Earl should be barred

If you have ever doubted that Earl was the biggest thing in pool, all you have to do is look at this forum. NO ONE inspires more conversation than Earl Strickland!! Simply mention his name in a subject line and you are guaranteed multiple pages of responses. Love him or hate him, the man is a lighting rod and a major draw. People simply can not stop talking about him.

I had a conversation recently with one of the organizers of a major event in NYC event (held at Slate and espn zone). And the number one question that they received was "is Earl coming?". Not just in person, but also on the phone!!! People were actually basing their decision on attending based upon Earl's attendence. It is for that reason that Earl will never be barred from any event or organization. This man may be a genuis. If things keep going this way. promotors may start paying Earl an appearance fee to play in their event. It doesn't even matters if he wins or loses.

Why does Cuetec keep supporting him?? Well, lets look at the US Open. He blows up playing Ralf, all of the pool world is talking about it. Do a search up here if you want to verify. Then the very next day, with everyone watching to see "whats going to happen" he calmly DISMANTLES Efren "The Magician" Reyes. And in front of a world stage to boot. Have you looked at your new accu-stats catalog? The match with Ralf is not available. However, the one with Efren IS :rolleyes:.

Again, love him or hate him, no one brings pool passions to the forefront like Earl.

So you want Earl to go away? Stop talking about him!! But we can't do that now can we :o

That being said, I am a huge fan of Earl's. He has always been really cool with me whenever our paths have crossed. And yes, this includes conversations that I have had with him after he had lost.
 
IMO if I'm playing Earl and he started his little misbehaviour, I would be calling a referee over to keep him inline...did anybody ever think that he's winning just because of his antics....I'm just curious why others haven't done the same...
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showboat said:
IMO if I'm playing Earl and he started his little misbehaviour, I would be calling a referee over to keep him inline...did anybody ever think that he's winning just because of his antics....I'm just curious why others haven't done the same...
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This post hits the nail on the head. Earl is the way he is because his fellow competitors have tolerated it. Nothing influences a player's behavior more than peer pressure. It is well known that Joe DiMaggio was very tough on some of his Yankee teammates when they behaved unprofessionally, including having fights with a few.

Neither the pool organizations nor his peers have ever taken a really tough stand with him, and that's a big part of why he is what he is. He won't be changing his ways anytime soon.

For now, let's just enjoy what we've got. However, if an organization demanding discipline of its player members and penalizing noncompiance should ever emerge, Earl won't be around for long.

I must count myself among the many that love to watch him play, but will always feel that Earl and others who, through their behavior, embarrass the game, make it very difficult for pool to evolve past its seedy image.
 
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rackmsuckr said:
It goes straight from his brain to his lips.
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From all I've read about him, you seem to have given him more credit than he's due by adding that first step. :) :)
 
sjm said:
This post hits the nail on the head. Earl is the way he is because his fellow competitors have tolerated it. Nothing influences a player's behavior more than peer pressure. It is well known that Joe DiMaggio was very tough on some of his Yankee teammates when they behaved unprofessionally, including having fights with a few.

Neither the pool organizations nor his peers have ever taken a really tough stand with him, and that's a big part of why he is what he is. He won't be chanign his way anyitme soon.

For now, let's just enjoy what we've got. However, if an organization demanding discipline of its player members and penalizing noncompiance should ever emerge, Earl won't be around for long.

I must count myself among the many that love to watch him play, but will always feel that Earl and others who, through their behavior, embarrass the game, make it very difficult for pool to evolve past its seedy image.
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It will be interesting with his issues and the IPT.
 
without earl

Without someone like Earl I would have to wait to watch pool matches by myself. Unless your are a pool player this game is boring to watch the only thing I can ever get my friends to watch is Earl, Fats or Mike Massey. These are probably the best 3 ambasadors for pool and by the way this "image" your looking for I still have not seen it outside of 3 cusion billiards and snooker. I think people can relate to Earl. Besides everyone is holding him up pretty high he's a pool player not a role model or a hero. Another thing where would football be if no one ever spiked the ball and talked @#$%. Look at some of the other higher paying sports you could get killed in the crowd of a basketball game you could get ear bitten off boxing and think of what would happen if you made one of these sports coed almost every team has a convicted felon. Earl has done a great job promoting pool. If the T.V people are smart they'll have Earl do the comintary and let him say whatever he want's. That would make pool bigger it's not the 50s anymore don't you watch HBO.
 
