Homan Square Pool Checkers & Chess Club of Chicago

3559 W. Arthington Street, Chicago, Illinois 60624 – Club Room #3 (312) 746-6650

CLUB HOURS: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 2:30pm – 9:00pm *Closed on Holidays*

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(Scroll down to the next page for our latest “Eastpoint” narrative).

Pool

Checkers

&

Chess

Championships

Friday, Sept. 29, 2006: 10:00 A.M. - 9:00 P.M.

Saturday, Sept. 30, 2006: 10:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.

Homan Square Community Center

3559 W. Arthington St.

Chicago, Illinois 60624

Phone: (312) 746-6650

(Clubroom 10)

Presented by: The Homan Square Pool Checkers and Chess Club (HSPCCC)

(Complementary Refreshments)

“Eastpoint” to Attend Playoffs

It has been reported from our Club officer, Assistant Business Manager, Mr.. Mel Mitchell that he has personally talked with Mr. Al “Eastpoint” Barnett of Atlanta, Georgia, and that Mr. Barnett says he will visit our Championship Tournament and the Joe Wilson Playoff on September 29, 2006. The word is, he has issued a warning to tell a certain “chicken (bleep) lawyer out of Gary, Indiana to “stay out of town.” He says that the town (Chicago) is not big enough for both of them. I personally issued the message to Mr. Lay and WE agreed that Mr. Barnett don’t dictate to Chicago-area players who can and cannot be in OUR town. After all, this is still Buster’s town. And his legacy lives on.

As all would know, “Buster” protected us from INTRUDERS for nearly fifty years. But he did warn us that after he’s gone, a day like this would come. And, he said, when it did, we would have to carry the torch ourselves. With Mr. Barnett’s visit, (if he does visit), we will now have to deal with two elite Top Masters. But it’s all right.’ Consequently, we will not stand idly by if someone tries to intimidate our good friend Mr. Clorius Lay. I, myself, might still have some issues to settle with “Eastpoint” for what he did to me in Memphis in 2001. I have already begun brushing up on some of my games. And so, we say, this is still our turf. “Bring it on!”

It all started when Mr. Mitchell’s son visited the club about a year age. Mr.-Williams, I believe his name is, who is not a pool checkers player himself- just happened to mention to us that he had visited a barber shop in his home city of Atlanta, and that a guy came in and whipped every player in the shop. After our inquiry about a description, we immediately knew it was “Eastpoint”- the seven times APCA champion. Mr. Williams told us that when he returned home he was going to acquaint himself with Mr. Barnett. Not only did they become acquainted, they also became great friends as well.

As a result of this acquaintance, Mr. Williams has indicated to his father, Mr. Mitchell that he would personally drive “Eastpoint” to Chicago for the Championship Playoffs. And there you have it. With what initially started out as a friendly “Bragging Rights” Family match with our INVITED guest Mr. Wilson, has now become a potentially all-out war with an INTRUDER and some of America’s best Pool Checkers players. Stay tuned or visit the Club on that day.

(To access an in-depth profile of “Eastpoint,” scroll to the main page of www.hspccc.com, and click on, Pecan‘s Checkers USA.com Archives/The 20 greatest players/ #5 Al “Eastpoint“ Barnett.)

“Pecan“.

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“Eastpoint” Arrives in Chicago Talking ’Trash’ but Leaves a Little More Subdued

All time great and legendary player, Al “Eastpoint” Barnett, of Atlanta Georgia arrived in Chicago on Wednesday, September 27, 2006 - two days before our scheduled Championship Playoffs. Almost before he entered the premises. Mr. “Point” was talking trash. After taking out a very talkative Jr. Master/Gold Bar player, Mr. Lee Pittman (2-0). The great “Point” was talking non-stop. It was about a variety of subjects-most notably “Pecan’s” 3^rd and 4^th picks for The All Time 20 Greatest Players of America Pool Checkers.

Only after he was reminded that he had his fact mixed up and that he had some “serious issues” to settle, right there in Atlanta, about the number 5 and 6 picks did he become a little less provocative. We reminded him that “The Claw” had indicated to us that he was unhappy with my 5^th and 6^th selections.

In addition, the “Point” was threatening to walk through Chicago area players like Sherman walked through Atlanta - on his way to the sea (Where are you Mr. Gooche?). Excoriating all of Chicago, perhaps with the possible exception of Daley I, (the father of Chicago’s current mayor Daley) and Michael Jordan, “The Point” was all mouth.

Local players stood in utter shock and disbelief as Mr. Barnett continued to berate the locals. He quieted down somewhat only after he was reminded that he was “guest,” and as long as he was here, we were going to try to treat him as such-but he couldn’t come in to our town talking all crazy like he was. And we assured him that he would be provided with the competition that was necessary to keep him entertained as long as he was here. And that we would hope that he would let his playing do his talking. We were then somewhat able to quiet him down a little. Additionally, it’s believed here that ‘others’ talked to him and suggested that perhaps he could be a little less combative.

Whatever the case, time would prove that “The Point” would be in for the shock of his life. After his lashing of the Jr. Master/Gold Bar player, he engaged Master player Fred D. (The Shark) Shurn. Mr. Shurn repulsed his advances. The score was 1-1 in, I think, three games. But the best was yet to come.

In waiting for his scheduled match the next day with Clorius “Mongoose” Lay (Who never showed), the mighty “Point” was to engage Al “Action” Lambert, who didn’t play in the Championship Tournament, in a twelve games match. That’s where the battle began. When the dust settled, the “Point” survived 2-1. But there was more to come. Disregarding others that we had lined up to play him, “the “Point” challenged Al to another match the very next day. In a perhaps a six hour battle, the “Point” fell 1-2. Mr. Lambert perhaps had his finest hour in this one. The score was now 3 - 3 overall and the “Point,” seemed to begin to realize that he was in a “dog fight.” And there was more than one dog involved in the fight. There was one member who swore he had seen “blood” coming from “The Point.” Another one shouted “ Y’all tell that “Point” this ain’t Sparta, Georgia, and we are not the “Money Players” of the world either.

And yet, there was more to come. While he waited for Mr. Lambert to show up for their third encounter, Orlando “Panama” Williams walked in. In a very emotional “trash talking” barrage by both players, Mr. Williams stood him off. The score was 2-2. But, I think “Panama’ got the best of the “trash talking” in this one, because not only did he catch “The Point” in his infamous “Ushaa Cow” game in which he won, He also proposed to the “Point” that he would play him for some “high stakes” on the Big Board (100 Square) since there seemed to have been some suggestion that a little “bread” be put up. There were those of us in the audience who suspected that “The Point” didn’t need any part of the “Panama Kid” on the Big Board. And the “Point” confirmed our suspicions by declining.

On the final day, Lambert returned for their third encounter. The “Point” won this one 1-0 in an abbreviated 6 games match. After it was all said and done, Mr. Barnett, the 5^th rated player in all of American Pool Checkers history, left Chicago with a one game cushion in perhaps 40 games or more with our elite players. One kibitzer exclaimed, “ The Point” know he ‘ducked a bullet.’

And, I think, somewhere in Pool Checkers heaven, “Buster” was smiling.

“Pecan“.