Paul Newman, the Academy-Award winning star and the anti-hero of such films as "Hud," "Cool Hand Luke" and "The Color of Money," has died. He was 83.

I really enjoyed his work all around but my two favorites of course were the hustler and Color of Money. Color of Money was hot when I was a teenager but later when I saw the Hustler....it became my favorite. Hats off to paul newman for a great career and putting pool on the map for so many of us.

One of my favorite Paul Newman lines was.."You shoot straight pool mister?" to Minnesota Fats (played by Jackie Gleason) in the movie The Hustler. Paul Newman nailed that role as a young Fast Eddie Felson. In the early 1960's the pool industry was in a severe slump and The Hustler helped it regain popularity. In the 1980's Paul Newman again played Fast Eddie Felson in The Color of Money once again helping the pool industry out of another slump.

The pool industry owes Paul Newman gratitude for these roles.