Earl's version of what happened at SBE.

Hunter said:
Earl, Charlie Sheen, and Gary Busey walk into a bar...

Seriously, every sport and activity in the world seems to have their "Earls". There is a very fine line between genius and insanity. If we didn't experience a little insanity from the top people in their feilds, we would never have true brilliance either.

I love Earl's shenanigans and Alex's nine foot standing broad jumps! I just wish professional pool players made the kind of money that football players make, so they could really have a good time. Trash some motel rooms, hire lots of hookers, and drive a few cars into the swimming pool...

Face it, even chess players had Bobby Fisher. Who remembers Spasky or Karpov? This is pool. While I certainly appreciate the mechanical skills and talent of the European players, I'd rather watch Earl, or Alex, or Keith play anytime.

I think everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but until a person has devoted their life to developing their skills to the point that Earl has, I have a hard time listening to them passing judgment. They might have every right in the world to judge him at a PTA meeting or in their own church group, but not when it comes to the pool arena.

I played in a band with the most talented keyboard player I've ever had the privilege of listening to. This guy was absolutely phenomenal. Problem was, he's struggled to make it for years, because he doesn't have ANY people or personal skills. He spent the time he should have been learning social skills studying his music and playing endless scales. He didn't go to the prom, He didn't have dates on Friday night. He played music. Right now, he is backing a singer that doesn't have a tenth the talent that his keyboard player has, but the singer's name is the one on the marquee. The guy doesn't dress right, and he acts like a teenager, because that's where he left off learning how to become a well rounded person and devoted his life to music.

A lot of people at the top of their trades can handle the burden of being well rounded and at least seeming "normal", but I think that if you really looked at them closely, you might be shocked at their little weirdnesses.

Just a couple of examples... Einstein would leave home and forget articles of clothing and got lost frequently. Patton thought he was Hannibal reincarnated. Wagner, the composer would wear gloves when he conducted music by Mendelssohn (because Mendelssohn was Jewish), Louisa May Alcott wrote "Little Women", but had an intense dislike for little girls. Cardinal Richlieu would jump over furniture every day. Hans Christian Anderson carried a note on him expressing his feelings about being buried alive. Thomas Edison had such strange traits that his teachers felt he was "addled".

The kids in my school that showed brilliance were usually picked on and those kids that became good at sports were sometimes very bizarre, which frequently culminated in bad behavior.

I have met and talked with Earl on a couple of occasions. One time at a pro match being held here, I talked to him while he was out smoking and he was in a great mood. His match was the next up and right before it started, he pointed out a woman sitting right next to me that was eating a sandwich and demanded that if she was "going to eat her potato chips that loud, she should do it outside on HER time"... Gotta love that!

God bless the "Earls" of this world! They give us a little something to smile about...

USA!
USA!
USA!

Steve
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Best post I've read in a while. Thank you.
 
javi2 said:
"But archer wasn't even in a match at the time, just warming up. That may have been why Earl got offended"[/COLOR]


Archer was playing Charlie Williams on the table to the left of Earl. (if seated at the bleachers).
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I don't post much, but when I do I make sure it's accurate. Archer was warming up, and I remember this fact because it did seem discourteous as Earl was about to get down for that bank shot. I don't think archer did this purposefully, or with disrespect, but how would I know? Anyway, with Earl already agitated of course he saw it that way.
I also wouldn't call the shaft on the table "smashing" but people tell things, or even "see" things according to their bias. That said, the more I see of Earl the less I root for him. By the way, Frank the TD does seem like a clown sometimes, like he thinks we pay to see him perform.
He was very rude and sarcastic with Adam Smith a few years ago during his match and I never forgot that because Adam seemed like the perfect gentleman and didn't deserve that from the TD.

I think Jay Helfert's way of handling Earl would be better, that's my opinion and I don't care that much except it would be a pleasure to see Earl play his best and under control.
 
beetle said:
There is no way that anyone can see a rack turned 1/8th of a degree and certainly no way any human could consistently rack with that level of precision.
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I was making a point to inform that poster how 'Torque' can negatively influence the outcome of the break.
PS:I only give 2degrees of Torque on the rack.:thumbup::D:thumbup:
 
JAM said:
Thank you very much for posting this. It is nice to hear both sides of the story, especially for those of us who were *not* there to witness what transpired.

I'm still miffed at why Earl's opponent was not forfeited if he was not there at the DESIGNATED time. If this happend at Mike Zuglan's Joss Tour, a player being late to the table, there would be no doubt that that player would be forfeited. Mike Zuglan treats all players the same, with absolutely no favoritism. All professional pool tournaments should adhere to the "late" rule and stick with it.

Hancock, Earl's opponent who was late, should have been forfeited immediately if he was a no-show after 15 minutes. If the match is supposed to start at 1 p.m., then at 1:15 p.m., that player should be forfeited, with no ifs, ands, or buts.

Reading Frank the TD's version, it does seem as if Earl was going out of his way to deliberately aggitate the TD because he did not like the way the TD was interacting with him.
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Jam, the way I read the TD's version, the "call" of Earl's opponent was not a cell phone call or some special attempt to get a hold of him. It seems the call he was referring to was the standard public address call in the venue that you hear all the time when a player is not there at the start time. As far as being late, apparently the rule was you do not forfeit if you are not there at the start time, you only forfeit after 15 minutes late. The reason he wasn't forfeited was because Earl had already been ejected before the 15 minute period had expired. Really, according to the TD's account the match was over before the opponent was 15 minutes late and subject to the forfeiture rule because Earl had already been tossed.
 
vagabond said:
Keith still did not like it and asked him to rerack again.my friend reracked and did his usual trick.keith caught that and got angry and slapped the rack with his hand like a teachecr spanks a kindergarten child and shouted " rack it again".
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Did his usual trick eh? Keith was totally in his right to do what he did and your friend should have quit being a douchebag. Since you have no problem saying Keith's name in the post why don't you post the name of your pro "friend" who was cheating with the rack hmm?
 