JamisonNeu said:
Without someone like Earl I would have to wait to watch pool matches by myself. Unless your are a pool player this game is boring to watch the only thing I can ever get my friends to watch is Earl, Fats or Mike Massey. These are probably the best 3 ambasadors for pool and by the way this "image" your looking for I still have not seen it outside of 3 cusion billiards and snooker. I think people can relate to Earl. Besides everyone is holding him up pretty high he's a pool player not a role model or a hero. Another thing where would football be if no one ever spiked the ball and talked @#$%. Look at some of the other higher paying sports you could get killed in the crowd of a basketball game you could get ear bitten off boxing and think of what would happen if you made one of these sports coed almost every team has a convicted felon. Earl has done a great job promoting pool. If the T.V people are smart they'll have Earl do the comintary and let him say whatever he want's. That would make pool bigger it's not the 50s anymore don't you watch HBO.
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There are alot of sports that are boring as hell but have tons of money in them...think baseball, golf, tennis. These aren't the most exciting sports yet they garner heavy cash...the reason is higher entry fees...fatter sponsor money...= more mainstream appeal....
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It's too bad ..

that Earl can't star in this movie with Jennifer
Barretta with a little onscreen romance and
Pool playing. The director could tell Earl to
just be normal, and everyone would go see it ... lol
 
Thanks

1pRoscoe said:
No, I believe he is with Dianna Hoppe (who isn't?)..... they deserve each other.... as long as they don't contaminate the world, all will be ok.
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LOL Thank you LOL :D
 
Krypto said:
I have to disagree on this ambassador stuff just a bit. It's great to be nice, but nice isn't always interesting. The old saying, "nice guys finish last," has some real truth to it.
It is true, nice guys finish last a lot of the times, but they are still winners. ;) And that may end up being the most important thing after all - not what the record books say, but how you comported yourself through life.

It is one thing to be a poor loser, but it's a whole different matter if you are a poor winner, which I was trying to point out. It would have taken nothing away from him to talk to that kid. Instead, he was obsessed with his one miss.

There's no doubt he is a champion. I remember when he first hit the scene and the writeups about him. People had their jaws open watching him play. Earl is certainly unique and people enjoy drama, which he easily provides. He will continue to entertain with his formidable talent and his equally formidable tantrums.
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sjm said:
...I must count myself among the many that love to watch him play, but will always feel that Earl and others who, through their behavior, embarrass the game, make it very difficult for pool to evolve past its seedy image.
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It's kind of interesting to read insights from such a diversified group of posters pertaining to Earl Strickland. :D

SJM, remember how you were a little bummed out reading all of the organization-bashing posts on the IPT sub-forum? I get the same feeling when I read the Earl-bashing ones. Admittedly, I have a different slant than some, mine usually biased towards the players' interests. :)

Pool has a seedy image because of men, period, IMHO. The MEN enforced gender-restricted environments for many a year. It's kind of funny to see the women's organization of today surpass the men's. :o

I get a kick out of seeing Earl in the pit, and his tableside personality puts a smile on my face because I know how focused he is and how much he really wants that almighty win. Too bad Earl wasn't born a Filipino because he may have enjoyed his celebrity as a world-class champion. Like many American pool champions, they've been beaten up a little bit along the tournament trail, you know, the usual low payouts and exhorbitant costs. Here in America, if pool is seedy, it is only because it continues to get stereotyped in that way.

JAM
 
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JAM said:
Pool has a seedy image because of men, period, IMHO. The MEN enforced gender-restricted environments for many a year. It's kind of funny to see the women's organization of today surpass the men's.
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I completely agree!
 
sjm said:
I completely agree!
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Somehow, I knew you would, sjm! :D

Pool's credence will come when it is embraced as a legitimate sport. Pro-caliber players don't have much in the way of recognition in the States. This is the MAJOR pitfall.

I still believe that if pool had a personality on TV, it would help to advance it as a sport. Earl is one of the super stars not only because of his strength on a field of green, but he is unpredictable, colorful, and is still going strong. He kind of reminds me of the Washington Redskins John Riggins, a powerful running back with a unique sense of style. :D

JAM
 
JAM said:
Pool has a seedy image because of men, period, IMHO. The MEN enforced gender-restricted environments for many a year. It's kind of funny to see the women's organization of today surpass the men's. :o

I get a kick out of seeing Earl in the pit, and his tableside personality puts a smile on my face because I know how focused he is and how much he really wants that almighty win. Too bad Earl wasn't born a Filipino because he may have enjoyed his celebrity as a world-class champion. Like many American pool champions, they've been beaten up a little bit along the tournament trail, you know, the usual low payouts and exhorbitant costs. Here in America, if pool is seedy, it is only because it continues to get stereotyped in that way.

JAM
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Yes, I agree JAM but what stereotypes the seediness? 1) The Hustler 2) TCOM
3) Fats 4) nicknames like the Black Widow 5) events like Johnson City.

