I like Earl, but he'll always be a sore loser. Always has and always will.

JAM said:
People are writing on this thread as if Earl is deliberately, with malice aforethought, acting this way. He cannot help it.
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Has he ever sought out and apologized to some of the people he's lashed-out at over the years? Did he later go up to Nick VanDen Berg's parents and apologize to them for calling them idiots in front of a rather large crowd of spectators? I doubt it. This will be more telling of what kind of person he actually is.

People sticking up for this kind of behaviour simply because he is highly skilled as a poolplayer seems to give him a sense of entitlement, which he shouldn't have. He puts his pants on one leg at a time just like the rest of us.

So the f*ck what if he can play pool better than most living human beings. He still operates in the realm where other decent human beings at least make an effort to be amiable towards one another. Can't we expect the same from him??? Or...does he get a pass because of his "talent"???

Maybe someone should start a poll on what a talented professional poolplayer is entitled to that the rest of us mere mortals are not.

Maniac
 
Ghosst said:
Most of those amateurs have no idea who Earl or any other pro is. When they do a little research on pros what the see is Earl breaking cues, Earl yelling at random people out of the blue, Earl fighting with Michaela. He doesn't look anymore professional than a drunken slob from Wednesday night aside from his ability to shoot.

You can argue about his ability until you're blue in the face but it doesn't change what people see. Of course people laugh, he acts like a child.



I think his *first reaction* is to lash out, which he has no control over. He does have control over what comes out of his mouth though and a little verbal abuse counseling might do wonders. As far as the random touching, I wouldn't hold that against him, given his temperament, the situation (just lost), and the fact that he doesn't like to be touched I'm not surprised he was angry.



If he was let's say a, "boxing Brit", would you say pool was cruel, or make fun of him for being British? Your tagline has been, "Pool is cruel to it's own" longer than CJ has been saying, "The Game is the Teacher". Neither one makes sense to me. Pool is a sport. You either play it or you don't. The sport doesn't owe anyone anything.

I half agree with you Jam, and half don't. Keith is entertaining. Earl is embarrassing. They are not the same.
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I sort of see where you're coming from, but I don't think the "boxing Brit" analogy is a good one.

FWIW, I don't believe pool is a sport anymore. With no professional tour, the sport aspect of it is diminishing each year. I do agree with you that either you play it or you don't. It's now a recreational game, which I'd liken to backyard croquet or badminton.

Best time I ever had with pool in my life was when I was on the leagues. Man, we used to have so much fun. Pool should be fun. The so-called "professional pool" isn't a good place for anyone to sink their teeth into anymore if you like your dough and want a meaningful life.
 
Maniac said:
Has he ever sought out and apologized to some of the people he's lashed-out at over the years? Did he later go up to Nick VanDen Berg's parents and apologize to them for calling them idiots in front of a rather large crowd of spectators? I doubt it. This will be more telling of what kind of person he actually is.

People sticking up for this kind of behaviour simply because he is highly skilled as a poolplayer seems to give him a sense of entitlement, which he shouldn't have. He puts his pants on one leg at a time just like the rest of us.

So the f*ck what if he can play pool better than most living human beings. He still operates in the realm where other decent human beings at least make an effort to be amiable towards one another. Can't we expect the same from him??? Or...does he get a pass because of his "talent"???

Maybe someone should start a poll on what a talented professional poolplayer is entitled to that the rest of us mere mortals are not.

Maniac
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Do you believe that Earl is sick, or do you think he's just a bad person who lashes out?

I'm not giving anyone a pass for talent. This is where I think I am being misunderstood on this thread.

I am saying he deserves a pass because he is a sick man. He should leave pool altogether. It is obvious, to me at least, that without medication, he cannot control his emotions in pubilc.

Because of that, though, I don't think Earl is a bad guy, any more than I would a person with Tourette syndrome who called me a curse word.

Pressure in tournaments can bring out negative symptoms of a bipolar personality. Unmedicated, Earl cannot contain these symptoms. Medicated, he can't play pool.
 
I look at Earl and his situation and I think a lot of people are kicking him when he is down, and none harder than Earl himself.

I watched the video of Earl and Joe Rogan where Earl is ranting about the things in pool he doesn't like. At first I thought it was funny but after a while it just seemed like Joe was exploiting Earl and his problems. Maybe I am wrong.

He obviously has some demons to deal with, I hope people are a little nicer to me if I ever go through those kind of problems. BTW I'm not on a soapbox here, I've cracked a few at Earls expense and have some regret for it. He brings a lot of this on himself and once that ball gets rolling the bandwagon becomes relentless.

