Earl Strickland - Great Player OR the Greatest Player?

[sonny_burnett]

Tell Calvin "Hi" for me, we've had many LONG battles on the bar table over the years. I have a mini book full of "Country Calvin" stories.

Yeah, Earl has won tournaments in the 70's, 80's, 90's, 2000's,2012's - that's 5 Decades of winning tournaments and high dollar matches.

I remember when I was 17 running around on the road I would hear of "Lil Earl" jumping his ball with a Meucci. I ran out and bought a Meucci and within a week I could jump a full ball too.....but Earl was the one that started the "tradition" playing '2 Shot Shoot Out'. He's extremely tough to beat playing that style of game.

We've played many times for a LOT of money, once ended up being for $80,000. And he won a Million Dollar Annuity in my pool room, of course that's a whole other story.

Careful CJ. The "Lil Earl" comment shows your age (and mine). I guess the first story I heard was Earl showing up at Myrtle Beach after his jump to win a car. What a hornets nest of players down there. Add Wennie Beanies stories and a kid called Archer rolling in and bettin high....wow what a great time period.

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[westcoast]

I usually know what most pros are going to do on most shots (I can't execute anywhere close to what they do, but I recognize proper strategy), but with Earl it is often a mystery. He plays some of the most unusual spins and position shots. That is why he is so entertaining to watch. Yes, he can sometimes lose his cool and when he really goes on tilt and loses because of it, it is awful- but his skill level is unreal. Truly a treasure to watch.

 

[Ken_4fun]

Greatest player

Once again watch Earl playing Landon Shuffett. Earl could be a great mentor for our young future champions....but...just more of Earl being Earl.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HYQjoHjwL4

Watch this and tell me what a class act Earl is.....

You would NEVER seen Nick Varner or Johnny Archer act like this.

JMO

Ken

 

[Celtic]

The color of money with Reyes is one....

I agree, in the first two days of that event Earl had a crazy high gear and got out to a very large lead.

He imploded on day 3 and allowed Efren to make a huge comeback, but on day 1 and day 2 Earl very clearly showed that his peak gear was the highest on the planet and even Efren could not keep up with that kind of offense (largely due to Earl's superior break and his running huge packages by taking on insane shots most pro's don't shoot and making them consistently).

I think it is pretty clear that in the case of rotation pool noone ever had Earl's top gear. If sets in pool were races to 29 and 33 instead of races to 9 and 13 Earl would likely have won twice as many championships because noone could have dealt with or matched the offense Earl would have put out every match in sets that long.

 

[cuedoctor]

He's the greatest player!

Earl may be nutz but he does have some valid points most of the time. They should have some kind of shot clock during these match's because some of these player purposely play slow when they play earl...there hard to watch already and you can tell there slowing it down. Chalking up on every single shot and walking around the table on every shot is worse then listening to EARL. I think it was great when Karen Corr told Hatch to tie it in a knot and not let him take another break during there match...even the woman can see these stall tactic's the men try...you don't see that much when the woman play. Earls gonna do great at the Mosconi cup because he see's the game and doesn't worry about a shot clock like the rest.

 

[CJ Wiley]

league players that would jump at the opportunity to get involved and help

I love watching Earl play. Now if only he were mute.

I really enjoyed watching him play on the turning stone stream, the opponent racked the balls, Earl NEVER checked the rack, broke them and ran the balls. All the other players i saw on stream whined about the racks for 5 minutes while Earl just f'ing played.

Yes, some people complain about Earl because he doesn't try to hide his "stuff"....those, on the other hand that no one would ever expect to do "bad" things are the ones that are the potentially the most treacherous. One of these days they will be exposed, and there's a time and a place for everything.

Cheating on the rack, whether it's "rack your own" or "rack for your opponent" is a part of the game that I find the most undesirable...and now it seems to be the most prominent.

Pros should not be racking the balls at all, this is the simple answer. I'm told we can't get enough Refs to rack for each table and I would like to show that opinion misguided.

There's many league players that would jump at the opportunity to get involved and help this situation - many of them really like pool and want things to be right.

'The Game is the Teacher'

 

[CJ Wiley]

they were playing many sets for 10k+.

Careful CJ. The "Lil Earl" comment shows your age (and mine). I guess the first story I heard was Earl showing up at Myrtle Beach after his jump to win a car. What a hornets nest of players down there. Add Wennie Beanies stories and a kid called Archer rolling in and bettin high....wow what a great time period.

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That's right there was some incredible action around Myrtle Beach and Florence/Bishopsvile SC......do you remember "KOJAK"?

I beat a guy in Bishopsville out of 6k playing 6 Ball on a Bar Table with the Big Ball....I think I was giving him the 5 and the break at the end......Omaha John was there and it was a turning point in my young career.

Archer was playing LA KEITH during that time too.....or maybe it was Reid Pierce, I can't remember the match ups, but they were playing many sets for 10k+.

 

[ribdoner]

That's right there was some incredible action around Myrtle Beach and Florence/Bishopsvile SC......do you remember "KOJAK"?

I beat a guy in Bishopsville out of 6k playing 6 Ball on a Bar Table with the Big Ball....I think I was giving him the 5 and the break at the end......Omaha John was there and it was a turning point in my young career.

Archer was playing LA KEITH during that time too.....or maybe it was Reid Pierce, I can't remember the match ups, but they were playing many sets for 10k+.

kojak<====multi-racketed and i'm not talkin tennis

didn't he back a couple of very talented, snot nosed kids in high $$$ action?

didn't j. reed also "know" him?

