10-ball on 10-footers at the Southern Classic

Jagr Fan

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I watched almost all of the live-streamed match last night with SVB and Earl Strickland. During the latter stages of the match, as is quite often the case, Earl was talking incessantly while SVB was at the table (but not while he was actually shooting).

Nevertheless, I was quite disappointed in the obvious and conspicuous absence of any intervention from the tournament director, Jay Helfert, who has a solid reputation for running a well-controlled tourney. I can't help but wonder why Helfert didn't "sit on Earl" for his usual antics...?? Whining and talking out-loud while SVB was at the table was, at the very least, a typical display of poor sportsmanship as well as an obvious effort of distraction or 'sharking' in my view...!!!

So, what say you, Jay...?? Were you actually OK with Earl's typical behavior of being an ASS-HOLE in your event..??
 
I was sitting right there and Shane didn't lose because of Earl! He lost because he missed four relatively easy shots in the last six games. He should have won 15-10 or thereabouts. These misses were baffling after Shane had played so well up into that point. Shane simply failed to seal the deal when he had Earl on the ropes.

As far as Earl is concerned he does act petulant and even childish at times. But he sat quietly for the most part while Shane was at the table. Once or twice I asked him not to talk to the audience while it was Shane's turn and he complied. I watched carefully to see if anything Earl was doing was bothering Shane and that was not the case. Shane's focus and concentration were not disturbed in any way by Earl. Once again Shane lost because he missed several balls at a critical point in the match. And Earl took advantage of each of these mistakes. That's the match I saw.

Quoted from a different shane vs earl thread
 
I watched almost all of the live-streamed match last night with SVB and Earl Strickland. During the latter stages of the match, as is quite often the case, Earl was talking incessantly while SVB was at the table (but not while he was actually shooting).

Nevertheless, I was quite disappointed in the obvious and conspicuous absence of any intervention from the tournament director, Jay Helfert, who has a solid reputation for running a well-controlled tourney. I can't help but wonder why Helfert didn't "sit on Earl" for his usual antics...?? Whining and talking out-loud while SVB was at the table was, at the very least, a typical display of poor sportsmanship as well as an obvious effort of distraction or 'sharking' in my view...!!!

So, what say you, Jay...?? Were you actually OK with Earl's typical behavior of being an ASS-HOLE in your event..??


Listen, I understand what you are saying but thats simply Earl. millions have complained about what you posted. just have to get over it.
 
As one of the tournament directors of the Southern Classic, I was especially interested in watching Earl vs SVB. Earl won the match after SVB missed several relatively easy shots down the stretch.

Several times in the early part of the match, a spectator would start a conversation with Earl. Jay Helfert would step in and put a stop to it immediately. Once Jay nipped that in the bud, Earl sat in his chair quiet as a church mouse for the rest of the match.

Ironically, when Earl did talk it was while he was at the table himself. So, in a sense he was sharking himself.

In the last four games, SVB missed relatively easy shots late in each rack. This was not due to anything that Earl did. SO, the match turned in Earl's favor due to these untimely misses at the end of this match.

As tournament directors, we keep an eye on Earl's matches. Jay Helfert sat 20 feet from Earl and SVB the entire match. That way he was in position to intervene, in case a problem arose.

I did not see the things that you saw. The streaming cameras were positioned to show the table, not the players sitting in their chairs. This was a very close match. The fans of SVB were disappointed in the outcome. but it was a result of untimely misses at the end, not sharking.
 
First off - for the record I think Earl is a clown, always has been, always will be.
That being said, everyone knows how he is going to act. He didn't say anything while Shane was shooting. You don't get to this level of playing by being sharked by a clown muttering to himself or playing the crowd. This isn't golf, most people learn this game in a loud distracting environment, and playing up the ranks/for money you run into many yahoos that like to jaw. You learn to deal with out and shut it out. Shane beat Shane last night (with a little help from Earl :) ) Sharking did no beat Shane.

*plink* *plink*
My 2 cents worth.
 
... In the last four games, SVB missed relatively easy shots late in each rack. ...

Just for the sake of accuracy -- that's not true. Only one of his late-game misses that cost him the game was in the last four games: Game 26 -- Shane missed the 8-ball but won the game. Game 27 -- Shane missed the 7-ball. Game 28 -- Shane missed a rail-first 2-ball. Game 29 -- Earl broke and ran the game.

The other late-game mistakes by Shane were: Game 4 -- poor safe on the 9-ball. Game 19 -- missed the 8-ball. Game 24 -- missed the 9-ball.
 
I watched almost all of the live-streamed match last night with SVB and Earl Strickland. During the latter stages of the match, as is quite often the case, Earl was talking incessantly while SVB was at the table (but not while he was actually shooting).

Nevertheless, I was quite disappointed in the obvious and conspicuous absence of any intervention from the tournament director, Jay Helfert, who has a solid reputation for running a well-controlled tourney. I can't help but wonder why Helfert didn't "sit on Earl" for his usual antics...?? Whining and talking out-loud while SVB was at the table was, at the very least, a typical display of poor sportsmanship as well as an obvious effort of distraction or 'sharking' in my view...!!!

So, what say you, Jay...?? Were you actually OK with Earl's typical behavior of being an ASS-HOLE in your event..??

:shakehead:

Don't you think if there was a problem, that Shane would of said something?

If Earl wasn't there, you wouldn't have many spectators. Pool is boring without Earl. Oh...maybe that's how you like it?
 
It looked like Shane lost on purpose. Like he wanted Earl to move on.

Either way it doesn't matter, earl won't get by Alex the way he is shooting
 
:shakehead:

Don't you think if there was a problem, that Shane would of said something?

If Earl wasn't there, you wouldn't have many spectators. Pool is boring without Earl. Oh...maybe that's how you like it?

That's not true at all! Earl is a D bag and many people don't want to watch him because of the way he acts. they would have the same turnout if earl wasn't there. Not many in this area are fans after the way he acted in memphis not too many years ago.
 
Fan of pool

I am a huge Shane fan. He just didn't get it done. He did mention the cueball being an issue, which as a professional you need to adapt to equipment. He was also ill. The table was tough. Earl played well and deserved to win. He did break and run the final game. Can Earl be an ass? Yes. so can everyone else. I do like watching him play, and listened to him have fun and laugh while he was warming up was a treat.

I would watch them both play again, anytime.
 
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