Has it come to blows between Earl and a very steamed opponent or a spectator

[VIProfessor]

When I think about how Earl's behavior has run amok over the years, with few consequences other than those he imposes on himself (lost sponsorships and matches over the years), I'm reminded of that immortal line from "The Godfather" where Clemenza says, "You know, you gotta stop them at the beginning. Like they should have stopped Hitler at Munich, they should never let him get away with that, they was just asking for trouble."

I really believe that Earl got away with too much for too long until it became almost impossible to put the genie back in the bottle. I wonder what Earl's career, not to mention the state of American pool, would be like if a few brave tournament organizers had tightened him up years ago? At some point we have to make up our minds, if we EVER want pool to be treated as a serious sport by the outside world (as it once was), that some of the standards and mores of other sports must be applied to ours as well. I for one propose that we begin with two things:

1.Players be absolutely required to conduct themselves in a respectable manner at tournaments, and
2. Let's end this pointless debate about whether instruction/coaching is beneficial to the optimal development of a player. Or at least, those who insist that it's a waste of time should, in the interest of logical consistency, remove themselves and/or their children from any schools in which they are enrolled.:wink:

Just my three cents (two cents don't go as far as they used to).

 

[inside_english]

My my, aren't we all on a bash Earl wagon today. Children children, have you ever heard the saying "If you can't say something nice, say nothing at all."

If everyone followed this rule, there would be no internet forums...

 

[ctyhntr]

In real life, would you make fun of a cripple walking funny? Regrettably AZB can be cruel as the childhood playground that we remember. Everyone joining in to tease the kid being bullied, and then boasting about it afterwards.

Ginky, who passed away last year suffered for years from a painful condition that prevented him from playing at his best because of the high cost of treatment. I wouldn't be surprised if an untreated medical condition was the root cause for Earl. He shows classic signs for DSM IV 296.X

My my, aren't we all on a bash Earl wagon today. Children children, have you ever heard the saying "If you can't say something nice, say nothing at all."

 

[arnaldo]

For me, Earl reached the bottom level of his incivility during a televised Netherlands match against Nick Van den Berg (Nick’s home country) about 3 years ago.

Earl continually ranted insults against Nick to throw him out of stroke. Nick accepted it all quietly and continued to play better and better as the match went on until . . .

. . . Earl was apparently innocently cautioned by a spectator that Nick’s entire family had come to see Nick perform, and they were seated a row or two behind Earl. (It appeared that the foursome consisted of Nick’s mom and dad and a young boy and girl (obviously his siblings).

A few minutes later, Earl runs a few balls, misses, and as Nick got up to shoot, Earl shouts “You know something, besides being such a bad player, you’re just plain stupid.” Then Earl wheels around and points at Nick’s relatives and shouts “And your whole family is stupid too.”

He points directly at Nick's family members, each one in turn, saying of the father “He’s stupid,” then (of the mother) “She’s stupid,” and “Him and her too” -- pointing at the young boy and girl.

Nick had had enough. Visibly furious, Nick began shouting back at Earl for a while about his impossible behavior then returned to the table. He couldn’t make a ball after that.

Guess who won the match (and left an indelible memory of how offensive a visitor from America could be).

Good for pool? I don’t think so.

Arnaldo

 

[smoooothstroke]

For me, Earl reached the bottom level of his incivility during a televised Netherlands match against Nick Van den Berg (Nick’s home country) about 3 years ago.

Earl continually ranted insults against Nick to throw him out of stroke. Nick accepted it all quietly and continued to play better and better as the match went on until . . .

. . . Earl was apparently innocently cautioned by a spectator that Nick’s entire family had come to see Nick perform, and they were seated a row or two behind Earl. (It appeared that the foursome consisted of Nick’s mom and dad and a young boy and girl (obviously his siblings).

A few minutes later, Earl runs a few balls, misses, and as Nick got up to shoot, Earl shouts “You know something, besides being such a bad player, you’re just plain stupid.” Then Earl wheels around and points at Nick’s relatives and shouts “And your whole family is stupid too.”