What has kept pool going in the USA? 1) The Hustler 2) TCOM 3) Fats 4) nicknamed players like the Black widow 5) events like Derby City.

In the Philipines they have the same kind of "seediness" with all the gambling but it's much more accepted by Filipino society.

Terry< thanks god for the women!
 
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baseball golf and tennis

Baseball players charge of the mound, golfers break clubs and cuss (even Tiger woods), tennis players throw rackets cuss and it is these times more people watch the sport expands and more people start playing. I think any time someone does anything out of line it helps the sport. It's not like the guy who broke that chair over the crowds heads ruined basketball it has grown bigger and got to charge more at the door because people might get two shows instead of just the one.
 
JamisonNeu said:
Baseball players charge of the mound, golfers break clubs and cuss (even Tiger woods), tennis players throw rackets cuss and it is these times more people watch the sport expands and more people start playing. I think any time someone does anything out of line it helps the sport. It's not like the guy who broke that chair over the crowds heads ruined basketball it has grown bigger and got to charge more at the door because people might get two shows instead of just the one.
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Reading posts concerning Earl's conduct vs how it affects pool for good or bad is as always interesting and controversial. You hear that people come to see Earl because they are hoping for his known outbursts and that pool would suffer in loss of recognition and attendance and potential sponsorship should he behave himself. One cannot compare the bad conduct exhibited by champions in other sports as entitlement for poolplayers to do the same IMO because they are mature sports with millions of fans which translates into multi millions of $$$$ for advertisers. Bad conduct by poolplayers will not be the vehicle that kick starts pool to receive recognition needed to attract endorsements that leads to players being able to make incomes great enough to feed thir families, own a home, and have respectability. Efren is the biggest attraction any pool event can have and he relies solely on his playing skills not a side show. Side shows are entertaining for sure but they are never the main event; thus their name. JAM should be receiving a monthly salary from all pro players because of her eloquent defense in their behalf. But, JAM has the advantage of knowing most if not all of the players on a personal level and knows that for the most part they are good people trying to make a living under almost impossible conditions. The general public, however, only gets to see what happens on the surface and never ses a glimmer of information on how trying it can be to be a pro pool player. Undoutably Earl Strickland is one of the most talented players of all time but that may not be what he remembered for.
 
Oh Please. Earl is not being trashed because he is the stereo typed American pool player. He is an outright jerk and ass at times. You know it. John Schmidt knows it. Corey Deuel knows it. Takeshi Okamura knows it. Like the adoring parents who are into denial when their son crashes into another on a drunken spree. Hes a good boy. The guy needs help. As a pool player great. As a human being he sucks. Example Efren Reyes or Johnny Archer who are what Earl could be. Good sportsmen.

Oh and saying the womens org beats the men does not wash. Like saying McDonalds beats out a quality restaurant because they sell more hamburgers.
 
yobagua said:
Oh Please. Earl is not being trashed because he is the stereo typed American pool player....
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That's kind of a wee little stretch from what I originally wrote in my post, don't you think?! :p

JAM
 
Before I ever had the "pleasure" of playing earl I didnt care much for what I had seen on TV. But then I was brought up in snooker halls where cheating wasn't tollerated. You sat in your chair when it wasn't your shot and you didnt speak. You called your own fouls if you touched a ball in the slightest way with your finger or cue, you shook your opponents hand when you won and said bad luck before you even considered celebrating. But the best thing is I'm not just talking about the fun games played for fun, this behaviour was and is the norm right up to world level played on tv for very large sums of money.

If pool copied just ONE THING from snooker I sure wish it was the manners of the players. Sadly earl is a disgrace sometimes and I will never forget (and I still think about the example he set to the millions of American kids watching on TV) when he fouled in the skins game and pretended it didnt happen!

It doesn't matter if he's a legend, a nice guy, or if creates world peace, on occassion his behavious would still be bad for the sport and he should be punished for it when he steps over the line.

Mike Tyson was a legend, should he not have been punished for biting off Holyfields Ear or Sent to jail for rape? Should Tennis players not be fined for swearing in front of kids? Of course they should, nobody is bigger than the sport. Alex Higgines practically made snooker what it is today and without him snooker would never have become such a popular sport. That didn't stop him getting fined and eventually banned when his behaviour eventually spiralled out of control! At one point Alex headbutted a referee and threatened to have a fellow player killed!

As far as I'm concerned national loyalty doesn't come into it, if Earl was English I would say exactly the same. Nice guy, great player or not, he needs to set a better example to the kids that look up to him and respect his fellow players more.
 
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