No matter what, I feel obligated to try to help the Game that has given ........
To finally reveal what really happened in the Million Dollar Challenge and why the TV Tour was cut short was cleansing....it also showed how close we actually came to making pool more than it was and, perhaps gain the momentum the sport needed.
After the Million Dollar Challenge and our ESPN events through 1999 the momentum noticeable subsided and I left the game in pursuit of "bigger, and better things"......now I feel that the sport is finally ready to be "re invented" and showcased to the general public.
We are putting all our research and development together with our available resources to try one more time......only time will tell if it's worthwhile or not. No matter what, I feel obligated to try to help the Game that has given me and my friends so much, asking very little in return. 'The Game is the Teacher'
To finally reveal what really happened in the Million Dollar Challenge and why the TV Tour was cut short was cleansing....it also showed how close we actually came to making pool more than it was and, perhaps gain the momentum the sport needed.
After the Million Dollar Challenge and our ESPN events through 1999 the momentum noticeable subsided and I left the game in pursuit of "bigger, and better things"......now I feel that the sport is finally ready to be "re invented" and showcased to the general public.
We are putting all our research and development together with our available resources to try one more time......only time will tell if it's worthwhile or not. No matter what, I feel obligated to try to help the Game that has given me and my friends so much, asking very little in return. 'The Game is the Teacher'
As I finish CJ Wiley and Mary Avina's DVD set regarding the PCA's "Million Dollar Challenge", I'm left mulling several things.
1.) Has the sport of pool.....or any sport, really.....had a tortured soul such as Earl Strickland?
Earl's candid interview once again reveals his bright, vivid, undying passion for not only pool....but, to constantly learn and "solve" the game at it's highest level, under the most intense pressure.
Earl details the time leading up to the Challenge and the training/methods he used to solve the Million Dollar Riddle. Having met Earl and seeing him work a table over till it plays up to his standards, I guess I really shouldn't be surprised.
2.) How "soul-cleansing" was this project for CJ? It had probably already been said from Earl to CJ in the past, but one has to hope that when "The Pearl" cuts Wiley off in mid-sentence to emphasize the point that he was VERY happy with the outcome/payment.....that it laid to rest any doubts the principal players had about the situation. Earl seemed wholely satisfied with what happened, plus CJ sounded much appreciative and respectful of Strickland's candidness.
3.) I wonder about the level of equipment in pro pool back in 1996, as compared to today. It is mentioned that these were Gold Crown's with triple-shimmed 4.5" pockets. I would ASSuME this to mean that they were originally closer to 5" pockets that had been tightened up. I've played on some tables of this variety and this can make them finicky. With that said, a 4.5" pocketed table isn't big news anymore, as it seems like some players have promoted tighter and tighter table conditions. I'd say the table Earl ran 11 on was definitely no cupcake, however. I wonder what type of cloth and balls these were. I'm sure CJ knows the answer to these questions.
4.) There's no way in the world I could have done something like this. From spectators shouting "....can I get 10%.....?", DURING the run, Jay Helfert's dogged pursuit of racking perfection, not to mention his speech asking everyone to sign a witnessing statement, etc. etc......well, I would have been shaking so bad, I'd have miscued. Btw, great storytelling, as usual, by Toupee Jay. He's a guy that you could just spend all day talking to about anything in the sport....constantly engaging and always insightful. All a nod to Max Eberle for giving another pro's view on the event and witnessing history.
5.) Earl does it all in long-sleeved shirt AND tie. You don't see that much anymore. That in itself would have killed me. I just can't play in long sleeves. I've never even attempted it in a tie.
6.) My biggest question is hopefully soon-to-be answered. Will pool ever see another professional venture such as this? Perhaps the carrot could be 11 racks for $1 million. Or maybe 12.....just to officially pass Earl. I know that if you provide the pro's a goal, they WILL work to beat it. They just need that carrot.
This DVD set really takes one down a winding, wistful, thought-provoking voyage into pool's world of "What Might Have Been.....".
Highly recommended for history buffs of the sport or any players in general.
As for me, I probably would have cut the 1B in the side.