I hope he gets things worked out.
 
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Since JAM and Jay have brought oy vey into this...I'll post my opinion thusly.

I have called Earl a chutzpanic..which can be translated as 'a rude person'.
...a Yiddish proverb..."A chutzpanic can walk straight into heaven."

Would Earl's talent have been as great if he was more polite?....
...I don't think so.
He attacks many problems in a direct and naively child-like fashion....
...it works at pool but not in social situations.

I feel Sloppy Pockets had a good point also...no matter how you feel...
...you're responsible for your actions.
I don't agree with the meds solution either...one must face it on the internal
battle field.

I have also called Earl our Van Gogh...a tortured personal life...he was even
banished from a town...but he left the world beauty.

I hope Earl Strickland is remembered for what he brought to the game.
 
Come on Jay, surely you could tell that was a joke

This is an interesting post, Jay, however, a bit confusing from a medical perspective....hmmm, if I was a doctor how would I diagnose this situation?

Maybe, just maybe, his demons (who need medication) are bi-polar, which cause a reaction that could be diagnosed as being an idiot servant by the antics that aren't amusing which lead to car crashes and meltdowns, however, he's in denial about these "maladies". Hmmm, this indeed sounds complex.

I guess the obvious diagnosis is he needs a Pharmacist, an Alchemist, a Physiatrist, an Ambulance, and a Priest

That to me isn't even the amazing part, despite all these "maladies" he still beats the best players in the world playing pool any given day on a 5/10.
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jay helfert said:
Look CJ, I'm not a psychiatrist and neither are you. But it's pretty obvious that Earl has some fairly severe mental issues that afflict him. People like you and Jam are not doing him any favors in my opinion by placating him and reminding us of how great a player he WAS! Carry on guru. :smile:
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Come on Jay, surely you could tell that was a joke (it's just funny to say someone has demons, idiot servant, and bi polar issues, then say he has control over his own behavior)....it is ok to have a healthy sense of humor while we talk about unhealthy situations. I think everyone that gets involved in pool has some mental issues.

Maybe every human does, life's about handling these issues and conforming them into something called "maturity".....God knows I've had to do a lot of extra things to conform to the "real world" after a life of getting stabbed, shot at, robbed, and gambling with some "less than ideal characters" in situations that were not only dangerous, but toxic spiritually as well. Such is life, I got through it.

Earl was once robbed, tied up and left for days. When they got him untied it took him two weeks before he could properly use his hands again. God only knows what else may have happened to him on the road. We all had many near death experiences and most of us lived through it.....but at what cost. I was one of the lucky ones, but I did it through many years in martial arts, business, NLP programs, Silva courses, and in the end I would say "just got lucky". Not all pool players get lucky, sometimes it's the contrary and this is not a "pretty sight" in any profession.

I'm not taking up for Earl, I would surprised if he ever read this forum, I'm just saying that, as human beings if we think someone has a mental "challenge" then we should at least has some "human compassion" for that individual. Sometimes this type behavior is just a "cry for help"......if his issue was cancer would we be treating his the same way?

Mental challenges are really no different than physical ones, and sometimes there even more painful. I would guess Earl's in some pain, and choose not to make fun of him for acting out because of it. After all, at some point in my life I had to accept that I am human and it's ok to have "human compassion," patience, tolerance and understanding. 'The Game is the Teacher'
 
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Maniac said:
It goes with the fame/glory. People touch their "heroes/heroines" all the time when the're in a public setting. Fans just "feel the need" to touch them... MOST high-profile people just accept it and don't make a big deal over it.

Cussword-laced tirades or physical altercation is not the way to handle this sort of problem.
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I never had that urge to touch a pool player or celebrity, can't really understand it.
It would make me uncomfortable to put hands on a stranger.
Seems anti-courtesy, anti-common sense, anti-safe. I know it happens, it's just bewildering.
I would not accept constant touches, basic social rules still apply.

I think we're so used to unacceptable snapping from Earl, that the few times it's arguably justified,
we just chalk it up to Earl being a nut. This is one thing I can't really hold against him.

Come on, people are hugely over reacting to this. If the fan grabs his arm or pushes him, then by all means I see a reason for him to get upset and/or whoop his ass. But for a consoling pat on the back?? Get real...
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I think the problem is that it jumped him. Just guessing, I didn't see it.
Sure it's harmless, but for a few seconds after being startled, people are not 100% rational.
You might have a totally friendly dog who lets you get in his face and go kissy kissy on him.
But don't do that while he's sound asleep.
 
another one of those strange things in life that I'm not meant to understand

jay helfert said:
CJ,I can't speak for any other tournament directors but I have reprimanded Earl on more than a few occasions and found a way to stop his shenanigans. Losing a game on the wire and being threatened with forfeiting a match has been very effective in curtailing him.

