Yes, sometimes Earl can be a good guy. That said, this speech was cordial and respectful, but lacked the kind of content that would have been more befitting the occasion.
I think that if most of his playing contemporaries were asked to comment on Reyes, they'd mention that:
a) he revolutionized the way the game was played
b) he was the founding father, catalyst and inspiration for the Filipino invasion, which was simply the greatest infusion of talent into competitive pool we've ever seen, and those who walked in his and Jose Parica's footsteps (mot notably, Bustamante, Pagulayan, Biado, Orcullo, DeLuna, Andam, Luat, Kiamco, Gabica, Lining, Gomez, Gallego, Andam, Chua, Raga, Aranas) set the pool world afire.
c) he was the greatest all-around player in this generation, perhaps the the best eight ball player ever AND the best one-pocket player the game has ever seen, as well as among the best few ever in several other pool games.
d) he was as fine a man as he was a player, rescuing his own village by rebuilding and paying for re-electrification after a natural disaster practically wiped it out.
e) no man ever smiled more at the table than Efren, evidencing that his love for the game was unparalleled.
Earl's words hardly erase the countless occasions on which he publicly failed to give Efren the kind of credit he deserved, even once calling him "no more than the best sticky conditions player" he'd seen in an interview he gave shortly after the race to 120 in 1999. That was Earl --- not inclined to give his opponents their due and always having an excuse when he didn't win.
... so it's nice to hear Earl speaking nicely of Efren, but even now, I'd say he comes far short of placing Efren's career and impact on pool in a proper perspective.