Earl's US Open is over...
- Thread starter Blackjack
- Start date
Well that sucks, first I lost Cliff in my pool, now Earl.
OMG I'm the kiss of death.
lol I hope Efren is okay I have him as well.
mrs.g
OMG I'm the kiss of death.
lol I hope Efren is okay I have him as well.
mrs.g
Crap! Woulda been great to see him in the top4 or so...
You are right, "...Earl is STILL the man".
You are right, "...Earl is STILL the man".
Ffs!!!!!!!!!!!!!
but yeah, he's still the man! just wait till next year...
Blackjack said:
He is not "STILL" the man. He is nothing compared to his former self and to not admit such is to take away from the tremendously dominant and confident player he once was. He is not even a shadow of his former self, there is nothing left of the once powerful confident force he once was on a pool table. He let himself flake and whine it all away and the pool world lost one of its most dynamic and skilled stars.
Celtic said:
Celtic,
Wow. I feel terrible. Thanks for putting me in my place. I'll make sure I think things through next time I post something that is so silly. Please forgive me and the others for having faith in Earl during this transitional period in his career.
PS:
I still think Earl is the man, no matter what anybody thinks.
Earl
Earl was with out question the best 9 ball player in the world for many years. He is one of my favorite players to watch when he puts forth 100% of his talents. Lately though he just doesn't seem as easily motivated as he once was. When Earl plays with the drive and motivation he used to have he is still one of the best players in the world. However, in recent times the Earl of old comes and goes. He was the man, he can still be the man but we just don't see the man that often anymore.
Earl was with out question the best 9 ball player in the world for many years. He is one of my favorite players to watch when he puts forth 100% of his talents. Lately though he just doesn't seem as easily motivated as he once was. When Earl plays with the drive and motivation he used to have he is still one of the best players in the world. However, in recent times the Earl of old comes and goes. He was the man, he can still be the man but we just don't see the man that often anymore.
Earl is one of the greatest 9 ball player this world has ever seen,i think that he will be back in the saddle again.To be honest i think he needs a women,maybe some stress relief with a working girl or something.
Fast Lenny said:Earl is one of the greatest 9 ball player this world has ever seen,i think that he will be back in the saddle again.To be honest i think he needs a women,maybe some stress relief with a working girl or something.
Earl's problems are all mental. The guy who use to go out and put 100% into the game and win the majority of the time is gone. He is now scared to play his best and really focus because to do so and lose can be humbling and his self esteem and confidence are at rock bottom. So instead he goes out and puts out subpar performances, if the opponent plays weak he jumps on them and wins, and if they play strong he folds and can then not feel bad about losing because he was not "really trying and putting his all into it". When you play scared like that and purposely play below your level so that losing does not hurt as bad you no longer have the mindset of a champion. The Earl that once existed is gone.
And this is coming from a fan of Earl and one that wishes the old Earl could return but unlike Fast Lenny I doubt it will happen. Earl has spent the last few years learning to lose and destroying the once powerful mindset he had at the table and once you have done that it is very very hard to get it back. Heart is key in this game and the heart of the lion that Earl once had is long gone sadly enough.
You could be right but it would be a great story if he did get back.Celtic said:
Players of today are no longer intimidated by anyone and frankly there are plenty of guys out there who could beat him even if he plays at his best. That doesn't mean that those guys are any better or that Earl "lost it", it just shows that competition fierce these days. It is harder to win big tournaments than ever before. There are just too many good players out there capable of beating anyone, you can't get easy matches. In future, new players will come along and it is just going to get tougher and tougher for anyone. With the nature of 9ball, there must be like 30 or so players capable of winning US Open or WPC, perhaps even more.
I would put it more toward lack of motivation, as opposed to fear. I love pool, but honestly, I can't see how these guys maintain the desire and focus required to play pool for a living for years on end.
Celtic said:
predator said:
Thats my point though and why I chose to post and disagree with BJ. It is not that the rest of the people got better, they have but that is not why Earl has fallen, heck he does not lose to the cream of the crop you are talking about, he looses to nonames most of the time. Earl of 10-15 years ago would be one of the dominant players in the world today. The scene is tougher today but there are still people who stand out, Orcollo, Reyes, Archer, ect... these guys still get more then their fare share of wins over the course of a year. Earl of old would be one of those guys if he still had the fire and the determination he once had. Earl of today? He is not the same player at all, it is not the scene changing that made Earl fall, it was Earl's change in mindset. He still has the stroke, watching him practice he can still stroke the ball like the phenom he is, but put him into the pressure cooker and he refuses to put his 100% effort forward because he is scared to do that and still lose.
Celtic said:
Celtic,
You have an interesting take in the first paragraph, but I personally don't agree with it. Here's why...To say that "Earl is now scared and not putting his all into it" is like saying that about Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods. It makes no sense. How can a player be such a dominating force and be so strong minded and strong willed and focused and then cave in a "play scared."??? That would be like saying that Richard Marcinko (Rogue Warrior), the ex-navy seal, is now afraid of his shadow. I don't believe it.
Your second paragraph also has an intersting premise, that Earl has "learned how to lose." I'm not certain that he likes losing as much as some people think. He is used to being the top gun in pooldom. If he wasn't still trying to recover his game, I think he would have retired to save himslf the embarassment he faces now a days. I'm with Blackjack on this. I still believe in the Pearl, and am hoping he finds what can help him regain his former status. Reyes is older than Earl and he still plays strong, albeit not every tournament now, but he still has moments where he is still unreal. I think there is still hope for Earl.
Whether or not he ever comes back, I will never throw dirt on him. He will always have my respect and admiration for all that he has accomplished in pool.
I do agree that there is way more competition nowadays than ever before,and I do agree that Earl is one of the best ever to pick up a pool cue,he just has to get his head screwed on right.Time will tell if this EVER happens again.Terry Ardeno said: