Observations: Earl Strickland

M.G.

M.G.

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Dear all,

recently I've been observing Earl Strickland's playing (2014 and 2015) in various tournaments, most recently the Chinese 8-ball masters.
Still chalking up very carelessly (which irritates me greatly), and can't play a safety if his life (game) depended on it (which it really did all the time), just firing away mindlessly.

Seems to me he's lost all his greatness, instead murmuring about the table, the cloth, the balls when he's not succeeding, even tries to chat up Stephen Hendry.
He can only play adequately when he gets his mind or when the ball lie in a way he can just shoot away.

Also the advice given by Earl here seems really off:
https://ccrma.stanford.edu/~peer/pool-earl-archer.html

To summarize - he's hit the final wall of his playing, and is no longer succeeding with his old ways. And he can't see it and develop further because he would need somebody else to coach him and also would need to develop his mind further (which he aparently doesn't do at all).

Any thoughts on this?

Cheers,
M

PS: I really can't understand why he's allowed his stupid arm weights in major tournaments.
 
You mean he's got temperament and personality issues? And in his mid-50s he's no longer the greatest pool player in the world? Huh, you must be the first to notice these things. :p
 
M.G. said:
Dear all,

recently I've been observing Earl Strickland's playing (2014 and 2015) in various tournaments, most recently the Chinese 8-ball masters.
Still chalking up very carelessly (which irritates me greatly), and can't play a safety if his life (game) depended on it (which it really did all the time), just firing away mindlessly.

Seems to me he's lost all his greatness, instead murmuring about the table, the cloth, the balls when he's not succeeding, even tries to chat up Stephen Hendry.
He can only play adequately when he gets his mind or when the ball lie in a way he can just shoot away.

Also the advice given by Earl here seems really off:
https://ccrma.stanford.edu/~peer/pool-earl-archer.html

To summarize - he's hit the final wall of his playing, and is no longer succeeding with his old ways. And he can't see it and develop further because he would need somebody else to coach him and also would need to develop his mind further (which he aparently doesn't do at all).

Any thoughts on this?

Cheers,
M

PS: I really can't understand why he's allowed his stupid arm weights in major tournaments.
Click to expand...

This is pretty out of line.

Earl obviously suffers from something, whether mental, physical, physiological, whatever. Maybe some would put a diagnosis on it, I would likely call it 'life'. I don't understand why, in a sport like ours where the greats have had to sacrifice for their game, anyone would feel the need to analyze and write things about a declining great.

Earl is, unapologetically, Earl. Everybody who knows anything about him knows that he has struggled with a lot of things. I don't know what they are, I don't care. I don't want to hang around the man, but I don't think he is a bad person.

People often forget that the people that play this, or any, game are people with people problems. Many deal with it well. Many appear to deal with it well until it all unravels. Many of the athletes who appear to deal with their status well are very well compensated and that allows them to compensate for the privacy they have forfeited. Pool players are not well compensated.

Maybe think of this the next time you are around a great of any field. I think it is okay to thank them for their contributions, but don't intrude upon their lives, they deserve the same privacy everybody else does.
 
M.G. said:
Dear all,

recently I've been observing Earl Strickland's playing (2014 and 2015) in various tournaments, most recently the Chinese 8-ball masters.
Still chalking up very carelessly (which irritates me greatly), and can't play a safety if his life (game) depended on it (which it really did all the time), just firing away mindlessly.

Seems to me he's lost all his greatness, instead murmuring about the table, the cloth, the balls when he's not succeeding, even tries to chat up Stephen Hendry.
He can only play adequately when he gets his mind or when the ball lie in a way he can just shoot away.

Also the advice given by Earl here seems really off:
https://ccrma.stanford.edu/~peer/pool-earl-archer.html

To summarize - he's hit the final wall of his playing, and is no longer succeeding with his old ways. And he can't see it and develop further because he would need somebody else to coach him and also would need to develop his mind further (which he aparently doesn't do at all).

Any thoughts on this?

Cheers,
M

PS: I really can't understand why he's allowed his stupid arm weights in major tournaments.
Click to expand...

And your point of posting this is ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

1
 
M.G. said:
Dear all,

recently I've been observing Earl Strickland's playing (2014 and 2015) in various tournaments, most recently the Chinese 8-ball masters.
Still chalking up very carelessly (which irritates me greatly), and can't play a safety if his life (game) depended on it (which it really did all the time), just firing away mindlessly.