 

[CJ Wiley]

going up there to play, but not before Kojak got "put away"

kojak<====multi-racketed and i'm not talkin tennis

didn't he back a couple of very talented, snot nosed kids in high $$$ action?

didn't j. reed also "know" him?

Yeah, Kojak ruled that area for awhile.....LA Keith, Matlock, Reid Pierce, and a whole list of "who's who" Pool Champions were hanging around. I beat a guy in Miami out of 50+ and was going up there to play, but not before Kojak got "put away". I"m sure there's a lot of good stories about that place and time.

Oh, Well, such is life in "the fast lane".

 

[Dunnn51]

The Truth of the matter is "We All See Things Differently".....that's 100% accurate.

Earl is a great pool player and the biggest draw for whatever reason...maybe people "love to hate him" or "like to like him" or simply want to see a wreck like in NASCAR.

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Condensed quote .

You know : whether it is Earl speeding toward the finish line in front of everyone else;or rubbing fenders the whole race; or see the steering wheel come off as he heads toward the wall; Earl has a passion for the game!!
Quite simply: he's "in it, to WIN IT !"

so,....................Why did I just think of Richard Petty ??

 

[smokey]

sri - but to me, he will neve be more that the south end of a horse traveling north..

am i alone?...

doesn't anyone else see what a fool he acts like?

as a boy i learned the word "iconoclast".
maybe to all of you, i am - you choose
and maybe without merit

i have seen earl in action and all i can say is...
he is a disgrace to the game, """by action & words"""

cj - give me a break nuthugger

all the best
the iconoclast smokey

 

[monsterdog]

double post

 

[monsterdog]

He may have been the greatest 9 ball player that ever lived, when he's in the zone there's no stopping him and he's proven it for years. Despite his sometimes unwanted emotional disposition, he's undeniably one of the greatest to ever played the game and an asset to pool. The man in my avi would agree :grin:

 

[Charlie Hustle]

All I have to say is if you haven't seen the TAR match on the 10 footer, its a must see. He ran out like it was a fvcking bar box. All while wearing arm weights, huge head phones, and a magnifying glass. (Just in case there was a gap between the balls on the rack)

 

[Buckzapper]

As experienced pool players, I hope you all see what I see in Earl Strickland.....that without a doubt he is the most dangerous run-out artist on the planet. Any top pro that doesn't know Earl is capable of beating them with a lop-sided score, is just in denial of reality.
The biggest egos are very capable of denying the truth.

You can talk all you want about his conduct during a match and his interaction with the crowd between racks, but when it comes time to shoot the balls in and run out, the extra long cue has spoken, and very clearly I might add.

 

[runzout]

As experienced pool players, I hope you all see what I see in Earl Strickland.....that without a doubt he is the most dangerous run-out artist on the planet. Any top pro that doesn't know Earl is capable of beating them with a lop-sided score, is just in denial of reality.
The biggest egos are very capable of denying the truth.

You can talk all you want about his conduct during a match and his interaction with the crowd between racks, but when it comes time to shoot the balls in and run out, the extra long cue has spoken, and very clearly I might add.

Zapper, You couldn't be more right. The young generation of pros, Dechaine, Shuff, Sossei ect must see how outgunned they are. To deny the disparity in skill does them a disservice. They should sit, watch and learn. The man is a genius.

 

[Donny Lutz]

Personality?

The Truth of the matter is "We All See Things Differently".....that's 100% accurate.

It's just above my "Pay Scale" to judge Earl or anyone else, we all have made mistakes and acted in ways we didn't' mean to.......none of is perfect, no, not even one.

I refer to pool players in pool performance terms, not in integrity, behavioural, or morally implications.....I would like to see everyone act perfectly, however, my idea of "perfect" is probably different than anyone else's idea of "perfect," and it's not possible anyway, so what's the point.

Earl is a great pool player and the biggest draw for whatever reason...maybe people "love to hate him" or "like to like him" or simply want to see a wreck like in NASCAR.

I always thought integrity and behavior were factors in being a "team" player...I could be wrong.

 

[oldplayer]

As experienced pool players, I hope you all see what I see in Earl Strickland.....that without a doubt he is the most dangerous run-out artist on the planet. Any top pro that doesn't know Earl is capable of beating them with a lop-sided score, is just in denial of reality.
The biggest egos are very capable of denying the truth.

You can talk all you want about his conduct during a match and his interaction with the crowd between racks, but when it comes time to shoot the balls in and run out, the extra long cue has spoken, and very clearly I might add.

EXACTLY! X2 :thumbup:

 

[Donny Lutz]

Career stress

One of the amazing things about Earl is his longevity. It is almost incomprehensible to play pool at such a high level for over 30 years. It must be physically and mentally very challenging. Almost all of his contemporaries are no longer playing.

Great point about the mental challenge of playing world class pool for 30 years.

On the other hand, several of the announcers during his TS matches remarked at how well he "still" plays at 52. My best years were when I was 50-52, and I might have continued to get better but for circumstances beyond my control. I've seen many players (since 1955) playing some great pool in their 60s and well beyond.

If he can get over his paranoia, I think he'll still be winning big events for many more years.

 

[nancewayne]

Earl won the N.C. Open 1-pocket tournament a few years ago. He CAN play all games well !