Oh look, another Earl thread.
The vast majority of Earl's behaviors are triggered by some BS that happens. Players and fans alike know he's easy to trigger, and for the last at least 20 years, they have been targeting him to get reactions. He manifests a small portion of bad behaviors when he can't cope with the fact that he lost or played below his own expectation. He admits to this in a round about way.
Earl is hyper-extreme-competitive. Pool is his existence. He is also coping with the steady decline after being in his prime. The game is his identity, so everything, EVERYTHING is personal to him in the game. Even what other players do. If you disrespect the game, it is like you're stabbing him.
Earl also has a very heightened sense of competitive honor. Yes, I know many of you know-nothings will freak out hearing that, but it is true. What you see is the consequences or the symptoms of things that happen - but you do not understand the origin or the reasons behind them until 1. Earl cools down, 2. You talk to him and he explains 3. You take some time to get to know him.
I've talked to him some. I don't know him well, but talked to him enough and heard enough. The level that he reached, his literal life-long quest to push himself to the limits of greatness, and his complete dedication to the game -- he has super sensitivity to any kind of nonsense or BS.
One example of what would trigger Earl would be -
A player using the whole-pocket to make a ball or balls all match long. Or getting lucky rolls, or even lucking a ball in or a safe.
Now, he doesn't even go nuts over that in and of itself. What sets him off to start talking is when the player fails to apologize or at least acknowledge in a subtle gentlemanly manner what happened. Sure, there's no obligation to do that. But it's a respect thing. To not acknowledge to your opponent is disrespectful. I've seen Shane and several other top players these days acknowledge to their opponent in those instances. It's just very fast and slight and subtle as they move around the table. Sometimes a slightly raising their hand to say "my bad" or they will look at them. Some of these guys crap a ball in or whatever, and they prance around the table all cocky like they accomplished something. That is rocket fuel ready to explode for Earl.
To be fair, Earl will criticize an opponent win or lose. Meaning, even when Earl wins he might still make comments about his opponent.
Anyway - there's a lot about pool honor that Earl believes in that many players don't practice. That's their right. And it's not Earl's right to bash them over it, but he does and it is what it is.
He also has expectations of the fans too. Many pool fans are dirt. He is right to feel hurt and betrayed. Maybe he's old school in having nationalistic ideas. He had to battle off the Filipino invasion his whole career. No loyalty from American fans. Americans are globalists when it comes to pool, while the rest of the pool world is like "F the Americans"
Most of the people on this board and in pool rooms are bandwagoners. most of them have NEVER been to a major tournament or several of them. They are just riding the hate-Earl wave that others talk about.
Most of what they say is regurgitated from others. Most of it is 3rd, 4th and 5th hand info at best.
Had these people been to a tournament back in the day - they would see something. They would see how all the Filipino fans are staunchly loyal to their players. And they are also RUDE...crowding matches and trying to shark US players in favor of their players. They shark with comments and other behaviors. American fans are dumb as rocks. Europeans are much smarter and recognize this clannish behavior - and the Euro's while from different countries and languages stick together to counter that. But our American fans? No loyalty and support from a lot of them.
Put aside the nationalistic stuff. Most of what Earl says and does is made up by fans and spread on the internet. I saw this first hand. I was sitting right between and behind Earl and Efren. Earl started doing his talking. Right away the big, big buzz in the crowd. Everyone's face lights up for the spectacle. Chatter starts up. I hear a couple of guys a few rows back "oh Earl's starting up again" ...and then they start spreading misinformation. The whole crowd was assured Earl is throwing a tantrum or being a jerk or complaining or something. All negativity. Heckling then starts. All the negative crap. The circus. Earl wasn't ranting, bashing or complaining. He was actually saying nice things about his opponent in that instance.
The reality is this. Earl's voice does not carry well. While he is very easy to hear that he is barking away about something, it is not easy to make out what he is saying. Because sometimes he's talking to himself, or to the wind. Sometimes to his opponent, sometimes to the crowd.
Quite often he isn't complaining. Or shitting on his opponent or the fans.
You'd be surprised that he does actually compliment his opponents sometimes. Or he's merely describing something about the match, or a shot he made or something that occurred.
When he's upset, most of the time he's not ranting about losing. He's ranting about something that wasn't ideal or right. Not necessarily that he didn't win.
Sure enough, people who do not hear what he is saying, just think he's being a total jerk. In fairness, Earl does not rant in complete thoughts at times. He will just start in the middle of a topic. Most of the time, the topic is above the heads of most intermediate or lower level players.
He is a jerk sometimes though - no excuses there. He has such high standards, when he starts getting judgmental of other players - he can say things that aren't appropriate. While I don't agree with that, I understand where it comes from. He can't stand certain things about other players playing pro level because of what he himself put into the game. So will will comment to them or about them. That he should keep to himself.
Anyway -- one thing is for sure, many great players respect Earl. They "get" him ...and it has nothing to do with his massive list of accomplishments.
One example is Rodney. I can't speak for Rodney, but I will say this -- players like him and others respect Earl (his words) and actually feel the same way about a lot of things as Earl does. However, they, unlike Earl, have the capacity to suppress that passion and not let it take over themselves. They also have the ability to understand that it's not a perfect world, and somethings won't change. They also realize it is pointless to fight certain battles. They just ignore or keep it outside themselves and focus on their own game. Earl doesn't get that, or perhaps he just can't control himself. Earl can't put up a wall. But it isn't only external things, he's also battling himself. His own absurdly high expectations and so when things aren't going right, he rants about himself. Yes, in the end, most of his complaints are about himself.
But that is not what gets reported. The big headlines are his reactions when he is baited and then triggered. Which is very easy to do.
