Nah, as the WCOP proved Earl is still Today. And he will still be around tomorrow. He has achieved more in each decade of life since being 20 years old than any other player on the planet INCLUDING Efren.
I have been critical of Earl's behavior, seen it first hand, been trapped in the hallway listening to him rant....but the man's game was great and IS great.
My thought is if Karl wants to talk shit then let them play. Let him get on the table and talk shit while they are playing. And Earl can chirp right back. That's to Karl's advantage because a silent and focused Earl is more than enough to take Karl or any pro out.
Beating Earl heads-up won't get Karl a world title, that's right. But back in Mosconi's day a lot of the titles were contested in heads-up challenge matches. So Karl could put on his resume, 'beat 3 time world champ/5x US Open champ' in race to 100.
As far as nothing to gain....well it's kind of like saying that pros in Mosconi's day had nothing to gain....yes they did because beating Mosconi was something everyone wanted to have as part of their career.
Anyway, Karl is totally entitled to his opinion of Earl's behavior. Many pros are outspoken about it. But there simply isn't a line of pros eager to try and take Earl's money because they know what they are in for....besides the expected chirping they would be in for a pool clinic reminding them exactly what the difference is between a 3x world champion and the average professional is.