He points directly at Nick's family members, each one in turn, saying of the father “He’s stupid,” then (of the mother) “She’s stupid,” and “Him and her too” -- pointing at the young boy and girl.

Nick had had enough. Visibly furious, Nick began shouting back at Earl for a while about his impossible behavior then returned to the table. He couldn’t make a ball after that.

Guess who won the match (and left an indelible memory of how offensive a visitor from America could be).

Good for pool? I don’t think so.

Arnaldo

rofl.

Did this really happen?Can anyone confirm this?

To answer your question is this good for pool....Hard to say it could be good or bad but If that was caught by video and not edited out...it would probably be good for ratings.

 

[Salty]

rofl.

Did this really happen?Can anyone confirm this?

To answer your question is this good for pool....Hard to say it could be good or bad but If that was caught by video and not edited out...it would probably be good for ratings.

Ofcourse this didn't happen! These accusations are part of a worldwide conspiracy against this highly professional athlete (don't forget to mention he runs 5 miles everyday) who suffers from a mental illness (Yes people, being an a**whole is called a medical condition these day's). And finally, good for pool? You really think viewers would take pool serious as a sport when this gets TV coverage? Sure, they would be rolling on the floor laughing just like you. To bad it's not funny!

 

[lfigueroa]

A few years back at the old DCC at the Executive West, I was walking up the aisle to the main entrance to the tournament room, about to leave, and stopped and watched Earl playing this big, bald-headed, young, biker-looking guy on one of the tables on the aisle. No idea who he was. Anyways, I stopped to watch because it was a 1pocket match and there was a crowd and the players were wrestling over the last few balls and I could tell Earl was "agitated."

The bald guy finally gets the last couple balls he needs for the match and Earl start channeling Teddy KGB from the poker movie with Matt Damon, "Rounders": Fine. It is a fooking joke anyway. You must feel like a young man, beating me. Must make you feel big and proud...

The big bald-headed guy looks at Earl and says something very erudite like: You're a piece of shee-at, Earl. And Earl, who just can't stop himself, keeps chirping until the big guy makes a move towards Earl until he is restrained by several pals ringside, one of whom says words to the effect: Let it go. He's not worth it.

And "Earl the Pearl" lives to fight another day.

Lou Figueroa

 

[smoooothstroke]

Ofcourse this didn't happen! These accusations are part of a worldwide conspiracy against this highly professional athlete (don't forget to mention he runs 5 miles everyday) who suffers from a mental illness (Yes people, being an a**whole is called a medical condition these day's). And finally, good for pool? You really think viewers would take pool serious as a sport when this gets TV coverage? Sure, they would be rolling on the floor laughing just like you. To bad it's not funny!

Step outside your pool player self for a moment and think as a TV viewer.What would be more likely to catch your interest,a quiet well played match or The Angry American (Earl) putting his opponent on tilt to steal the win?

aka.The Ugly American.

 

[fan-tum]

you're kidding right?

Are You Kidding? That was a great comment from moonshinematt.

 

[poolmouse]

All I know is that I would Love to see SOMEONE step up to the plate, and pound his little Monkey C.nt ass into the pavement. It's WAY long over due.

Yes...and for God's sake PLEASE post it on YouTube!!!

 

[markgw]

I LOVE how every one acts like Earl is bad for pool, but you put is name in the title of any thread and BOOM, wild fire insues. every successful sport has to have an Earl type of person. Get over it if you want him to fade away. The more you talk about it, good or bad, the more he will continue to be around.

The funny thing is, for all the smack talk, there is almost no one on this site the will put dough on the lights, on ANY table against Earl.

He's good for pool, bad for opponents, and endless entertainment for me!!!

just my $.02,

Justin

Not to mention he has the biggest following in pool...Whenever he's in a match, you can expect a huge crowd to gather and watch him play ...You can't say that about everyone. I'm not agreeing with his antics by any means...

 

[DogsPlayingPool]

Not to mention he has the biggest following in pool...Whenever he's in a match, you can expect a huge crowd to gather and watch him play ...You can't say that about everyone. I'm not agreeing with his antics by any means...

