I thought I was too rushed to provide an in-depth analysis. :grin-square:
Best,
Brian kc
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Evaluating the level of play on Earl Vs SVB, how good was it?
- Thread starter KoolKat9Lives
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I thought I was too rushed to provide an in-depth analysis. :grin-square:
Best,
Brian kc
[COLOR="Blue" said:
I didn't see any of it, only thing I know of this particular match is what I read on here. But I will say this, I don't think a lot of younger people today really understand how great Earl was in his prime. All this talk of SVB being the second coming, the greatest ever yada yada, don't *KNOW* Earl Strickland. When it comes to 9-ball, Earl can't be topped at this time. I've seen SVB play before, quite a bit actually, he's not getting Earl's crown just yet. Love him or hate him, Earl is the king.
All around pool, in my opinion, it will be a long time before we see anything like Efren Reyes again.
I consider myself lucky that I got to grow up around pool while these 2 guys were in their prime. I remember when Efren first hit American soil. What a great time to be a pool nut.
MULLY
All around pool, in my opinion, it will be a long time before we see anything like Efren Reyes again.
I consider myself lucky that I got to grow up around pool while these 2 guys were in their prime. I remember when Efren first hit American soil. What a great time to be a pool nut.
MULLY
Maybe his prime is yet to come! Prior to this recent Earl/Shane match, Mike Gulyassy (who knows a thing or two about pro pool over the past few decades), claimed that Earl is playing better now than he ever did. A lot of people discounted that as just PR for the match, but .................
"The ghost of Strickland past?"
As for Gulyassy's statement, great sales-pitch!
"....Earls safety play has "ALWAYS" been suspect, he's definitely better at that aspect of the game, now. However, over-all, IMHO, he hits the ball about like a normal great, not the phenom, "Little Earl!!" In the eighties when he first hit the scene, "NONE COMPARED!" There are many GREAT PLAYERS from that era, too, but Earl's style of play even changed the way "SHAPE was played." Nobody till Reyes had that magnitude of effect on the world of pool! For that matter, nobody still wakes everyone up like Earl, truly one of a kind!
As for Gulyassy's statement, great sales-pitch!
qbilder...While Shane is truly a great player, and I LOVE his game...the "greatest living player on Earth" is commonly referred to as Efren, Bata, or The Magician. I think Shane would agree. Shane may reach that vaulted status some day. I hope to see it! 
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
"....Earls safety play has "ALWAYS" been suspect, he's definitely better at that aspect of the game, now. However, over-all, IMHO, he hits the ball about like a normal great, not the phenom, "Little Earl!!" In the eighties when he first hit the scene, "NONE COMPARED!" There are many GREAT PLAYERS from that era, too, but Earl's style of play even changed the way "SHAPE was played." Nobody till Reyes had that magnitude of effect on the world of pool! For that matter, nobody still wakes everyone up like Earl, truly one of a kind!
As for Gulyassy's statement, great sales-pitch!
I agree. In his prime, playing 9 ball, nobody had a higher speed than Earl. I've watched many of his tapes from major tournaments. Let's just say his usual game steamrolled almost everybody. He actually had to play bad (for him) for other pros to have a chance. I also don't think he quite had the mental baggage he's dealing with now.
The Color of Money loss was difficult to explain. He literally dominated Efren then just ran out of steam.
49 is not exactly old in the pool world, but the clock is ticking and mentally he has a lot of things distracting him from attaining his former greatness.
Chris
And that is exactly what I mean. Earl has had a few down years as of late and he is back now kicking ass and taking names. I think a LOT of people are blinded by these down years and have no idea how great he really is. I'm really glad that he's got his game back together. I just wish he could find a good middle ground on his antics. I don't want him to be as boring as Ralf, but I also think he's going too far. He needs to be reeled in, to a point.
MULLY
I wish everyone could know what it is like to watch Earl play on that table when you have $100s riding on it. Normal sweating you go okay my horse is out with 4 balls on this nine footer.
This match you had the commentators constantly reminding you how hard it was to make long shots up the rail and that's why Shane was missing them. But when your Sweating Earl to make these tough outs and you are watching with your jaw dropped as he rides the rails while getting perfect shape it makes it by far the best sweating experience I've ever had.
By far and away the most impressive pool I've ever seen and every shot was exciting to sweat.
This match you had the commentators constantly reminding you how hard it was to make long shots up the rail and that's why Shane was missing them. But when your Sweating Earl to make these tough outs and you are watching with your jaw dropped as he rides the rails while getting perfect shape it makes it by far the best sweating experience I've ever had.
By far and away the most impressive pool I've ever seen and every shot was exciting to sweat.
