Pool player brings experience, passion to Cat's Eye
By Lisa Wakeland, Staff Writer
March 10, 2007 | 7:26 p.m.
Walking across the wooden floors of the Cat’s Eye, 12 N. Court St., toward the pool tables in the back, there is a familiar face that seems out of place among the throngs of college students. It’s Marvin Campbell, the resident pool player.
With a black cowboy hat and long graying beard, Campbell appears to be a fish out of water, but he blends into the crowd around the pool tables. It’s a bit like “Cheers," everybody knows his name. People walking into the bar come straight to the back and say hello to the pool ace, which he mentions as one of his favorite things about Athens.
“A lot of people have heard of me and the first thing they do is come back and shake hands,” Campbell said. “I really like that but that’s why it’s so hard for me to remember names because there are so many people.”
Campbell began playing pool when he was about 18 years old, because growing up in a religious family prevented him from going to bars any earlier. He said the competitive nature of the sport attracted him more than any rebellious feeling. While living in Parkersburg, W. Va., a friend who played professional pool in Las Vegas gave Campbell tips and pointers that would help his game. Campbell said the pro player liked practicing with him so much that a deal was made with the bartender – if he came in, a phone call to the pro ensured he would come in to play.
But playing with a professional was not the only way Campbell gained experience on the pool table. He was in a state-sanctioned winter pool league in West Virginia where teams of five from each bar in the area would play together. The league tournament was based on points and Campbell came in 10th in the state.
“It sounds phenomenal, but, really it’s not,” he said. “ There are so many people that lay ahead of you.”
When he wasn’t playing pool, Campbell worked a variety of jobs. He went to Washington State Community College for data management, which gave him valuable experience with computers many years before Netscape came out. He also worked on the Ohio River for 10 years, did construction and electrical engineering, worked in the coalmines and in manufacturing and delivered pizza before starting his own landscape business.
His brother’s health brought him to Athens where he started his business. There was such a demand for his service that Campbell had to hire an assistant. “I had a good business here,” he said. “There were a lot of people who wanted someone who had knowledge of plants and trees, and I grew up doing that.”
Although business was booming, Campbell injured his neck trying to lift too much, and had to have four surgeries to repair the damaged discs in his neck. The injury was so bad, he said, that he couldn’t sit up straight for nearly two years, but physical therapy helped in rehabilitation.
Campbell has been through a lot in his life, but still has a cheerful demeanor. “It’s been a good life, I can’t complain,” he said. “If there is ever a dull moment, it’s because I make it dull.”
One thing that seems to keep Campbell in a positive mood is pool. He said he goes to the Cat’s Eye because they keep up the tables and there are a lot of competitive players who are good shooters. There are certain techniques and rules that make a good pool player, he said, and discipline is necessary. Having some background in geometry is helpful and knowing trigonometry is also good but not crucial. One tip he gave was to mentally draw a dotted line from the stick to the cue ball and then from the cue ball to the pocket.
“I don’t need algebra, geometry or trigonometry to know my shit, I just shoot pool,” he said. “It takes a lot of practice, and I’m twice as old as anyone at the bar, so I’ve got twice as much practice.”
Campbell is unsure of how many games he plays each night, but estimates he plays at least 10 per night and wins at least eight of those games. To get into a groove for the night, Campbell said he follows a philosophy of three beers or three games before he shoots really well. Most of the games he plays as part of a team and they will usually bet a beer or drink on the game.
“If the night is slow, I’ll probably drink a lot,” he said. “But if the night is going pretty fast and everyone is playing pool pretty fast, I kind of stay off the juice because I want that many more people to play.”
Focus is important, Campbell explained, and if he drinks too much, he will lose all his coordination. His attention rarely falters when he’s in a game, and even if he’s not playing, he’s intently watching the table while still making time to talk with the people around him.
He might seem out of place in the bars of a college town, but Campbell fits right in. It appears that everyone at the Cat’s Eye knows him and enjoys playing pool with him. Senior English and psychology major Alex Jabs, who came to the Cat’s Eye three or four times a week during fall quarter, said Campbell was there every time. “He’s fun and loving, and such a great guy,” she said.
After being in Athens for 12 years, Campbell said he loves the atmosphere and friendliness of the town. “I’ve been to a lot of towns and this is the only place, the first time I walked down the sidewalk, somebody actually smiled at me,” he said. “You go to another town and they’ve got their head down or their eyes straight and never smile or say hello.”
When watching him interact with people at the Cat’s Eye, it is clear that Campbell enjoys where he is in life right now. “I’ve worked all my life for this,” he said. “And now I can sit back and relax.”