-known ex-road player who says he hates that room because of the goofy way the tables play. My personal opinion is that the way the tables are set up in that room is just completely brutal for an out-of-towner. I'm sure pro-speed players have the talent and can adjust, but for the average guy it is a huge disadvantage. I said as much about champions being able to adjust and Fatboy commented, “i seen them all get beat by that equipment there."
Lastly, I thought Fatboy summed it up nicely in a couple of other posts about SM, “its hard to get a game in there.” and “…HOB (SM) all talk no action-for the most part.”
Now, about the JC era players. My *opinion* was/is that if you could have dropped a 9' Pro-cut Diamond table into the pit of the Jansco’s Cue Club Billiard Academy, few of the champions of that era could have run 50. That opinion is based upon: having played 14.1 my whole pool playing life: growing up playing at the Palace and Cochran’s on vintage Brunswick equipment with Hoover pockets and shallow shelfs; having seen most of the champions of today and many of yesteryear play: traveling to NYC to watch the 14.1 US Open at the Roseland Ballroom; (having won a qualifier for the Open myself
; and having kept score and watched the 14.1 Challenge at the DCC for many years.
So while you may find my opinion ridiculous, it is perfectly valid.
Lastly, about my comment about some guys here not wanting to play for $10/$20 is based upon my personal experience over many years and meeting players from the group at their homerooms, at tournaments up North and down South, Florida, the Northeast, out on the West Coast, Vegas, the Southwest, at Tunica, and the DCC. There are guys who, when I’ve met up with them and asked what they want to do will respond that they just want to "knock them around." I readily know who they are but naming them would serve no purpose. Maybe they were out of stroke, their money was short, or something else. It’s still been a lot fun to meet so many people and, other than three malcontents from LA, we've all parted as friends.
A few, like Fast Lenny, have played some for $10 or $20 (I can’t recall what Lenny and I did); or Pilot Jim (I think we play for $20 whenever we run into each other); Casey in NOLA (I think we played for $20); or John up at Red Shoes, races to three for $25; and Miller and I have played many sessions for $10 a game.
Guys not wanting to play for anything is very common and, if you haven’t noticed the majority of games at most pool halls nowadays are for “funsies” you haven’t gotten out much. It is what it is.
Lou Figueroa