The vast majority of Earl's behaviors are triggered by some BS that happens. Players and fans alike know he's easy to trigger, and for the last at least 20 years, they have been targeting him to get reactions. He manifests a small portion of bad behaviors when he can't cope with the fact that he lost or played below his own expectation. He admits to this in a round about way.
Earl is hyper-extreme-competitive. Pool is his existence. He is also coping with the steady decline after being in his prime. The game is his identity, so everything, EVERYTHING is personal to him in the game. Even what other players do. If you disrespect the game, it is like you're stabbing him.
Earl also has a very heightened sense of competitive honor. Yes, I know many of you know-nothings will freak out hearing that, but it is true. What you see is the consequences or the symptoms of things that happen - but you do not understand the origin or the reasons behind them until 1. Earl cools down, 2. You talk to him and he explains 3. You take some time to get to know him.
I've talked to him some. I don't know him well, but talked to him enough and heard enough. The level that he reached, his literal life-long quest to push himself to the limits of greatness, and his complete dedication to the game -- he has super sensitivity to any kind of nonsense or BS.
One example of what would trigger Earl would be -
A player using the whole-pocket to make a ball or balls all match long. Or getting lucky rolls, or even lucking a ball in or a safe.
Now, he doesn't even go nuts over that in and of itself. What sets him off to start talking is when the player fails to apologize or at least acknowledge in a subtle gentlemanly manner what happened. Sure, there's no obligation to do that. But it's a respect thing. To not acknowledge to your opponent is disrespectful. I've seen Shane and several other top players these days acknowledge to their opponent in those instances. It's just very fast and slight and subtle as they move around the table. Sometimes a slightly raising their hand to say "my bad" or they will look at them. Some of these guys crap a ball in or whatever, and they prance around the table all cocky like they accomplished something. That is rocket fuel ready to explode for Earl.
To be fair, Earl will criticize an opponent win or lose. Meaning, even when Earl wins he might still make comments about his opponent.
Anyway - there's a lot about pool honor that Earl believes in that many players don't practice. That's their right. And it's not Earl's right to bash them over it, but he does and it is what it is.
He also has expectations of the fans too. Many pool fans are dirt. He is right to feel hurt and betrayed. Maybe he's old school in having nationalistic ideas. He had to battle off the Filipino invasion his whole career. No loyalty from American fans. Americans are globalists when it comes to pool, while the rest of the pool world is like "F the Americans"
Most of the people on this board and in pool rooms are bandwagoners. most of them have NEVER been to a major tournament or several of them. They are just riding the hate-Earl wave that others talk about.
Most of what they say is regurgitated from others. Most of it is 3rd, 4th and 5th hand info at best.
Had these people been to a tournament back in the day - they would see something. They would see how all the Filipino fans are staunchly loyal to their players. And they are also RUDE...crowding matches and trying to shark US players in favor of their players. They shark with comments and other behaviors. American fans are dumb as rocks. Europeans are much smarter and recognize this clannish behavior - and the Euro's while from different countries and languages stick together to counter that. But our American fans? No loyalty and support from a lot of them.
Put aside the nationalistic stuff. Most of what Earl says and does is made up by fans and spread on the internet. I saw this first hand. I was sitting right between and behind Earl and Efren. Earl started doing his talking. Right away the big, big buzz in the crowd. Everyone's face lights up for the spectacle. Chatter starts up. I hear a couple of guys a few rows back "oh Earl's starting up again" ...and then they start spreading misinformation. The whole crowd was assured Earl is throwing a tantrum or being a jerk or complaining or something. All negativity. Heckling then starts. All the negative crap. The circus. Earl wasn't ranting, bashing or complaining. He was actually saying nice things about his opponent in that instance.
The reality is this. Earl's voice does not carry well. While he is very easy to hear that he is barking away about something, it is not easy to make out what he is saying. Because sometimes he's talking to himself, or to the wind. Sometimes to his opponent, sometimes to the crowd.
Quite often he isn't complaining. Or shitting on his opponent or the fans.
You'd be surprised that he does actually compliment his opponents sometimes. Or he's merely describing something about the match, or a shot he made or something that occurred.
When he's upset, most of the time he's not ranting about losing. He's ranting about something that wasn't ideal or right. Not necessarily that he didn't win.
Sure enough, people who do not hear what he is saying, just think he's being a total jerk. In fairness, Earl does not rant in complete thoughts at times. He will just start in the middle of a topic. Most of the time, the topic is above the heads of most intermediate or lower level players.
He is a jerk sometimes though - no excuses there. He has such high standards, when he starts getting judgmental of other players - he can say things that aren't appropriate. While I don't agree with that, I understand where it comes from. He can't stand certain things about other players playing pro level because of what he himself put into the game. So will will comment to them or about them. That he should keep to himself.
Anyway -- one thing is for sure, many great players respect Earl. They "get" him ...and it has nothing to do with his massive list of accomplishments.
One example is Rodney. I can't speak for Rodney, but I will say this -- players like him and others respect Earl (his words) and actually feel the same way about a lot of things as Earl does. However, they, unlike Earl, have the capacity to suppress that passion and not let it take over themselves. They also have the ability to understand that it's not a perfect world, and somethings won't change. They also realize it is pointless to fight certain battles. They just ignore or keep it outside themselves and focus on their own game. Earl doesn't get that, or perhaps he just can't control himself. Earl can't put up a wall. But it isn't only external things, he's also battling himself. His own absurdly high expectations and so when things aren't going right, he rants about himself. Yes, in the end, most of his complaints are about himself.
But that is not what gets reported. The big headlines are his reactions when he is baited and then triggered. Which is very easy to do.