Seems to me he's lost all his greatness, instead murmuring about the table, the cloth, the balls when he's not succeeding, even tries to chat up Stephen Hendry.
He can only play adequately when he gets his mind or when the ball lie in a way he can just shoot away.

Also the advice given by Earl here seems really off:
https://ccrma.stanford.edu/~peer/pool-earl-archer.html

To summarize - he's hit the final wall of his playing, and is no longer succeeding with his old ways. And he can't see it and develop further because he would need somebody else to coach him and also would need to develop his mind further (which he aparently doesn't do at all).

Any thoughts on this?

Cheers,
M

PS: I really can't understand why he's allowed his stupid arm weights in major tournaments.
Click to expand...

Do they say 'Cheers' in Germany too? I thought that was a British thing.

Interesting first post ever.

Something smells bad here, like maybe something personal.
 
Maybe you should coach and learn him a thing or two about pool,or you could think about writting a book about his life so all interested in this topic could read it in privacy of theirs home!:wink::wink::wink:
Not sure about you but I have never seen or heard about any athlet,sportsman who was dominating in his/her sport for more than 30 years.:):eek:



M.G. said:
Dear all,

recently I've been observing Earl Strickland's playing (2014 and 2015) in various tournaments, most recently the Chinese 8-ball masters.
Still chalking up very carelessly (which irritates me greatly), and can't play a safety if his life (game) depended on it (which it really did all the time), just firing away mindlessly.

Seems to me he's lost all his greatness, instead murmuring about the table, the cloth, the balls when he's not succeeding, even tries to chat up Stephen Hendry.
He can only play adequately when he gets his mind or when the ball lie in a way he can just shoot away.

Also the advice given by Earl here seems really off:
https://ccrma.stanford.edu/~peer/pool-earl-archer.html

To summarize - he's hit the final wall of his playing, and is no longer succeeding with his old ways. And he can't see it and develop further because he would need somebody else to coach him and also would need to develop his mind further (which he aparently doesn't do at all).

Any thoughts on this?

Cheers,
M

PS: I really can't understand why he's allowed his stupid arm weights in major tournaments.
Click to expand...
 
Earl is one of the greatest player in history of pool and certainly doesn't deserve to be judged and observed this way.
Not sure where and why did you find a need to start this thread???:):):)
I know a big amount of people who are struggling with deeper problems than Earl does so why not start a thread about them???:o
 
M.G. said:
Dear all,

recently I've been observing Earl Strickland's playing (2014 and 2015) in various tournaments, most recently the Chinese 8-ball masters.
Still chalking up very carelessly (which irritates me greatly), and can't play a safety if his life (game) depended on it (which it really did all the time), just firing away mindlessly.

Seems to me he's lost all his greatness, instead murmuring about the table, the cloth, the balls when he's not succeeding, even tries to chat up Stephen Hendry.
He can only play adequately when he gets his mind or when the ball lie in a way he can just shoot away.

Also the advice given by Earl here seems really off:
https://ccrma.stanford.edu/~peer/pool-earl-archer.html

To summarize - he's hit the final wall of his playing, and is no longer succeeding with his old ways. And he can't see it and develop further because he would need somebody else to coach him and also would need to develop his mind further (which he aparently doesn't do at all).

Any thoughts on this?

Cheers,
M

PS: I really can't understand why he's allowed his stupid arm weights in major tournaments.
Click to expand...

you seem like a nitwit from across the pond...just to get you caught up,mike tyson is no longer heavyweight champion,wayne gretzky has retired david beckham lives here now...and my post isnt even close to being as usless and rude as yours...ask yourself is this how i walk into a room?


pss. armweights keep him from slapping annoying people
 
FranCrimi said:
Do they say 'Cheers' in Germany too? I thought that was a British thing.

Interesting first post ever.

Something smells bad here, like maybe something personal.
Click to expand...

nope, they say choos or ching-ching.... good catch!

perhaps Earl has something else (non pool related) on his mind?
or perhaps he has a lot of pool on his mind, with the TV show & movie & Snooker Tourney?

FYI OP, he plays golf with those weights too.
Vielen Danke!
 
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I like Earl.....if I could play half as good ...........OH YA OH YA

Not everybody likes me either ....But I like me .
 
