Earl Strickland
- Thread starter SpiderWebComm
- Start date
Good post Dave. Yeah, Earl goes off at times. He's been nothing but a gentleman in the few times I've been around him. Hard to really understand the "whats or whys" when he does go off. I like your analogy Dave with genius and eccentricity, I've seen it many times. He's a firey son of a gun! Eccentric? Umm, yup. Here's a shot from last night's exhibition and challenge. Who else plays with a tape factory on him along with a tennis grip taped onto a cue?
I'm going to post more pic's later in the "Watch AZBers walk the plank vs Earl" thread I started yesterday.
I spoke with him last night about getting lessons from him and he was receptive. I've never had a one on one lesson before and I'm confident he could make me grow a ball fairly easy.
Ohhh, I'm going to add another pic here. Anyone know the guy, Pedro, on the right? A new poster here, Wayne "fat Albert" Smith, intro'd me to him last night. Said he took down Wade Crane and the Miz in his day. He was a super fine guy last night. Very complimentary of my game, even bought me a beer. I was honored. I'd like to know more about him if anyone knows. Thanks ya'll.
The galdiator preps for battle vs KK9
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Wayne and Pedro
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Where did you take that picture of Pedro?? His poolroom is where i grew up playing in....
Hey Tigerseye, I took this Tuesday night at Gate City Billiards in Greensboro during the Earl challenge. I got the distinct impression Pedro has done some serious playing in his day. I was hoping to learn more about him...
He is a old school, big money, gambler just like all you have ever heard of... His poolroom attracted all the hustlers.... Wade Crane, Cliff Joyner, Buddy Hall, Nick Varner....etc...
He was a great player. He once beat the Miz in Las Vegas when the Miz was in his prime... Thats pretty sporty=)
He is the reason i play pool....
Great thread about Earl. In my mind there is no one I would rather watch play more than Earl. His playing is confident and maybe a bit fast for some but an extremely enjoyable pace to watch.
I had the opportunity to meet Earl last year and it was one of the most enjoyable things I have done in my life. He let me shoot with his Gulassy cue as I remarked about the taper when I saw it. It felt good and I particularly liked the tennis wrap on the cue. He asked me if I would like him to wrap mine for me, which I of course took him up on. He wrapped it for me in his room and brought it to me. I thought it was awesome and very generous of him not knowing me very well at all. After all of the negativity surrounding him, I for one, have no such opinion.
The exhibition that he put on later that night was second to none. His stroke shots are phenominal and few on the planet, if anyone, could shoot them. The trick shots were awesome, and to top it off his personality just put the icing on the cake.
I hope Earl wins again soon and shows the world that he can still compete.
Go Earl:thumbup:.
I had the opportunity to meet Earl last year and it was one of the most enjoyable things I have done in my life. He let me shoot with his Gulassy cue as I remarked about the taper when I saw it. It felt good and I particularly liked the tennis wrap on the cue. He asked me if I would like him to wrap mine for me, which I of course took him up on. He wrapped it for me in his room and brought it to me. I thought it was awesome and very generous of him not knowing me very well at all. After all of the negativity surrounding him, I for one, have no such opinion.
The exhibition that he put on later that night was second to none. His stroke shots are phenominal and few on the planet, if anyone, could shoot them. The trick shots were awesome, and to top it off his personality just put the icing on the cake.
I hope Earl wins again soon and shows the world that he can still compete.
Go Earl:thumbup:.
yep
I have that Accu-Stats video too, along with about 3-4 others where he does the same thing to other great pros. As Jay Helfert once mentioned, there was nobody who could do 5-packs, 6 packs or more and OUT, like he did in his best years. The greatest achievement for running racks (IMHO) was what he did to win the "Million Dollar Challenge" at CJ Wiley's tournament. Why? I think others have run double digit racks; but he did it when it was a "challenge". (And I don't care that some of those racks were "the 9-ball on the snap".... it was still a great feat.)
Earl is a perfect example of the fine line between genius and insanity...
I have an Accu-Stat match with Earl and Steve Mizerack, in the finals of one of the Sands events, race to 15. Both players were playing flawlessly, and the score was tied at 8 games apiece. Earl broke in game #17, and ran out the set.
