Walking with giants

Ross Keith Thompson

Verified Member
Joined
May 19, 2010
Messages
168
From
madisonville, texas
It was early June of 70 and fresh off my 18 birthday when my brother Tommy called and told me he had found our long lost half brother Charles Madison.

My brother Tommy spent some time in Viet Nam about the time of the tet offensive. We hadn't seen Charles our other brother in ten years.

I had about 80 bucks maybe and a 66 Chevelle SS 396 three speed on the floor, nastiest car I've owned, drove non stop from Houston to Norwalk in L.A. area. Got a warning ticket somewhere around Phoenix area, go figure, LOL.

Brother Charles lived with his sweetie and his buddy and his sweetie.

I was low on dough so I convinced my brother I was the greatest thing since sliced bread on a pool table just take me to the nearest night club action spot and he did!

First person and last person I played for weeks was Kenny Anderson, man did I have bad timing. Lost a hundred of my brothers money at twenty a game. Never got revenge on him, he came to Houston after I won Johnston City but he wouldn't play. I knew I couold beat him but he sure was nasty, I might have shot twice that evening on that bar table.

Had to win Johnston City later that year to convince my older brother I could play! LOL

Anywho, times were tough after that for 5,6,7 weeks. I would sometimes pick up my brother from the base in El Toro and carry me a kitchen basket to fill up in the orange groves.

When you didn't have Whataburger money those oranges were mighty good, LOL, I was pretty good at it, my brother would drop me off with the car doing about 10 mph and I would run about a 4.8 forty until I was five rows deep in that grove, hahaha. `

I don't remember how I met Popcorn (John Miller) but he about me thru the grapevine and let me stay with him and Buttermilk, (what a character).

He took me hustling around L.A area and did I blow his money, everyone I played was in dead stroke!

First I lost to Jimmy Marino with the 8 at Marino billiards, nobody could give me the 8, not the call 8 but the real 8, can't happen! I was too good.

I would run 2 racks, he would run 3, I would run 3, he would run 4, I run 4, he run 5. Get the picture! Never missed a ball and he shot me down.

Went back to El Monte super depressed and Popcorn 800 shy, lost two five ahead sessions to this 22 year old hippy!

Days later played Hawaian Brian and of course he was in dead stroke, lost two sessions 5 ahead, Popcorn another 600 down at Marino billiards.

Next day Cole Dickson shows up at Popcorn's place with his long blond hair and a 39 Volvo, how cool was that,haha.

We tell him how good Marino played and how much we lost to him.

Cole leaves and is back in 3 hrs, beats Marino for six hundred at 30 a game.

Do the math, thirty minutes there, thirty minutes back, only 2 hrs. playing time, shot Marino down.

Popcorn spent the next two weeks letting me practice at Ye Billiard Den close to his place, in two weeks I was in top form and returned to Marino billiards.

Can't believe Marino gave me the 7 but he did, got popcorn's two sessions back.

Hawaiin Brian objectively agreed to play me some more even 9 ball, got Popcorn's 2 sessions back again.

Played Jimmy Fusco some one hole 8 to 7 on his break, I was going to 7. 40 - 50 a game, he quickly went to 9 to 8 on his breaks.

Fusco was a dam good player but my best game was one pocket, he was in a full blown trap and was clueless of my game, I won something like 19 out of 22.

I do think he was a top one holer back in the day and thru his career but any spot and it was a miss match.

Went to Johnston City broke but got most of his money back before then.

Lost Corn's last 400 to Freddie the beard at 50 a game one pocket, I was stressed on short money and Freddie played over his head!LOL.
I need excuses bear with me!, LOL'

A year later in 71, I cooked Freddie's Goose and got even! That's all I cared about was revenge, no one had the right to spank me! LMAO.

But him spanking me in 70 and Corn leaving busted courtesy of yours truly, lol, it wasn't really funny at the time! But I needed a plane ticket home so I went to Paulie, he saved my ass.

Put me in the nineball division, every match I played I moved from youth standby to coach and finally to first class, haha. Every thing after first class was Whataburger money, haha.

Anywho my first trip to the west coast was a disaster, but everything worked out and I hung for a while with Cole Dickson, we would blow joints and tell tall tales of the GIANTS WE SLAYED!

Times were good Walking with Giants!
 

Mkbtank

Verified Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2013
Messages
5,901
From
Philly Pa
Walking with giants

Fantastic!! Thanks for these stories! I still see Jimmy Fusco regularly. What a nice guy he is.
 
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