Got to meet Fats a few times, I was a yute and thought he was some legend....but didnt know why.

I am sure the veterans around here will remember the Minnesota Fats stores, later to be named Video King, owned by my uncle. Thats why I got the Atari games before they were released, had a foosball table, pinball, a Dig Dug machine!

Was a gamer before being called a "gamer" was cool. When I was 16, had my first college counselor meeting with my mom as well. They asked , what I wanted to do. I said 'Design video games" and they laughed and said "No really, what do you want to do for a living"



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5C0ID1PIjDQ

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

This really jogs my memory,but I thought I remembered a dust-up about the Fats not being real back in the 70's. They used to televise Fats vs. Mosconi on ABC a long time ago.

Great movie about pool:

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

First the McCormick Place bang-bang confession and now childhood reminiscing--who put molly in BigFan's IPA.

Not being real!!! Who was the fat bastard I was watching shoot pool if it wasn't him?

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2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

Also met Larry Holmes (Not Leary), he was the face of International Darts....when they came out with that Dart Machine, with the plastic Darts and the holes, then auto tallied your scores. They tried to do a tourney the same weekend as the CES (used to be in Chicago)

Also, the other celeb attached to this mess was Leif Garret. He was the Foosball celeb, they made a movie with him to help promote the game.

Of course I could have made this all up on the spur of the moment. Dont remember the name of the movie, just remember the shot was he picked up the ball between the goalie and D-2, then flipped it over the rest of the players in the other goal to win the tourney....fine cinema at its best!

Stepfather was the attorney for these "contests/tourneys/leagues" We had a cool basement.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

recall my parents buying a pool table at Minnesota Fats in Schaumburg? was it? 1978?

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

The stores were named Minnesota Fats, I was too young to know what that really was, or who it was, just know it was kind of cool to go and play the games at the store. When I was 9,10,11 they started getting more video stuff, games, TV, BETAMAX!!!...and they changed the name to Video King.

We didnt have a pool table, never really liked it, so didnt care about who Fats was, even though I met a guy a few times who said he was Minn Fats.....Great, wow! WHERE IS THE INTELLIVSION SYSTEM????

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Asteroids? Stargate?

now that you bring this up I recall they sold machines. I was trying to get my parents to buy a pinball machine in addition to the pool table. I have no fucking idea why they bought a pool table in the first place. Probably used it 5 times. Sat in the basement for 30 years and gave it to my cousin.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

Tank Battle! Had it for about a month. Loved it. Had a periscope aparatus.....

Had a number of games for short periods of time. Think they sold them, didnt want them in the store or something? Didnt care, was cool to come him and see a new game, bummed it might be gone in a day or 2.

Dig Dug stayed for a long time....nobody wanted it.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Thats why we never had a pool table. Me and my sisters would never play it....

Uncle made a fortune renting/selling Pac Man/Space Invaders/Asteroids. He would put them in Bars/Bowling Alleys etc. Then split 50/50 weekly with the establishment. They also sold them if you wanted them.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

I've got his autograph somewhere. He signed his real fucking name- Rudolf Wanderone. What good is that? Nobody knows who the fuck Rudolf Wanderone is. My buddy Mike played him a few times in the early 70s when Fats was living in Johnston City and Mike was attending SIU.

He wasn't the player guys like Wimpy Lassiter and Harold Worst and Efren Reyes were. Fats is to pool what Hot Doug is to sausage.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

That was always the criticism of Fats. I remember hearing that his game was talking, not playing. I do remember Willie Mosconi routinely pounding him on Wide World of Sports (and being disappointed ).

But I absolutely loved the old Minnesota Fats store on 118th & Avenue O. If I had an inheritance then, I'd have left it all in that store.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

GOP you posts some interesting things...just wish you'd do it under your normal name.

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Can't figure that mult out either I see.

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2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

STOP HATING!

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2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

Ok this is not a mult. You win....for now.

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did HE shake your hand?

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

not only shook his hand, but hand dinner with him. Couldnt have been nicer. One of those things that I was too young to really know who he was. I knew he was boxer, but not very familar. The Leif Garret meeting was more impressive!

Not sure many remember that the CES used to be in Chicago.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

I used to display at CES in Chicago every year.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

Dont think the plastic tip darts machine thing took off like they hoped.

_________________
"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”