More Footage of Jean Balukas

Reader Roy Zornow reminds us of this cool video of Jean Balukas, Fran Crimi, Steve Mizerak and several other legends shooting pool on the Charlie Rose show. Roy went looking for the video after coming across the footage of a young Jean Balukas shooting pool on TV, which is also reproduced here on this blog.

Roy writes that there's an interesting magazine article from 1991 that references a televised match Balukas had vs. Robin Bell in Las Vegas at the Women’s Final of the Brunswick World Open 9-ball tournament. You can find the article here.


-- R.A. Dyer

Archer & Fisher feted during Hall of Fame banquet at 2009 U.S. Open

In other U.S. Open news: Johnny Archer and Allison Fisher were inducted into the Billiards Congress Hall of Fame during a banquet on Thursday. It was a truly charming affair, with both Archer and Fisher tearing up as they accepted their awards. Archer's friend and business partner Kim Davenport gave the introductory speech for Archer. (The two are co-owners of a pool hall in Georgia.) Ironically, it would also be Davenport who would eliminate Archer during the U.S. Open on Friday. That loser-side battle went hill-hill, with Davenport coming from behind. He beat Archer after pocketing the nine ball on the break in the 21st game. That's a picture on top of this post of Archer at the Hall of Fame banquet with his parents.

Another guest at the event, sitting right next to Allison Fisher at the grown-up table, was none other than Jean Balukas, the one woman who some say would rival Fisher as the best ever. They shared a toast before the ceremony and signed plenty of autographs afterward.

The Child Prodigy Jean Balukas

If there was any female player in history considered the possible equal to Allison Fisher, that player would be Jean Balukas. The Brooklyn-native was a child prodigy, as can be seen in this amazing footage of her pocketing balls. (You have to wait a few minutes to see it.) Balukas competed in her first U.S. Open at age 9, and at age 12 she won her first BCA title. She abruptly left competitive pool in 1988 at the height of her career. Balukas was the second woman ever to be inducted into the BCA Hall of Fame. Fisher, the sixth, was inducted this year.