i read that earl is back to his old temper again and almost got thrown out the door at a pool tournament is this true ?
thanks
thanks
earl strickland,s temper problem
- Thread starter travis trotter
- Start date
To the extent that Earl's anger management issues MAY be medically related, I am saddened but other than that, the fact of the matter is that his biggest problem is that he doesn't have a manager/publicist that knows how to turn that sort of thing into one of his major assets!
Just remember the HEYDAY of tennis, for example. McEnroe especially but also Connors and "Nasty" Nastasi make Earl look like a choir boy.
McEnroe did EVERYTHING Earl has ever done and made MILLIONS as a result (along with beating everone on the planet).
Today, with virtually no such hype left in the game, I recently went into a MAJOR national chain sporting goods store that didn't even HAVE a tennis section!!
Maybe if there were more Stricklands professional pool would be A LOT more popular!
Just IMHO.
Jim
Just remember the HEYDAY of tennis, for example. McEnroe especially but also Connors and "Nasty" Nastasi make Earl look like a choir boy.
McEnroe did EVERYTHING Earl has ever done and made MILLIONS as a result (along with beating everone on the planet).
Today, with virtually no such hype left in the game, I recently went into a MAJOR national chain sporting goods store that didn't even HAVE a tennis section!!
Maybe if there were more Stricklands professional pool would be A LOT more popular!
Just IMHO.
Jim
BPG24
Banned
Ok in this article Earl says that pool is tougher than golf or tennis....
He has definately lost his mind....... He couldn't be more wrong.....
Golf is much more difficult both mentally and physically... and so is tennis..
I am talking about at a top or close to top level, not casual play
He has definately lost his mind....... He couldn't be more wrong.....
Golf is much more difficult both mentally and physically... and so is tennis..
I am talking about at a top or close to top level, not casual play
u say that bpg, but for one thing i would say straight away that the mental element of pool is tougher than any other game on the planet.
Poor Earl...
Strickland even sought help from a sports psychologist, and currently takes medication to keep him on an even keel. "When your game starts going," he says, "and you're still convinced you should win every match, it starts pecking at you. That's why the little things bother me. I tend to lose focus so easily, and it opens the door for people to criticize me." In his struggle against age and rage, Strickland has gone to sometimes bizarre lengths to stabilize his game and gain confidence. He has worn a glove on his bridge hand for several years, but has also added wrap-around sunglasses, makeshift finger extensions, a right-hand glove and unorthodox cue wraps to his repertoire.
And, slowly, his game appears to be coming around. His fourth-place finish at the 2005 U.S. Open was followed by an MVP performance for Team USA at the Mosconi Cup. He also posted second-place finishes in two recent pro events - the Atlanta Open and the Glass City Open.
Still, Strickland knows his tableside antics remain his biggest obstacle.
"People come out now to see if there's going to be a crash," he admits. "Forget about the talent. They want to see me go off."
"Earl has a lot going on that we all don't understand," says Archer. "I think he's misunderstood. I know he's a good person. He's just fighting a lot of demons.
"But as a player, he's right up there with the best ever. Plus, he's always filled seats. He brought excitement to the game when he came up. And no one finishes a tournament like Earl. If he was still in it at the end of a tournament, he'd just turn it on and he was unstoppable."
Hoping to regain that prowess on the table, Strickland insists he'll continue to compete as long as his eyes, body and nerves hold out. And he'll continue to work to keep his emotions in check. What he won't do is apologize for his beliefs. "I know my conduct isn't always good," he says softly. "But I really do have integrity. People who think I'm detrimental to the game are wrong. I've always gone into a match with the intention of playing my best and giving my opponent the benefit of the doubt. That all changes when I think the player or the fans or the conditions start affecting the game and its integrity. Then I go crazy, and I won't be the same for the rest of the match. I don't know why people can't understand and respect that."
If they could, he surmises, Earl Strickland would be remembered most for what he has brought to the sport as a player. "My biggest contribution to the game has been my style of play," Strickland contends. "People love to watch me play. I see the shot and I go for it. And my game has style.
"I don't think there's a player that can fill my shoes, good or bad," he concludes. "One thing's for sure, there will never be another me!"
