I agree with 99% of what you are saying here, except for the Cuetec business. I'm not sure exactly how the separation happened or what caused it, but Earl Strickland owes absolutely NOTHING to Cuetec cues in terms of respect or anything else. Before Earl Strickland, Cuetec was absolutely nothing and would have continued to be that way until he brought them along. They have some smart marketing people over there and jumped on the Earl bandwagon at the right time... but they owe it all to Earl and that's a fact.
Really? Is that really what you think? You don't think that Cuetec sponsoring the Women's Professional Tour steadily for the same time period, sponsoring the APA, doing constant commercials, consistent advertisement in all the major mags, and a 10 person sales team at J-S Sales pushing them to dealers had anything to do with their success?
It's all Earl huh?
I guess it's easy to forget that they have sponsored Allison Fisher in the same period of time and that Allision has been on television more than any other single player in the history of the game. BY A LONG SHOT. If Allison and Earl go out to eat then Allison gets mobbed for autograpghs an no one asks Earl for one.
Allision has also consistently done clinics and had a booth at the APA Nationals where she meets and greets thousands of fans yearly. All done with the Cuetec logo on and she sells and gives away Cuetec cues.
Allison runs her own website where she sells signed Cuetec cues.
So IF one is going to say that an individual BUILT Cuetec then Allison certainly deserves WAY more credit than Earl.
I didn't tell this story earlier but this seems to the be the right time for it.
Several years ago I was at the BCA/VNEA doing laser engraving on people's cues. A guy came up to me with a Cuetec with Earl's signature on it (a decal). The guy asks me if I can laser over the signature because he doesn't want "that asshole's" name on his cue. Does this sound like an example of Earl being responsible for "building" Cuetec?
I wonder how many people formed a negative opinion of Cuetec for their continued sponsorship of Earl despite the outbursts and complete lack of professionalism and respect for his fellow competitors?
But aside from all that Earl Strickland DOES owe a debt of gratitude to a sponsor that employed him for 17 years. Those types of sponsors are hard to come by in any industry and especially in the billiard industry. If I were a sponsor and looking for a player then I CERTAINLY would scratch Earl Strickland OFF my list for NOTHING ELSE than the fact that he brutally disrespected his last sponsor after they supported him for 17 years. A professional is gracious and thankful for the relationship and looks forward to new relationships.
Cuetec built Cuetec. The sponsored the right people at the right time and stuck with it. Earl would STILL be on Cuetec's payroll if he would have taken care of business and stopped becoming an embarrassment at every tournament.