Enemies- Strickland and Soquet

JMS

JMS

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I was just watching the Mosconi Cup (just received my dvds) and during the match with Tony Drago, Earl Stickland is talking to the crowd. He asks someone in the crowd "THe way Ralf shot was beautiful wasn't it, that guys a turd" I was laughing so hard when the referee said Enough of that Earl. But anyways what happened between these 2 players?
 
From bits and pieces of interviews of interviews and matches of Earl, he has always complained about players that play slow and methodically, and Soquet is probably the worst in Earls mind. Although Soquet is a great player, Earl doesn't appreciate him and his abilities as much as he would seem to appreciate a smooth and quick player. In one interview, he mentioned something to the effect that from a spectators point of view, guys that play like Soquet are boring to watch regardless of how good they are.
Although I appreciate the ability of a guy like Soquet, I have to admitt that it's much more entertaining to watch quick players that can get out of hairy situations without even stopping to think.
dave
 
Earl Strickland is a great player but his constant bad behavior is a detriment to the sport and a distraction to his opponents. Something is not right in that guy's head. Earl was such a great talent in his prime that he could have really done the sport some good as an ambassador if he hadn't been such a whiney brat. Ralph Soquet is a class act and a professional.

I have an Accu-Stats tape from a 14.1 tournament years ago where Earl shot the last ball of a rack leaving a break ball that looked good initially but didn't look so good once the rack was in place. Earl had a temper tantrum and insisted that the referee had moved the ball. The whole thing was on tape, the referee never touched the ball; he mad a complete a$$ out of himself. I'm convinced that Earl has some type of mental problem, I cringe every time he goes to other countries to "represent" America.
 
Ralf has slowed his game way down at the US Open a few times while playing Earl on the tv table on purpose to get in Earl's head, and I'm sure he has told all of the Euro Mosconi team the same thing except Drago. In my mind it is still sharking, but then they really do need some advantage to beat The Mighty Earl.. --NC boy--Leonard
 
A detriment to the game? Please! Earl will fill more seats than anyone out there. Whether you like him or not doesn't matter, he's like a car wreck, you can't help but stop and watch.
MULLY
 
Re:Ralf vs Earl

In Earl's prime and when he was in his highest gear IMO he had no peer when it came to pure shot making ability. Probably had the most powerful stroke ever. He should already be in the HOF. In his prime and even today when he plays well there isn't anyone I would rather watch play. However, no reasonable person can say that Earl's bad behavior is beneficial to him, fair to his opponent, or good for pool. When Earl is on his good behavior he is as nice a person as one will ever hope to meet-problem is the bad behavior Earl can materialize instantly. Defend his uncanny abilities, push to get him in the HOF, but defending his bad behavior IMO is the same as encouraging him to continue it which in the end tarnishes his extraordinary talent.
 
Icon of Sin said:
Where did you get DVDs of it?
Click to expand...

Accu-stats - the Maine event 14.1 -Earls' first 14.1 tournament -

me-01 Earl vs Ervolino - Me-09 Earl vs Vlahos - Me-10 Earl vs Reyes
 
mullyman said:
A detriment to the game? Please! Earl will fill more seats than anyone out there. Whether you like him or not doesn't matter, he's like a car wreck, you can't help but stop and watch.
MULLY
Click to expand...


Earl's skill level and speed of play was (is) such that he would draw a crowd even if he wasn't a brat. The Jerry Springer show draws a crowd too but that type of behavior is not the reason we want people to watch pro pool. We can agree to disagee but I think his supreme talent was enough to fill seats without the nastiness and poor sportsmanship. You can be a fiery competitor without being a jerk.
 
In a heat of the battle Earl sometimes says things which he doesn't really mean. And Souquet isn't all that slow. There are slower guys out there.
Both are great champs. Let's leave it at that.
 
Doug said:
In Earl's prime and when he was in his highest gear IMO he had no peer when it came to pure shot making ability. Probably had the most powerful stroke ever.
Click to expand...

He's still got a sh*tload of stroke. I've watched him play many times before and never realized what he is capable of until I watched him warming up before the pool school here in Portland. Here is one shot that I happened to captured with a digital camera. There were others that I wish I had captured. Sorry for the poor video quality.

Earl Stroke Shot Video
 
Terry Ardeno said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onKZnzG5GB8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHkjDNbi01Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq7vgGGKO1w


Earl & Ralf are both great champions.
Click to expand...

yeah but the difference is that Ralf doesn't need to have his teeth kicked in.
That earl guy plays great but treating people like that is definitely unacceptable. he must really think he's the toughest guy in the world.

i run into guys like that all the time (not that play that great) guys that believe everyone else is wrong
 
One thing for sure, if you were to have two rooms, side by side, with Germany Champion Ralf Souquet in one room giving an exhibition and American Champion Earl Strickland in another room giving an exhibition, there would be a marked difference in railbird audience.

I may be going out on a limb here, but I have a feeling that Earl's room would fill up quicker than Ralf's! :thumbup:

For the record, I don't believe anybody deserves to have their teeth kicked in. What an assine thing to say.
 
JAM said:
One thing for sure, if you were to have two rooms, side by side, with Germany Champion Ralf Souquet in one room giving an exhibition and American Champion Earl Strickland in another room giving an exhibition, there would be a marked difference in railbird audience.

I may be going out on a limb here, but I have a feeling that Earl's room would fill up quicker than Ralf's! :thumbup:

For the record, I don't believe anybody deserves to have their teeth kicked in. What an assine thing to say.
Click to expand...

Oh it's nothing personal. i say that about 60% of the people i run into. hell some times i guess i fall into that category myself. just that BS handshake he threw at Ralf should have gotten his chin tapped at least.

people keep acting crazier and crazier until one day someone puts them in their place.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top