I don't know that I would agree he has the biggest "following" but I would agree few people want to miss a train wreck so they might gravitate to his match.

Me, not so much. Not saying it can't be fun to watch a good meltdown but I've been on the rail when he starts up and it is just tense and uncomfortable rather than exciting.

 

[CreeDo]

I wouldn't be surprised if an untreated medical condition was the root cause for Earl. He shows classic signs for DSM IV 296.X

IIRC a friend of Earl's has stated he's diagnosed bipolar and has been prescribed medication for it. He chooses not to take it because he feels the meds keep him from playing at his top gear.

Basically he's chosen pool over social correctness. So nobody can really say he's a victim, even though he acts like one constantly.

 

[master_cueist]

First of all, Earl is NOT anything like McEnroe and Hellmuth. They both have far greater self control, quite able to offer intelligent opinions on television about their respective games. I'm not so sure Earl would be capable of such a task.

I had to babysit Earl in all his Ten Ball matches, sitting nearby and watching him intently like I would a child who is misbehaving. Without my presence Earl's behavior would almost certainly have gotten far worse than it did. He jammers on and on while he is at the table, talking to no one in particular, just rambling on and on about all the bad luck that befalls him and how truly great he is. None of it makes any sense to anyone but him.

Yes, he is like watching a train wreck about to happen and that is the novelty that attracts people to watch him play. His talent as a pool player has greatly diminished and Landon defeated him rather easily. Landon is be to be admired for how well he handled himself throughout the match. He is mature beyond his years. I give credit to his father for not only helping him become a terrific pool player but teaching him how to conduct himself in the face of adversity.

I truly wish Earl the best in the future and hopefully he will somehow get the help he needs to overcome his personal demons. Although I'm not optimistic after all this time. Earl WAS a great pool player. Now he is only a shell of himself. It is very doubtful that he will be invited back in the future. Too many problems and too little talent. He does not belong in a field of elite players anymore.

With all due respect, and without reading any other comments to see if anybody else has responded to your post, I truly believe you are WAY out of line on the bashing of Earl here. True he may act childish sometimes but I think the people that say he does it because that is what people expect are right for the most part. I have seen him at exhibitions and he was normal as could be, he didn't do all the stupid sh*t we are so used to seeing. But as far as saying that he is not talented and does not belong in a field of elite players is absolutely assanine and crazier than Earl himself. Let's not forget the asswhooping he handed Shane in the Tar match, and I do believe he beat Shane again in the 10 ball challenge in Tunica if I'm not mistaken(I didn't watch it all, but considering he went further its easy to assume) and Shane is pretty much considered one of the TOP elite. Even with quite a few unlucky rolls I seen Earl get he was still running racks on a bigger table with small pockets like a hot knife through butter. So please tell me how on earth can you say he isn't talented?

 

[M4verick]

A few years back at the old DCC at the Executive West, I was walking up the aisle to the main entrance to the tournament room, about to leave, and stopped and watched Earl playing this big, bald-headed, young, biker-looking guy on one of the tables on the aisle. No idea who he was. Anyways, I stopped to watch because it was a 1pocket match and there was a crowd and the players were wrestling over the last few balls and I could tell Earl was "agitated."

The bald guy finally gets the last couple balls he needs for the match and Earl start channeling Teddy KGB from the poker movie with Matt Damon, "Rounders": Fine. It is a fooking joke anyway. You must feel like a young man, beating me. Must make you feel big and proud...

The big bald-headed guy looks at Earl and says something very erudite like: You're a piece of shee-at, Earl. And Earl, who just can't stop himself, keeps chirping until the big guy makes a move towards Earl until he is restrained by several pals ringside, one of whom says words to the effect: Let it go. He's not worth it.

And "Earl the Pearl" lives to fight another day.

