Million Dollar Challenge Documentary

CJ Wiley

ESPN WORLD OPEN CHAMPION
Gold Member
Silver Member
The Documentary is completed and we are now taking orders

Hey CJ,

does the semi and finals DVD include the 11 racks run by Earl?

No, he didn't run the 11 racks against me, the Documentary has the video of his 11 rack run, (not the entire 11). The semi and finals is the PRIME SPORTS TV Show that we (PCA) put on from my pool room (CJ's Billiard Palace).

The Show features Jimmy Mataya and Kevin Eschenfelder (Prime Sports) and it is the same tournament that Earl ran the 11 racks for the "Million".

The Documentary is completed and we are now taking orders at www.cjwiley.com
s545218710118534614_p1_i3_w320.jpeg
 

CJ Wiley

ESPN WORLD OPEN CHAMPION
Gold Member
Silver Member
With one million dollars on the line, on April 10, 1996 Earl "the Pearl" Strickland

he ran 11 racks?

Yes, he most certainly did, and has not been done before or since in a Pro Event.

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 at the inaugural event of the PCA Pro Pocket Billiards Tour. While it was a miraculous feat, it simultaneously dealt a fatal blow to the new Pro Pocket Billiards Tour and gave a death strike to what might have been the rise of televised table pool as a mainstream sport. CJ Wiley had spent years preparing a new tour to showcase the sport, using a million dollar prize as the main draw. His goal was to breakout pool as a mainstream sport.

Through an in depth interview you will hear how Earl trained to achieve this incredible level of performance, the legal battles that eventually vindicated CJ Wiley, and accounts of the following two-plus years to honor the prize through the accounts of CJ Wiley, 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.

Directed by Mary Avina - now available at www.cjwileybilliards.com
 

Wedge

WO Wedge Lock
Silver Member
So Exactly

No, he didn't run the 11 racks against me, the Documentary has the video of his 11 rack run, (not the entire 11). The semi and finals is the PRIME SPORTS TV Show that we (PCA) put on from my pool room (CJ's Billiard Palace).

The Show features Jimmy Mataya and Kevin Eschenfelder (Prime Sports) and it is the same tournament that Earl ran the 11 racks for the "Million".

The Documentary is completed and we are now taking orders at www.cjwiley.com
s545218710118534614_p1_i3_w320.jpeg

How many of Earl's eleven rack run are actually on the video and which ones (for example 1 through 7 or 9 through 11)?

Thanks, I for one would like this clarification prior to making a purchase!

Wedge
 

rexus31

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
How many of Earl's eleven rack run are actually on the video and which ones (for example 1 through 7 or 9 through 11)?

Thanks, I for one would like this clarification prior to making a purchase!

Wedge

Length of the video as well, please.
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
No, he didn't run the 11 racks against me, the Documentary has the video of his 11 rack run, (not the entire 11). The semi and finals is the PRIME SPORTS TV Show that we (PCA) put on from my pool room (CJ's Billiard Palace).

The Show features Jimmy Mataya and Kevin Eschenfelder (Prime Sports) and it is the same tournament that Earl ran the 11 racks for the "Million".

The Documentary is completed and we are now taking orders at www.cjwiley.com
s545218710118534614_p1_i3_w320.jpeg

CJ beat Earl in the finals, and was he pissed! :eek:
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
How many of Earl's eleven rack run are actually on the video and which ones (for example 1 through 7 or 9 through 11)?

Thanks, I for one would like this clarification prior to making a purchase!

Wedge

Either 6 thru 11 or 7 thru 11. CJ knows that better than me.

Best of all you get to see me racking the balls :), and EARL MAKING THE COMBINATION IN RACK NUMBER TEN! That shot alone (the single greatest shot in pool history imo) makes it worth the price of the DVD.
 
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Luxury

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I got free shipping. I live in Washington state.
 
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Wedge

WO Wedge Lock
Silver Member
Thanks Jay

Either 6 thru 11 or 7 thru 11. CJ knows that better than me.

Best of all you get to see me racking the balls :), and EARL MAKING THE COMBINATION IN RACK NUMBER TEN! That shot alone (the single greatest shot in pool history imo) makes it worth the price of the DVD.

CJ, please post which racks are shown on the DVD!

Thanks

Wedge
 

seven_7days

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
CJ beat Earl in the finals, and was he pissed! :eek:
Lol!
I don't think anybody on this planet would've been upset about losing especially after literally achieving the superhuman feat of running 11 racks for a cool 1 million...except Earl Strickland.

Question: after losing in the finals... "I would have rather won the tournament than the million dollars." -Earl Strickland
hand-point-180.png
did he really say this?
 

PINKLADY

ICNBB
Silver Member
....Best of all you get to see me racking the balls :), and EARL MAKING THE COMBINATION IN RACK NUMBER TEN! That shot alone (the single greatest shot in pool history imo) makes it worth the price of the DVD.

i was on-the-fence with that "single greatest shot in pool history" thing,
till you told me that YOU are RACKING!
done.
 

Rjmoncrief

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Ii racks....

Didn't Earl make the 9 on the snap 4-5 times? If he made it on the snap say 5 times then he actually ran 6 racks. Still an unbelievable feat but does make quiet a difference.
Just wondering........
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
Didn't Earl make the 9 on the snap 4-5 times? If he made it on the snap say 5 times then he actually ran 6 racks. Still an unbelievable feat but does make quiet a difference.
Just wondering........

He did not make it once on racks 6 thru 11. He may have made it twice in the first five racks. He definitely had the break shot wired on that table.
 

terryhanna

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Didn't Earl make the 9 on the snap 4-5 times? If he made it on the snap say 5 times then he actually ran 6 racks. Still an unbelievable feat but does make quiet a difference.
Just wondering........
how does this does make quiet a difference.im sure it made no difference to EARL if he made 10 9 balls on the snap as long as he won a MILLION DOLLARS JUST SAYING
 

Rjmoncrief

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
how does this does make quiet a difference.im sure it made no difference to EARL if he made 10 9 balls on the snap as long as he won a MILLION DOLLARS JUST SAYING

I'm sure It didn't make a difference to Earl. I was referring to the difficulty of the task of running out 11 racks verses making it on the snap 5-6 times then running out the rest. Just wasn't sure how many times he made it on the snap.
 

Island Drive

Otto/Dads College Roommate/Cleveland Browns
Silver Member
I'm sure It didn't make a difference to Earl. I was referring to the difficulty of the task of running out 11 racks verses making it on the snap 5-6 times then running out the rest. Just wasn't sure how many times he made it on the snap.

Find and old copy of Pool and Billiard Mag, it woulda' been the 96 May or June issue, the article might help. To say the payoff caused the failure of the PCA....:scratchhead: on that one.
 
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