Earl
- Thread starter Buckster_uk
- Start date
pete lafond said:
Strongly disagree, chiefly because he doesn't compete nearly as often as he used to. The Earl of old could give the Earl of today the seven. As we've seen, though, Earl can still find his old form every now and then, and when he does, it always makes for great theater.
Music has its one-name monikers like Madonna and Cher, and there can only be one Tiger in golf, but when it comes to pool, there is "Earl." No last names needed. 
Say the name "Earl," and you will get a mixed bag of reactions as to his persona. As a player, his eyes can look on heights beyond our gaze. He always fills the stands, and even the players themselves sometimes cast their eyes on his every move. Of course, the element of surprise is what's unique about The Pearl.
AND I've said it before and I'll say it again.
Mike Lebron won the U.S. Open title at the age of 54, and his record was almost broken this year when 56-year-old Jose Parica stepped into the pit for the finals of the 2005 U.S. Open.
This year, the 44-year-old was yucking it up quite a bit on the offs, and I actually think he was having fun. FWIW, sitting in the stands at this year's Open, I don't think we've heard the last from Earl Strickland quite yet. He does seem to like those tight-pocketed tables better than most!
JAM
Say the name "Earl," and you will get a mixed bag of reactions as to his persona. As a player, his eyes can look on heights beyond our gaze. He always fills the stands, and even the players themselves sometimes cast their eyes on his every move. Of course, the element of surprise is what's unique about The Pearl.
AND I've said it before and I'll say it again.
Mike Lebron won the U.S. Open title at the age of 54, and his record was almost broken this year when 56-year-old Jose Parica stepped into the pit for the finals of the 2005 U.S. Open.
This year, the 44-year-old was yucking it up quite a bit on the offs, and I actually think he was having fun. FWIW, sitting in the stands at this year's Open, I don't think we've heard the last from Earl Strickland quite yet. He does seem to like those tight-pocketed tables better than most!
JAM
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Sweet Marissa said:
why doesn't earl lay off when he has something bad to say???????
having things going on in your life is no excuse to be a DICKHEAD.
VAP
kwilson said:
ummm Earl is about 100 Alex is in his 20's, let's see where Alex is when he is Earl's age
Sweet Marissa said:
I have to agree with Marissa on this one. Let me ask a couple of questions.
1st question....Has anybody from this board or any other board actually sat down with earl Strickland and had a heart to heart talk with him to see what is goin on in his mind or his life??? earl would be more than willing to talk to any fan. Not just about pool but about what is going on in his personal life and how alot of foreign players give earl no respect.
I have sat with earl on a few occasions and chatted in depth with him on numerous subjects including the state of pool and the status of his personal life. (before he got a new girlfriend i have to add). Earl hates the current state of pool because many of the people that make pool related products don't support pool at all. he would love to see it get much better, but he is a realist and knows that without financial support from outside of pool ,pool will never grow beyond what it is now.
Earl won alot of money (1 million) for that thing about running those racks. How much do you really think he got after he had to hire a lawyer and threaten to sue to get him money. Then have to settle for less than the million. How would you like to finally get your dream house on a golf course and then lose it in a divorce.
So all of you people out there that want to bash earl go right ahead, but try walking in this mans shoes first and deal with what he has had to deal with. Then see what kind of attitudw you would have.............mike
cueball1950 said:
You forgot to put rah rah rah after your Earl love in there, I think most people agree that Earl shoots quite a good game, what people are fed up with, disgusted even is his poor sportsmanship.
I don't give a hoot what is going on in his head, I don't watch pool to analyze the players feelings.
LOL, man let's all just admit you either think he's good for the game or not.
It's all kinda funny the amount of time discussing Earl when there are so many other good players out there, someone once said it doesn't matter what they say about you, just as long as they keep talking about you,,,
I think Earl has many years left to entertain us all with his different type of pool behaviour.
peace guys
Earl's behavior
Sorry to say Marissa but Earl brings it on himself with all his antics.
No question he is a great pool player and can be quite amiable off the table, but during matches he has exhibited rude and outrageous behavior that has tainted him forever.
Are you aware he once quit during the finals of a major tournament because he didn't like the way the balls were racked by the Tournament Director. Probably more than any other single occurence this spelled the end of major sponsorship of men's pool at that time. At the end of the year, the men lost Camel.
He has been known to criticize (and badger) the fans for applauding the play of his opponents. What that is about I can only wonder. I have seen him be overly critical of an opponent who was playing slowly due to a stomach condition which caused him to play in great pain. You may say he is a good man, but I have seen otherwise. If he wasn't such a great player, he may not have been able to get away with so much noncense over the years.
As it is, the UPA banned him from playing in their events. i wish him the best, but he most certainly has psychological problems which he probably should have been getting treatment for years ago.
Sweet Marissa said:
Sorry to say Marissa but Earl brings it on himself with all his antics.
No question he is a great pool player and can be quite amiable off the table, but during matches he has exhibited rude and outrageous behavior that has tainted him forever.
Are you aware he once quit during the finals of a major tournament because he didn't like the way the balls were racked by the Tournament Director. Probably more than any other single occurence this spelled the end of major sponsorship of men's pool at that time. At the end of the year, the men lost Camel.
He has been known to criticize (and badger) the fans for applauding the play of his opponents. What that is about I can only wonder. I have seen him be overly critical of an opponent who was playing slowly due to a stomach condition which caused him to play in great pain. You may say he is a good man, but I have seen otherwise. If he wasn't such a great player, he may not have been able to get away with so much noncense over the years.
As it is, the UPA banned him from playing in their events. i wish him the best, but he most certainly has psychological problems which he probably should have been getting treatment for years ago.
Earl and the crowd
Earl is quite adept at turning the crowd against him. He has somehow managed to do it countless times at tournaments all over the world.
Bottom line, he doesn't care what the crowd thinks about him or anything for that matter.
beetle said:
Earl is quite adept at turning the crowd against him. He has somehow managed to do it countless times at tournaments all over the world.
Bottom line, he doesn't care what the crowd thinks about him or anything for that matter.
Fleece3 said:
I actually think that most folks on here, and in the pool world more generally, do appreciate and even admire Strickland's great talent and ability on the pool table. For some, at least, I think that is the very reason why his behavior is upsetting. If he were some lesser talent who maybe happened to win a big tournament once then his behavior might be the subject of some passing controversy. But Earl is no doubt one of the greatest nineball players ever, and I think it is partly for that very reason that people are disturbed by his demeanor in some matches and his attitude towards other players, at least while he is competing. I agree with you that we should appreciate and enjoy his playing ability, and thank god that we do not live with him. But for many players I think it is precisely because we do appreciate the fact that he is one of the greatest players ever that we lament the fact that he is an incurable bipolar manic depressive, as you put it.
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sjm said:
Did you ever see Earl at the top of his game in the early to mid-eighties? Or Efren from the same period? Both those guys were better then than they are now. I think Sigel, Strickland and Reyes of the eighties were three of the top five or so nine-ball players ever. I have an old Accu-Stats tape from the Tara Open finals in Atlanta in April, 1988, between Earl and Efren, which may just be the greatest Accu-Stats nineball tape ever. Those three guys were unbelievable around that time.
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PoolBum said:
Poolbum,
Please read what I posted before:
If you accept the fact that Earl is a bipolar manic depressive, then his behavior will not seem so strange. Part of his brillance is due to that. If you were to take that part of him away, he would not be the player that he is. Asking and or expecting him to act any different is like asking a cat to bark like a dog. Accept that Earl is Earl. Be appreciative at the fact that you are watching one of the greatest pool players ever, and thank God that you do not live with him.
Fleece3