Strickland even sought help from a sports psychologist, and currently takes medication to keep him on an even keel. "When your game starts going," he says, "and you're still convinced you should win every match, it starts pecking at you. That's why the little things bother me. I tend to lose focus so easily, and it opens the door for people to criticize me." In his struggle against age and rage, Strickland has gone to sometimes bizarre lengths to stabilize his game and gain confidence. He has worn a glove on his bridge hand for several years, but has also added wrap-around sunglasses, makeshift finger extensions, a right-hand glove and unorthodox cue wraps to his repertoire.
And, slowly, his game appears to be coming around. His fourth-place finish at the 2005 U.S. Open was followed by an MVP performance for Team USA at the Mosconi Cup. He also posted second-place finishes in two recent pro events - the Atlanta Open and the Glass City Open.
Still, Strickland knows his tableside antics remain his biggest obstacle.
"People come out now to see if there's going to be a crash," he admits. "Forget about the talent. They want to see me go off."
"Earl has a lot going on that we all don't understand," says Archer. "I think he's misunderstood. I know he's a good person. He's just fighting a lot of demons.
"But as a player, he's right up there with the best ever. Plus, he's always filled seats. He brought excitement to the game when he came up. And no one finishes a tournament like Earl. If he was still in it at the end of a tournament, he'd just turn it on and he was unstoppable."
Hoping to regain that prowess on the table, Strickland insists he'll continue to compete as long as his eyes, body and nerves hold out. And he'll continue to work to keep his emotions in check. What he won't do is apologize for his beliefs. "I know my conduct isn't always good," he says softly. "But I really do have integrity. People who think I'm detrimental to the game are wrong. I've always gone into a match with the intention of playing my best and giving my opponent the benefit of the doubt. That all changes when I think the player or the fans or the conditions start affecting the game and its integrity. Then I go crazy, and I won't be the same for the rest of the match. I don't know why people can't understand and respect that."
If they could, he surmises, Earl Strickland would be remembered most for what he has brought to the sport as a player. "My biggest contribution to the game has been my style of play," Strickland contends. "People love to watch me play. I see the shot and I go for it. And my game has style.
"I don't think there's a player that can fill my shoes, good or bad," he concludes. "One thing's for sure, there will never be another me!"
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BPG24
Banned
worriedbeef said:
You must not play a High level of golf...
It is by far the toughest mental sport in the world... Nothing comes close...
So many more variables in golf to deal with, plus golf requires more physical skill as well, which causes mental fatigue... Not to mention you don't play pool outdoors.. trust me 100+ degree temperature with high humidity levels, make concentration very tough on anyone..
Forgot to mention wind and rain and slope
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Yeah, that professional tennis is really struggling these days. The top 100 for 2007 hardly make enough to put gas in their Ferraris....av84fun said:
Player YTD Singles Earnings
Rankings Date: Nov 5, 2007
Rank
Money
ATP Prize Money Leaders (US$)
1 Federer, Roger $7,430,620
2 Nadal, Rafael $4,596,935
3 Djokovic, Novak $3,327,700
4 Davydenko, Nikolay $1,601,775
5 Ferrer, David $1,255,252
6 Gonzalez, Fernando $1,237,130
7 Roddick, Andy $1,232,070
8 Nalbandian, David $1,230,465
9 Berdych, Tomas $1,126,070
10 Gasquet, Richard $1,084,790
11 Youzhny, Mikhail $1,028,900
12 Robredo, Tommy $977,147
13 Haas, Tommy $974,350
14 Blake, James $966,585
15 Ljubicic, Ivan $963,445
?
?
?
96 Ginepri, Robby $264,765
97 Russell, Michael $260,890
98 Ramirez Hidalgo, Ruben $260,585
99 Hartfield, Diego $259,870
100 Ram, Andy $255,712
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which game or sport is the hardest?
This always comes up and the answer is really simple. The number of top level competitors determines which game is the hardest. There is no difference in degree of difficulty in most sports and games when talking about the best in the world. Arguing golf, tennis, or pool is a lot like arguing about football, baseball, and basketball as the toughest team sport. To be a member of the elite few in any of these areas is equally demanding.
Hu
BPG24 said:
This always comes up and the answer is really simple. The number of top level competitors determines which game is the hardest. There is no difference in degree of difficulty in most sports and games when talking about the best in the world. Arguing golf, tennis, or pool is a lot like arguing about football, baseball, and basketball as the toughest team sport. To be a member of the elite few in any of these areas is equally demanding.
