Minnesota Fats vs Willie Mosconi - Legendary Match

hundred times two hundred balls consecutively the incomparable indeed the legendary Willie Mosconi we're going to get to each of these gentlemen in just a moment because Willie was shaking his head saying no the movie was not indeed made about Minnesota Fats but we'll let him explain that and in the meantime let me quickly explain what we're going to be seeing during the course of this competition five forms of pocket billiards nine ball eight ball rotations straight pool and one pocket each will be explained at the appropriate time now Fats you came up you had something to say and earlier you've told me you're gonna rob of Willie what he makes exactly right and what else I'm going to tell you is Willie's over there shaking his head and you got in your pocket three months before the movie ever came out Willie was interviewed just like he's being interviewed last night and today and last year and last week and he said that there was gonna expose me as a pool hustler the greatest pool hustler in the world you got it in the very words right there you can read it out to the people and it said that the real Minnesota Fats is none other than New York fat's known better as New York fat's there it isn't adjourned now Willie been telling people that I ain't the one well who was that gonna if they if they wasn't describing me in a movie to hustler why didn't they make a movie about Willie Ida rack the balls all right so much but that's his position I say Farren open hostility come back here fat let's turn the well II jar adjoint well all I can say is a gentleman by the name of wallet Teves out in Ohio pardon me Howard that wrote the book and in the book he states that it's a fictional story so now what would you say were you a consultant of the film I was I was on it for four and a half months all right we've established the grudge between the two men my scene Gleason in Miami after the movie he said - as fatty that they take K I wind up with all the cash and the show they've done all the work I wind up with all the gold alright you're gonna get your chance now it's the showdown match Fats against Willie Mosconi the first competition nine ball the two players will flip for break let's go shape rack nine ball best of nine in the series and they're even arguing about what to wear [Music] that's one of the promoters trying to officiate the squabble all right well he agrees there'll be no wearing of coats we'll be back for the start in just a moment I can't believe they can do it for $19.99 his dog go play ping pong with a tuxedo [Music] [Music] I played nispom pool for the soap that mrs. house oh okay okay well he's about to break remember I said that we playing five different forms of pool I begin with nine ball and in effect the first one to win three of the types is the victor [Music] [Music] [Music] just to clarify that little exchange Willie Mosconi sets the rules that said he didn't care he'd played by whatever rules Fats Willie set and now fats is learning the rules for the first time and the key rule is you have to call your shot now that shot was not called so the ball will come back you have to hit the balls in rotation of cost the one first to second and so on up but combinations are allowed so here we go well it looks like he's gonna try to bank the two ball and we should take a look at the way he's gonna try to make that shot the two ball that's it nope two ball goes into the wrong pocket so up it comes [Music] you can't call not be here all night anyhow let's cancel my reservation [Music] that's his confusion as I mentioned over the rules because he didn't even want the explanation in advance okay well he sitting the two men always call him the three perfect [Music] Oh ball Willy calling the balls and rotation remember they must be hit in rotation and well he wanted the right to call your shots as part of the rules because he wanted to take the element of luck out of the game this is a man who ran once 526 consecutive balls that's looking on intently as Willie is doing away with the table one by one 6 Ball corner pocket now watch how beautifully he will played position setting himself up to the next Paul leading up to the option ball one 9 ball sink that when you win the game perfectly back to the 8 ball 8 and let's watch ideal position to sink the 9 ball it's minor on the whole table missed the 9 ball the opponent sinks the 9 galley wins the game well a wins competition will be back great pool shootout Willie Mosconi against Minnesota Fats the nine ball competition under way best of nine wins the series musk only leading one game to none Mosconi likes total quiet facts likes to destroy the opponent with Talk thus this earlier conversation is it going to be possible under our rules of procedure for you to remain quiet while Willie shoots he of course has to remain quiet no more you shoot let me tell you secret I can play as if I was deaf and dumb I can play if he was had a gang war in the joint that don't mean nothing to me whatever you want to do I do it nice and when I leave I leave with the cash you understand I don't care what goes on I wouldn't care if they were shooting bow and arrows they're having a western movies and if that don't bother me you understand ninety-nine out of a hundred pool pleasure in a lot of breathe guy was playing a World Championship at a match and a guy in the back he shooting the whole tables open and some sucker took a cigarette out of his mouth like this he ain't even supposed to see it and he says good heavens my god did you see what that what he do to me he said I said what'd he do they are sitting right there he's the new CJIs I'm gonna let go he took a cigarette as well if I were you are playing a wax museum and then if anybody moves and I get out of town well well he's ready for the break fat's looks like he's getting out of town he's almost out of the arena that's referee calls fat's back canary comes what happened I want you to watch closely because his a chance yeah he's gonna try the combination and trying to win the game right here on the very first shot as the diagram just displayed he was using the one ball to hit the nine into the corner and it didn't work so well he's got the one ball easily set up one Ball corner don't forget you have to hit and rotation louis ball on the table combinations are allowable and yet can't give Mosconi and opening not with his ability at straight pool that's his tough game two ball and in effect this becomes straight pool for Willie that was a remarkable shot folks it required a delicacy let's look at it again you'll see what I mean no margin for error look how closely that ball avoids the purple off four ball watch in slow motion [Music] that's the magic ladies and gentlemen of Willie Mosconi as we watch the cue ball and then priests ultimately the cue ball came to rest we'll see a three bright rocket back there fats is beginning to look a little dubious about the talents of Mosconi dubious in the sense of can I compete with them when you have to call your shots but now Moscone has a problem [Music] remember the nine ball is the object of the game and remember - Mosconi leads one game to none in the best of 9 9 ball competition four Ball corner pocket for other forms of pool are scheduled in the total competition nice shot by fans let's watch his position back against the fire ball tough situation now let's look at what he's going to have to try Frank he's gonna try to panic it here's a great bank player but that telling me just missed and you can't leave Moscone and opening he can kill you five Ball corner pocket [Music] each player has been given expenses in advance six ball runner on the overall match gets $15,000 and right here you see Moscone again setting himself seven Ball corner pocket Amy's got the eight but must leave himself spotted for the nine and he's done exactly that [Music] 9-ball corner pocket gang mr. Wasco so Mosconi leads in the 9-ball competition two games to none and we'll be back we're back at the nine ball competition between Willie Mosconi and Minnesota Fats game three just underway Mosconi leading two games to none won the second game by running the five through the nine balls after a Miss by fans the two men differ sharply in personalities and in their approach that's this earlier conversation Willie it's been said that each of you fat's in you has everything to lose and nothing to gain by this match in other words you are the straight pool artist of the world everybody knows your records fat's at the same time as one of the renowned and colorful colorful figures in the history of the game what is your response to that well yes that's right to a certain extent but I look at it from another angle this is something I haven't done for a long while Howard I haven't been in competition as you know and I look look at apana there's a fun thing there's something a little bit different he may think he has everything to lose I certainly don't well if it's a fun thing Willie doesn't show it the attitude couldn't be more serious it's working on the two ball thank the two ball cross corner now this is a remarkable effort he's undertaking I don't believe that shot we're going