Earl The Pearl

[Fleece3]

OK we were talking about this at the pool hall tonight. One person made a good point. Take away the pool nuts (like us) and pool is very boring to watch. Most people don't clap for english or position, they need a hook.

Enter EARL.

While his behavior makes some of us railbirds shout disapprovements. He makes the average person watch (a la McEnroe). I will even admit, the Nick/Earl match was not great pool..but it was FUN AS HELL to watch. The only other match that comes close (entertainment wise) was McCready/Parica "CHIPS PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!". I was LMAO. I think KT knew EXACTLY what he was doing airing this one.....Thus the pre-interview with Johnny. This is the most talked about IPT match so far. Not KOTH, not Holman <sp> not Efren beating Morris for 500k.....but Earl going off on Nick. Notice they did not cut away at the end? IPT loves this.

So...Is Earl good for pool?? YEP!!

PEOPLE WATCH HIM!!!

 

[PoolSharkAllen]

So...Is Earl good for pool?? YEP!!

PEOPLE WATCH HIM!!!

On tv, people watch whatever they're force-fed. Watching McEnroe throw a tantrum in tennis is no more fun than watching Earl throw a tantrum.

In any other professional sport like baseball or football or basketball, players who engage in unsportsmanlike conduct get fined or thrown out of the game or suspended by their league. Players like Earl are an embarassment to the sport and should be disciplined for engaging in unsportsmanlike conduct.

 

[RottenRodney]

He's becoming worse

I think he's showing signs of paranoia now. He thinks everyone is against him. Paranoia is often a precursor to mental illness. You are mentally ill when you lose your ability to discern reality.

 

[jay helfert]

Then there was the 1997 tournament finals -- Earl vs. Efren again. This was Efren's fourth straight appearance in the finals (a pretty amazing feat in and of itself). Anyway, just before the match, Earl was out showing off for the crowd. He was having fun, joking with everyone, and performing wing shots. He made 8 wing shots in a row in VERY quick succession (and I mean he was rolling 'em down the table FAST). Then on the ninth ball, he rolled it a bit slower and made the shot from behind his back. The crowd erupted and it was obvious he was going to win. And win he did in short order 11-3.

To my mind, the GOOD Earl showed up that day. During the 1995 match from my previous post, the BAD Earl showed up. When GOOD Earl shows up, very few players have a chance. But when the BAD Earl makes an appearance, he ain't gonna win against anyone even close to his speed -- PERIOD. Unfortunately, BAD Earl comes out almost every match nowadays.

Again, what a pity.

His chemistry was right. Kapech.

 

[Fleece3]

In any other professional sport like baseball or football or basketball, players who engage in unsportsmanlike conduct get fined or thrown out of the game or suspended by their league.

Really?!?! How much did T.O. get fined when he celebrated on the Dallas Star? Or Reggie Miller when he did the CHOKE sign to the crowd at MSG (I was there, my buddy played for the Knicks at the time). And what about the entire Knick team, grabbing brooms to SWEEP up the Spectrum floor after they swept the 76'ers (same bubdy was a part of that). What about T.O. when he mocked mooned a stadium. My point is...with the exception of actual physical contact a player rarely gets fined or suspended. And sometimes not even then. Pedro throwing down an old man at Fenway. And if you want to talk about trash talking......REGGIE MILLER.

The king of kings...I think he is on his way to the Hall of Fame

Wanna talk about Rodman???

P.S. VS is showing the same match now.....I wonder why?

 

[Fleece3]

I think he's showing signs of paranoia now. He thinks everyone is against him. Paranoia is often a precursor to mental illness. You are mentally ill when you lose your ability to discern reality.

Or could it be that 95% of the people ARE against Earl? Deservedly or not

I, myself, am in the OTHER 5%..But maybe I am crazy

 

[LowRight]

I think he's showing signs of paranoia now. He thinks everyone is against him. Paranoia is often a precursor to mental illness. You are mentally ill when you lose your ability to discern reality.

In the last few years at the US Open, he starts his matches with the crowd rooting for him big time. The guy has won 5 Opens and loads of people would love to see a sixth -- me included. But all he talks about is how everyone is against him. I've seen him pick fights with people who were sitting there applauding him just a minute before. He even puts his fingers in his ears when people clap for him. As if to say, "I don't believe you guys. You're all against me and you have the nerve to feign adulation?" It's nuts.

Now, it all could be an act with the intent of sharking his opponents. But like I have said in other posts, this stuff is not helping him in the least. It only hurts his game. And who in their right mind would willingly act like that in a public arena, let alone in a private one? One time I got into an elevator with him alone and told him I was a big fan and good luck in his upcoming match. Do you know what he did? He bowed his head and shook my hand with a VERY limp wrist -- as if he was already defeated and I was giving him false praise. Sharking is one thing -- and I've seen my share of "talented" artists in that realm -- but this bizarre behavior is quite another beast.

