Monday, November 27, 2006

The Idea Guys


"Get this! Get this! This shot is going to be genius! Bank it just past the side pocket, slice into the 4 ball which hits the 3 and just barely cuts the 9 in the corner pocket." On other tables in the pool hall, the sounds of balls dropping murmured in the background. But those were ordinary shots, not shots of genius. Those people had no idea of greatness. But the Idea Guys did.

"OK, OK," countered his friend. "How about this one? Go two rails, kick the 6 into the 3 and combo the 9 in the side pocket." The Idea Guys always laughed at the others with their chalked up cue sticks and powdered hands, struggling to make even the simplest of shots. They were above all that - they never picked up a cue - inventing shots their brethren "can not even conceptualize".

The last one of the trio surveyed the table intently but could find no combination of rails and ricochets to outdo his cohorts. Finally, he looked up and grinned. "I'll just lift up the table from this corner and roll the 9 ball in!" His companions looked at one another, mulled over the idea, and then quickly concluded with a high five. "Genius!"

Grabbing their coats on the way out, they talked excitedly of "Fight Club" being on TV that night. The man behind the counter eyed them contemptuously as his assistant poked him curiously. "But they didn't play the game. They just threw the balls on the table."

"Yeah, I know. They've been doing it for years. They never pick up a clue."


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