to have to take a look at the way he executed it now watch closely couldn't have to have more delicacy in the shot execution than this one required inside the black or eight ball into the designated pocket remarkable and notice he still moves inside the eight ball to sink the three disturbed well remember he said it was hold on corner pocket look at him now and he's got perfect position Ridge row fill er and chalk final he's called for the bridge you are entitled to use the bridge thus keeping your feet on the ground if the boys awkwardly situate as is the case here a miscue it's almost American masculinity himself doesn't believe now that's his call the eight ball let's look at that oh he can't sink to five but he must hit the five first and in combination I'm acting a bank shot by fats he also gets credit for the five remember balls must be hit and rotation so it's a six all are coming up that's plays position beautifully this was the first opening and musk only real seven Ball corner pocket and gave it to fats with the miscue 9-ball on a pot object-- ball of the game a nine ball game facts that's Winsett we've got a contest Mosconi - that's one in the nine ball competition we'll be back the basketball scores for you in Atlantic Coast hate a movie in Hollywood starring Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason called the hustla consultant on the movie was the famed Willie Mosconi police in plays a character in the movie called Minnesota Fats in the real-life Minnesota Fats says that the character was predicated upon him Minnesota Fats but Willie Mosconi says that's absolute nonsense he says the character was based upon a figure in the novel The Hustler thus the hostility between the two [Music] the film was based on my life story and at that time you couldn't give me a thousand dollars a minute the fool would movies a television and nothing because I just never worked a day in my life and don't care nothing about being involved I understand this guy's big and fat and look somewhat like glacier no that was my life that was this that Minnesota they never saw Minnesota and his wife prior to that he was from New York City in fact I don't think he had enough money to get out of New York City to get the Minnesota but two men so totally different in lifestyle and personality even differ in the manner in which they practice their trade for instance with fats he works on the trick shot like this one sinking four balls at one time this is called the railroad shot I want to make the yellow ball on the left hand corner the blue ball on the right hand corner cue balls going all around the table go through these tracks change tracks and come back and make the three ball making a 1/2 of the pick fat's absolutely disdains masconi's specialty straight pool eight pool what's great pool is a cancer they quit and 35 how many years ago is that forty some years ago ain't no living human pretty used to play for a pack of cigarettes wasn't them days a time a pack that castles Lucky's all of them I don't even know the names I'm cuz I don't smoke but there was a dime a pack and they used to play a hundred balls four pack of cigarettes I was playing like five hundred or a thousand again this is what we call the championship game the rest of the game bats and the rest of the boys are lucky when they call a game such a dyke you to hit them as hard as you can and if you get lucky and make balls while you keep them this game right here you're gonna have to call the ball call the pot I've been looking forward to this match for a long time and this time I'll kill him I involved they have m6 coming up Willie Mosconi has won games four and five and leads four games to one over Minnesota affect the break 19 so referee swats the nine ball remember if must Dhoni wins this game he has won the nine ball competition it's a best of 9 competition and coming up next will be the 8-ball competition which will again be a best of 9 bullies got the bald spread just the way he wants them and fats despite the smile nose freebies on the precipice of extinction in the master plays position for the 4 ball a purple ball right in front of you Fall Ball corner pocket [Music] five ball side pocket you must sink the nine ball seven ball say object ball of the game Ross County running the table eight Ball corner pocket now he's got exactly the position he wants he's set to pocket the nine ball and win the 9-ball competition nobody can believe what just happened well if Nicklaus can miss a four footer I guess the world's greatest pool shooter that's what he should have done right there but watch what should have been a hanger became a flop [Music] well the balls of war that sound up in that position fat sank the 9-ball and won the game that's the object of the game to sink the nine or object fall so that stays alive let's go up four games to two Mosconi coming up Game seven of the nine ball competition Mosconi one games four in five fat stayed alive winning Game six so again fats must fight to remain in the nine ball competition that's on the break up comes the ball ball sunk on the break re-spotted thank you one magnificent bank shot artist that's but unfortunately a scratch so Mosconi will take over they'll Reis pot the one and that's what Willie will have to go after that's joins the crowd Mosconi knows he has but to win the game and he's got a nine ball competition one it's news they do ball corner well he scratches and leaves the two ball in a hanger position for the side pocket for facts the thing about fats is despite all the talks the man's a great player and he responds to challenge you never what seemingly I pocket loses his confidence delicately none perfect position for the three this is a tinder shot we should have another look at that one because that 11 is how much [Music] that's the path of all had to take it almost looked like a half miscue now watch this just inside and down it goes irrepressible Minnesota Fats 65 years old Willie Mosconi 64 and yet the skills seem untrim old five Ball corner pocket and that's the very shot that Willie missed in Game three remember Musk only took the bridge and miss Q and that's what setup fats his victory in that game but fats didn't miss cute his real name by the way is Rudolph six ponder on junior Bruno wonder own junior again a half missed you but the shot succeeded seven vault on forget to each player has gotten substantial expenses in advance and the winner of the total competition gets fifty eighteen thousand dollars fats is doing away with them one by one running the tape nine ball on a pocket he is about to stay alive again he wins so we've got a competition going four games to three Mosconi leads in the nine ball will be back Ciccone studying the table reflective suddenly aware that he's in a struggle a nine ball competition now standing at four games to three his favor but fats shooting game heat underway [Music] suban let's look casual left himself in touch in here he's got to try the three bullet after the way you just saw diagrams watch ethnic goes to Moscone if he wins this game he wins the nine ball competition fat's must win to stay alive first among these two men have met and many disagreements one of which is over what really happened the last time they missed and who really wants this whole football [Music] see that one again because he called the corner pocket the four ball everything perfectly right now watch everything right but the way he executed the shot but look at this table all caroms off the white ball hits it again and in she goes to the designated pocket five ball Ross County sees a shot like that he wonders what's going on but fats misses the attempted bank on the five ball which in this competition has become the Bugaboo ball and Willie proves the point again he flubs what appeared to me an easy one but fats is left in the terrible position and he's going to try to execute five Ball corner pocket a miracle bank shot that's never loses this sense of humor I scratch it's 16 champions over the first week well he set the roads before the match fat's agreed the five ball the object-ball was behind the head spot after the scratch and the rule is the ball Joe psyche vodka that's dismayed by the rules is coming not only now to understand as Willie approaches victory if he sinks this is one a nine ball competition there it is games two three and the two of them shake hands and you've got to give credit to Minnesota fast while he was quarreling about the rules which he didn't understand he nevertheless was a perfect gentleman and taking the defeat and of course there are four more types of pool scheduled in the opener so defense and Willie Mosconi we pick up with the eight ball competition now nearly everybody a plays pool everywhere in the country knows what eight ball is it's the game that novices most like to play if one contestant sinks a ring ball first he must sink all the other ring balls and then try to sink the 8 ball because whomever sinks the eight ball wins the game at the same time if a contestant sinks a solid ball first he must sink all of the solid balls and then try to sink the 8 ball to annex the victory fat's you regard yourself is unparalleled in any form of right