Maybe you weren't there in Tunica last year when he played Landon (on a 5x10 by the way). Earl started going off on Landon early in the match and I found a seat right by the table and let Earl know that his behavior would not be tolerated. He had to sit quietly while Landon was at the table. He fumed a little but he sat there and took his beating like a man. At the conclusion of the match, Earl got in Landon's face again and started to berate him. I stepped between them (kind of how you break up a fight at the pool hall) and told Earl to cool it. And he did, walking away to complain elsewhere.

CJ, you haven't been around the pool tournament scene for years, so I don't expect you to know everything. Although sometimes you come off like you do anyway. I've been there, intimately involved all these years, so I'm not going to let some keyboard jockeys tell me what I saw and what I did. You weren't there and you don't know!

Good luck with your "new" career in pool, selling your DVD's and coaching etc. I hope you're very successful and do some good things for our sport. It may have slipped your mind that I helped you at the first PCA tournaments, both in Dallas and at Hollywood Park. I was instrumental in making the event at Hollywood Park even happen. Maybe you forgot about that as well. I was the one they trusted there and when I told them we should do it, that's when they made a deal with you. And that's a fact! You and I both know that too. Although I wouldn't be at all surprised to see you try to turn that around as well. :rolleyes:
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My new career? Being the Captain of the Mosconi Cup doesn't exactly constitute a "new career", that surprised me as much as it did you.

Why are you striking out at me Jay? Because I made a joke you think I forgot about what a wonderful person you are? I have no idea why you are taking this approach, I remember very well all these things and I've praised your name many times for all the good you do in the pool world. It just struck me as funny the way you described Earl's condition, we all know he is a troubled person and at some level we all suffer in this world age.

Anyway, I hope you feel better, anytime you need to lash out I'll be here for you, it's not like it doesn't happen on a regular basis on this forum. We've never even had a disagreement and I"ve never said a negative word about you or even thought one for that matter.

Peace be with you Jay, I'll just chalk this up to another one of those strange things in life that I'm not meant to understand.
 
images
 
boo hoo

BOO HOO POOR Earl, Earl has needed his *** kicked for30yrs. Everyone makes excuses for his rotten smartass behavoir. He was very good player never the best and has had a chip on his shuolder because of it for a very long time.WHO wants an autograph from a crybaby loser. When he wins he grins ,WHEN HE LOSES HE A *******BABY.
 
CJ Wiley said:
My new career? Being the Captain of the Mosconi Cup doesn't exactly constitute a "new career", that surprised me as much as it did you.
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Being captain of the Mosconi Cup isn't a career, it's a one-time, short-term gig. But still, kudos to you for having gotten it.
 
JAM said:
I don't agree that Earl owes the fans anything. They certainly don't pay Earl's rent.

The payouts in pool today are not enough to sustain a full-time pro. We all know that. Industry members support industry members. Fans are few and far between for professional pool. We all know it. Professional pool is the stinking, rotting fish in the water that everybody smells and wants to keep whining and moaning about how much it stinks. Once the fish is removed, people will wonder what happened to all the fish, those American pros.

Earl is doing what he's gotta do to survive. It's 50, going on 51, no family, no loved ones in his corner. He does have a few loyal friends, thank goodness. I wish he'd quit playing, truth be told. Pool is cruel to its own, and Earl, the highest ranking AMERICAN champion in my lifetime, is the butt of cruel jokes and continues to be talked about as if he's no good. It's quite sad, really.
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my favorite post of yours Jen. Very Well said!! Thank you
 
CJ Wiley said:
Earl was once robbed, tied up and left for days. When they got him untied it took him two weeks before he could properly use his hands again. God only knows what else may have happened to him on the road.
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I don't know the story but that kind of thing doesn't usually happen to people. If he was hustling he should have known the risk went along with the reward.
 
Rico said:
He was very good player never the best and has had a chip on his shuolder because of it for a very long time.
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Really? I beg to differ. Earl was one of the best. INHO he had the most explosive 9-ball game on the planet for a long time. How many US opens did he win? Put his record and game from 88-2001 against anyone including Archer (player of the decade) and Reyes (GOAT) and I bet Ear comes out on top. Gee imagine that.

Maybe it is more subjective than I make it out to be, so then I will simply say - personality aside, his work on the table was some of the best we have ever seen.
 
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