I'll chop 'em up!
- Thread starter JAM
- Start date
Love the optimism jam but somehow I don't think that BH & Matchroom will take the risk announcing Earl as the final member of team USA, there was a reason they got rid of him & I don't think BH needs the negative publicity that comes with Earl especially when it's the 20th anniversary of the cup.
Not everybody feels the way you describe about about Earl, I'm happy to say. In fact, Earl has more fans than you might know. He probably has the biggest following on FB than any other pool player in the world. He travels the globe putting on exhibitions even today. People like Earl.
In fact, as evidenced at his recent Turning Stone triumph, the majority of the spectators surrounded Earl's table. He's a spectator magnet. Love him or hate him, EVERYBODY tunes in to watch Earl.
Personality and emotion is what pool needs. Earl has both. :grin-square:
Oh, and needless to say, Earl Strickland still has game. :wink:
I swear I saw an announcement months ago that Earl IS on the team... It was definitely on his Facebook page and I thought it was on here and also on JAs Facebook page.
So I guess he's not officially on the team? What gives?
So I guess he's not officially on the team? What gives?
Agree
At one time I was a huge Earl fan, never missing any of his matches at the US Open.I have heard and seen many of his mood swings and accepted it as everyone else did "that's just Earl" . The first time I realized he was pushing the envelope to far is a match where he gave zero effort , he actually gave away the match, it was at the Open. The fans myself included tried to get him going with chants of " Earl " when he would get up to shoot, nothing worked,he just sat there with his head slumped, and at one point played a shot without taking ball in hand that everyone was shouting he had.I stilled stayed on his bandwagon.Later that night in a tribute dinner to Steve Mizerak he got up and gave one of the best talks I have ever heard , he was sincere, funny and motivating he had the whole room cheering.With all that has been said good or bad I would have to agree with JAM he should be there.If his personality is up there is no better 9ball player to have on your side.
At one time I was a huge Earl fan, never missing any of his matches at the US Open.I have heard and seen many of his mood swings and accepted it as everyone else did "that's just Earl" . The first time I realized he was pushing the envelope to far is a match where he gave zero effort , he actually gave away the match, it was at the Open. The fans myself included tried to get him going with chants of " Earl " when he would get up to shoot, nothing worked,he just sat there with his head slumped, and at one point played a shot without taking ball in hand that everyone was shouting he had.I stilled stayed on his bandwagon.Later that night in a tribute dinner to Steve Mizerak he got up and gave one of the best talks I have ever heard , he was sincere, funny and motivating he had the whole room cheering.With all that has been said good or bad I would have to agree with JAM he should be there.If his personality is up there is no better 9ball player to have on your side.
BH only cares about ratings. Earl delivers ratings - whether through play or antics is not relevent to Matchroom
Nothing better than December, the holiday season, and this year will be a great one for the Mosconi Cup in Vegas. Bells will be ringing!
Earl will be smiling again! He's hitting 'em strong right now. Make no mistake about it. He's in a good spot in his life. In fact, I see Earl rising to the top of the U.S. Open 9-Ball this year.
Earl will be smiling again! He's hitting 'em strong right now. Make no mistake about it. He's in a good spot in his life. In fact, I see Earl rising to the top of the U.S. Open 9-Ball this year.
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By golly, Team USA is going to have firepower this year at the Mosconi Cup.
The euros are jumping in and out of threads lately on AzBilliards trying to demean American pros in every way they can. Banned members posting, to boot.
Well, those who laugh last will laugh best! :grin:
The euros are jumping in and out of threads lately on AzBilliards trying to demean American pros in every way they can. Banned members posting, to boot.
Well, those who laugh last will laugh best! :grin:
Strickland is practically the only pool player people in the UK are familiar with (even vaguely). He's far from a household name, but excluding snooker players who also dabble in pool, he's the most likely name and face to be recognised by your average person over here.
I hope the powers-that-be get a nice uniform this year for Team USA. I'd love to have an Ed Hardy-type design on the vests, jackets, or hats worn by Team USA. 
They need to start working on this now, not wait until December to come with what they're going to wear. It must be cool!
If this is done right, imagine the sales from Mosconi Cup clothing with this kind of design. People will gobble it up like hotcakes.
They need to start working on this now, not wait until December to come with what they're going to wear. It must be cool!
If this is done right, imagine the sales from Mosconi Cup clothing with this kind of design. People will gobble it up like hotcakes.
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I'm so excited with this announcement of Dennis Hatch. :happydance::happydance::happydance:
Imagine these pool giants walking out for Team USA: Shane, Johnny, Rodney, Dennis, and Earl.
The very sight of these guys will have those euros shaking in their boots.
USA, ALL THE WAY!
USA, ALL THE WAY!
USA, ALL THE WAY!
Imagine these pool giants walking out for Team USA: Shane, Johnny, Rodney, Dennis, and Earl.
The very sight of these guys will have those euros shaking in their boots.
USA, ALL THE WAY!
USA, ALL THE WAY!
USA, ALL THE WAY!
They are no doubt drawing out this "announcement" process, to try and build enthusiasm for the event.