right exactly right that's why I put my dash up whenever I play that's why I come by myself and when I leave you understand what guys with teeth this long I leave I don't want to see no heads when I hit the door I understand the pressure and I played one for half a million and cold cash there was guys with teeth this long at all the exits you understand I get the picture you speak with total clarity and absolutely [Music] absolutely irrelevant yes very good is 8-ball a game of skill or a game of luck mostly luck colouring mostly looks like there's only eight balls a knock into the pocket flush the black ball well let's see there's not very hard running balls is it you saw the nine ball game it's not very hard if you're Willie Mosconi if you Howard Cosell it's impossible all right getting ready to start the competition and they're flipping for break and Minnesota Fats is really on his game honey like back he wanted to lose the toss tactical purposes I suppose in the meantime he tryouts one set to none in the overall competition $15,000 going to the winner and the 9-ball competition has been won by Willie Mosconi five to three break [Music] okay both balls of one town must be spotted under the rules which were made by Willie Mosconi and Pat's has had difficulty understanding them as the competition has been going along 94 men Willie played one for a coffee cake [Music] [Music] tell you now play some banks or some bank every other ball that have free will have fun I better get down there straighten this thing out get the ball started thanks get back in the ship now here's one of his countryman that's what's wrong Oh be a good boy let's go really [Music] all right we're finally ready to go after all of that I want to re-emphasize Willie Mosconi made the rolls where struck me was agreement seven Ball side pocket okay Willie Mosconi sinking the solid balls one through seven the object ball of the game the eight ball man who sinks the eight ball wins now watch this that's the way the balls got to go just had room to get through now if you sink the 8 ball before you've sunk all of your balls you lose the game the job is to sink the one through the seven for Mosconi the ring balls must be sunk by me fats and then sink the 8 ball you win six brand-new Cadillacs every time a bird flies over one of my another those cats sleeping president's limousine all right go ahead Willie I'm all through this he's finished I'm sorry I disturbed you there's no let-up with Minnesota Fats and he knows he gets under Willie skin the more he talks the meantime well he's not in the best position in the world he's going to try to play the one ball up there in the far left end going on the left-hand side is green one ball [Music] that folks is incredible that can be no other work that is what you call a mess say we're going to take another look at it now watch closely [Music] he has to make that ball curve just as you saw the dotted line there that's what we call masse as I say and he does exactly that now he still has to have control of that ball a control coming from the way he used his cue because that cue balls got to get down there and it caroms the one ball in a remarkable remarkable demonstration of sickle Willie scratches after the great shot a duffer's shot will be back Jen this is game 1 best of 9 that's the series in eight ball just as it was a nine ball which was won by Moscone five games to three now Moscone established the rules for each of the contests in advance with the permission and consent of fats that's didn't even want to listen to in them at the time thus there's been much bickering about the rules during the course of played today Mosconi meantime is working on the solid colors and one of the rules he established for this the eight ball competition was that you have to call your shots sometimes people play 8-ball not on that condition but it is the condition here and he wanted it that way in order to bring as much skill to the contest as possible he's left himself perfect position for the six ball as you can see Moscone a master of position play but now he has a tough shot he's got to sink the eight ball to win that's the object of the game cross sergeant's going to try to bank it into the opposite side pocket you must get by the nine ball he doesn't Mosconi is simply amazing when it comes to precision play now I want you to take another look at that shot task get the cue ball past the nine ball hitting the eight ball first as required and then bring that 8 ball past the red ring ball is barely room and still he doesn't so he wins the first game of the eight ball competition leading Phat's one game to none know how quickly he broke no sooner did the referee rack up the balls then Willie broke and he's left a pretty wide open table for fats who is suddenly no growing silent not talking anymore but rather absorbed with the fact that he's in a battle he's coming to work on the solid balls calling the two easy combination and the bridge as you know is allowed in order that the contestant can keep his feet on the ground that's required by the rules when the balls are awkwardly placed and so the bridge was used effectively by facts 7 ball don't think for a moment fats isn't a master position play himself it's just that he does it casually ball Mosconi does it wouldn't intent seriousness that's a 65 years of age the real name Rudolph rawand our own junior Massac only is 64 years of age and in the total competition with five forms of bull scheduled the winner five all gets $15,000 the winner of course is the man who first wins three sets they've had nine ball this is eight ball fat's is working on the table must donate watching with a growing discomfiture no he's right up to the victory game fats runs all the solids puts away the eight 8ball competition one game apiece we'll be back in city's been said that neither you nor Willie has anything to gain by meeting in this match because them things never entered my mind whether the gain or lose anything all I ever know about is winning something I never it was a loser in my life you understand if I can win 1100 I'll try to win it you understand I don't know nothing about all them if saying how did you become a legend and how did you get great did you play all you're like oh that's automatic I come up just like any other living human I hung around saloons and pool rooms all my life I don't drink and don't smoke and I was a top-notch card player and pool player when I was eight years old I don't know all that other job that goes with it you know what I mean I don't know nothing about no Willie's a good player and I know that he plays me for cash he ain't got no chance I know you got a better chance of swimming from here to Arabia underwater we pick up with the 8-ball competition this is Game four between Willie Mosconi and Minnesota Fats and Mosconi is running out the ring balls and setting himself up to sink the object ball of the game the eight ball Mosconi leads two games to one in the eight ball competition his one the nine ball competition a tough encounter five games to three and now he leads three games to one in the eight ball competition the whole mood has changed Karen the Starlight roof of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in the heart of New York City weather had been constant badinage and bickering flare hostility between the men now it has suddenly grown quiet the six ball went in on the break it will be spotted but that establishes the color let's take another look at the break by establishing the color I mean that means that Moscone will have to as you watch the six ball go in go for the solid color balls the ring balls will be fats his game [Music] [Music] I always remember when you're watching Mosconi he is thinking two or three four shots ahead often the whole table but he didn't like what he just did [Music] the six ball was spotted on the break that's the way Moscone wants it the rules established by him to reduce the element of luck at a ball and increase the element of skill as Mosconi season again a shot that was more difficult than it looked because he didn't have that much room to work with toward the corner pocket no the six ball [Music] and fats agreed in advance to let Mosconi set the rules he didn't even want to know about them but as the course of play has developed he's been increasingly disturbed by the rules [Music] Willie who started the entire competition nervously even tentatively has grown in confidence during the course of play scratch not a sound anybody see the whiteness and bullies lower lip we've talked about it earlier nerves dehydration a four ball was spotted as a result of the scratch and now France goes to work fifteen you know part of the hostility between these two men's derives from the motion picture entitled the hustling in that picture jackie gleason played a character named Minnesota Fats that's contends or that he was the source of the character Holly Moscone was a consultant on the picture he contends that the picture derives from a book and the author stated the characters were fictional and that the character played by Gleason there's no resemblance in fact or real-life to the man at whom y'all look Minnesota Fats