Great Earl Strickland road story (rags to riches gambling when he was 20 years-old)

arnaldo said:
Seems to me in retrospect that this material would be an excellent thing for CJ Wiley to have Earl describe in colorful detail during an on-camera interview (for inclusion in CJ's upcoming documentary on Earl's life and pool world accomplishments).

For a documentarian it would definitely benefit any pool biography as a very explicit and dramatic metaphor for life on the road. Young gun-slinger comes to town early in his straight-shooting career -- the locals clearly no match for his unearthly talents.

Arnaldo
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That is a great story. Earl gave us a very colorful 2 hour interview for the upcoming documentary that has a few of these "nuggets".

There are a lot of great stories from that "era" of pool history. I'm glad I got to see it firsthand and I still think the stories in some way are the key to the future.

It makes the game entertaining and that's what the most important thing is no matter how we generate it. Only then will the game "catch on" to a new demographic again. IMHO
 
I though Earl stopped gambling mainly as a result of his relationship with Cutetec. Prob glad/ nice to get a salary as a compromise for not having to deal with the hassles of $play.

And I believe there is a similar tale of Mizerak and a broken down car and him winning a large chunk where said car broke down. Bueller? Bueller?
 
arnaldo said:
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Can't personally say what event (or cumulative events) in his life turned him away from gambling (for along period anyway), but I once spoke to Earl about a variety of pool-related subjects for about 45 minutes at the 1992 L.A. 9-ball Open held in Burbank and featuring most of the top players. Earl would get red in the face with anger as he railed against the evils of any players gambling on pool. People nearby seemed alternately startled, then amused at his intensity on the subject. He kept going on about how gambling had ruined professional pool.

An hour later, I sat behind him during his match there against a very straight-shooting and relaxed CJ Wiley, and whenever seated, Earl kept turning back to the crowd saying things like "Most of you have bet a lot of money that Wiley's gonna beat me. Get ready for a big surprise."

There was an enormous guy (pro bodybuilder or fullback-sized guy) seated two rows in back of Earl's player chair, and every time Earl missed, the big guy would cheer and clap so loud it really rattled Earl. The guy would give him a leering grin of pleasure and keep clapping as Earl returned to his chair.

Earl got the guy moved, (or removed) by security and told the crowd that the guy's hands were "like two big shovels banging together."

I think Earl was absolutely right to complain about the guy.

In later years however, it did become obvious that Earl, at every tournament he entered had increasingly become (and remains) equally as knowingly disruptive (to most of his opponents) in his peculiar and inimitable fashion.

Arnaldo
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There was an enormous guy (pro bodybuilder or fullback-sized guy) seated two rows in back of Earl's player chair, and every time Earl missed, the big guy would cheer and clap so loud it really rattled Earl. The guy would give him a leering grin of pleasure and keep clapping as Earl returned to his chair.

Earl got the guy moved, (or removed) by security and told the crowd that the guy's hands were "like two big shovels banging together."




:lmao::lmao:
 
Very well worded Sir.

arnaldo said:
Seems to me in retrospect that this material would be an excellent thing for CJ Wiley to have Earl describe in colorful detail during an on-camera interview (for inclusion in CJ's upcoming documentary on Earl's life and pool world accomplishments).

For a documentarian it would definitely benefit any pool biography as a very explicit and dramatic metaphor for life on the road. Young gun-slinger comes to town early in his straight-shooting career -- the locals clearly no match for his unearthly talents.

Arnaldo
Click to expand...
 
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