Who else does sh*t like that?
I have that Accu-Stats video too, along with about 3-4 others where he does the same thing to other great pros. As Jay Helfert once mentioned, there was nobody who could do 5-packs, 6 packs or more and OUT, like he did in his best years. The greatest achievement for running racks (IMHO) was what he did to win the "Million Dollar Challenge" at CJ Wiley's tournament. Why? I think others have run double digit racks; but he did it when it was a "challenge". (And I don't care that some of those racks were "the 9-ball on the snap".... it was still a great feat.)
There's another match, I don't remember which tournament, but it was Buddy Hall vs. Earl Strickland....and Buddy was playing better than Earl.
Buddy was up 9-5 in a race to 11, he looked like a shoe-in to win the match. Buddy broke dry in game #15, and never got to the table until it was hill-hill. (He had an awful pushout situation).
Buddy made a bad pushout, and somehow snatched defeat from the jaws of victory...
Earl is the best to ever put a cue together...imo.
Earl is my all time favorite player. Without a doubt the greatest tournament 9 ball player ever - 5 U.S. Open titles and 3 World Championships (or 6 if you can the 3 he won before the WPA) No one will ever touch those records. I was at the 2000 U.S. Open 9 ball and watched every one of Earl's matches, no one came close to beating him, I think the closest match was 11-6, he was drilling champion after champion by ridiculous scores, I'd love to see that Earl again. I really think he still has another U.S. Open title in him, maybe two, if he could just get his head together.
Donny
Banned
That was a great match. I have the accu-stats DVD of it. Earl ran 5 racks with 4 break and runs after the bad push out to go up 10-9. Earl was crushing the balls every time he broke. Buddy won and the match went hill hill 10-10. Buddy got a horrible roll in the last rack which led to Earl's win.
Earl was definitely the best 9-ball player up until about 2000. Efren is the best to ever put a cue together.
As much as I hate to watch Earl throw his fit sometimes, I do enjoy watching him play, and do doubt, I am a supporter though I have my moments of dislike because he break cues and etc. Now that I rationalize it, who gives a crap if he break cues, those are cuetecs anyway 
He was probably doing it for the rest of us that hates cuetecs. Like I have mentioned before, he shoots with two gloves on, not because he sweats a lot, is because he hates the cuetecs so much, he doesn't want it to make contact with his skin lol
He is without a doubt one of the very best shooters. Like Dave has said, when you are just great at a certain thing, I mean one of the best, it also come with weirdness. I remember a commentator once said Earl looked like a Wild West Gun Slinger, and man, he did for sure, just that Earl's tool is a cue and he shoots balls
Earl "Wild Pearl" Strickland
JMHO
Chino
He was probably doing it for the rest of us that hates cuetecs. Like I have mentioned before, he shoots with two gloves on, not because he sweats a lot, is because he hates the cuetecs so much, he doesn't want it to make contact with his skin lolHe is without a doubt one of the very best shooters. Like Dave has said, when you are just great at a certain thing, I mean one of the best, it also come with weirdness. I remember a commentator once said Earl looked like a Wild West Gun Slinger, and man, he did for sure, just that Earl's tool is a cue and he shoots balls
Earl "Wild Pearl" Strickland
JMHO
Chino
If my "once was" was anywhere near the level of Earl's "once was", and I had to come to terms with it being a thing of the past, I would probably act a little nutty myself.
I love to watch Earl, I get a kick out of his gadgets, and I think a little drama in a pool match now and then adds some excitement.
I love to watch Earl, I get a kick out of his gadgets, and I think a little drama in a pool match now and then adds some excitement.
Better to break your cues than your hand....imho.
LMAO Ok, you got me there, hospital bills would've got a very nice custom cue. I'll keep those wise words in my memory, grand master sen-sai!
draincutter
Active member
Masters!
I got to jump in and say that I love both Earl S. and Mike S. , will go anywhere to watch them play the game.:thumbup:
I got to jump in and say that I love both Earl S. and Mike S. , will go anywhere to watch them play the game.:thumbup:
Reliable sources tell me that Earl once punched Bruce Lee in the solar plexus. After which, it is believed that Bruce loudly proclaimed.....Oooowwwww!
Picture or it didn't happen!