Earl should be barred

Fleece3,

I'm not trying to start a flame war. Maybe I came on a little strong and if I did, I apologize for that. The only point I'm trying to make is that someone's mental health conditions just should not be talked about on a public forum. We know the things that he's done that people are annoyed with and we should just focus on that. I've brought up Jay Helfert's post over and over because I think he hit on the proper way to deal with Earl and if others would just listen to him, for instance the TD's, Earl's inappropriate behaviors would become a thing of the past and that would be great for Earl, his opponents and the fans.
 
Pistol Pete said:
Earl Strickland certainly brings up strong debate. But I think many people don't look at the whole picture. We must remember that since pool is not a huge sport like football or baseball, it has some unique opportunities for the fans. First of all, since venues are small, we have the chance to get up close and personal with world champions at tournaments. That allows us to see everything, good and bad. We also can mingle with the players outside of the pit. That's something you could never do in other professional sports. For me, that provides a unique opportunity that we should all enjoy.

Sure, Earl's far from perfect. But has anyone paid attention to how many spectators treat him lately? At this year's DCC Earl was playing a local Louisville favorite. At one point the favorite made a great shot and got a great applause. Earl made a great shot and no applause. With a smile on this face he said to the crowd "I guess only his shots are great." I firmly believe this comment was made in humor not anger. But some jerk in the crowd made a rude comment to Earl and that changed his demeaner. Again, if we weren't so close to the action, we may not even have this interaction. And the jerk rode Earl throughout the match. There's no reason to verbally root against any player. The fact that we can get close to these players should be seen as a priviledge.

I talked to Earl after the match and assured him that all DCC fans weren't like that guy in the crowd. He actually thanked me for that comment. He mentioned that it happens all over America. Has he brought some of it on himself, sure. But it seems to be a vicious cycle that we as fans must stop. I've had the chance to talk personally with Earl at many a DCC and always enjoyed it. When else do fans have a chance to talk shop with a legend of their favorite sport?

By the way, the next night after losing his 9 ball match, my 11 year old daughter wanted to approach Earl for a picture. We followed him out of the pit to the hallway. I told my daughter that he might not be real happy. When she asked if we could get a picture, Earl said "Of course. I talk to your dad at these tournaments all the time." While that not might not be exactly true, it made my daughter feel like she had a cool dad. I thank Earl for that.

Sorry for the long post but I think we must all consider the whole picture.
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I was hoping someone would bring this up. I was watching the same match and was surprised that Scott
Smith allowed it to happen. The jerk in the crowd should have been told to shut his mouth from the start. I don't like it when the crowd shots at any player by name rooting against him. I don't like most of Earls actions but in this case Earl was not the culprit, he was pushed into it and then blamed for his outburst. This all happened 10ft in front of the main desk. I have seen this same person do this to Earl at other locations as well and he enjoys it.
 
Fleece3 said:
You're right, I am not a doctor. This subject is close to me because my best friend (since the 5th grade) is manic. I have been with him through the drugs, the drinking, the violence etc... When he is not having an episode he is a great guy. I have had to talk off the ledge many times. Once, I had one 27 hour phone conversation with him (he is in Ca. I am in NY) I had to talk him to a point of exhaustion. I finally got him to a point where he was "going to lay down". He was awaken 9 hours later by a knock on the door.....It was me!! Thats how afraid I was that he was about to kill himself. It is only because of him that I have researched manics so much.
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What a great friend you are! Wish there were more people in the world that knew the real meaning of friendship. :)
 
I used to work in the mental health profession and it just isn't cool, imho, to talk about someone else's mental health. I've always liked your posts to Yobagua. I just think that it is inappropriate to discuss someone's mental health issues on a public forum. His behaviors are on the table because he put them there. Why does he do that? Who knows for sure. For all we know, he might have something entirely different going on. Whatever it is, that's his personal issue that he and he alone needs to deal with. When Jay said that Earl knew that he would put up with his BS and acted accordingly, that tells me that he can control that behavior if he feels that he needs to.
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Rick W.

