Let's give him a break

Sloppy Pockets

Sloppy Pockets

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Earl has his admirers and his haters, but everyone wishes he would just be a little less dramatic when the game isn't going his way. He expects to win, hates to lose, and has zero tolerance for an uneducated audience. Just remember, though, he's not the first legendary player to act this way.

I found this old SI article (yes, they consider our game to be a "sport") about Willie while looking for some info about the master, but the second half goes into a few exploits from past greats that make guys like Strickland and Dechaine seem positively subdued.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1129513/index.htm

Screaming, crying, flinging balls, splintering shafts, javelin tosses, even suicides over losses were noted among the legends from the past, along with the usual (and some highly unusual) world-class sharking.

Let's face it, ours can be a dull and boring game, made exciting by colorful and eccentric people. I just watched the Swanee 9-ball finals between Orcullo and Shaw. Dennis played so robotically it practically put me to sleep. Shaw took the loss graciously, claiming he was punished for his own mistakes. Would Willie have approved of this behavior?

From the horse's mouth:

"People remember who wins. They don't care about the guy who finishes second. Nice guys don't win. I hate to lose and I hate a good loser."
 
It's a double edge sword. I've seen lots of videos from the early days of pool when the men used to be dressed in suits and mind all their manners at least at first. I've never seen Mosconi or Efren act-out like that, that doesn't mean that it didn't happen. They are always cool, even in snooker now a days you can tell they have a very well poised demeanor. I prefer the players to be well behaved, but I do so enjoy seeing them crack and break, much like me.

We put a lot of pressure on ourselves, we try to perform to the best of our abilities. Some times luck is on our side, but not always. Anyways, Winning is sweetest after we lose.
 
Thansk for the post, very interesting. Also note the link to other articles at the bottom of the page relating to Mosconi.
 
Guys who claim to be sickened by such antics probably have no sense of humor. We haven't had any real meltdowns in the pool world lately. Mike D. slumped in his chair muttering to himself doesn't even belong in the same sentence as Earl.

Are there even any earl-like personalities currently active (as in, someone we've heard of, winning something substantial?)

Cheers for the interesting read though.
 
I love watching great matches, and players that show emotion! Automaton robots, no matter how well they play, or how nice a guy they are, bore me.

There is a tension to watching an emotional player play. I'm not talking about a whining, pissy, complaining nit, I mean a guy that can take some bad rolls, or get hit with a big number, then get worked up and bring out his greatest performance.

There is a fine line between the two types of players IMO, but we can all tell who is on which side of the line.

G.
 
Sloppy Pockets said:
Earl has his admirers and his haters, but everyone wishes he would just be a little less dramatic when the game isn't going his way. He expects to win, hates to lose, and has zero tolerance for an uneducated audience. Just remember, though, he's not the first legendary player to act this way.

I found this old SI article (yes, they consider our game to be a "sport") about Willie while looking for some info about the master, but the second half goes into a few exploits from past greats that make guys like Strickland and Dechaine seem positively subdued.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1129513/index.htm

Screaming, crying, flinging balls, splintering shafts, javelin tosses, even suicides over losses were noted among the legends from the past, along with the usual (and some highly unusual) world-class sharking.

Let's face it, ours can be a dull and boring game, made exciting by colorful and eccentric people. I just watched the Swanee 9-ball finals between Orcullo and Shaw. Dennis played so robotically it practically put me to sleep. Shaw took the loss graciously, claiming he was punished for his own mistakes. Would Willie have approved of this behavior?

From the horse's mouth:

"People remember who wins. They don't care about the guy who finishes second. Nice guys don't win. I hate to lose and I hate a good loser."
Click to expand...

I'm not a earl basher by any means, but he brings a lot of misery on himself when he goes on a tirade. The only thing I don't like about him is that sometimes he displays a sense of entitlement. He is a great player and in that regard he will always have my respect.
 
We need to convince Dennis Rodman to play pool. For those too young to remember the Chicago Bulls power forward, Dennis Rodman

An Earl Strickland - Dennis Rodman match would be very entertaining.

I've only been playing and watching pool for a little over a year, but Strickland was one of the first youtube matches I found. He's still one of my favorites. But he's self-destructive; kind of like Jim Morrison.
 
There is a fine line. Sometimes Earl use that & it works. Sometimes it doesn't.

Earl is a 'Winner', even when he doesn't win.

You either know what that means or you don't.

Please don't ask me for an explanation?
 
Sloppy Pockets said:
From the horse's mouth:

"People remember who wins. They don't care about the guy who finishes second. Nice guys don't win. I hate to lose and I hate a good loser."
Click to expand...


The words of a Jackass, not a horse. The history of other players has nothing to do with it.



Earl is clearly a loser, even when he wins.

Even losers can do great in this sport. Perhaps that's one of the great things about it. He would be the poster child for that.

Can he win? Oh yeah! Does he have great talent and skill? Yes indeed! Is he a loser? Yup. I wouldn't want him around my children, wouldn't have him over for dinner or a barbecue, wouldn't buy him a drink.

Am I an "Earl hater"? No, not at all. I don't know the man, and I don't want to...which says a great deal I think. Can I enjoy watching him play? Sure! Why not? But just because he plays great pool does not mean I can't recognize a jackass loser when I see one.

I showed a couple of clips of Earl to my daughter, she's 17. I asked what she thought of him. She said "He's a loser". She's been raised right.



.

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