Cornbread Red Memorial / U.S. OPEN Qualifier Update

Sorry about not putting alot on here, but with taking over the room and getting it going and now trying to play and getting lucky and doing a little winning I haven't had much of a chance to put anything on here...........but here's some info----almost down to 8 players

Last 4 on the winners side:

GRADY MATHEWS vs LEIL GAY (J R) @2pm

LARRY NEVEL vs MIKE SARDELLI @2pm


On the losers side:

winner of LUKE JACKO / STEVE HICKMAN vs MARTY SAWINSKI @5pm


STEVE LOMAKO vs CASEY KILIAN @5pm



We've had a few nailbiters.......myself and JR, but the Indian just won't quit....Hickman should have beat Nevel--shooting at a game ball about 8 times and not having to play safe with 2 and 3 other balls on the table and just couldn't make it. Sardelli (a former BCA National 8-ball Champ) has been playing good. Casey Kilian who came all the way from New Orleans, THANK YOU FOR COMING!

GRADY MATHEWS..........WHAT CAN I SAY?

He's playing very well, I'm making sure he's relaxed and taking it easy, all the guys and old-timers have come out of the woodwork to come see him, he put on a very nice show Wed. nite, everybodys treating him like the real Legend that he is, rehashing stories about Cornbread and all kinds of other Champions, we're just having a great time.

Gotta get some sleep, I'll put results up late Sat. nite,
Steve

update

update

Down to 3 players:

JR defeated GRADY LARRY NEVEL beat SARDELLI

winners side final NEVEL over LEIL GAY


losers side:

GRADY over LUKE JACKO SARDELLI over CASEY KILIAN

CASEY and LUKE finished tied for 5th place


GRADY over SARDELLI

MIKE SARDELLI finished in 4th place


SUNDAYS LOSERS SIDE FINAL: GRADY MATHEWS vs LEIL (JR) GAY with the winner facing LARRY NEVEL in the final

Thanks, Stevelomako!

Thanks, Stevelomako!

I was reading a 1990 "The Snap" magazine this morning and came across an article entitled "Cornbread Red-A Legend Legends Talk About" by Benny "The Goose" Conway, and thought it would be nice to pay a small tribute to him in this thread about the Cornbread Memorial Tournament. Thanks for the updates, Stevelomako, for us inquiring minds back home!

Benny the Goose says in 1968 in Johnston City, Illinois:

"...I was in my early twenties at my first major tournament. The greatest players in the world were there, but the one that held my attention and became one of my heroes was Billy Burge, better known as 'Cornbread Red.'

"The first time I saw Red, he was in a ring 9-ball game with Ronnie Allen, Ed Kelly, Cole Dicksen, and Richie Florence, playing for $300 a man. During the game, Red hit a gear that was unbeatable, and for an hour he ran out from everywhere until, finally, four of the best players in the world stood up against the wall and said, 'That's all.'

"The last 9-ball shot Red made was length of the table, straight in with the cue ball on the end rail, and he shot it so hard that people who weren't watching jumped at the sound. I asked him why he had shot the 9-ball so hard, and he looked at me with that sly grin of his and said, 'Well, Goose, I didn't want it to roll off.'

"Later on, back in the Cue Club, I was playing some one-pocket for 50 bucks a game, which was a lot of money in 1968. I thought I was doing real good being in Johnston City and playing for so much money, and then Red came sauntering up with that look on his face and said, 'What are you playing for, Goose?' 'Fifty dollars a game,' I said. 'Fifty a game? Fifty a game!! Why don't you quit knittin' and bet something, Goose?' Well, that was Red's sense of humor for you. He was just kidding, but he was kidding on the square. Fifty dollars a game was trivia for Red.

"Cornbread Red was born on December 17, 1931, in Mayfield, Kentucky, eight miles from where Buddy Hall was born. Red has been playing pool for 50 years and is one of the greatest money players and proposition men of all time. He has played and beaten just about everyone...."

"...For those of us who have known Cornbread Red and watched him play through the years, he will never die because Red is a legend that legends talk about."

Keith and Cornbread Red at the Derby City Classic in 2003.

Just got in from in Starkville. Have not heard, anybody got the final on this.

Thanks, Pel

Sundays matches

Sundays matches

Real quick cause I'm tired,

GRADY lost to JR in the losers side final 4-3......GRADY was up 3-1 but that Indian (JR) don't quit.....I've got to say again how good Grady was playing and how much everyone loved him here.....I told him take this week he had here to relax and play and have fun and just build on it cause I'm tellin ya he's still got some stuff to bring to the table.


THE FINALS: LARRY NEVEL vs LEIL GAY

If you've never seen Larry play, do yourself a favor and go watch him, he just absolutely steamrolled over JR 6-0 There wasn't anything JR could do except get out of the way of the train. Larry is one hell of a player and more important, a really nice person...CONGRATULATIONS to a great winner.

I want to thank all the guys for everything, everyone had a great time.

Talk back at ya after a few days,
Steve

P.S. Thanks Jen

Thanks for the updates Steve, it sounds like you had a very successful event with great players and great matches!

I was re-reading parts of the 'Cornbread Red' book with Bob Henning last night (inspired by Jenn's post below) and I came across the story of how Red got the Cornbread name. He got matched up against a "one-handed player from Puerto Rico", and it was that player's backer that started calling him 'Cornbread' according to the story. Would the Puerto Rican player have been Rico? I've heard of a Rico that traveled with 'Miami' back in the 60's...

I really enjoyed the book, by the way -- I hope Red got something out of it too -- I mean besides the well-deserved recognition!!

STEVE LAMAKO "Cornbread Red Memorial"

STEVE LAMAKO "Cornbread Red Memorial"

Just wanted to thank Steve Lomako for running a great tournament. I'm sure the Tournament in Atlanta was a factor in the turnout at this tournament. Just watching great one pocket players was enough for me. Grady is playing quite well (I think he plays better when he's not running a tournament ) less on his mind. Nevel ? what can you say. Awesome, that's all. I received paid Hotel (4 days) from Steve Lomako for coming the farthest to play. (New Orleans) My Wife and I thank you and The Rack for a very nice time. Hope to be back next year. Again, Thanks. Casey and Charlen Kilian.

Congratulations, Stealthy!

Congratulations, Stealthy!

casey said:

My Wife and I thank you and The Rack for a very nice time. Hope to be back next year. Again, Thanks. Casey and Charlen Kilian.

Click to expand...

Stealthy--

Way to go!! 5th place is a helluva finish with all those excellent players. Did Grady have anything to say about his Gulf Coast Classic event coming up in Gulfport on Dec. 8th?

Catch you on down the line...

Doc