Damn Yankees and Other Stories of the South

ChicagoFats

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Thanks, Steve.

My personal opinion is that the Grady Rule blows chunks.

At the tournament I am only aware of it being deployed one time (though there may have been others). I think it was during a match between Colonel Billie and Joe, Saturday night? I was playing a couple of tables away and Crab visited their table and explained the rule a couple of times. Colonel Billie kinda got this look on his face as if he'd bitten into a very sour lemon and made a remark akin to, "So basically you're saying we can't play an end game." I will leave it to them to comment further.

I will mention in passing that on the ride home Dustin and I were talking about the rule and purely off the top of my head I suggested that maybe it'd be better if a match was lagging, the TD just drop the two balls closest to the end rail and the players went to seven instead of eight. If necessary you could drop two more a half hour later and they go to six. That way there could still be an end game. I called it the Figueroa Rule, lol. I have zero idea if that would work out in real life but Dustin thought it an intriguing idea.

Lou Figueroa
Grady rule came up in my match with Tom Wirth as well. We probably had to spot about 3 or 4 balls.
Tom used it strategically against me once... and forgot about it once too.
 

lfigueroa

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Grady rule came up in my match with Tom Wirth as well. We probably had to spot about 3 or 4 balls.
Tom used it strategically against me once... and forgot about it once too.


I think that's one of the main problems with introducing such a foreign rule.

Guys have played 1pocket their whole lives but with a few minor tweaks, like the ball on the break rule. So when you do this it creates chaos, particularly with a demographic that can barely remember which pocket they're shooting at, lol.

Lou Figueroa
 

crabbcatjohn

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Nov 30, 2014
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Benton, Ky.
Thanks, Steve.

My personal opinion is that the Grady Rule blows chunks.

At the tournament I am only aware of it being deployed one time (though there may have been others). I think it was during a match between Colonel Billie and Joe, Saturday night? I was playing a couple of tables away and Crab visited their table and explained the rule a couple of times. Colonel Billie kinda got this look on his face as if he'd bitten into a very sour lemon and made a remark akin to, "So basically you're saying we can't play an end game." I will leave it to them to comment further.

I will mention in passing that on the ride home Dustin and I were talking about the rule and purely off the top of my head I suggested that maybe it'd be better if a match was lagging, the TD just drop the two balls closest to the end rail and the players went to seven instead of eight. If necessary you could drop two more a half hour later and they go to six. That way there could still be an end game. I called it the Figueroa Rule, lol. I have zero idea if that would work out in real life but Dustin thought it an intriguing idea.

Lou Figueroa

It was used 4 times i think, twice in one players matches. That player tends to go up table shooting balls out of play up table every game instead of hiding balls with the stack or placing them up table in actual scoring positions if you scratch. This makes for long games nearly every game. It doesn't work real well for the tournament brackets they are in but its their style and i don't want to knock them for it. People have different styles of play though so you have to deal with it in some way to keep things moving along. To be honest i haven't seen any rule yet i prefer. In this particular case its not slow play, its just long games so a lower ball count might work better. Its a very difficult situation for sure.
 

NH Steve

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New Hampshire
Thanks, Steve.

My personal opinion is that the Grady Rule blows chunks.

At the tournament I am only aware of it being deployed one time (though there may have been others). I think it was during a match between Colonel Billie and Joe, Saturday night? I was playing a couple of tables away and Crab visited their table and explained the rule a couple of times. Colonel Billie kinda got this look on his face as if he'd bitten into a very sour lemon and made a remark akin to, "So basically you're saying we can't play an end game." I will leave it to them to comment further.

I will mention in passing that on the ride home Dustin and I were talking about the rule and purely off the top of my head I suggested that maybe it'd be better if a match was lagging, the TD just drop the two balls closest to the end rail and the players went to seven instead of eight. If necessary you could drop two more a half hour later and they go to six. That way there could still be an end game. I called it the Figueroa Rule, lol. I have zero idea if that would work out in real life but Dustin thought it an intriguing idea.

