Snooker you go see the blood, guts and tears. In billiards you go to see the artistry.  It is the only game where you control all three balls.  In snooker you just control one: the other dives into the pocket - Sunday Telegraph - 1/6/1980

The term "English" for spinning a cue ball is attributed to a British billiards wizard who came to the US and beat the pants off of everyeone - The Thomasville TImes - 2/14/1980

Despite his pre-eminence as a master cue artist - he was 15 times world pocket billiards champion from 1941 until the competition was discontinued in 1957 - Mosconi didn't start making money in large batches, however, until he made his first television appearance - Spokane Chronical - 3/26/1980

Since 1978, Belinda Campos has made her money as a professional endorsing product made by Brunswick - El Paso Times 10/18/1980

Willie Mosconi - Who was the best player I ever faced - Ralph Greenleaf, a world champion in the 1930s.  I watched him like a hawk, I learned all the tricks and the tremendous horde of knowledge he accumulated in his career. - Wasau Daily Herald - 1/2/1981

Willie Mosconi - If I had to rate him (Minnesota Fats) among the best billiard players of the world, he wouldn't even make the top 500 - Wasau Daily Herald - 2/2/1981

Minnesota Fats sues a billiard supply company that agreed that Fats would become president and CEO, but they failed to honor the agreement.  The suit was for $1.5 Million ($5 Million in 2025$) - The Anchorage Times - 2/12/1981

James Caras, 71, has developed the ability to see the balls on the table not as isolated items but as elements in a pattern.  Given the pattern, his brain is able to calculate with precision the speed at which the cue ball must travel, the angle at which it must strike and the spin it must carry to knock its target into a pocket then come to rest at the precise position for the next shot - The Philadelpha Inquirer - 3/22/1981

From the tusk of one elephant, only 2 sets of balls could be made - Huddersfield Daily Examiner - 1/9/82

The man who many feel was the model for the character "Fast Eddy Felson" in the movie "The Hustler".  Eddie Parker now travels the country as a roving ambassador of pool - Longview News-Journal - 2/9/1982

Raymond Ceulemans, 17-time world champion from Belgium will head a list of top players to compete in the 1982 US National three-cushion billiards championship - Oakland Tribue - 3/9/1982

One inch slate holds its tolerance better than anything else.  The best slate comes from Italy and isn't cheap.  The fact has led large manufacturers to search for substitutes, at the expense of producing good tables.  We've mined 99% of the slate in the US.  Cheap imitation creates a different rebound, a different bounce - The Tampa Tribune - 4/18/1982

Nick Varner, 1980 world champion in straight pool - "Prize money is increasing, the top 8 or 10 players can make about $100,000 ($300,000 in 2025$) per year" - The Courier Journal - 1/6/1983

Geraldine Titcomb, 38, has won 12 US Open Championships, never finishing lower than 3rd.  All told, she has won 40 t0 50 tournaments.  a number that would be much higher if it made any sense to play in most women's tournaments.  "If I go to Connecticut and win $700, it cost me $500 in expenses.  Why should I do that when I can make money placing in the top 15 in local men's tournaments." - Tampa Bay Times - 1/20/1983

Eddie "Fast Eddie" Pelky, the legendary shark died today of lung cancer - The Times Leader - 2/23/1983

Miller Lite had back -to-back eight and nine ball tournaments in Las Vegas for $200,000 ($600 K today) - Austin Amercian Stateman - 8/27/1983

Ivory is a Joss Cues staple, imported at $100 ($250 in 2025 $).  They also use ebony from India, purple heart wood from Bolivia, water buffalo hide from France, white maple from Canada and Irish linen - The Evening Sun - 1/6/1984

Radioactive table bases, made from scrap metal that had been contaminated by an abandoned X-Ray machine, were found in Fairfax, OH.  National Billiards said the cartons will be removed next week.  The bases were to be used in the manufacture of game tables for military bases - Cincinnati Post - 2/11/1984

In 1982, Chan Whitt, Jr. at age 9, was the youngest competitor ever to enter the Professional Pool Players Association World Open - The Columbian - 3/15/1984 

Arnie Bolhardt, of the PPPA says, "Eight million people have eight million reasons why women can't beat men in pool.  Some say it's because women's breasts get in the way, that they can't line the shot properly.  I don't agree with that.  I think pool is 80% mental and 20% physical.  Women aren't brought up to be as physical as men" - The Buffalo News - 3/9/1984