Celtic said:
Did his usual trick eh? Keith was totally in his right to do what he did and your friend should have quit being a douchebag. Since you have no problem saying Keith's name in the post why don't you post the name of your pro "friend" who was cheating with the rack hmm?
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Wow, all of a sudden Vagabond's friend is a douchebag ?

I've played years with Keith in Southern Cal throughout the 80's. I just watch in amusement at the whitewash of his history by a certain poster here. The same poster that jacks every thread to twist it to be about her.

The real douchebag in this scenario slammed his hand into the balls and tell his opponent to 'Rack 'em again'. He would do that *whenever* he thought he could get away with it. Keith was probably upset about the rack because that particular match was one of the rare matches of his where the outcome was not predetermined.
 
I_Need_D_8 said:
Wow, all of a sudden Vagabond's friend is a douchebag ?

I've played years with Keith in Southern Cal throughout the 80's. I just watch in amusement at the whitewash of his history by a certain poster here. The same poster that jacks every thread to twist it to be about her.

The real douchebag in this scenario slammed his hand into the balls and tell his opponent to 'Rack 'em again'. He would do that *whenever* he thought he could get away with it. Keith was probably upset about the rack because that particular match was one of the rare matches of his where the outcome was not predetermined.
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Wow! If you think I jack every thread to be about me, then I guess my contributions to this forum must not be worthy anymore. Thanks for the heads-up.

As far as the whitewash of Keith's history, I have never said he was an angel; in fact, quite the opposite. I usually compare him to Stu Ungar, FWIW. But you're entitled to your interpretation of my writings on this forum.

JAM <---certain poster here
 
JAM said:
Wow! If you think I jack every thread to be about me, then I guess my contributions to this forum must not be worthy anymore. Thanks for the heads-up.

As far as the whitewash of Keith's history, I have never said he was an angel; in fact, quite the opposite. I usually compare him to Stu Ungar, FWIW. But you're entitled to your interpretation of my writings on this forum.

JAM <---certain poster here
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Maybe it's the euphemisms used to describe this type of player that really get under my skin. "No Angel", or "Character" strikes me as a whitewash.

Having said that, your reply surprised me in it's tone. I'll need to dial back the rhetoric and I appreciate your calm response to my comments which may have been slightly over the top (see, euphemisms suck).

I know people can change, I know I have. I hope the Keith you now know is different than the Keith I knew back then.
 
cheating Earl

Earl also cheats ,there have been times recently when he has fouled and he knew that he did foul,but because the ref was unable to see it ,no foul committed..he continues to shoot,what kind of sportmans ship is this?He needs help....
 
seether said:
Tilting the rack.What in the world is that,I do not understand what that is.
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"Tilting the rack" is when the scantily clad blonde waitress leans over toward you at the end of the meal to ask if everything was ok before you leave her a tip.
 
billlaur said:
Earl also cheats ,there have been times recently when he has fouled and he knew that he did foul,but because the ref was unable to see it ,no foul committed..he continues to shoot,what kind of sportmans ship is this?He needs help....
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Other player or ref should call it, right? Using rules to his advantage.
 
justadub said:
I seem to recall Johnny Archer getting a pass on being late not too long ago... at DCC, if I'm correct.

Apparently "most" professional tourneys don't fly that way in 2011. Since it's only March and here we have two examples (that we know of)....

***EDIT *** Not taking sides on the Earl dismissal. I wasn't there, and have read both individuals accounts, and to me they were both wrong. But it's not for me to say. I'm merely commenting on the application of rules regarding "late" players in major tournaments.
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This is something that comes up a lot. I know a local guy who went to the US Open and had to play one of the top Phillipino players I think it was, might have also been someone like Mika, Appleton...etc and they were extremly late and they let them play anyway. Needless to say, the guy I know loses but that is an example of giving the top players special treatment.
 
billlaur said:
Earl also cheats ,there have been times recently when he has fouled and he knew that he did foul,but because the ref was unable to see it ,no foul committed..he continues to shoot,what kind of sportmans ship is this?He needs help....
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No wonder he considers everyone else a cheat. Also, if you've watched enough of his matches even some of his racks are not straight either.
 
All this uproar and meanwhile Johnny Archer and Earl are now going to match up.
I wouldn't be surprised if they have already decided who will take the cash.
When it comes to pool, there is no class. It's all about the players trying to survive in a sport that really doesn't pay to be a pro.
 
First off I would like to say that Earl is my favorite player of all time. He has a passion for the game that I don't believe anyone can come close to matching outside of Mike Massey. I believe that this game is far more than a game, or a way to make money to Earl and because of that I have the utmost respect for him.

Because of this passion I also believe that Earl is hyper-sensitive to everything and anything that might be happening around him. I won't say that he is always wrong, but I also certainly won't say that he is always right either.

Regardless of what you think of Earl you most likely will never see another person do what he has done in 9 ball in your lifetime. And keep in mind that while Mosconi's record still stands......not many play 14.1 full time while quite a few play 9 ball full time. Nine ball happens to be the game that Earl has won 5 US Opens and an armload of other titles.
 
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