Hu
I didn't say anything about prize money...although unless something happens to reinvigorate the popularity of the sport, prize money will decline too.
According to a USA Today article, tennis ratings have plummeted by 44% since as recently as 2002. So, in the short term, prize money has nothing to do with popularity but in the long term, popularity has everything to do with prize money.
"Faced with growing sports competition, tennis' TV ratings are an increasing concern. The Open's overall TV ratings on CBS dropped to 1.8 last year from 1.9 in 2003 and 3.1 in '02."
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/mccarthy/2005-08-25-mccarthy-tennis_x.htm
According to a USA Today article, tennis ratings have plummeted by 44% since as recently as 2002. So, in the short term, prize money has nothing to do with popularity but in the long term, popularity has everything to do with prize money.
"Faced with growing sports competition, tennis' TV ratings are an increasing concern. The Open's overall TV ratings on CBS dropped to 1.8 last year from 1.9 in 2003 and 3.1 in '02."
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/mccarthy/2005-08-25-mccarthy-tennis_x.htm
that was an interesting read, sorta. One of the quotes that got my attention was that soft breaks are not allowed now in most pro events. Is that true? Does 'most' mean like almost anything worth any serious amount of money, or just the really big name brand events like the US Open?
blood sugar & junk food
I could not access the link, but all of us are at risk for wide swings in our blood sugar if we succumb to the temptations of the junk food so ubiquitous at pool halls. Also, the game is so addicting, especially if you are in dead stroke, that long periods elapse without nutrition.
CaptainHook said:Great link, thank you for posting.
I could not access the link, but all of us are at risk for wide swings in our blood sugar if we succumb to the temptations of the junk food so ubiquitous at pool halls. Also, the game is so addicting, especially if you are in dead stroke, that long periods elapse without nutrition.
BPG24
Banned
PoolBum said:
OK, but what you said has nothing to do with it....
I don't know why I am wasting my breath, because I know most of you have no idea what you are comparing here...
Every mental aspect of pool is in golf as well, along with many others that pool does not have....
And I am not talking about casual or league play....
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watch the PGA players walking down the fairways, they dont seem relaxed like they are walking their dog, one screwup on one hole of the 72-if you make the cut and your out of the $$$, you dont get rolls in golf near as often(there are less shots and the nature of the game makes it less common to have rolls., every shot has to be perfect if your going to remain in contention and they have alot of time between shots, they dont get the rythem advantage good pool players do. So is golf at its highest level more stressful? absolutely one bad stroke and you can blow $300,000. in gold in 4 roundsyou might get 280 shots the whole tournment if your playing perfect, in pool 280 shots isnt anything, pool players can sometimes make up for errors alot easier than golfers, i havent ever seen a golf appearing too have fun while in play, and they have the elements to deal with ,sun, wind, rain, etc and the gallery making noise too. So considering all the $$$, time between shots, lack of rolls because of the nature of the game. How can it easier than pool from the mental aspect? I think it has to be worse. I dont golf but have been a rail bird since I was a kid and know a bit about it. I am a pool player and pool isnt a bargan either, perhaps chess players have it the worst one blunder ...game over.
BTW I dont golf. but I do raise good points compairing pool to golf.
BTW I dont golf.
but I do raise good points compairing pool to golf.
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You can't compare pool v golf....it doesn't work!
I played golf competitevely for about 8 years from jr high to leagues, and held a 4 handicap, so I qualify to compare the two.
If you added up the number of players that play pool at a pro level, and the number of scratch golfers out there, I believe golf would outweigh pool world wide.
If I had to compare the two....I'd say it was much harder for me to go to a regional pool tourney and cash then to go to an open low level regional golf tour and cash. I'd also say I play golf and pool at the same level.
and, the reason 90% of the population can't break 90 is they lack the physical skills needed to do it......AND they don't pactice thier short game!
Gerry
I played golf competitevely for about 8 years from jr high to leagues, and held a 4 handicap, so I qualify to compare the two.
If you added up the number of players that play pool at a pro level, and the number of scratch golfers out there, I believe golf would outweigh pool world wide.
If I had to compare the two....I'd say it was much harder for me to go to a regional pool tourney and cash then to go to an open low level regional golf tour and cash. I'd also say I play golf and pool at the same level.
and, the reason 90% of the population can't break 90 is they lack the physical skills needed to do it......AND they don't pactice thier short game!
Gerry