was in the process of running out the rainbow leading up to the object game ball the eight ball and he has gotten right to that object now beautiful shot by Fats he's back in the thick of things he's reduced masconi's lead to three games to two in the eight ball competition Moscow knee three we'll be right back there lies the domicile of 64 year old Willie Mosconi 16 times world champion of pocket billiards a quiet sedate man absorbed with bringing dignity to his profession he lives quietly with his wife and daughter in Dowell Illinois two hours south of st. Louis Missouri their lives a different kind of man a man of Flash and Colour garrulous willing to take on anyone with words and in pool even his license plate tells you about him MF stands for this man Minnesota Fats incredibly two years ago suffered a stroke was declared dead he and Moscone don't like one another and it goes back a long way while back in 1949 I believe was the last time I saw him at that time I was managing a billiard room in Philadelphia and he was one of the customers of the place he was hustling cards and doing anything you could around the place to make a dollar so finally he ran out of custard customers that he chose me I just got away from me don't bother me you know I'm how I was happy that he was making a dollar and paint Luna so finally got so obnoxious that I had to play him now I played him five games of his game which I don't know anything about to this day one pocket and I beat him five games to $50 a game see if the truth is known Willie Mosconi and I'm trying to expose me is the greatest pool player in the world which I always was and still am for money whenever he played anybody that could play of any note he always lost I played Istanbul the terrible Turkey ain't been terrible since I played happy to Chinaman and Hong Kong and he ain't been happy since you always try to keep thinking of different games you know that the other player didn't know about and he would have the knowledge and that's how he managed the wind here and there the last time I was in New York got over 30,000 in cold cash and I put it on the table to play Willie Mosconi if he wanted to play to play them I anybody else would want to play but they ain't gonna put up no cash they're gonna finally after like 16 hours they're gonna get 15 sponsors and play one for like 200 well he's always telling stories like that no such thing ever happened in fact I challenged him about three years ago we arranged the ballroom of the Sheraton Hotel in Philadelphia for four days we sent him an email registered letter telling him the dates six weeks in advance I was there that night but he didn't show I get 1,200 if I coughed twice it's con with a place of pool $60.00 again 40 again my schooling wants to play something for two again two dollars a game let's play 3,000 points you're the money player I want to tell her let's go so far Willie's proving his point he's won the nine ball he leads in the eight ball solar power this is Game seven and the eight ball competition the great pool shootout between Minnesota Fats and that man Willie Mosconi as the lip grows fighter and wider scoring games now is four games to two in the eight ball competition in favor of Mosconi that said won the fifth game making it 3-2 to but Mosconi came promptly back to win the six game and now after that flubbed shot by Fats he may be in desperate peril Mosconi working on the ring balls and if Willie can win this game he will have won the eight ball competition and they will move on to the next form of pool best of nine called rotation sinking the balls in numerical order but that's a long way away yet Willie's got to win this one if he can again we emphasize Mosconi doesn't just play one shot at a time like all great pool players including of course fats he's looking ahead he's looking to the whole lay of the table and three four and five shots a hit trying to sink the ring balls and get to the object ball of the game the eight ball and to the winner in the overall competition $15,000 in addition to substantial expense money's already received by both man well he is going about his task steadily purposefully last time the two men played head-to-head was about thirty years ago each tells a different story as to what happened on that day look at this Mosconi may have left himself in bad position he did this is not an easy shot to try to close it out so perfectly done so Willie Mosconi has won late eight fall competition five games to two there remains in the offing rotation and if he should win the rotation he will have won the best of five in the sets of different types of pool being played in the competition that's a great woman fooled play Junie palooka as we get a shot of her she was in the women's superstars we'll be back later to see how the rotation competition turns out right now let's go to the world 90 meter ski jumping championship and Al Michaels it must be action in the great pool shootout this is the rotation competition Willie leading three games to two right there as he works on a fourth game if he can win it he put away the three-ball let me quickly exploiting rotation you must go after the balls in ascending numerical order begin a thoughts with the one each ball has a point value equivalent to it's numbers no a one is worth one the two worth two the three worth 3 and so on thus the total value in a game of all points all balls is 120 so the man who achieves 61 points first wins in rotation right now well he is calling his shot it was on the sixth ball and essentially he has played it safe again Willie Mosconi set the rules with the knowledge and consent of facts and you must call your shots the purpose as Mosconi sought to reduce the element of luck increase the element of skill now when you don't get a hit on the object ball the opponent has the option of telling you to shoot again and that's what musk only did with fats and again Mosconi tells fats to shoot again [Music] again a little discussion over the rules fat's agreed to but didn't even want to know about prior to the advent of the competition now Mosconi has a lot in the way he wanted 30 he has up to 30 moving toward 61 and once again has left himself admirable position watch him send himself 38 right in front of you the bottom of your screen 45 and he has the 9-ball the ring ball to the left of your screen exactly where he wanted it 54 no he needs but one more ball the 10 ball and what could be better than this it's the crowd shows its appreciation game games the William are so many leads four games to two needs but one more victory for victory and the total competition will be back to this is Game seven and the rotation competition Willie Mosconi against Minnesota Fats Moscone leading four games to two but that's leading in this game thus far he points to - Mosconi knows and if he can win this he will have won the great pool shootout because he's already won in nine ball five games to three in eight ball five games to two the winner gets $15,000 both players have already received substantial expense monies now I see only is up to seven points you just sank the five ball he's working on the six ball a green ball but looking ahead as always to the rest of the table 13 and so he's now perfectly positioned for the seven and watch him set up the 820 well am Mosconi more than a thousand times in his career has had runs of more than 100 balls 500 times he's run for 200 votes and once I ran 526 air balls he is now meticulous disciplined sinking one after another as he approaches the magic number of 61 what chef achieved or surpassed will give him the total victory now at 58 points this could be it the way Willie is playing figures to be it and it is well a Moscow has won the great food shooter in point of fact this has been one of the most fascinating events we've had on Wide World of Sports in a long time no need now to go to Willie's specialty straight pool or fats is one pocket it is over first thing I want to do Willie is congratulate you on the victory and you fats for being a sportsman in defeat the final scores in nine ball five to three Mosconi over Minnesota Fats eight ball five to - Mosconi over fats and in rotation five to - Mosconi Oba fats fats at the start you expressed every confidence and victory and then later during the course of the competition it kind of backed off and you became a total sports never packed off at all I just like it is what is a Mensa tremendous play anybody got any sense knows this man liable to beat anybody living and I might beat anybody living I never lost my life so beat me what do you want me to do don't want you to do anything just say what just buddy living on earth knows management campaign now he's sixteen times champion I've been champion eight deficits a ton of the century I'll tell you this campaign a TI you're the best showman in the game thank you very much hat well they anything to say about fats you're under great deal of tension you felt you had to prove yourself you've been out of competition a long time it's not a competition for many years the last competitive tournament I had was back to 1963 and then I had come out of retirement then for one tournament but I'm glad that he