Lou Figueroa
That's basically what a local One Pocket tournament did that I played in -- if you were behind at a certain point, the count to win got shortened. But I don't remember if he picked up balls -- but I like that aspect because it maintains the possibility of coming down to the "last ball". And coming off the head rail first there should be no argument about which balls come off.
 

Miller

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East St. Louis Area
great read lou….ha!

:)

-------

(now we just gotta work on 1p.org STL contingent kollegedave, kimbro, and arizona jay.....)

Let's go to Memphis....
It's a great bunch of guys....
You'll have a good time....
 

BrookelandBilly

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Messages
443
From
Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas
Guys have played 1pocket their whole lives but with a few minor tweaks, like the ball on the break rule. So when you do this it creates chaos, particularly with a demographic that can barely remember which pocket they're shooting at, lol.

Lou Figueroa[/QUOTE]

And I thought my weekly opponent was the only one having trouble remembering his pocket. I’ve often thought about how to mark his pocket in a way that doesn’t interfere with the match. I’ve had him make balls in my pocket. If I catch him shooting at my pocket I’ve stopped him several times but I can’t always tell that’s what’s going on. Getting old is hard work.
 

Matt_24

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Jul 18, 2005
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After all the references to Memphis I thought I was headed to Tennessee. Come to find out that Southaven is just a side-step over the boarder into Mississippi. Who knew?

This journey started out weeks before with Dustin repeatedly calling to me like some stout, grey haired, Bud Light swilling Circi murmuring, “Let’s go the Memphis. It’s a great bunch of guys. You’ll have a good time.” Over and over he called to me to come closer and closer to the rocks. And finally I buckled and agreed to drive with him to the home of Elvis and barbecue.

Off we went, pool playing Raul Duke and Dr. Gonzo, south down I-55 to the land of the polite people, Steely Dan and the Talking Heads serenading us southward. Though I consider myself well traveled, I actually haven’t spent much time in the South. So when we got there the first thing I notice is how unfailingly nice everyone is. During just the three days of our visit I have never heard so many “Yes, Sir’s” and “Yes, Maam, please’s” in all my life. It quickly got to the point that I began to feel incredibly boorish simply saying the occasional “Yes, please” and failing to add a casual honorific.

It was an easy drive and after checking in we made our way to Bill’s Southaven Recreation Center.

What a wonderful room.

Tucked away just off the interstate it is home to anyone who loves pool. The tables are well kept, the lighting just so, and the music, though a bit more country than my taste normally runs to, was pleasant enough. I mean after all, who doesn’t enjoyed hearing Jerry Reed wax poetic about the circumstances concerning, “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot” which truthfully I hadn’t’ heard in many, many years.

So let me get this out of the way first off: Bill is a wonderful host. A nice pool room — you got it. Action — you got it. Good food — you got it. Cold drinks — on their way. A hearty slap on the back accompanied with a warn Southern greeting — it’s there and plenty more.

Dustin wanted to hit some balls by his lonesome so I got another table and tried to acclimate myself to the cloth, balls, cushions, and pockets of the very nice Gold Crowns. Some of us broke for dinner and I had a great time with Jason, Todd, Colonel Billie, Robert, and Tom at Dale’s, a short ride away, with us enjoying steaks, fried catfish and chicken, and sweet tea. Afterwards it was time for the calcutta and I ended up buying half myself back from the Crab Man who seemed intent on frittering away his most recent social security check on what he called, “A One Pocket Icon.” (Funny moment: when the bid for me got to $150 someone in the back queried, “He’s that good?!” And when the bid immediately jumped to $200 there was, from the same spot, a muted, “Shoot, guess so.”)

My first match was against Todd, a local player with a fierce game. He shot straight and knew the equipment and I felt fortunate to eke out the win. Next played I played Mitch. Mitch is tough as nails and he made me suffer. Colonel Billie, from across the room, was watching and repeatedly tried to catch my eye and make funny. It was the whole Army vs Air Force thing that became something of a running gag between us. It all started when he related how miserable his Army officer’s quarters were out in the field. And then by chance he spent time deployed with an Air Force unit and was shocked to find much superior accommodations, replete with air conditioning. I politely explained to the Colonel the fundamental difference between the Army and the Air Force. “Billie, the difference between our two services is that when the order is given to secure a camp the Army sets up a perimeter. If the Air Force gets the very same exact order we negotiate a 30 year lease.

