Is Earl Strickland Crazy or Extremely Passionate About This Sport???

West Point 1987

West Point 1987

On the Hill, Out of Gas
Silver Member
I started playing pool as a passion back in the 1980s....back then, THE MAN to beat was Earl. Everybody who aspired to be a pro someday emulated him. He sold more Meucci and CueTec cues than all players combined. I still see those ugly white Earl the Pearl cues from time to time. And here he is, still making the table his bi@#$. He's an eccentric genius, simple as that. The thing is, I think he genuinely believes the stuff he says.
 
Last edited:
gwk9ball

gwk9ball

Pool Junkie
Silver Member
Earl is in love with a game that is dying in America and it drives him crazy. He has the highest gear for 9 ball ever, the #1 reason I started playing and fell in love with pool is because I dream of hitting a gear and play like Earl, even if it's only for one night.
 
T

The Hippie

Registered
Nobody on the planet has more passion for the game than Earl, you gotta love that! I hope a lot of non-pool players see this trailer and it sparks a little more interest in the game.
 
noMoreSchon

noMoreSchon

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I am sometimes on the fence about the Pearl, then he opens his mouth and I love it. He does not think of offending people, says it like he sees it, which isn't always accurate but you have to respect someone who will not back down from his views even after they thought about it for a second. Is he over the top? Definitely. Does the game need players like Earl? No, but the upper echelon of the pool world could take a few lessons on flair and emotion. Snooker has it, and also a great following in the UK, pool does not and as much as people say they dislike Earl, they would watch him regardless because who really can look away from a train wreck.
 
P

Put_upor_shutup

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
passionate..I will guarantee that every single person that watches this in person stands up and give the longest standing ovation that pool has ever seen..That goes for the ones that think the man is nuts, have wrote him off and the ones that cant stand him..I believe this video will make the usa win the mosconi cup alone...when the players see this version of earl they are coming out firing..I may just raise my bet on up..
 
pooldawg8

pooldawg8

My Pride and Joy
Gold Member
Silver Member
West Point 1987 said:
I started playing pool as a passion back in the 1980s....back then, THE MAN to beat was Earl. Everybody who aspired to be a pro someday emulated him. He sold more Meucci and CueTec cues than all players combined. I still see those ugly white Earl the Pearl cues from time to time. And here he is, still making the table his bi@#$. He's an eccentric genius, simple as that. The thing is, I think he genuinely believes the stuff he says.
Click to expand...

Great post Bill, gotta agree with ya brother, Earl the pearl, there will never be another like him.
 
Maniac

Maniac

2manyQ's
Silver Member
gwk9ball said:
Earl is in love with a game that is dying in America and it drives him crazy. He has the highest gear for 9 ball ever, the #1 reason I started playing and fell in love with pool is because I dream of hitting a gear and play like Earl, even if it's only for one night.
Click to expand...

I played like Earl for 1 rack.......once!!! :sorry:

Maniac
 
Maniac

Maniac

2manyQ's
Silver Member
The only problem I have with Earl is when he is in a tournament/TAR setting, and he is in the chair yapping away like a Myna bird on crank.

He wants to be considered as "old school"...but uses NONE of the old school etiquette (at least none of the kind I was taught).

He just gets downright RUDE to opponents...and you just cannot deny this. I can't believe more of them hasn't told him to shut his damn mouth up or step outside (a la double-J).

If it was me that he did that too while I was at the table.....one of us would be in the hospital...or at least at the police station.

I wouldn't tolerate it....at all. Total BS that he gets away with it so much!!!

Maniac
 
Andrewk1988

Andrewk1988

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I remember when I was getting in to pool. My buddy wanted to be a trick shot guy. He was sooooo into learning crazy shots. All I ever wanted to do was play like The Pearl. Maybe that's why I give him such a pass on his behavior. Or maybe I just don't care how another grown man behaves. I'm not his mom and he's not hurting anyone.

He's a legend and deserves the respect. Efren is an amazing player, but he and his game lack personality. Same thing goes for Shane now.

If you are into "being professional" and living by other's rules, those are your guys.

I'm an MMA fan and get into arguments all the time over GSP. I was always a Diaz fan and loved that he didn't care who you were or what you expected out of him, he's going to do it his way.