Well Rick if Earl is going to do it in a public venue and where people are paying. Something needs to be said Particularly if there are young kids who ask you why is he acting this way. I dont think we need to divulge his physical and psychological problems but he is going to have to explain himself if he is going to subject us to his obsession for acting the raving maniac. It is pretty bad you must admit. And often he does not try to control it.
 
All About Earl

Wow, this post has a life of its own.
No question, Earl has acted a little stupid during matches. Many great champions have been high strung. Mosconi was worse! He would blame the table, the balls, the cloth, the lights, anything but himself if he was having problems at the table. Heaven forbid someone would talk while he was shooting or even getting ready to shoot. He would stop and glare at that person. And if he missed you better run. Enough about Willie.

I'll tell you a story about Earl that few people know and they should because it says something about the man. After he ran the eleven racks in Dallas (I racked for him the final five and he made no 9-Balls those racks),
Earl sat down at a little table set up next to the pool table where he ran the eleven racks. He had a stack of publicity photos of himself and people lined up to get his autograph. For the next two hours Earl signed every photo and not with just his autograph. He wrote their name "To so and so" and then wrote "The night I ran eleven racks" and signed each one. And he would take a moment and chat with each person.
He did this for seemingly every person in the room (except me, what a dummy). Finally when the line ended, he looked around and asked "anyone else". Then he got up and said I think I'll got back to my hotel now. After all he still had a tournament to play, this was just a second round match. By the way, he won that tournament beating Paul Potier in the finals, after he beat CJ in the semis. I rode with Earl in the shuttle that took us back to the hotel. On the way I asked him what he was thinking about on that last combo he played on the one-nine for the tenth rack in a row. It was a long difficult combination that could easily be missed.
He looked at me and said "I just wanted to give it a legitimate chance". He did put a pretty good stroke on the ball.
Now how can you hate a guy with so much heart.
This is the other side of Earl that is also unique. What other player would have done what he did after that amazing run. NONE! Almost to a man that would have gone out and celebrated.
By the way, a little piece of trivia. Do you know who Earl played in that match? First person to guess correctly wins a prize. What it is I haven't yet determined. If no one guesses it within 24 hours I'll tell you.
 
jay helfert said:
Wow, this post has a life of its own.
No question, Earl has acted a little stupid during matches. Many great champions have been high strung. Mosconi was worse! He would blame the table, the balls, the cloth, the lights, anything but himself if he was having problems at the table. Heaven forbid someone would talk while he was shooting or even getting ready to shoot. He would stop and glare at that person. And if he missed you better run. Enough about Willie.

I'll tell you a story about Earl that few people know and they should because it says something about the man. After he ran the eleven racks in Dallas (I racked for him the final five and he made no 9-Balls those racks),
Earl sat down at a little table set up next to the pool table where he ran the eleven racks. He had a stack of publicity photos of himself and people lined up to get his autograph. For the next two hours Earl signed every photo and not with just his autograph. He wrote their name "To so and so" and then wrote "The night I ran eleven racks" and signed each one. And he would take a moment and chat with each person.
He did this for seemingly every person in the room (except me, what a dummy). Finally when the line ended, he looked around and asked "anyone else". Then he got up and said I think I'll got back to my hotel now. After all he still had a tournament to play, this was just a second round match. By the way, he won that tournament beating Paul Potier in the finals, after he beat CJ in the semis. I rode with Earl in the shuttle that took us back to the hotel. On the way I asked him what he was thinking about on that last combo he played on the one-nine for the tenth rack in a row. It was a long difficult combination that could easily be missed.
He looked at me and said "I just wanted to give it a legitimate chance". He did put a pretty good stroke on the ball.
Now how can you hate a guy with so much heart.
This is the other side of Earl that is also unique. What other player would have done what he did after that amazing run. NONE! Almost to a man that would have gone out and celebrated.
By the way, a little piece of trivia. Do you know who Earl played in that match? First person to guess correctly wins a prize. What it is I haven't yet determined. If no one guesses it within 24 hours I'll tell you.
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Nick Manino
 