So I’m playing Mitch and I’m trying my best to ignore Colonel Billie but he finally gets me with a crack about how my being in the Air Force contributing to me "looking so debonair" late in life and I bust out laughing, trying my best not to disturb Mitch who’s down on a shot. Eventually Mitch and I get to 2-2 and he has me dead to rights, him needing one and me needing five. But he commits an error and I squeak out a four ball run to go to a hill-hill last ball situation. I buckled up for a tough one ball battle but then, suddenly and without warning, Mitch begins hallucinating and there are four-railers and extreme back cut banks off the end rail being fired at until, almost inevitably, he commits a fatal error and I am able to shoot a spot shot for the win. It’s my final match of the night and Dustin immediately is at my side with what is to be the first of many beers that evening.

My first match the next morning is against Robert on the streaming table. Robert is a charming gentleman but a fearsome opponent on a pool table. I play well and though I lose 3-1 I feel as though I was in it all the way making several nifty banks. Regrettably, for moi, they were not sufficient. Next I play Warren, Robert’s road partner. Warren plays a great game and I knew I’d be best off to play an aggressive game against him and somehow it pays off. My last match of the night is against John from Chicago. John plays a very studied, sophisticated game of 1pocket and I feel lucky to get the win. It is time to again irrigate my brain with beer.

My last match of the tournament was Sunday morning against Tom, again on the streaming table, which BTW is a very tough but fair table. I felt that I was in it all the way but Tom made several very nice bank shots to take it home. In fact, I was impressed with how quickly and effortless he went to two particular bank shots making them both several times. Thanks Tom. Getting back home I went to my home table and worked on those very two shots and will have them in my back pocket for the next time. I also want to say thanks to Jason. I had the chance to observe his game for a fair amount of time and picked up something he was doing on his draw shots. Once again, I tried it out on my home track and now it’s mine. And congratulations Jason on the win — well deserved.

And so, isn’t all that reason enough to try theses events occasionally?

There is the hospitality, the camaraderie, the competition, the opportunity to test your game, and the chance — if you’re paying attention — to pick up shots and techniques that will pay off handsomely down the road. Thanks to Bill for being a charming host, Jeanie for keeping the brackets straight and moving us along, Crab Man for the no nonsense officiating, Dustin for handling the dough and printing up the brackets, and Kentucky for the stream. If I’ve forgotten anyone I sincerely apologize but the old brain cells aren’t what they used to be.

And so, I finished tied for 5th/6th, played some great guys, and made a few bucks off the prize fund and calcutta. Dustin and I say our fare thee wells and take off up the road with Tom Petty and Billy Joel providing the soundtrack. It isn’t Thelma and Louise but it was still pretty cool.

Lou Figueroa

Great post, Lou. Air Force leads the way! I was lucky enough to hang with Dustin on Saturday and he relayed that you all had a great time.

My dad lived in Jackson, TN for the last 10 years or so (and I grew up in Nashville, Tn). Jackson is just a hop, skip, and jump away from Memphis, so on my first visit to dad's years ago - we went down to High Pockets in Memphis to play. On this inaugural visit I met a young man in a Papa John's uniform and house cue who "sir"ed the sh*t out of me while heisting me 5 games straight. I felt like I played good for the amount of time I'm able to dedicate (yada, yada, yada...the usual excuses) but definitely not good enough. Afterward a gentlemen who looked to be around 70 years old and was missing an eye complimented my effort against Papa John, while following up with an inquiry to play $50 a game 9 ball. I think he even called me "sir".
 

lfigueroa

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It was used 4 times i think, twice in one players matches. That player tends to go up table shooting balls out of play up table every game instead of hiding balls with the stack or placing them up table in actual scoring positions if you scratch. This makes for long games nearly every game. It doesn't work real well for the tournament brackets they are in but its their style and i don't want to knock them for it. People have different styles of play though so you have to deal with it in some way to keep things moving along. To be honest i haven't seen any rule yet i prefer. In this particular case its not slow play, its just long games so a lower ball count might work better. Its a very difficult situation for sure.