M.G. said:
instead murmuring about the table, the cloth, the balls when he's not succeeding,
Click to expand...


Really?
Strickland?
Are you sure?
Who would have thought?
Dude, this is what he's been doing for the last 30-40 years.
It's always something other than him when he isn't doing good.
The audience is too loud, applaud too much for the other guy, cloth is too old, too new, balls are too round, too square...lol.....it's always something.
THEN,,,,,,then THEN,,,,,,if the other guy complains about something legit they're just sissies and don't know real pool, shoot too slowly and on and on........
30 + years this has been going on with him. Every day.
 
FranCrimi said:
Do they say 'Cheers' in Germany too? I thought that was a British thing.
Interesting first post ever.
Something smells bad here, like maybe something personal.
Click to expand...


British?????
Hahahahah.......if anything Australian might be a good start.
But really, people from all over the world end emails, letters, posts with Cheers.
No biggie. Doesn't say anything about ones nationality other than you might expect it from an Aussie.
 
The strength of Earl's game has always been his intense focus on "the shot." His jabbering between shots is his way of releasing the tension that comes from intense focus; Mike Sigel did the same thing (and received the same criticism for it). It's certainly nothing new for Earl; he's been doing it his entire career.

If anyone tried to contain the tension for more than a few minutes, they'd explode. Most other players don't exhibit it because they simply don't focus with the same intensity or, those who do have other mechanisms of release.

Only in pool and chess are the normal "jabbering" considered unsportsmanlike or a sign that the player "has a problem."

In other sports it's considered normal....because it is.
 
Everyone has to remember, American Pool players are rarely seen in person in europe. I would guess, most have seen Earl on accu-stats. So if this is the first, this person has seen him live, it could just be shocking disapointment. US pool tournaments are not televised. In europe, its probably normal sports tv. So they would not know that Earl is mentally ill. Its common knowledge here. So please cut that person from Germany some slack.
 
Earl may have his faults, but I really enjoy watching him play. Even in the twilight of his career he is still capable of catching a gear and playing as good as anybody.

Does anybody know if he is going to come west for the Hard Times 1 pocket and 10 ball and the Vegas 10 ball and 8 ball?
 
"...can't play a safety if his life (game) depended on it..."

Are you seriously serious? Earl is one of the greatest safety players and kickers on this planet. Oh well.

Anyone who takes his chatter to heart doesn't really understand people too well. If you took Earl out of context you would think he's a childish lunatic. But for those that know better you realize he's not chattering at a real live person (even if he is) and he's not directly addressing anyone when he goes off. He is just releasing tension. Essentially he's talking to himself. Is it hard to tolerate sometimes-yes, but so is my racist grandmother at Thanksgiving. That doesn't mean I write her off. She's not a bad person and neither is Earl.

And if you've spent any time at all with the man, he's the nicest guy you ever want to meet. Give the dude a break.
 
M.G. said:
Dear all,

recently I've been observing Earl Strickland's playing (2014 and 2015) in various tournaments, most recently the Chinese 8-ball masters.
Still chalking up very carelessly (which irritates me greatly), and can't play a safety if his life (game) depended on it (which it really did all the time), just firing away mindlessly.

Seems to me he's lost all his greatness, instead murmuring about the table, the cloth, the balls when he's not succeeding, even tries to chat up Stephen Hendry.
He can only play adequately when he gets his mind or when the ball lie in a way he can just shoot away.

Also the advice given by Earl here seems really off:
https://ccrma.stanford.edu/~peer/pool-earl-archer.html

To summarize - he's hit the final wall of his playing, and is no longer succeeding with his old ways. And he can't see it and develop further because he would need somebody else to coach him and also would need to develop his mind further (which he aparently doesn't do at all).

Any thoughts on this?

Cheers,
M

PS: I really can't understand why he's allowed his stupid arm weights in major tournaments.
Click to expand...

It would appear that you seem to be under the impression that he's no longer a threat at the table - unless you're Shane, Jayson Shaw or Mike Dechaine posting under an alias, I don't think that's a very credible way of thinking.

Ever make it to Steinway in New York? If you ever plan on it and would like to put your theory to the test in person, let me know in advance and I'll fly to NY with $5K of my own money. I'll put it up with the person who irritates you with his chalking, fires mindlessly and can't play a safety if his life depends on it against you playing 9 or 10 ball.
 
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