With one million dollars on the line, on April 10, 1996 Earl "the Pearl" Strickland
did the unimaginable. He ran 11 racks of 9-ball. And while it was a miraculous feat,
it simultaneously dealt a fatal blow to the new Pro Pocket Billiards Tour (The PCA - Professional CueSports Association), and gave a
death knell to what might have been the rise of televised table pool as a mainstream
sport.
CJ Wiley had spent two years preparing a new tour to showcase the sport, using a
million dollar prize as the main draw. When the "miracle" occurred in the first
event, the insurance company balked at paying the prize, insurance for future events
was ended and CJ gave the entire marketing budget to Earl to honor the prize. With
no insurance and no budget, the tour was cut short and with it, CJ Wiley's dreams
were snuffed out as well.
This is the story of the Million Dollar Challenge -- how Earl trained to achieve the
feat, the legal battles that eventually vindicated CJ Wiley, and how the prize was
honored -- through first-hand accounts of promoter and Tournament winner CJ Wiley,
4th place finisher Max Eberle, Tournament Director Jay Helfert and many more. It is
a tale of struggle for the game and a telling of the greatest achievement in the
history of pool.
Stay Tuned, the Million Dollar Challenge Documentary will be released soon on DVD (and PPV) AND the FINALS of the Million Dollar Challenge. .
did the unimaginable. He ran 11 racks of 9-ball. And while it was a miraculous feat,
it simultaneously dealt a fatal blow to the new Pro Pocket Billiards Tour (The PCA - Professional CueSports Association), and gave a
death knell to what might have been the rise of televised table pool as a mainstream
sport.
CJ Wiley had spent two years preparing a new tour to showcase the sport, using a
million dollar prize as the main draw. When the "miracle" occurred in the first
event, the insurance company balked at paying the prize, insurance for future events
was ended and CJ gave the entire marketing budget to Earl to honor the prize. With
no insurance and no budget, the tour was cut short and with it, CJ Wiley's dreams
were snuffed out as well.
This is the story of the Million Dollar Challenge -- how Earl trained to achieve the
feat, the legal battles that eventually vindicated CJ Wiley, and how the prize was
honored -- through first-hand accounts of promoter and Tournament winner CJ Wiley,
4th place finisher Max Eberle, Tournament Director Jay Helfert and many more. It is
a tale of struggle for the game and a telling of the greatest achievement in the
history of pool.
Stay Tuned, the Million Dollar Challenge Documentary will be released soon on DVD (and PPV) AND the FINALS of the Million Dollar Challenge. .
