Rack ’em up!
Tex was sipping at a cold beer and being melancholy about the Fort Bragg pool league. He began reminiscing about J.T.’s second week at playing in 2018. J.T. was new to the Fort Bragg area and an unknown, but the wearing of pant suspenders signaled that he was just another honest working man, of which he certainly is.
It was his first game at Angelina’s for the team and everyone was packed into the tight quarters. As J.T. stepped up to the table for the first time the room fell utterly silent. Who is this guy? How good is he?
Into this silence, he stepped, and then looked up and said, “Could everybody just hold it down a little?” That broke the ice and amid the following laughter, J.T. became another treasured member of the Fort Bragg pool league.
There will be Fort Bragg pool league games once again, but for the foreseeable future, we will have to rely on our memories of League play. When we went into lockdown, I had been predicting that Angelina’s had a very good chance of winning the 2020 Spring League competition. Their top shooter Josh House, was unfortunately for the first time, struggling to get his game going. And that made the team as a group struggle because their top shooter was having problems.
When we shut down, their chances of winning were at a big question mark. Tip Top Lounge was ahead of them, as well, the Golden West Saloon was leading the pack. So said their Captain, Kevin Scanlon, as he sipped a cold beverage and smiled. “We are the Champions again, after all, we were leading.”
He said it with a chuckle, but I wondered if anyone else had ideas on how we could rate the Spring 2020 League games? A quarter-size trophy? Well, what do you think would be semi-appropriate, but fair, and fun season finalization?
With private playing being the only way to play pool for now it seems, some pool players have been discussing having teams of 2 or 3 players and playing at different homes that have pool tables. You wouldn’t have many people playing, but you would still get to compete and kid around and trash talk about the top team. That may be one way to compete at playing pool games with the other League players for a time.
Some team members have been playing a hit or miss schedule and meeting up for tournaments, but tournament play is not the same as a team effort, with a set weekly schedule. If you have ideas, please speak to other players
The little tablewith sawed-off legs hasn’t moved much. That means the legs will be getting damp soon and that will not be good for the table. If you have some expertise with concrete forms call Big Ed, he knows what is needed but is very busy with an out-of-town relative’s illnesses. Once the forms are in, the concrete is then poured and the little legs will be on dry firm footing and then we can start her rehab.
Hawk showed up the other day and muscled a freezer and other stuff out of the way to begin setting forms. Hawk had his third load of wood for the day still loaded in his truck; if he hadn’t shown up we could not have finished getting the room cleared. He is a Champion guy, jack- of-alltrades, and a semi-good pool player. A big thank you to Hawk.
If you are interested in a break cue stick, letme or Sam Oakland know. Sam has a predator break stick that he “never loved” for sale and will make you a great deal on it. The cue is about six months old and like brand new. Why? Well, because Sam hardly ever gets to break a rack is why; I mean, some friends let him win, but it is a rare thing. I’ll bet he hasn’t used that break cue even a few times. It would be a great buy.
CUE TIP » If you are new to bank shots, try playing with a single ball. Playing the cue ball from a corner pocket to pocket a ball by banking it to the side pocket. Playing it near to the second diamond on the opposite rail and it may go to the fourth diamond on your side, which is the side pocket.
Try playing from the third diamond from your side to 1 and one-half diamonds on the opposite rail and see if that pockets the ball. Then, after improving some add a ball to hit with the cue ball, and remember that many banks are simple half ball hits, some practice will be necessary. Contact me at mcbohanon@gmail.com. Have a good game.