Jay, your post makes me think about the old saying, "It all depends upon whose ox is getting gored." I don't doubt for a minute that you reported exactly what you saw and heard. Your response was quite proper based upon your report in fact, you might have been a little generous with your compassionate response.
Earl has never had the opportunity to stick me with some of his pissy comments and so I have no personal basis for disliking the man. I disklike a few things that he has done but I dislike a few things that I have done. I think many people who have born the brunt of Earl's harsh remarks have good reason to resent him and his unwarranted attacks.
For others who have never had a personal conflict with him, I don't quite understand the lust of repeating all of the negative stuff over and over.
I do understand acknowledging another man's improprieties as a sense of resentment but to hound another man day after day because of his perceived inadequacies is childish and as vulgar as the man's reported improprieties.
That being said, I believe in an eye for an eye.
FTR, I will never forget Earl's competitive spirit nor his accomplishments.
And to Heath, to deny that he is a living legend is to deny his phenomenal accomplishments in pool. That just doesn't make any sense unless your ox has been gored.
While everyone has a right to their opinion: if Earl's detractors were to be paid a pound of flesh for each negative act that someone has said he committed, he would no longer have meat on his bones.
This type of constant public whippings accomplishes absolutely nothing except to breed more anger and resentment and to set the stage for the public beating of another professional in our sport. There aren't many mediums for pool information and our opinions in this forum are read by many and if we are to even hope for a better future in pool, we must try to have our words bring about some positive reform.
I haven't been the kindest poster on these forums and have pounded on a few people when my ox has been gored. I don't have a lot of pride in having extracted that pound of flesh either, whether it was justified or not.
So anyway, I too would like for Earl to get help with his problems and maybe he is getting help. I would like to see tournament directors take control over people who are out of control, not just Earl but every player who steps out of line but especially the spectators. That is something that will bring about positive reform, not this constant, public humiliation that has been going on here. Our silence and acceptance of this daily flagellation speaks volumes about who we are and it sets the stage for the future way we discuss the business of pool.
AZ is a better place than it has ever been and I respect the differences of opinions even when I am in the minority.
JoeyA
