Minnesota Fats Vs Irving Crane Billiards (Part 4 of 4)

[mattsummers100]

My dad once beat minesota fats in las vegas because fats was too busy showboating. he started to get frustrated and actually play pool but it was too late.

[entertainerthe]

Fats was an usurper ... he has assumed the right to bear that name but everyone knows that Minnesota Fats was only a character born from the imagination of Walter Stone Tevis ... Eternal glory to the Great Willie Mosconi.....

[dv713]

Fats could not hold Cranes cue case back in the day.

Crane was a 5 time world champion. Yes Fats could beat a bunch of "think they are good" players out of their cash but against good players he was a weak link. Jackie Gleason who was a good amatuer player thought Fats was a blowhard and he felt he could have easily beat him. He did not say that about players like Crane and Mosconi.

[NorskVic]

I see a lot of individuals are very frustrated with Fats. Don't get him wrong, now. He was a very amazing pool player but no one remembers him for that. It's his loud mouth that everyone will remember. But, that's just part of his game, you see. It's not about shooting balls and winning games - it's about the kind of person you are while you're doing it. Little do you guys know, he might be dropping this so that he can catch some real action somewhere else.

[Supertramp1966]

This video completely blows my image of Fats - I grew up thinking he could actually play pool. He's a bonafied "ball-banger" in these video clips! He doesn't get down on the ball and shoots way too quick. (How's that for breaking 2 of the golden rules of billiards).... I suppose that's what really got under people's skin - if you play like Strickland, you can talk. But Fats had no right running his mouth with a game like his... Just my 2 cents.

[bacharles1]

@Supertramp1966 He actually had a health reason that made it hard to get down on the ball (can't recall exactly what it was), but you're right on all the other points. If he couldn't use his mouth effectively to get under people's skin, he was in trouble against the elite players.

[VirusX]

fats is freaking annoying. all he did was talk.

[thethecommander]

You have to make the cue ball walk sideways to begin with then you can draw the ball straight back 7 rails like me and Melvin Taylor used to do in 1970 in Cinti Oh! Mel once ran 110 balls on a bar table

[thethecommander]

Fat'scouldn't make 2 balls in a row in his best day! He had no stroke, he hit the balls in a forward motion like the lady's he hardly never drew off the object ball which is a sure sign of a short stop! A player will draw off the ball more then he will follow it! Da Commander!

[chavezglassworks]

your an idiot draw is used only when needed stop shots are not draw. Draw is the hardest english to control accuratley.

[answerstolucky]

@chavezglassworks Technincally, draw is not considered 'english.' Only left and right spin is considered english. Draw and follow are just that. Draw and its use is relegated for many more instances than just when stop shots are desired. And yes, you can hit the ball below center (draw) to make a stop shot. It just depends on the velocity of the cueball. You can also use draw to bend banks, for example.

[elementskateboardsyo]

Two of the all time greats in pocket billiard history.

[OPaivio]

Correction, one of the all time greats, one douchebag with no talent. You figure it out.

[G48202]

well when you play with count dracula.....theres gonna be blood... :[...

[COLUMBINE1818]

Not impressed with Minnesota Fats. He scratched multiple times, missed when he had BALL IN HAND. Irving Crane owned him. Crane demonstrated exactly what a professional should be.

[G48202]

lol owned