Promoter Gary Pinkowski is holding a $100,000 ($300,000 in 2025 $) pocket billiards tournament in Binghampton. He predicts a field of 90 players paying $800 per entry - Press and Sun Bulletin - 8/20/1984

Kitchner, Ontario father son team, Bill and Larry Phillips fall short of their goal to be the snooker longevity record of 300 hours, only making it to 155 hours - Waterloo Regional Record - 1/9/1985

Robert "Rags" Woods, legendary Detroit pool hustler, He learned how to "stair step" - to play the best players in a town last so the lesser players wouldn't be scared off.  He learned how to "stall" - obscured his talent in order to trap a lesser player into a game. - The Los Angeles Times - 2/17/1985

Kelly Simpson - "A top male player can make $65,000 ($195,000 2025$), but a woman can only make $10,000 ($30,000 in 2025$).  Pool is in the same spot tennis used do be" - Ventura County Star - 3/31/1985

Keith McCready won the National 9 Ball title and $25,000 ($75,000 in 2025$) for first place - Keith says he is 28, but looks like 18 and acts like 14 - Press and Sun Bulletin - 9/3/1985

John Quincy Adams had a billiards table installed at the White House.  He had to pay the government back the $50 ($1,600 in 2025$) being labeled a spindrift - The Noblesville Ledger - 1/1/1986

Earl Strickland won the $1,200 ($3,000 in 2025$) first prize at the Bakers Billiards Citrus Open Sunday, defeating Buddy Hall in the nine ball tournament.  Hall earned $700 for finishing second. Bob Hunter was third. - The Tampa Tribune - 2/4/1986

The person who is the world champion right not, Raymond Ceulemans of Belgium - in the last 20 years he's been the world champion all those years but one. What he is able to do is the same thing, over and over again, without a flaw - Lasing State Journal - 4/6/1986

Color of Money debuts - Newman/Cruise - cameos - Mizerak - Mathews - McCready -The Miami Herald - 12/10/86

A little spit and steel wool removes tiny blemishes and scratches in the ivory ferrule, the ring that prevents the end of the cues from splitting - The Odessa American - 1/1/1987

The real secret to a professional pool player's tournament success may lie outside the game hall, where Leonard Bludworth repairs pool cues with specially baked leather tips and "secret juice".  "I've got about 40 professionals on the world tour as regular customers" - "next comes my special juice" - squirting on a golden fluid that smells like a combination of oils and nail polish remover - The Bangor Daily News - 2/18/1987

Steve Mizerak - "Mike Sigel is the best player breathing on earth. He can lose a tournament, don't get me wrong, because there are a lot of great players out there. But he is the best" - Quad City Times - 5/6/1987

Jean Balukas is playing in the men's and women's divisions of the B.C. Open 9 Ball Tournament.  She withdrew from the women's division due to the dress code for the final table, requiring a formal gown or tuxedo.  The Press and Sun-Bulletin - 9/3/1987

Luther "Wimpy" Lassiter - "Babyface Whitlow" is still around Detroit. Doesn't shoot much, I don't think. Married a young girl and that was the end of him" - The News and Observer - 1/12/1988

Jean Balukas will compete in the men's billiards tour this year - after being the women's World Pocket Billiards Champion for the last 15 years - Chicago Tribune - 2/19/1988

The winner of the "American Governor Cup" tournament will be paid at least $50,000 ($130,000 in 2025$).  The tournament will be held at Brevard College in California - The Asheville Times - 3/16/1988

Hall of Famer, Luther "Wimpy" Lassiter died at 69.  He won 6 World Billiards Championships - The Daily Item - 10/26/1988

Wiilie Mosconi - "How many times have you seen me beat Minnesota Fats on TV.  Every time I play him, I kill him" 
Note: Newspaper spelled his name Masconi in the complete article - Fort Pierce Tribune - 1/22/1989

The Knoxville purse dropped from $26,000 ($65,000 in 2025$) to $20,000 ($50,000 in 2025$) because 20 of the 64 slots were not filled.  The most logical explanation was that the players were tapped of money from playing Columbia, SC two weeks ago and Lexington, KY last week - The Knoxville News Sentinel - 2/5/1989

Thanks to the "Color of Money", Manhattan and its surrounding boroughs has opened 30 pool halls last year.  Many of the Manhattanites are young, white-collar crowd that includes students and artist. - The Jersey Journal 3/2/1989

Nick Varner, Hall of Famer, was the second player to win over $100,000 in one year - The Spencer County Journal - Democrat - 12/16/2020