Despite Earls antics ,to my surprise, he did play well , at one point he drew a shot 20+ feet for position , he was the better player, and i wondered at some points if it was a 9ft ,would shane really been able to fill the void, that I do doubt. Earls very ,very pr!ck!sh ,but he shoots pool like very few ive ever seen..
Quite a subject there!
......I've watched that match in it's entirety, at the least, 7 times!!!
I saw Earl play for the first time at Forrest Park Billiards in Dayton, just after he beat Sigel (about 6 months later). WOW! WOW! WOW!
When I think back to how he was then (emotionally) I even find it hard to believe how difficult STRESS effects him now, and how it's effect has taken a toll on him, over all these years. "My heart sinks, really."
Though most won't believe this, he's always been a purist and a certain type of GREAT, champion. You could sense it in him even as a kid. I wish others knew that aspect of his personality!
Also, earlier, I noticed your post on Bi-polar disorders, a good explanation of what "CRAZY" can look like! I wish the whole world could see the "young man," before the disease kicked in.
But, yeah, what a monumental match that was, Efren and Earl, in their prime, race to 120, for $100,000! AGAIN, WOW! WOW! WOW!
Ya know, he only lost that match by 3 games, 120-117, it all comes to a stop about 113. I mean you can't make this stuff up,
[they've got video of it, for goodness sake (LOL!)], INCREDIBLE MATCH!!!!!!!!:clapping:
......I've watched that match in it's entirety, at the least, 7 times!!!
I saw Earl play for the first time at Forrest Park Billiards in Dayton, just after he beat Sigel (about 6 months later). WOW! WOW! WOW!
When I think back to how he was then (emotionally) I even find it hard to believe how difficult STRESS effects him now, and how it's effect has taken a toll on him, over all these years. "My heart sinks, really."
Though most won't believe this, he's always been a purist and a certain type of GREAT, champion. You could sense it in him even as a kid. I wish others knew that aspect of his personality!
Also, earlier, I noticed your post on Bi-polar disorders, a good explanation of what "CRAZY" can look like! I wish the whole world could see the "young man," before the disease kicked in.
But, yeah, what a monumental match that was, Efren and Earl, in their prime, race to 120, for $100,000! AGAIN, WOW! WOW! WOW!
Ya know, he only lost that match by 3 games, 120-117, it all comes to a stop about 113. I mean you can't make this stuff up,
[they've got video of it, for goodness sake (LOL!)], INCREDIBLE MATCH!!!!!!!!:clapping:
Obviously earl played well and shane played under his usual speed, but I think there's been some exaggeration on both ends of the story. Earl's version of 'playing like a god' = more than a 3-pack, shane's version of 'falling apart' doesn't include mounting comebacks where he wins 4 out of 5 racks for a little while, and almost never missing a kick.
The whole thing was soured by the pockets imo, which is why you see more chatter about the table than the level of play. Shane had a few obvious misses due to being thrown by the table or shaked by earl... balls that hit no part of the pocket. But even more than that he had shots at speed and near the rail get spat out, and who knows if that's shane or the table? What's the final score if 5 of those rattled balls dropped? Earl rattled some too, maybe he slaughters shane by thirty games if his balls didn't rattle. The pockets need to be right before anyone can talk about the level of play with confidence.
The whole thing was soured by the pockets imo, which is why you see more chatter about the table than the level of play. Shane had a few obvious misses due to being thrown by the table or shaked by earl... balls that hit no part of the pocket. But even more than that he had shots at speed and near the rail get spat out, and who knows if that's shane or the table? What's the final score if 5 of those rattled balls dropped? Earl rattled some too, maybe he slaughters shane by thirty games if his balls didn't rattle. The pockets need to be right before anyone can talk about the level of play with confidence.
qbilder...While Shane is truly a great player, and I LOVE his game...the "greatest living player on Earth" is commonly referred to as Efren, Bata, or The Magician. I think Shane would agree. Shane may reach that vaulted status some day. I hope to see it!
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
I would agree with you on that except for the fact that Efren wants no part of Shane. Efren WAS great and i'm sure still has moments where he's as good as he ever was. But day in day out, nobody's better than Shane right now. Except Earl on a shimmed 10 footer. But even Earl admitted not wanting any part of Shane on a normal table.
At this moment, I would bet my money on Dennis O or Alex or Wu if they match up with Shane. I doubt if Shane really wants any part of the 3 above on any table at any time in any game.
not to state the obvious, but Efren is able to control his emotions better than Earl, even back in '96. Earl definitely melted down to a degree in that match. Also, Efren played GREAT pool toward the ending