Portland, OR (AP)
Furious George - riding a two game winning streak and lingering just 5 points out of first place - tangled fiercely with Piedmont Place on Monday night. Possibly distracted by the gals from the Red Hat Society, who were barnstorming through the pool room and raising a little hell before their 8:30 bed time, things started slow and shaky for the Georges. Mixa and Creepy fell in quick succession, putting the hometown heros in an early 0-2 hole.
When Chewy stepped to the table for match three, he knew he had to slow things down and take his opponents out of rhythm. Playing against a weak two, he dragged out the innings and put the Piedmont bench on cold ice. "I could have easily won those first three games in 25 to 30 innings," said Northeast Portland's favorite underground cult hero, "but I chose to drag it out a little longer, let them really feel the pain of a slow dagger."
His plan worked perfectly, as usual, and Chewy coasted to an easy 3-0 victory. By the time his two hour marathon match had ended, Piedmont Place had fallen into a near comatose state. Players nodded off in their chairs, pleading with each other to wake up and snap out of it. Some woke up startled, asking what day it was and where they were.
Chewy had masterminded the beginnings of a perfect comeback. "It was a brilliant plan to slow things down a bit," said Coach Urquhart afterwards. "It helped us seize back the momentum. I tell you what," he went on, "those are the kinds of moves that don't show up in a box score, but they win games for the team."
Trailing 2-1, Bam Bam took the table for match 4. Fresh off the plane from Tijuana, he was red eyed and rail thin. "Four days in a Mexican holding cell will do that to a man," commented Veto, shaking his head like a man who had also seen such horrors. Urquhart, who had been negotiating for days with Mexican authorities, finally worked out a deal to get him back to the States; though the details are still fuzzy and unknown. Some close to him have suggested that he used personal funds to bring Bam Bam home. "He felt so bad about stealing all the money from the scratch jar," said one longtime associate, "that he raised Bam Bam's bail money on his own, dancing at Embers."
Running on tequila fumes and adrenaline, The Bam battled out of the gates and picked up steam with each successive game; his innings decreasing and his precision increasing with each passing inning. "It was an impressive performance indeed," commented ESPN Billiards Analyst Ava "The Striking Viking" Mataya-Lawrence afterwards. Showing her toothy smile, she summed it all up nicely: "After four days of hell in that God foresaken third world country, The Bam was able to step into a must win situation, block it all out, and play winning pool. He really showed his fans and teammateswhat he's made of tonight."
Furious George 2, Piedmont Place 2.
Meanwhile, on the side tables, some of the most spectacular pool action of the night was taking place. The Finger and Creepywhite were dead locked in challenge play when The Finger unleashed out one of the greatest pressure shots of all time. Seemingly snookered after a strong defensive play by CW, The Finger calmly eyed a kick shot and executed it with perfect technique and aim. The railbirds exploded in applause, with at least one metrosexual man passing out from all the excitement. "That Finger is just soooo cool under pressure," he said upon being woken up with cold rags and smelling salts.
"That was an amazing shot, no doubt about it," said Billiards legend Earl Strickland, who just happened to be at attendance for the big inter-divisional showdown. "Not many people can pull that one off, but The Finger used his secret weapon: the flimsly finger bridge. It enables him to generate just the kind of deft touch necessary to pull off a shot like that."
Victorious and feeling confident, Urquhart poured back shots of whiskey like water. Before long he was drunk and glowing with the warm rush of success. His new nemeis Creepywhite was, for the moment, his bitch. "I challenge you, Veto!" the new number two declared, poking his famous finger in his new target's chest. "You're next Spaghetti Sauce!"
Veto, however, had other business to attend to at the moment. Tied 2-2, he stepped to the table for the final match of the night. For the second week in row, his game would decide Furious George's fate. Paired against a six, Veto nearly saw a break and run executed against him in the first game. But he refused to be intimidated, and battled back courageously in the games that followed. He ran balls, kept the innings short, and - in the end - applied just enough pressure to pull out a 4-2 win.
The comeback was complete! Furious George 3, Piedmont Place 2.
After being down 0-2, Chewy, Bam Bam and Veto had mounted a charge for the ages and given Furious George their third straight victory. The boys slapped high fives and celebrated their dramatic, come from behind win. Down on Alberta street, fans rejoiced and gathered around the pool room at Binks, hoping to catch a glipse of their heros as they returned for the after-party. "Do you think The Bam will be here," one small child was overheard asking his father as they waited together on the sidewalk. It was past his bed time, and he shivered in the cool fall night. "Maybe son," he replied, "just maybe."
"The session is young and we're looking good," summed up Coach Urquhart on Tuesday morning. "If we keep racking up wins, we'll stay in contention."
Wise words indeed Coach, wise words indeed.
"Sometimes it just feels good to kick some ass," said Chewy afterwards, cigarette planted firmly between his pursed lips. "Tonight, I suppose, was just one of those nights."
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