Lou Figueroa

Lol, sounds exactly like Earl

 

[AtLarge]

Shane literally gave him that match, missing four relatively easy balls (the 7, 8 and two 9 balls) in the last six games! Shane should have won by 15-10 or thereabouts. Earl had given up until Shane started missing one ball after another. Earl was ready to throw in the towel when he missed with the score at 13-10 Shane. Shane returned the favor and Earl came back to the table. It was weird what happened in that match. I have never seen Shane miss so many easy shots at a critical point in the match. Shane gave that match away, Earl didn't win it.

Jay -- You know I'm a stickler for accurate reporting of match results, so:

- The score was never 13-10 -- it went 12-9 Shane, 12-10, 12-11, 12-12, 13-12, 14-12, 14-13, 14-14, 14-15.

- His four late-game misses came in Game 19 (8-ball), Game 24 (9-ball), Game 26 (8-ball, but Shane still won the game), and Game 27 (7-ball).

Shane also missed a 1-ball bank in Game 25 (but he won that game) and a rail-first 2-ball after snookering himself in Game 28.

Earl won 4 of the last 6 games, and misses by Shane (on the 9-ball, 7-ball, and 2-ball) led to 3 of those 4 losses.

But I would also point out that Shane won 3 games on late-game misses by Earl: the 10-ball in Games 3 and 17 and the 8-ball in Game 26.

Now, that all said, I definitely agree with your main point that Shane made some uncharacteristic donations to Earl's cause.

 

[sunburn]

Speaking of babysitting... (Shaking my head)

First of all, Earl is NOT anything like McEnroe and Hellmuth. They both have far greater self control, quite able to offer intelligent opinions on television about their respective games. I'm not so sure Earl would be capable of such a task.

I had to babysit Earl in all his Ten Ball matches, sitting nearby and watching him intently like I would a child who is misbehaving. Without my presence Earl's behavior would almost certainly have gotten far worse than it did. He jammers on and on while he is at the table, talking to no one in particular, just rambling on and on about all the bad luck that befalls him and how truly great he is. None of it makes any sense to anyone but him.

Yes, he is like watching a train wreck about to happen and that is the novelty that attracts people to watch him play. His talent as a pool player has greatly diminished and Landon defeated him rather easily. Landon is be to be admired for how well he handled himself throughout the match. He is mature beyond his years. I give credit to his father for not only helping him become a terrific pool player but teaching him how to conduct himself in the face of adversity.

I truly wish Earl the best in the future and hopefully he will somehow get the help he needs to overcome his personal demons. Although I'm not optimistic after all this time. Earl WAS a great pool player. Now he is only a shell of himself. It is very doubtful that he will be invited back in the future. Too many problems and too little talent. He does not belong in a field of elite players anymore.

Like you're one to talk about babysitting on this message board. Earl could give you the <name a ball> when it comes to robbing the cradle. Why don't you challenge him to a 9ball match at the Open this year?

 

[GoBilliards]

These kinds of threads are going to bring bad to Earl, I don't like it. And didn't he just come from behind on a non-gaff Diamond 10'er to beat Shane Van Boening 15-14? How many non-elite players are going to do that? He still belongs in the field, imo.

+1 good point

 

[miscrewed1989]

Special Olympics

When it comes to "cripples," we might not make fun of them for competing against healthy people, but we would give them a patronizing nod with a comment about how they might be more competitive in the Special Olympics. If Earl really doesn't know that what he is doing is wrong (which I'm sure he does), then along with being banned, he should be forcefully institutionalized. But, since he more than likely knows what he is doing he should be treated like any other person who behaves the same way. If the consequences for feeding Earl a knuckle sandwich would not have landed me in jail (or worse) I would have gladly done it myself. Do I believe he has talent? DUHH!! But his talent is not an excuse for his actions. I like the comparison to Efren. If Efren and Earl were playing matches at the same time, I would definitely choose to watch Efren play over Earl any day!!

 

[Aaron_S]

Earl just needs to retire from pro pool and go on the road doing clinics, exhibitions, etc. What should be a tremendous legacy is starting to be overshadowed by his erratic behavior in tournaments. His mouth and his give up stroke are the only things that seems to fall into dead punch these days, and I personally would rather watch Indonesians dump a badminton match than watch another embarrassing Strickland meltdown.

Aaron