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8 Ball Express would like to thank Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly editor Kara Lopp for her time as well as photographer Rick Crider for his beatuiful photos of our members.

From the Carolina Weekly Newsgroup's Jan 8. 2010 Article:

A New Species of Pool Shark

Kara Lopp 08.JAN.10
kara@matthewsminthillweekly.com
Local pool league attempts to break sport’s stereotypes
Though her father owned a Charlotte pool hall, Linda Piscopo never went inside. Her mother wouldn’t allow it.

But once, after she promised to keep it a secret, her father let her peek inside when it was closed.


Joseph Short, of Indian Trail, shoots at Matthews’ Rack ‘Em last month. A member of 8 Ball Express, the 28-year-old split $10,000 in winnings last season with his six team members, which include twin brother, Robert. The brothers grew up in Matthews and their dad, Marshall Short, a CPA with Rowell, Craven & Short in Mint Hill, plays too. Rick Crider/MMHW photos

Today, you can find the 50-something shooting pool at Matthews’ Rack ’Em, 1898 Windsor Square Drive, and other local pool halls that are very different from the one her father owned. They’re clean, well-lit and actually serve good food, said Piscopo, founder of Linda’s Children’s Shoppe in Matthews. Piscopo sold the shop 13 years ago and now works in guest services and accessories at Hendrick Lexus off Independence Boulevard in Charlotte.

“It used to be you were scared to go in (pool halls) because it’d be a bunch of drinking people gambling, and it’s just not like that anymore,” she said. “(At Rack ’Em) you have half-pound Angus burgers on real plates with real silverware. It’s come so far that (pool halls are) a place that you can take your family to.”

Piscopo is on the front lines of a changing scene for local pool sharks. Dark, smoky rooms filled with shady characters are becoming the exception in Matthews and Mint Hill. Pool players today include doctors, attorneys, restaurant owners and accountants. It’s tough to break the stereotype, but local pool leagues, such as 8 Ball Express, are up to the challenge.


Retired flight attendant Tracy Gilmer, of Charlotte.

‘Good, clean fun’
It’s a Thursday evening and Rack ’Em is hopping. League play is under way, and the members of 8 Ball Express are split into teams of five to eight, taking their turns at the table. The best teams compete for a $10,000 prize later in the season.

Matthews resident Greg Mosher, 33, said he “grew up on a pool table.” Today, he’s an 8 Ball Express team captain.

But don’t associate him or his teammates with the characters in 1961’s “The Hustler.” The Costco cashier, who brings his grandfather’s cues to play, said that today most people aren’t in it for the money, though he has reaped the benefits of being on a winning team before.

“We’re not all drunks and alcoholics in it for the money,” he said. “We’re middle-income people, even kids, who are just enjoying the time. It can be good family fun.”

Mosher taught his daughter, now 11, to play when she was 5. And, he hopes, if the younger generation continues to learn to play, “pool will never fade.”

“She’s not a pro, but she knows how to play and what to do,” he said.


Tyler Alfrey of Matthews

Tracy Gilmer of Charlotte said she enjoys the sport simply because it’s something to do with her family. The retired flight attendant plays pool with her husband, Dwaine, and 14-year-old son, Justin, at least twice a week.

“It’s good, clean fun,” she said. “I remember ‘The Hustler’ movie. That’s the stereotype you come out to, but you see moms and dads and kids playing pool now. I guess the stereotype is changing.”

Dwaine Gilmer said the game is worth passing on to children. His son, Justin, is well on his way. “I know the strategy, but he shoots well,” the Microsoft computer programmer said. “Don’t tell him, but I think he’s a little better than I am.”

Justin, an eighth-grader at South Charlotte Middle School, said he already knew that, laughing. His dad and uncle started teaching him the game about a year ago and now the “solid B student” with a knack for math is serious about it, noting that “the angles in pool are geometry.”

“My dad, he was teaching me everything. He was a big part of it … but I finally beat him,” Justin said. “Now I can beat him consecutively.”

Want to know more?
For more information about 8 Ball Express pool league, visit www.8ballexpress.com. - Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly

Dawn Reid
Charlotte Area League Administrator
8 Ball Express
Cell: 704.654.1522
Office: 704.545.3599
dawn@8ballexpress.com
My Blog - http://8ballexpress.blogspot.com