admits that I'm the greatest player as we were leaving he can do some things Jimmy Carroll here's the cowboy Jimmy Moore Albuquerque New Mexico this is a nine ball shot I'm behind the seven playing a nine in the corner watch the shot I'm gonna botch yourself let it look card I'm gonna do it in slow motion hand quicker than the ice shot this is called well you always watch your opponent when you're playing pool well I guess I don't know what happened there cowboy Jimmy warm up and show you how it's made slow motion I can follow him Allan you're gonna see why it's called the hand quicker than the eye shot this is which made and this shot guaranteed I don't know about anybody maybe I'll play in generally no fights cowboy Jimmy Moore he is a character in all shoot pool hey here's a guy who has a million disguises does he ever take this hat off you J pocket one time I seen him without his hat he's something yet a chance of talking this guy is a character you Jay Puckett I first started with a guff filling station uniform and then I hadn't been around too much so I found out that Texaco was was nationwide more than though so I changed the technical station uniform and then after it got to well you got it finally got a black guy for a few years that are tasty tofu station man couldn't get food yeah many was Victor nobody hustles in a in a gas station after that's funny huge a bucket he was on 60 minutes that's something the great hustler this eight-ball in the end pocket traveling three rails here he's gonna go around the table five rails five rails around the table in between all those balls and try and make the eight he hits the ball he's gonna have to hit the cue ball harder to make the eight it's harder Utley and he getting on himself Utley well that's the end of that you Jay Puckett used to fight for a living he said if you didn't knock him out well first round it was over the second he'd get knocked out any more than shake one more time in this alley this time he won't touch the ball I'm a little weak he got the angle down now hits it hard enough he shouldn't touch any ball looks good Alan all right you Jake puckett the crowd appreciates it love his hat Willie Mosconi here's a class guy dapper looks good you had a chance to talk to the dapper one sounded great Alan hello I was about six years old at the time and I started playing a dancing-school my whole family were dancers in vaudeville many years ago and that's what I was destined to fade but after the dancing lesson I had to wait for hour after my father picked me up well over in the corner my uncle had a full table he liked to play pool I knew nothing about it notice that went on doing one whole summer so at the end of the summer I got so I could run all the balls up to take nobody knew it but one day my uncle felt sorry for me I guess I was hanging around so much he said come on kid I'll play a game so he busted the balls and event fifteen on offense he said do that again oh I think I want to run ten or eleven before missing well the next day went on that posters made and I was playing an exhibition at the Friars Club in New York the following week that was the start of the billiard career oh you talk about nostalgia there's a great pool player setting up this shot all right this is the shot the jacket Jackie Gleason made in the motion picture of the hustler first time he played Paul Newman he called the one ball out of the pack back into this pocket let's see if we can make this yellow ball or one ball back into this pot this looks tough Allen five kisses this one ball gets before it goes in the pocket great shot what a shot that was Willie Mosconi let's take a look at this again I'll let you describe it two ball kissing ball ball ball hitting the nine into the one kissing on the seven-inch spring and building in the corner pocket [Music] this is a shot that Paul Newman made in that pic to the hustler Gleason broke the ball and he left the cue ball stuck behind the corner pocket Paul Newman called the one ball the yellow bar to the pack into this punch let's see if we can make curving this shot you have to know where to hit the cue ball to make it on the side rail right there he says I quit hey he's as good-looking as Paul him might explain that bandage he had a little surgery and that's why really yeah is it bad let's take another look at the shadow perfect angle hits the one wall kissing it into the strike ball and pocketing it in the corner Tony you talk about nostalgia look at this shot this is at least more coming out right sure is our he's still very competitive he looks very relaxed when you had a chance to talk to him well in this game to win Allen you can play well and lose you can play fairly well and win to win a tournament and with a number of good players like you and the other fellows you've got to play well and be lucky get the breaks you can't win by just playing well and you can't win by just being lucky it's a combination of the two things and I don't care what anybody tells you you must play well and be lucky would you rather be lucky than good I'd like to have the combination he's talking about if she can play well and be lucky this shot as you can see there are four ringers down the table 10 11 12 and 13 I'm gonna play the 10 in the corner the 11 and the 12 and the other corner and the 13 in the side four balls one shot this looks tough very important they'd be set up right earlier he's going to split the two balls in the middle and make all four in one shot great what a great shot by Irving crane from Rochester New York the Deacon let's take another look overhead angle one more angle and let you describe playing the two balls perfectly the two balls in the middle in the corner and the other to the side and in the corner Irving crane of his name in Rochester nanometer our colorful referee Charlie or SETI reducing a newcomer Bragg's woods we started out very young playing this game how did you get interested in pool well I'll tell you I passed by a pool room one day and heard the balls click this funny thing I was in high school and I heard the balls click and I went in and see what it was and it was rolling these balls around and so then I stopped in a pool hall that was close to my house on the way to school and the man let me in I told him I was 18 and he let me in and then I never did go to school no more I just I leave home in the morning going to school and I'd go to the pool room stay there some school was out and I'd come back home and tell my mother I'd been to school and then I'd go back to the pool hall again and so time for me to come home they thought I was out playing ball or something a lot of mothers calling they want those kiddos in school don't listen kids go to school get your education all right this is a nine ball shot playing the nine ball in the corner pocket nine ball in the corner pocket now this looks like a time shot Alan is this just tough as it looks definitely is he's going three rails at the cue ball but before he goes three rails he's going to hit the one ball making another ball come down and hit the nine ball into the six ball and nine ball makes to six and it's gonna hang by the corner pocket like it is going to now and the cue ball oh so that was an accident the cue ball and the nine ball was supposed to meet at the corner oh you could lose some money in let's take a look especially if the cue ball gets there before the nine look at this time oh good timing I started out in Detroit move to LA class guy I've really been impressed with him considered as the greatest black player ever [Music] Tufts this Alan it's gonna have to move those four balls cuz they're in the way so it's a combination bank with the cue ball knocking the four balls out of the way the one ball hit the eighth knocking it off the rail going across side oh this piece of cake you can show me how to do that when I'm sure after the show Robert rags would one more time describe it out a fall cross side and from our overhead angle I like the same piece of cake folks yeah we're having some fun hope you're enjoying it stick with us we've got a lot more coming up right after this message tux's Luther Lassiter Allen that has been around for half a century he's played on every kind of table you can imagine she traveled all over the country are flying pool different kinds of tables and also with different sets of balls and in the old days the balls and there was a kiss shot that was on it went but today with the new balls his shots don't have to go and he's setting up a 15 ball kiss shot now I really liked how he was so straightforward with you about his opinions of what he really feels about pool yes it is and you got different different rubber on tables you got two over a bank under a bank with different speeds your zeal you can hit them with any speed just so you just sort of Bank it perfect and you had the ball kisses were the same way you could imagine wall perfect and they below you try to murder them all now for perfect though you like equipment today we're playing on yeah because it's tougher I will shade play the ping pong ball you know just make it just as tough for you good would you like to play with ping pong balls the pockets will be bigger 