[The_Woim]

Fast Larry,

A few nights ago, ESPN showed the 2008 Trick Shot Magic episodes. The match I watched was between Andy Segal and Mike Massey. Andy Segal won fairly handily and the whole match had a bittersweet aura to it. Almost like a handing over of the guard.

A few years back, Andy Segal, great as he is and the potential he showed then, was outmatched. Mr. Massey's stroke was considerably stronger and it showed on the draw shots.

Last night though, Mr. Massey moved very methodically and was slightly stooped over and moving seemed to be difficult. A lot of his energy and the way he would talk with the crowd was missing. For the first time, he seemed like an old man.

Fast Larry, how is Mr. Massey? Is his health starting to fail him? For over a decade or more, Mike Massey was the face of trick shots and when you think trick shots, Mike Massey is the first name to come to mind - no disrespect to any other trick shot artists.

Yours truly,
The Woim

[FASTLARRY]

The_Woim, on Dec 11 2008, 03:59 PM, said:

Fast Larry,

A few nights ago, ESPN showed the 2008 Trick Shot Magic episodes. The match I watched was between Andy Segal and Mike Massey. Andy Segal won fairly handily and the whole match had a bittersweet aura to it. Almost like a handing over of the guard.

A few years back, Andy Segal, great as he is and the potential he showed then, was outmatched. Mr. Massey's stroke was considerably stronger and it showed on the draw shots.

Last night though, Mr. Massey moved very methodically and was slightly stooped over and moving seemed to be difficult. A lot of his energy and the way he would talk with the crowd was missing. For the first time, he seemed like an old man.

Fast Larry, how is Mr. Massey? Is his health starting to fail him? For over a decade or more, Mike Massey was the face of trick shots and when you think trick shots, Mike Massey is the first name to come to mind - no disrespect to any other trick shot artists.

Yours truly,
The Woim

Mike and I are the very best of friends, and I am his biggest fan, but big guys like us, who have been very strong, do not age well. His back has been causing him problems, which means he can't practice, same problem I have. So you just slowly decline and there is nothing you can do about it. Yes, he was having severe back problems during that event. He finally realized he can no longer put in the hours of practice necessary to win, and not cripple himself. So he just retired from competition, while he was still on top.
When you are the man, the best, or one of the top 3 or 4 as i was, and you get old, and these punks you used to wipe the floor with, are now beating you and there is nothing you can do about it, Man, that is a giant problem and many do not deal with this very well. I did, I understand I move over and youth takes over, I had my time, my time is gone. Others hide, Louie Roberts put a gun in his mouth.
Nothing is more pathetic than seeing some over the hill boxer, trying to make a comeback, or me trying to make a comeback after a 10 year layoff at my age totally medically handicapped.

Rossman is 59 and in great shape and just lost the world championship by a single point. But Tom is little, and wiry, so he will last longer. In trick shots, in his era, Mike was simply the greatest. he did not play in this years world championship and will not again. He will just do shows like I have been doing the last decade, bang off the easy shots, and rake in the cash. I hit that same wall he just hit, 10 years ago too. You can only run with the young bucks soo long, and then you have to let it go.

Yes segal has gotten very good, I played with him every day in the WC, I would assume the reason I did, is he wanted that. When he came on, I was a star, he was a nobody would could not play a lick, now that is reversed. I think since he has made it, he has become most gracious and nice.