Right, it's tough when one or both guys soot everything up table.

Lou Figueroa
 

lfigueroa

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That's basically what a local One Pocket tournament did that I played in -- if you were behind at a certain point, the count to win got shortened. But I don't remember if he picked up balls -- but I like that aspect because it maintains the possibility of coming down to the "last ball". And coming off the head rail first there should be no argument about which balls come off.


I suppose you might have to add the old rule: if two balls are an equal distance from the rail you take the lower numbered ball.

Lou Figueroa
 

lfigueroa

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great read lou….ha!

:)

-------

(now we just gotta work on 1p.org STL contingent kollegedave, kimbro, and arizona jay.....)

Let's go to Memphis....
It's a great bunch of guys....
You'll have a good time....


Thanks, Dustin.

Lou Figueroa
 

lfigueroa

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Messages
2,493
Guys have played 1pocket their whole lives but with a few minor tweaks, like the ball on the break rule. So when you do this it creates chaos, particularly with a demographic that can barely remember which pocket they're shooting at, lol.

Lou Figueroa

And I thought my weekly opponent was the only one having trouble remembering his pocket. I’ve often thought about how to mark his pocket in a way that doesn’t interfere with the match. I’ve had him make balls in my pocket. If I catch him shooting at my pocket I’ve stopped him several times but I can’t always tell that’s what’s going on. Getting old is hard work.[/QUOTE]


Maybe put a Post-It with an arrow drawn on it on top of his pocket?

Lou Figueroa
it could work
 

lfigueroa

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Great post, Lou. Air Force leads the way! I was lucky enough to hang with Dustin on Saturday and he relayed that you all had a great time.

My dad lived in Jackson, TN for the last 10 years or so (and I grew up in Nashville, Tn). Jackson is just a hop, skip, and jump away from Memphis, so on my first visit to dad's years ago - we went down to High Pockets in Memphis to play. On this inaugural visit I met a young man in a Papa John's uniform and house cue who "sir"ed the sh*t out of me while heisting me 5 games straight. I felt like I played good for the amount of time I'm able to dedicate (yada, yada, yada...the usual excuses) but definitely not good enough. Afterward a gentlemen who looked to be around 70 years old and was missing an eye complimented my effort against Papa John, while following up with an inquiry to play $50 a game 9 ball. I think he even called me "sir".


lol, thanks, Matt.

Yes, that's pretty much the way it is, very cordial.

Lou Figueroa
but dangerous :)
 

J.R.

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Feb 20, 2006
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Chicago, Illinois
Lou, I totally enjoyed reading your post. :) I'd like to respond to something you wrote at the beginning of your narrative. It goes like this... I too silently wondered :confused: why the mini one pocket tournament was the "Memphis Melee" when the venue was surprisingly in Southaven, Mississippi. I suppose someone couldn't spell Mississippi or misread a Memphis map. :heh Nevertheless, I do hold as my opinion that if and when there is another tournament at the Southaven Recreation Center it should appropriately be dubbed the "Mississippi Melee" or maybe the "Catfish and Cotton Melee." But it should never again be called the "Memphis Melee" unless some heavyweight can drag the pool room a block north over the state line into Tennessee.
 

lfigueroa

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Lou, I totally enjoyed reading your post. :) I'd like to respond to something you wrote at the beginning of your narrative. It goes like this... I too silently wondered :confused: why the mini one pocket tournament was the "Memphis Melee" when the venue was surprisingly in Southaven, Mississippi. I suppose someone couldn't spell Mississippi or misread a Memphis map. :heh Nevertheless, I do hold as my opinion that if and when there is another tournament at the Southaven Recreation Center it should appropriately be dubbed the "Mississippi Melee" or maybe the "Catfish and Cotton Melee." But it should never again be called the "Memphis Melee" unless some heavyweight can drag the pool room a block north over the state line into Tennessee.


Thanks, JR. And I agree that that would be a good move.

Lou Figueroa
 
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