• Originally published June 30, 2008 at 12:06 a.m., updated June 30, 2008 at 12:06 a.m.

Anything to get people off the streets and into local bars I’m for. It’s always been my stance and it remains true to this day.

That’s why when my boss ordered me to start this column of humiliation, I had no problem when I found out my first challenge would be to play a game of pool. After all, it’s not like I was going to get tackled or drilled with a baseball. As long as I didn’t let my mouth run wild inside the bar, I was going to remain pretty much safe.

All I had to do was hit up La Paloma Club on Bridge Street and play the Texas True 8-Ball League director Vic Magallan.

After hearing the history of the bar, which was opened in 1945 and means “the dove” in English, it was time to play a game of 8-ball with Magallan. He’s been playing pool for a long time, while I had the built in excuse of only playing once or twice a year and only when a shuffleboard table is not available.

I have to explain before I go on that I’m one of those sports writers who takes sports seriously. I also don’t classify everything that has a ball or makes you jump a sport. I let Magallan know that I wasn’t exactly sure on my stance on pool, but he had a quick reply.

“If bowling is a sport, and golf is a sport, this is definitely a sport,” he said. “Pool takes skill and endurance. The most difficult part is the stroke. Anyone can aim but to control the cue ball you have to have a good stroke.”

I’m still not convinced it’s a sport, but it was time to play. We were playing 8-ball, which by my calculation is one less ball than the usual game of 9-ball. Evidently it means more than that.

“There is more strategy in 8-ball than in nine-ball,” he said. “There are a lot of safety shots and it becomes challenging.”

My only strategy was to not make a fool out of myself.

Magallan insisted I break, which was a mistake. My first shot barely scattered the balls across the front portion of the table, and it set the tone that this was going to be a long game.

My weak break could have hindered his ability, but instead he adapted like a pool shark ready to take my life’s savings.

He quickly claimed stripes and went on a run that finished with three balls already inside the table. A near miss had me leaning over the table once again, but it wasn’t any better.

My shot was dead on. I only had to hit it straight and I would have been on the board. Girls would have flocked to the table to get my number and children would have gathered to get my autograph.

Instead, all I had was my friend and photographer, Roni Gendler, there laughing at my failure.

So with my miss, Magallan had his chance to put me to sleep. He lined up a shot, but something went wrong.

Maybe he meant to, or maybe he had a miss hit, but he made a solid. Yes, I was finally on the board. It had nothing to do with anything I did, but I wasn’t going to be shut out.

With him making my ball, it was once again my turn. I hit a great shot, but missed again. He missed and it was my table again.

I lined up a shot and drilled it. The sound was beautiful and brought the fans inside my head to their feet. My next shot dropped as well. It was one of those shots that wasn’t supposed to happen, but on accident a ball found a pocket. As Magallan explained, those are Paloma rules.

My next shot was horrible and Magallan finished off the game with a nice little trick shot off two rails. His shot ended my adventures in the club and meant I was headed back to the streets.

My experience was short lived, but there are 11 teams playing in the league on Mondays and about 24 on Wednesdays. The teams play at pool halls throughout Victoria and it is allowing players to come together.

“I’ve always been a pool player and it’s great just being around friends,” league member Joe Gonzales said. “I just got back into it after not playing for a while, and it’s great to compete with everyone around Victoria. We’re competing, but we’re all really good friends.”

While I’m not going to sign up for the league anytime soon, Magallan showed me I would have a lot to learn if I didn’t want to be in last place.

Wes Bloomquist is a sports writer for the Victoria Advocate. Contact him at 361-580-6509 or e-mail him at wbloomquist@vicad.com.

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