Earl had an early proctology class that morning...:yikes:
Earl vs Appleton World Pool Masters Nine Ball.....unreal tape job!
- Thread starter SBC
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Earl had an early proctology class that morning...:yikes:
It really is a hell of a thing when you're talking about one of the greatest players ever to pick up a cue and you don't know whether to laugh or cry...
If I was TD, you wouldn't be using jump cues, special breaking cues, or playing one-foul BIH.
So, I guess it is fair if I have to play a guy with LONG fingers and he can reach over balls and I CAN'T? What we going to do about that? In today's world, everything has to be EVEN. EVERYBODY IS A WINNER!
The game has changed to the point where it isn't even the same game it used to be. Faster tables, faster cloth, specialized cues, revamped rules to give the underdogs a chance, etc., etc., etc.
Make it REALLY fair. Everybody shoots with the SAME cue. Pass it around. You break for the other guy, he breaks for you...once the break is done, the player who is supposed to shoot gets the option of passing the shot back.
If my hands sweat your hands have to sweat. There will be a sweat check at the beginning of each game. If my hand is sweating more than yours, we will use a spray bottle to dampen yours up some.
Enough is enough.
Now all Earl needs is a note from that Doctor to give him permission to go out for a "Medical Tune-Up".:grin:
She told him "quiet down" or something similar and he told her "NO- YOU SHUT UP!" The next day probably after being told he would be tossed from the event if he didnt -He came in with the flowers and apologized-Cardiff Wales 2003-2005 most likely. I was there.
Yeah... and she deserved them. So as I said, one way or another, he's aware of it. It's not like he's oblivious. I think most would agree, the vast majority of us in the pool universe either hate Earl or ( at least ) like him. And as one in the camp of those who like him, I think I speak for a lot more when I say, man... I wish he'd stop the BS and just play. And I'm not talking about "Bee-keeper outfits", "assweigths" or "waders". I couldn't care less what he wears or uses... it's the verbal stuff.
Exactly the verbal abuse at the audience and/or opponent and the non shaking or ridiculous shaking. I think at the MC one year he practically pulled Ralf to the ground on the extremely rough "handshake". I actually feel embarrassed for humanity when i see that crap.
Amen... just ask Blaze Foley. :grin:
And, in "Earl" fashion, he apologized for that, said he "over-reacted" to Ralf not coming over to shake hands soon enough after the match ended. I wonder where all this started. When I met him in 83, I had the chance to get to know him to some extent. Not well, certainly, as it was only over the course of a week-long tournament. But I did spend several hours with him, talking and beating balls around in the practice room over several days. And you could not have met a nicer kid. He was humble. He was respectful to other people. He was quiet. Somewhere along the way, someone got under his skin for something and it just escalated from there. Then it became the chicken or the egg. Who was rude and/or abusive first? Earl? Or the crowd... it's just a shame. It really is, to even be having this conversation.
And that couldn't have been a more perfect ending to that video!
"I could care less, everyone gets lucky but me... Pool isn't a sport, it's a just a game, an un-organized game... GOLF, THAT'S a sport. This... this is like TIDDLY WINKS!"
Half the time I think Earl's pulling a psych job, a hustle... they'll be so spun out looking at Earl's taped hands, that it takes 'em out of their game a little. The verbal stuff though, is out of line for ANYBODY... he needs to just stop all that.
As he's getting older, he IS letting minor s**t bother him in a major way, IMO... seems he can't tune out the crowd, any inconvenience, waiting for an adjacent player to shoot, etc.
I just remember Earl putting racks together in seconds, Meucci cue, just making 9 ball absurdly simple, two stroking every ball, hitting the center of the pocket.
That HIGH GEAR back then...
It’s true that he made the game look so easy back then and still does okln occasion when he really gets focused. I agree that he is his own worst shark
Tell you the truth, Runner, the first time I saw him, in the practice room at Grady's All-Around in 83, I had no idea who he even was. But I do, clearly, remember thinking, holy s**t! This kid can PLAY a little! We ended up showing each other shots and just shooting the s**t. And, as I've said in other threads, I thought he was a really nice kid. Across the board. So when I see him these days, acting out like he has a habit of doing, I think back to back then and just kinda shake my head. I still love him as a player, though. If I had to pick the greatest 9 ball player ever ( and, just mho ), it would be a toss-up between Earl and Buddy, both at say, 25.
Tony Robles told me Earl came to NYC when he was 18-19. He recalled just how well Earl shot. As he remembered it,and was speaking about Earl, he had a look on his face as if he was currently seeing a ghost. He was in absolute awe of Earl in his younger days still!
I've heard hundreds of stories over the years about great 9 ball shooters but TR convinced me that day that Earl was on a different level than any of them "back in the day".
I was gonna say "He was something else." but, actually? He still is. Not the same player he was 35 years ago, of course, but man... can he still play or what?