 

[Bluey2King]

The sad thing here is that we are wittnessing a mental health condition that is getting worse. It would be Great if Earl would get some help, but I am not so sure that Earl sees what we see. Unless he is a danger to others I don't think there is any way to make him get the help he needs.
Yes he has talent but no he should not be allowed to carry on as he does, I think officals need to do what football or baseball does and supend him unless he meets conditions that being acptable behavior.

 

[LowRight]

The sad thing here is that we are wittnessing a mental health condition that is getting worse. It would be Great if Earl would get some help, but I am not so sure that Earl sees what we see. Unless he is a danger to others I don't think there is any way to make him get the help he needs.

I read a quote from Earl in Billiards Digest a couple years ago saying that "the doctors" have him on "medication." It sounded like he went to a family physician and was put on Prozac or the like. Judging from the results, I don't think he got the right diagnosis and needs to see a mental health professional. The sad thing is, he may have a very treatable condition. I hope he gets the help he needs.

 

[Maniac]

Have some of us forgotten Nick Van Den Berg???

I realize that we are all entitled to our own opinions here with anti/pro Earl Strickland sentiments (I myself being on the anti side, at least in this particular instance). But for all those that think that these outbursts are actually GOOD for the game of pool, you gotta be kidding, right??? First off, this tournament wasn't going on for television or even for the fans, per se. It is an event set up so the professional players in the world can have an opportunity to make a living at the career in which they have chosen. What seems to be forgotten in this thread is that Nick Van Den Berg was the victim of some very poor behavior reulting in a loss for him. What would have been the outcome of that match if Earl had just played a gentlemen-like game like most of the other players do? From what I could tell on t.v., it looked as if the whole episode (there could have been previous circumstances that we didn't get to see) was started because Van Den Berg wasn't calling his shots loud enough for Earl to hear (and did you notice that later on in the match Earl himself made some shots that he didn't call at all?) If this crap is good for t.v. and the overall game of pool, then why don't the players just take off the gloves so to speak, and just play cave-man pool. What if Van Den Berg would have resorted to dropping his stick on the floor about the time Earl was stroking the cue ball, or yelling insulting stuff at Earl while he was at the table? But he didn't! Why? Because he plays the game the way it is supposed to be played, with table manners and respect for your opponent. To hell with television. To hell with the fans. These guys are trying to scratch out a living here. IMO, what Earl did here was tantamount to cheating, and Nick Van Den Berg deserved better than that. I hope that in the future if they meet again at a tournament, Van Den Berg wipes the floor with Earl's ass. I believe the right thing to do in the future is, during the players meeting before the start of a tournament, to address this type of behavior and simply NOT allow it. Have rules in place to penalize this sort of behavior. Then maybe the players will win their matches based on pool shooting ability, not sharking abilities! If a person needs some kind of an edge away from the table to help them win, then he/she doesn't deserve the title anyway. Just my $.02.

Maniac

 

[Ken_4fun]

Tap, tap, tap

On tv, people watch whatever they're force-fed. Watching McEnroe throw a tantrum in tennis is no more fun than watching Earl throw a tantrum.

In any other professional sport like baseball or football or basketball, players who engage in unsportsmanlike conduct get fined or thrown out of the game or suspended by their league. Players like Earl are an embarassment to the sport and should be disciplined for engaging in unsportsmanlike conduct.

Exactly.

Ken

 

[Nostroke]

When Earl was put on that medicine a few years ago, he DID behave for at least one tournament and he commented on his improved condition as did others but 2 tournaments later it was the same old Earl. I dont know if he stopped taking it or got used to it or what but it was effective for a short time.

 

[PlynSets]

Everyone has a right to their own opinion and thinking (except I suppose me after people read this), but I have to say I couldn't disagree more with your sentiment. If a guy named Bob is in a gang all of his life and he walks up to someone and shoots them dead, you don't just say "There's Bob, he's being Bob. Bob has had a rough life, so you'll have to excuse him". Or if someone is mentally deranged and threatening to kill people, you don't just excuse his behaviour, you tell someone that can deal with it.

I'm tired of watching the "Macenroe" tantrums on TV. If these people want to be on TV mentoring your children (and children do look up at these people like gods), there should be some thought in to who can be on TV. Social responsibility is all but gone with all of the gangsta rappers and tantrum-throwing sports icons.

If Earl has problems (and he obviously does) he needs to get help. Sometimes getting help starts with a friend telling the person they need help. If Earl doesn't like himself when he acts this way, he knows it is wrong, he just needs help dealing with it. Someone please tell Earl to get counseling, you'd be doing him a big favor for his personal life and his pool life.

I do not think people should judge Earl for his antics or hold a grudge because of the way he treats people. If he gets help, then it should be over and people should cheer for his good shots. However, knowing society, this may never be let go.

We all make mistakes and sometimes start heading down the wrong path. It is how you deal with the mistakes and bad path that are your legacy.

FLAME ON!!!