15 ball combination listen to the clicks Allen 16 kisses I like that that shot was on earth oh I like that was that nice Whoopie lassiter's 16 kisses and he made it look very easy Jimmy cares guy who could do a few things with a pool stick I like when you talk to him guys straightforward no I started playing at a YMCA I I was in a junior why and I saw a checkerboard you know with a little checkers on it and they had a cue and you had one checker and hit the other checker into a pocket that's when I first started and then they had junior a little junior pool tables and it's all the ball going the pocket and I became fascinated that's how I started when did you first get your first pool table to play on I know I never had a pool table home during those years the homeless weren't even large enough to accommodate a pool table but my dad opened a bigger room and then Wilmington Delaware you know he used to let me go in on that Sunday because she weren't allowed to go in unless you were 18 in those days and I would practice and I started getting better and better all the time my maiden was six seconds but I had to take the pocket off she should have to fast they jam up but what you have to watch out for is the miscue because the tip is hitting the ball 16 times okay started out playing pool the same whether you did in the YMCA check the pool oh I like this shot Allen very nice shimmy Kara's made it look easy didn't hey this next guy needs no introduction born and raised in New York and started playing pool at the turn-of-the-century New York City you were born city in Washington Heights I hustle craps on the George Washington Bridge when they built it why do they call you Minnesota Fats call me Minnesota Fats a several reason when they made the movie to hustler they didn't want to say New York fats are double smarter triple smart fats that was my nickname the shut smart on Broadway called me double and triple smart after I unraveled all of them if we could just get fat to come out of his shell say what's on his mind every kid I know if they'd like to be here to see this shot for several reasons they like the hollow that they didn't all go in at the same time you understand and they all log in which one went in first see if you can tell three-ball I'm gonna gonna argue with you I agree with you that's that's a nice shot just take another look out see if it is a three definitely our three ball Minnesota fans gonna make the seven eight nine again but I'll make it a little different I'll make the seven eight and the nine is gonna kiss the seven in combine the eight in and kick the cueball 3-cushion and make the nine speaking the 3-cushion Gervais that was his best game this looks like a tough shot Alan he's got to watch out for the kiss on the cue ball on the eight ball you have to miss it you missed it and he comes oh yeah look at that oh what a shot crowd likes it Minnesota Fats it is a character let's take one more look at this shot three rails making the H first the cue ball then making a nine ball in the corner pocket top of anything I want to do with all kinds at all kinds I'm the greatest ladies man in the world I'm almost 100 years old I make Boyd Reynolds look like Mortimer Snerd when it comes to tomatoes you ought to know that you see me operate Mortimer Snerd you don't know Mortimer Snerd is out you're too young never heard of it Minnesota Fats the guy's got the WC Fields accent down ain't more trick shots coming up you want to stick with us it gets to be more fun well those are some legends from the last half century we've got a future legend for you watch Laura John Ogonowski in action was made famous by machine gun Lou Butera and it's called the over and under the bridge shot and it's more of a skill shot than a trick shot because I'm gonna pocket the one ball in the corner pocket the cue ball will jump over the bridge travel back under the bridge and pocket the two ball in the corner pocket Allan this looks tough it is her she's gonna have to elevate her cue and dig down into the cue ball hitting the one almost on top of the ball and bringing the cue ball over the bridge with a lot of drawing whoosh making the cue ball come backwards and make the two and she has to make the one also she jumps up in the air she Rises glory John with a sensational shot oh my goodness I like that let's take another look a lot of backspin on the cue ball here coming back and pocketing the two ball [Music] well this looks interesting let's let Laurie John just explain this one because this could be it looks like an interesting shot to me yeah what's going to happen is the cue ball is going act as the train and it's going to go under the bridge and collapse the bridge travel one two three rails go up one railroad track change tracks and pocket the eleven twelve of the thirteen in the side pocket are you kidding me the railroad Chad how tough is it I've never seen this one before I don't know the balls in the middle of table are just gonna fall down and stay there and the cue ball is gonna go around three rails in between the two cues there and go around the pocket and then pocket the three balls on the stick up to stick around the pocket start coming down knock those three balls in the pocket oh look like it wasn't alone with it yes it does you need to help it John good clarity last year's champion Irv nice effort by Lori Jack I like that very much the railroad chuck got to remember that oh look at this there's anyway Gerry Cooney oh I know that guy in that tux behind this my partner Alan Hoffman you're not gonna do this Alan you've been out in the Sun too long this guy get up and oh I know what you're gonna do Alan do you know how nervous he is I wasn't locked in one nine ball right out of his mouth in the corner pocket oh what a shot I'm glad you made that out joy working with you and I'm not sure you'd still be around besides that man ah this is great Alice folks out there gotta get out and try some of these shots I know I'm gonna make you show me how to do some of these what a day we've had I hope you've enjoyed every time I see a multi-million a wants to borrow something got 30,000 acres in Fresno I just give a drunk $5 out there one ball he lose 1,100 and he didn't have nothing to go home with this is unbelievable he's thinking pinched a hundred there's a homeless of a different sort and it won't bother Willy now Willy's gonna have to come three rails on this shot here and try and hit the tree ball it's being leaning over like you said before I leave one foot on the ground no you ain't gonna dump that all your life whether we're looking Bank this ball or not I can't tell from here we've all you got a bank of three ball cross corner here now I got a kid at the wrong ball what do you do charlie give us around them amidst the mightiest of all blond luckily have to dress a man of your caliber I know it's three more Oh almost one half of a shot yeah it was a double bang shot in the corner but I think he was trying to make it a side pocket left Willie a very real or not luckily frozen on the back plays me they'll send them to buy boys look ahead gotta look out again with him cut it out what if the place was in creamed corn you got guys hustle me cause I'm playing so big at that one i banked that one on a corner I said I Bank that one that is your size that's what I want that's the side I want Charlie because I'm gonna bounce this one in there that's me over silent yes I sit up with two all in seven ball II three two one no I'm sorry daddy's got three there Eddie gets it sorry we don't watch three two one my mistake fat's with the three two one lead on Willie Mosconi we could go extra inning [Music] for straight in nine ball he won the first and seventh well look like okay [Music] could be a good possibility Festus goes into the eight ball right that should be an interesting match 3 games to one a full rule it's one of the best games to a lot of action in the seven there but it's not gonna go no ball is pocketed on the break mr. Marconi shoots everybody senses of jewels when I tell you several a $1,000 to a nickel I don't never exaggerate I tell it like 80% look really much of a shot here what side would good start at the table okay plane to one ball all right no he's gonna play a bank shot or two safeties probably gonna play safety on the one ball yeah okay he's taking a good look gotta hit that one first yeah he's got a bad leave here he's gonna play safe to put the one down by the to allow you ball up table behind the three ball if you can get it there in nice shot made a great shot put it right where he wanted I shot fatty yeah I don't give him my money I wouldn't give Capone my money playing the one you never seen one like me not really something I'm proud of myself like he's looking like these now what happened there William fire then he's not lying up the shot spring hey he's looking for ten points let's not lose sight of this he could get 10 points these youngsters they don't know you always done well in full he needs this game to win this thing when I'm in the several John come on we've got a good chance to win at any point two three four in a corner pawn a pawn pick up falling got a good chance of running out here he's if