Earl and CJ have both publicly stated that Earl is on the team. It makes sense that he is the last one officially "announced"...he is the biggest name, historically.
This is gonna be fun.
Please do not misunderstand what I was trying to say jam, the reason I think matchroom will not announce Earl in the USA team this year is because BH knows that the ratings have not suffered over the last few years without Earl believe me if they had then Earl would have been back in the USA team sharpish.
My view has nothing to do either with Earl's game, I have watched the last 3 events he has played in & there is no question that his game is STRONG but lest we forget it is the 20th anniversary of the cup & I believe that if Earl is picked & goes into the tournament in the wrong frame of mind then he will ultimately detract from what should be a celebration of Mosconi & pool.
I guess we'll just have to wait & see.
I hope the powers-that-be get a nice uniform this year for Team USA. I'd love to have an Ed Hardy-type design on the vests, jackets, or hats worn by Team USA.
They need to start working on this now, not wait until December to come with what they're going to wear. It must be cool!
If this is done right, imagine the sales from Mosconi Cup clothing with this kind of design. People will gobble it up like hotcakes.
Having watched films like the gangs of new york and Rocky IV, us brits thought all you Americans wore stuff like this all the time..
Having watched films like the gangs of new york and Rocky IV, us brits thought all you Americans wore stuff like this all the time..
You mean to say JAM doesn't?
Maybe you are not familiar with how BH and Matchroom has been choosing Team USA for Mosconi Cup. They have to adapt their selection process because of the sad state of affairs in American pool each year. Most times, however, the selection process is based on those precious "BCA points." Because of those stupid points that don't mean squat to anybody except the player who wants to compete in the Mosconi Cup, the American pros would travel to the BCA points tournaments.
Well, this year, in case you haven't noticed, the points are not being used in the selection process. Furthermore, any tournament I have ever been to in my life when Earl is present, bar none, Earl Strickland is who the fans want to see.
Earl Strickland has won more tournament championship, titles, and tin cups than any other American in my lifetime, and he is still going strong at the age of 52, as evidenced by the Joss/Turnning Stone win.
I have pool mags and newsletters from 1975 to 1995 in my pool library. Earl dominates about a 20-year-span in the print media. He deserves to be there in the 20th anniversary of the Mosconi Cup. Love him or hate him, Earl is an American phenom when it comes to pool. His record is unsurpassed.
I've been to the last 20 US Opens and i've seen Earl at his best and at his worst and one match that stands out that sounds like the match you are describing is the match against CJ Wiley a couple of years ago. I looked forward to seeing Earl vs CJ Wiley all day and it was on the TV table and most of the fans were looking forward to it. I couldn't wait to see these two champions battle on the feature table. CJ was coming back to tournament play after being away for a few years and I remembered seeing these two battle on some Accu-stats videos I had and I couldn't wait to see them play live at the Open. In Earl's defense a couple of things happened like scratching after making a super shot and then CJ came to the table with easy outs and it was like Earl just gave up. He walked around the table looking at the floor and it appeared that he didn't care. He sat in his chair looking at the floor and I couldn't understand what was wrong. There just wasn't any fight in him to try and win the match.
I've been a fan of Earl's for many years and i'll never forget how he played in 2000 when he won his 5th US Open title. I saw all of his matches that week and nobody even threatened him. I think the closest anyone got to him that week was 7 games and he just played unbeatable pool. This is my observation and just a thought i've had about Earl and the US Open, but when he won in 2000 the tournament was played on Gold Crown tables and Earl even commented about how he'd won so many of his titles on Gold Crown tables and since the tournament has switched to Diamond tables it seems like he hasn't done well. I think the best he's done (don't hold me to this because this is from memory) since the tournament has been played on Diamond tables is he made it to the final four. Earl and three players from the Philippines and he was out the first match against them, but a respectable finish in the top four.
I'd love to see Earl play on the Mosconi Cup team, but only if he could hold his emotions together. Some of the crowd love to push Earl hoping he'll lose it and that's what Earl needs to be able to block out and not lose it. That's what they want to see and if he can keep it together there aren't many if any who can play better 9 ball than Earl.
James
NYC cue dude
Banned
Personally,
I can't see Earl not being picked for the MC this year. He has really begun his new life in NY in earnest. He's competing in more events and finding himself playing regularly in the final stages of them. Earl has most certainly caught his second wind. IMO, team USA needs his rotation firepower and high energy. Earl knows how to be vocal without negatively affecting the event. If only he would commit himself in controlling those character defects, his team can/will be very competitive this year.
Personally, I would have preferred to see Corey named to the team over Hatch. Not every team member should have the "A" gene, IMO.
I can't see Earl not being picked for the MC this year. He has really begun his new life in NY in earnest. He's competing in more events and finding himself playing regularly in the final stages of them. Earl has most certainly caught his second wind. IMO, team USA needs his rotation firepower and high energy. Earl knows how to be vocal without negatively affecting the event. If only he would commit himself in controlling those character defects, his team can/will be very competitive this year.
Personally, I would have preferred to see Corey named to the team over Hatch. Not every team member should have the "A" gene, IMO.