EL'nino said:
Nick Manino
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Hey Jay, I don't know what prize I won but just for fun, you should make me go through 3 years of litigation and then only give me 2/3s of my prize just like they did to Earl. LOL
 
TX Poolnut said:
Earl will never be barred from anything. Heck, he's on the short list for induction into the BCA Hall of Fame this year. I can sympathize though. Nobody likes unsportsmanlike conduct. Maybe this should have been brought to the attention of the officials at the tourney?
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The fact that this mindless twit is still allowed to participate is an embarrassment to the sport and is one reason that pool will never become an upper echelon sport. The powers that be refuse to get rid of this kind of riff raff and the fact that BCA is even having a passing thought on entering this jerk into the Hall of Fame is an insult to those who truly deserve to be there. I can't believe that anyone could defend the endless disruptive actions of such a classless individual. He is a cancer to the sport.
 
Yeah Jay I remember when you played an exhibiton with Willie once and his rake touched a ball and us locals proclaimed foul. It was foul on every ball back then. He gave us all the evil Mosconi glare and yelled "This is an exhibition!"
This was of course way back when. You were called Toupee Jay then. We were all cheering for you after that
 
Adanac67 said:
The fact that this mindless twit is still allowed to participate is an embarrassment to the sport and is one reason that pool will never become an upper echelon sport. The powers that be refuse to get rid of this kind of riff raff and the fact that BCA is even having a passing thought on entering this jerk into the Hall of Fame is an insult to those who truly deserve to be there. I can't believe that anyone could defend the endless disruptive actions of such a classless individual. He is a cancer to the sport.
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Talk about getting to the party late :confused:
 
Its 'wildness'. Every sport has athletes that get wild and people like them for that. Its strikes a chord. Politically correct clones aren't everyones idea of a night in a jungle and sports, let us have our night in the jungle.
Mind you, we might not like to live there (the jungle and its primal world of feelings that sport links us to) but we do like to visit from time to time.
Earl doesn't live there either but I imagine he visits often enough to be attractive for others to follow.
Otherwise, what a nice guy.
 
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Unbelievable

yobagua said:
Yeah Jay I remember when you played an exhibiton with Willie once and his rake touched a ball and us locals proclaimed foul. It was foul on every ball back then. He gave us all the evil Mosconi glare and yelled "This is an exhibition!"
This was of course way back when. You were called Toupee Jay then. We were all cheering for you after that
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Who are you and how do you remember that? It was at the Ye Billiard Den in Hollywood, CA in the late 60's. Do you also remember me being so nervous that on a thin cut shot, I actually missed the whole ball! And Willie did run something like 119 and out on me. Final score Willie 150 Jay 14 or 18? Who are you Yo dog?
 
EL'nino said:
Nick Manino
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CORRECTALAMANDO! You win El Nino. You have your choice of the souvenir program from the 1982 Caesars Tahoe invitational, the 1987 Peter Vitalie Invitational, or the 1992 Los Angeles Open 9-Ball Championship.
Take your pick and send me your address PM.
 
Not to be picky but I thought C.J. won that tourney. Heard earl was so dissapointed he said he would have rather won the tournament then the million!
 
JG-in-KY said:
Not to be picky but I thought C.J. won that tourney. Heard earl was so dissapointed he said he would have rather won the tournament then the million!
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Hey JG, you might be right about CJ winning. Earl may have lost to him in the finals. See what happens when you get old. And Potier was third, not second. SORRY about my miscue.
 
I was watching Earl praticing at DCC, and amazed how much he can talk while storking the balls at same time.. it's just so uncommon for a great player:eek:
 
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