I have a ton of respect for guys who aren't afraid to be themselves no matter what the general population wants/expects.

Earl is my favorite player of all time and my money is on him leading USA to a (much needed) win at the Mosconi Cup.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk
 
J

jburkm002

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
An ass is an ass. Doesn't matter how good he is or was at something. That being said. I still want to watch him play. Just might root for the other guy if he is being a jerk. Might not have been so bad if he would stop calling himself the worlds greatest athlete. Is he good for the sport? Yes but not because of his game. Don't get me wrong he is damn good. He is good for the game for his antics and that creates viewers. In the end. Who should we respect more? Earl and his passion, wins but disrespect of others. Or SVB for his wins and respect of others. SVB plays and acts like a pro should. Earl plays but doesn't act like a pro. However, one is better for tv than the other.
 
CJ Wiley

CJ Wiley

ESPN WORLD OPEN CHAMPION
Gold Member
Silver Member
His eye sight, hearing and touch is uncanny - not "natural," more like supernatural

KoolKat9Lives said:
Not making excuses, but do ya'll know how many times over the years that Earl has had it broke off in him? How many people took, piece by piece, a bit of him. And he's as good as broke. Damn shame. It's understandable he might be a little bitter and guarded.

But yet, here he still is at 52 competing against the best and LOVES the game. I hope he's MVP at The Cup this year, that'd be great!
Click to expand...

I agree, we can all pretend, but will never know what it takes to walk in another man's shoes. Earl has had some brutal shoes to walk in, and I say that from being around him on many occasions, in a variety of different situations.

After interviewing him for our upcoming documentary (The Million Dollar Challenge) I have an even better understanding of him......I ask him the tough questions and he answered them from the heart......one thing about Earl, love him or not, he will state his opinion, boldly, and doesn't care what the consequences are. :D

I believe he has as much talent as any other athlete in history. We've played a lot of golf, tennis and competed against each other in high profile tournament matches - many people don't realize his eye sight, hearing and touch is uncanny - not "natural," more like "super-natural"......I literally had to see it to believe it!
 
S

SakuJack

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Andrewk1988 said:
He's a legend and deserves the respect. Efren is an amazing player, but he and his game lack personality. Same thing goes for Shane now.
Click to expand...

Efren's game lacks personality? Wow, I disagree.

I like Strickland. He's crazy at times, sure, but he speaks a lot of sense about the game and is a genuine character. Ask anyone in the UK to name a pool player*, and the only name you'll hear (aside from British snooker players) is Earl Strickland.




*most won't be able to name one at all, of course. But the ones that do will name Earl.
 
G

Grinder313

Registered
When you guys say he is not professional, what sport are you using as reference? Most all the popular sports have plenty of jaw harping, if that throws you off your game maybe you're not ready to be a pro...
That said, I was lead, as a young player, to dislike him for his whining and antics. 15yrs later I have great respect for him in his accomplishments and longevity in the game. The real question should be how long can he stay near the top of this sport? As much as I hate most all "reality" shows, Earl would be a hoot to see in reality tv!
 
N

nplum24

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
bdorman said:
I love Earl's passion, but most of the passion shown in this video is Earl's passion for Earl.

I wish he'd have talked about the beauty of the game; the power, the finesse, the precision. I'm certain he's passionate about those too...but the producers had him focus on himself. Too bad.
Click to expand...


The title of the movie "The Strickland Story" might be why all the focus is on himself???

Like many others I have mixed views and feelings when it comes to Earl. Love him or hate him, you can not deny many things about this man, his passion and talent for the game.

The other thing that can not be denied is, at this moment in time we need him if we are going to bring the Cup back to the USA soil. Go team USA!
 
L

LHP5

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It's Earl Strickland. Love him or hate him he is one of the best all time to ever pick up a cue. Some of the things he says about pool might be crazy, but he man does know what he is talking about.
 
Goldcues

Goldcues

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
This Strickland story is long overdue.
The media should have latched on the this guy when he was in his prime, like they did with Tiger Woods. That would have done professional billiards a world of good and helped make the profession much more lucrative for those who practice it, past, present, and future.
 
9Ballr

9Ballr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Always super annoying, always full of himself; Earl Strickland.
Trust me, I live in Houston, I know.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top