he gets on the five ball he's got alright fly ball he gets on the six he figures to win the match where am i what side over there well Nate that's clay I knew it all the time I knew it all the time six in the corner chance to win it now win out no going don't you Charlie huh Sadie this is me over here that's your side oh that what are you waiting for come up there it go how did I do that he over cut the seven ball and hit it to the side rail was it tough let the ball hit it too much riding right near on them most likely hit it into the side rail on the ball was running he should rack them up and not yeah well he's got a tough shot he's gonna play a safety I'll make this over there loss of gain ratchet on the seventh ball he loses the game so he was within my out of east grass on them getting the ten points and now I must go knee back any trails to read it three two I could've cost fatty a sessional you may not get another chance you better take your chances when you get a Willie you may not get another shot yeah really cuz Willie's got a few tough rolls with fatty he's been quiet he's ready to bounce in there give that feeling scores three games to two favor of fat break moving around there's another one hit it no he's got the site on its where seven ball is to belong on the break playing to one who's got a tough run on he's gonna have to bank the Fed of all we know they're gonna come around three rails here on the three ball one goes one two three knee comes out for the three ball perfect three-ball in the corner threes already stuck on the brakes and now he's looking for the tree that's the red ball the plate is free and he'll draw the ball back for the four ball or in a corner to play the for the corner he'll draw the ball up a little bit for the five nice shot five in a corner looks like he hit them so hard the cue ball hardly moves after he hits the the object controls that ball right where he wants to so come one railing over for the six ball here a nicely done for sure six in the corner Willie oh come up table right near this right around in the side pocket the bank the seven ball cross side or in the corner either way it depends where he gets on the ball you may play the ball cross corner now seven ball cross bar we gotta go the opposite side yeah don't hit this easy there's a girl mister the tough shot left fatty a cross corner Bank one of Patty's favorite shots it's a one pocket shot how do you probably make this ball he said to Rackham setting that time he was not hitting the his debts in Minnesota fact he went into seven ball four to two Mosconi one the nine ball before nothing that means we go to the time bring extra innings Buddha right we're going to eight ball two out of three when we return and we are back in Atlantic City New Jersey the Claridge Hotel and Casino at the legendary stars of pocket billiards we're in eighth hall between Willie Mosconi and Minnesota Fats Moscone leads one game to none two out of three will win this match as they split their earlier ones Mosconi beat bats in the nine volt but fats came back to win the seven ball to the biggest names not the biggest in Pocket most well-known may not be a big fan of the sport but you know these derivatives how to do know that what you do know huh you do viewers whether they casually follow pocket serious or their ardent fan they know these two patties got a tough run out here he's chosen the low ball isn't the two ball in the seven ball are gonna be very tough for me get break corner gonna play the combination here the four ball into nomination four to six you should make this well he's run for already Horace I got three to go in the eight ball he could nine it out he's gonna be in a lot of trouble though he shot even if he made that he wouldn't had a shot didn't have no pocket no pocket yeah Willie's got his work cut out for misses a tough run out here Willie runs out it would be a great run out of the balls were all clustered together on the bond he's gonna have to buy Balban gonna come around to rails for the 12 ball the side pocket I don't want a little too hard you may shoot you live a ball and break open the red ball gonna break open that cluster sooner they love it inside Oh Willie Mosconi whose reign over the sport in the 40s and 50s has really been unparalleled at least in modern times Toshio no green league something that his runs earlier in the 20s itself it's hard to believe that Ralph Greenleaf was better than Willie Mosconi you watch Billy play this money will say that he always had life didn't that's where we could really get his first big break a lot of respectable he may say that 12 ball on the side and he'll play the 14 but oh hey baby you know he got his drill well he started to throw the others worse name when he went on an exhibition with Greenleaf and almost split their 100-plus game the young man then he's gonna have to get on that 15 ball somehow a message 1500 shoots 14 first he's gonna come around 1500 it's 13 guys work cut out here Chrissy gonna make sure you're the shot at the 15 ball hey mister I missed it okay why did he miss this down well he jumped up on the shot one reason and see him jump up on the shot and he had to get up on the 15 while make sure he got a shot at the 15 he tried to cheat the pocket which cost him the shot sounds like he's sawing wood let's make sure you don't miss curious he gets out this game he's gonna be a favorite to win the eight ball good I don't know where the two ball can go in the corner it's hard to tell that examples I think April's block the rocket she jangle he's gonna have to draw the cue ball into the 2 in the 2 in the 8th he's gonna shoot the 4 and aside and draw the cue ball back and check that most in the pocket I've gone about a third or fourth choice now he's following the ball make it less safe no leave themselves a shot at the eight-three then this sir good make it meet a nice shutting them to ball we're tie what do you know we're going to route Willie Mosconi and Minnesota Fats we are going to the final game of 8-ball the winner gets the match the loser to tell some stories we'll tell our story when we return in a moment Chris Berman and Alan Hopkins back at the Claridge Hotel and Casino Atlantic City New Jersey well it's have you tuned in late and missed a lot of good action but it's the last two minutes of a tight NBA game the tiebreaker of the tiebreaker 3/8 man Minnesota Fats Allen right now and Willie Mosconi whoever wins this game wins the game wins the team no balls pocket on the north all right they win the cheese nothing match and when both match and cheese get one extra point for the cheese hey he's got a little bit of a tricky run out here really doesn't have that much of an easy shot he's got the two ball he's got the nine ball for this shoot the 9 ball mister you didn't think we'd get this far did you no I did thought it would be quick but yeah I did think it would be quick I don't think fashion and get out of here get out here okay well he's feeling on the strikes you get the high ball my scrawny the low ball nine thanks to nine dead on then you can make the ten here and break open the 14 and 5 hate the 10 ball on the side what a break there they might have caught a better break here you might have to throw they can break off in the 14 now not all 13 for protection any fee it's a bet she's gonna cost him the session out breaking open those walls that's the point well yes he is playing well he's gonna go go no way got a problem with the 14 ball there's nothing you can do here they have a hard time breaking this over fifteen ball where we don't win the corner Chris but he really doesn't have anything to do with the 14 ball unless he comes back down table 414 yellow corn let's see what he does Wow he hit it too hard you cut the 14 in the boy he must hit the a fall or he loses the game set and match oh if he doesn't hit the a loses the game lot of pressure here he's got himself in a real toast bio anything I'll hate it don't worry about it that is loss of game second ball boy that's a tough way to go and each of these fellas so very well and ninety-eight but Willie Mosconi wins the 20 point so my story wins but a little tougher the anticipated we'll be back with more right after this timeout Pete and the master Willie Mosconi against Minnesota Fats I played him hundreds thousands of times and you finally win the eight ball competition when he scratches on the eight ball has that ever happened between the two of you know to winning but he plays better tonight than I've ever seen him play got a little lucky one question Willie all the times we've played together have you ever seen Fatih play as well as the anthem now no that's just what I said it's the best I've ever seen you party me too yeah you say everybody gets a little lucky but you have to be good to be lucky this man certainly is and he's a good Bank a bank shot player he knows all the angles on the table it's just I think he had he has been practicing more so than the heads in the last few years he's been practicing but so have you and we will see the two gentleman to my left Willie Mosconi and Alan Hopkins when we return for more action in coming days from Atlantic City on Chris Berman so [Music]

