Today, January 21, 2025, marks an extraordinary event in Metairie, Louisiana— we are witnessing the heaviest snowfall in my lifetime. With over seven inches blanketing the ground, this is the most snow recorded here since 1895. This snowfall is a glimpse into the past for those who appreciate revisiting yesteryear.
This time is reminiscent of my early days as a pool player. The Sport Palace was where I honed my skills. Earl and Louie Knott ran a unique pool room, a gambler's paradise that felt like a Green Felt Jungle. Surviving there required not only innate talent but also daily-learned lessons. Unlike some pool rooms today where owners discourage hustlers, the Sport Palace welcomed them and nurtured their newbie customers into seasoned gamblers.
1981 was a particularly memorable year for me. It was the year I earned the nickname "Joey with a tie," given to me by the famous bellman, Hotel Al. At the time, I didn’t realize what an honor it was to receive a name within this subculture, but it stuck with me nonetheless.
For over a dozen years, I kept watch at the Sport Palace, learning, losing, and occasionally winning. As I mastered my trade, the wins became more frequent, making the journey joyous. I wouldn't have enjoyed growing up in a pool room where owners coddled every customer, protecting them from the hustlers. At the Sport Palace, you started as a sheep and had to learn to become a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Earl Heisler oversaw all that the Sport Palace was famous for.
Old man Pete, an elder of 75 years, boiled the freshest and tastiest seafood you could ever want—crabs, shrimp, crawfish, all prepared when in season. The boiling room behind the pool hall was a large commercial operation where Pete meticulously managed each piece of seafood. He was a New Orleans treasure, and when the steam filled the pool room with its spicy aroma, those with extra money knew it was time to take a break and enjoy the best seafood in the world.
Below are some pictures of a newspaper article from The Times Picayunne newspaper in 1981 about the Sport Palace. My mom kept the article all these years, and that's her handwriting at the top. You were the BEST MOM! Yes, that's me posing against the Sport Palace sign outside the pool room.
The person on the sign is James Leone, or "Buffalo" as he is known to many friends, the most famous pool room owner the world has ever known. This was one year after I returned from my six-year sabbatical in Jackson, MS, where I watched the young Reid Pierce grow into an extraordinary sharpshooter and U.S. Open 9 Ball Champion.
Many years and many lessons later, I sit here in front of my computer recalling those days which started me on a path I would seldom venture far from. I had the good fortune over those years to compete against some of the best pool players the world has ever seen. I even had the good fortune to place high in tournaments and even win matches every now and then.
1998
JoeyA vs. Shannon Daulton, (U.S. Pro Pool player, MULITIPLE TITLES), JoeyA 4-2,
Legends of One Pocket, Baton Rouge, LA. JoeyA, the only person to beat Shannon Daulton
in that event.
2004 JoeyA vs. Reid Pierce (U.S. Open 9 Ball Champion) 3-1 Green Room, Jackson MS
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2005 Dalton Memorial Classic, 1st Place JoeyA vs. Jason JoeyA
vs. Jose Parica (Multiple Title World Champion) 2-0, Derby City Classic 2007 2007 Derby City Classic One Pocket Division, 65 th place. 2007 JoeyA vs. Jose Parica (Multiple Title World Champion) 2-0, Derby City Classic 2007 JoeyA vs. Shawn Putnam (U.S. Pro Pool Player and Mosconi Cup Player) 2-1, Derby City Classic 2007 JoeyA vs. Chris Szuter (U.S. Pro Pool Player) 2-1, Derby City Classic. |
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2008
Derby City Classic, One Pocket Division, 58 th place 2008 JoeyA vs. Lee Van Corteza (Philippine National Champion) 3-1 Derby City Classic. 2009 Derby City Classic 9-Ball Division , 37th Place. 2009 JoeyA vs. Bobby Hunter (U.S. Straight Pool Champion) 9-4 (Nine Ball) Derby City Classic. 2011 JoeyA vs Charles “Hillbilly” Bryant, (Texas State 9 Ball Champion) Louisiana State Bar Table Championship 7-4. |
2011 JoeyA vs. Rob Saez (Pro Player) 5-4, Cue Sports 2011. Louisiana State Bar Table Championship.
2011 Louisiana State Bar Table Championship February 19-20, 2011, Bayou Lafourche, Thibodaux, LA 3rd place finish.
2011 White Diamonds 9 Ball 5th place.
2012 Tunica Open 9 Ball Seniors Champion.
My losses were too many to list here. :-)
There were a few victories after these but too few to mention.
To my regular practice partners over the years, I tip my hat and thank you for sharing these many years with me. Mike Silvers, Jamie "Doc Hutch" Hutchinson, Roberto "Bobby H" Hontiveros, Duane Bourgeois, David Walters, and my incredibly talented son Joseph Aguzin.
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