Brian

I'd bet you could go to every school in the country and ask all the kids who "Earl Strickland" is, or "Earl the Pearl." Whether it be highschool, elementary etc.. I'd bet less then a 1/2 of one percent will have ever heard of him. The guy isn't a roll model for anyones kids. He's an old pool player that's quickly turning into a whack job.

The only reason kids who would know who "Earl the Pearl" is because Kid Rock says in one of this songs "Shooting pool like Earl the Pearl." Or something to that effect.

Incidentally If I played Earl in a tournament and he said some of the things he's said to others to me. I'd stick his pool cue straight up his ass tourney or not. I can't believe the leeway (sp?) this guy gets from people. If anyone of us talked to someone that way in any pool hall in the country garaunteed there would be beef in 2.2 seconds.

DJ

 

[14oneman]

Incidentally If I played Earl in a tournament and he said some of the things he's said to others to me. I'd stick his pool cue straight up his ass tourney or not. I can't believe the leeway (sp?) this guy gets from people. If anyone of us talked to someone that way in any pool hall in the country garaunteed there would be beef in 2.2 seconds.

DJ

Now THAT is some straight shootin' truth!!!

 

[Travis Bickle]

I think Earl is spoiled by his talent. That's his silver spoon. Born on third base and thought he hit a triple. He thinks, maybe, the game ideally should just be a contest of pure talent, and that everybody should step up and hit 'em as effortlessly as he does, or they deserve to lose. So he can't ever be seen struggling ...

And he's a bully, too. But when a bully starts taking a beating, most of them don't hang around long, right?

 

[feldz23]

I think the behavior Earl exhibited in the IPT tournament should not be tolerated. Earl should be fined for his eratic psychotic behavior. It is bad for the sport period. If it hits him in the pocket maybe he will change his evil ways!!!

 

[PlynSets]

I think the behavior Earl exhibited in the IPT tournament should not be tolerated. Earl should be fined for his eratic psychotic behavior. It is bad for the sport period. If it hits him in the pocket maybe he will change his evil ways!!!

LMAO! I'm sorry I was just wondering what my reaction would be if the IPT tried to fine a player (and if I was that player).

I think my response would be "Take it out of that check you never sent me and then send me the rest "

DJ

 

[Hunter]

Just a question here, as I personally think that Earl is having some major problems...

I just watched an old game between Earl and Jon Horsfall after Earl's meltdown phase had already begun, and he really didn't give Jon any of the "usual Earl treatment". I've never seen any of this between Earl and Rodney, or Earl and Shawn Putnam. My point is that it always seems like the problems are when Earl is playing someone much younger, smaller, more mild mannered, etc. (Nick Vandenberg and Efren for example). Has anyone else seen this behavior with Earl and anyone big enough or tough enough to kick his ass?

Kinda of reminds me of poker, there's a guy named Phil Hellmuth (great player), who used to get real carried away with his attitude and mouth until he crossed paths with an oldtimer named Sam Grizzle. Grizzle basically put up with Phil's nonsense for awhile and then challenged him to a meeting in the parking lot. Sam did a little speed tuning and Phil came back with a different attitude (still needs a little work, but much better).

Any stories of Earl and someone who won't tolerate his nonsense?

 

[wahcheck]

Selective sharking?

Just a question here, as I personally think that Earl is having some major problems...

I just watched an old game between Earl and Jon Horsfall after Earl's meltdown phase had already begun, and he really didn't give Jon any of the "usual Earl treatment". I've never seen any of this between Earl and Rodney, or Earl and Shawn Putnam. My point is that it always seems like the problems are when Earl is playing someone much younger, smaller, more mild mannered, etc. (Nick Vandenberg and Efren for example). Has anyone else seen this behavior with Earl and anyone big enough or tough enough to kick his ass?

Kinda of reminds me of poker, there's a guy named Phil Hellmuth (great player), who used to get real carried away with his attitude and mouth until he crossed paths with an oldtimer named Sam Grizzle. Grizzle basically put up with Phil's nonsense for awhile and then challenged him to a meeting in the parking lot. Sam did a little speed tuning and Phil came back with a different attitude (still needs a little work, but much better).


Any stories of Earl and someone who won't tolerate his nonsense?

I don't know if Earl picks on smaller or people with less stature.....but I've seen posters refer to him as a bully.....many posters have wondered why someone hasn't kicked his butt the way Sam Grizzle supposedly did to Phil Hellmuth, but someone once speculated that maybe Earl is a good fighter and athlete....(maybe knows martial arts?) who knows....I wonder if he has ever sharked C.J.Wiley or harassed him....C.J. is reputedly a black belt in some martial arts discipline.......

 

[ironman]

Most of us do love the game and we have all felt pain in our lives. However, Earl's temperamental behavior in public is completely unacceptable. It's an embarassment to himself, to the sport and to this country that he represents.

If Earl isn't already in counseling, he really needs to get professional help.

Absolutely.. But, one has to recognize a problem before seeking help. Earl is far too selfish to ever realize that.