Channel: InsidePOOLmag

Views: 2,189,678

Rating: 4.5967326 out of 5

Keywords: pool, billiards, Minnesota Fats, Willie Mosconi, Rudolph Wanderone, Howard Cosell, Charlie Ursitii, legendary, classic, retro

Id: Gtnmfb9Dnkg

Length: 96min 47sec (5807 seconds)

Published: Sun Mar 08 2015

Reddit Comments

[u/thizzy85]

Awesome video. Love that fat bastard

[u/TomServoHere]

I know many will say it's part of the game, but I think it reflects poorly on a player when they resort to trash talk and other cheap tricks. That being said, you can see Mosconi getting pissed off, makes some great shots, but also scratches on a seemingly easy shot.

Bonus: Wasn't expecting Howard Cosell to be the commentator!

[u/johnmichael956]

You guys should watch the Twilight Zone episode with about a pool game with Minnesota Fats if you have the chance, its on netflix.

*not the real MF.

[u/0ut0fJuice]

Mm if Minnesota fats was a quiet man you wouldn't have ever heard of him. Every sport needs a villan or entertainer. He's a lot of fun to watch

[u/mohrt]

This is Rudolf Wanderone, he assumed the name "Minnesota Fats" once he realized there was money and fame to be made from it. He was more aptly known as "New York Fats". "Minnesota Fats" is a fictional character. That said, yes Rudolf was an eccentric character to say the least.