My opinion about Earl and what he is doing to pool...

Hmmmm

Poker has Phil Helmuth and he is a pain in the arse, thinks he's God's gift to poker, makes fun of anyone that beats him in a hand, has an inflated ego, talks smack during the game, etc....And I believe his wife is a physchiatrist !! How funny is that.

Yet, poker is absolutely thriving. Phil has more sponsors then you can shake a stick at. Sells millions of books, has poker schools around the country, invited to any and every tourney world wide. WOW...Jeepers, kick this guy out for heavens sake, if poker makes any more money they won't have enough trucks to haul away the loot !!

Would I want to play in a poker game against Phil...Yep.....just to suck out on him with my J-2 off suit !
 
cbi1000 said:
Interesting, as the same time i read this I watching ESPN running the women's 9 ball on TV. Why are they there and not the men? Maybe they was the two genders handle themselves?

Not sure....
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thier there because its march madness and nobodys watching,,,

put collage wresteling on and no ones watching put WWF on and they are packing the house,,,
put the pearl the earthquake, the texas tornado and the black widow in the pit and u have must see TV and that would be entertainment



1
 
If you eliminate all personality from sports it's a lot more boring. Two guys carrying wooden sticks dressed in suit and tie's banging balls while saying "good shot,sir" doesn't really seem all that appealing to the masses IMO.

This thread reminds me of an endless MMA discussion. So many blowhards want to see people be "respectful" yet the highest grossing fights are normally the ones filled with trash talkers.
 
Powerlifter said:
If you eliminate all personality from sports it's a lot more boring. Two guys carrying wooden sticks dressed in suit and tie's banging balls while saying "good shot,sir" doesn't really seem all that appealing to the masses IMO.

This thread reminds me of an endless MMA discussion. So many blowhards want to see people be "respectful" yet the highest grossing fights are normally the ones filled with trash talkers.
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Funny thing is, the last time pool was popular on TV or packed houses to watch tournaments live, this is exactly how it was played - men in suits and ties behaving like gentlemen. Not to argue because as I stated earlier I don't think any of this is the problem. And going back to the days of playing in tuxedos isn't going to fix it either.
 
cbi1000 said:
So i read a bunch of posts about how people think Earl is good for the game, how earl generates interest in pool, how and why Earl should be on the cup team....

I KNOW Earl hurts pool, and he hurts it in the biggest spot, MONEY.
I have heard straight investors mouths that facts show people turn off the TV and stop attending events when participants act like Earl. Arguing with the crowd, cheating, confrontational with everyone, no concern for anyone in the room but himself...

Now there are some who will tune in to see this, but the majority do not.

In fact, i think I do more good for pool then Earl does.... Lets have a look:

What does Earl do good for the game:
1. Some people might tune in to see him lose
2.

What do i do that is good for the game:
1. I buy products. I but at least 4-6 cues a year. From production break cues to 5k customs. I have also helped friends and people new to pool spend they cash getting cues and cases.
2. I run tournaments, I encourage people to show up and play. And if someone starts acting like Earl i get them to calm down our out they go. Ive seen new players stop showing up due to azz's. So get rid of them and more players show up and pool grows.
3. I tune in. On TV and the internet.

Now things i see from Earl and other players who act like him has been pushing me to one thing, quit the sport and take up something else. Some might say go ahead and quit, no big deal. However people investing in billiards will care, i'm a 10k a year guy. If you take in the ripple effect that 10K probably goes upwards of 20k. There are lots of industries that would love my $$. I just entered my 40's and have some good years left on these tires. I do have to say 4 to 8 of my closest friends are getting very tired of how players like Earl act. So much so we are all considering selling off our gear and heading out to the golf course.

Just my .02

I do think if more professionals acted like professionals and not like Earl then the mens tour would be a lot further along then where it is now.

Watching Earl is embarrassing, as a pool player and a competitor.
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I hope you don't throw in the towel because of the actions of a small group of players that to me is kinda foolish. Earl and others who bring drama to sport are not really the problem this sport has had and still continues to have to this day.

The problem is management, and no one since Brunswick has taken over an Pool and Billiards governing body. In the 1950's when Brunswick started withdrawing their sponsorship programs and tournaments no one has been able to control our sport. Many have tried, and many have taken advantage of the situation and the players, events without immediate payment, or in some cases less than $.50 cents on the dollar.

Fast forward to today, we have some great events, and we have some very good promoters, but the bad promoter's given our sport National recognition that is much more negative than any single player or group of players ever could in a million years. So long as Pro-pool is cast as back room sport, and we have Promoter's stealing from our players no large legitimate organization is going support our sport.

With all that is wrong with this sport, maybe a little side show action doesn't hurt, I mean the players who act up and march to a different beat certainly draw more people to pool than getting stiffed out of your winnings ever will.

JIMO
 
Craig...The biggest thief of all (Makabenta) isn't even an American...he's Filapino, where pool is supposedly king!

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
manwon said:
I hope you don't throw in the towel because of the actions of a small group of players that to me is kinda foolish. Earl and others who bring drama to sport are not really the problem this sport has had and still continues to have to this day.

The problem is management, and no one since Brunswick has taken over an Pool and Billiards governing body. In the 1950's when Brunswick started withdrawing their sponsorship programs and tournaments no one has been able to control our sport. Many have tried, and many have taken advantage of the situation and the players, events without immediate payment, or in some cases less than $.50 cents on the dollar.

Fast forward to today, we have some great events, and we have some very good promoters, but the bad promoter's given our sport National recognition that is much more negative than any single player or group of players ever could in a million years. So long as Pro-pool is cast as back room sport, and we have Promoter's stealing from our players no large legitimate organization is going support our sport.

With all that is wrong with this sport, maybe a little side show action doesn't hurt, I mean the players who act up and march to a different beat certainly draw more people to pool than getting stiffed out of your winnings ever will.

JIMO
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DogsPlayingPool said:
Funny thing is, the last time pool was popular on TV or packed houses to watch tournaments live, this is exactly how it was played - men in suits and ties behaving like gentlemen. Not to argue because as I stated earlier I don't think any of this is the problem. And going back to the days of playing in tuxedos isn't going to fix it either.
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But again, wasn't the last time pool was popular on TV involving Fats?

He was personality plus. THATs why it was popular, not because they were dressed nattily in suits being respectful and quiet.
 
justadub said:
But again, wasn't the last time pool was popular on TV involving Fats?

He was personality plus. THATs why it was popular, not because they were dressed nattily in suits being respectful and quiet.
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Tough to say. I don't recall TV ever having a ratings bonanza because of Fats. I'm talking about the World Championships that used to be telecast live or same weekend on ABC's Wide World of Sports or on a Saturday or Sunday night (can't remember). And it would take place sometimes on the stage of a theater with a couple of thousand people in the crowd. When the World Championships were televised a lot of people watched and there was a big live audience and Fats had nothing to do with it because he wasn't good enough to be there.

But in any event, I thought I had made it clear that I don't think gentlemen in suits and ties is what made the game popular on TV, or at least appealing enough for a network to carry it. I don't think that was it at all. The only reason they probably wore dress clothes was because that's what everybody wore. All the men in the audience had a suit on and the women dresses and hats, even at baseball games. Heck, they used to play golf in suits and ties.

I think the reason it used to be more popular was probably because there was a lot less competition on TV. There were only about a 1/2 dozen channels on the dial and pool was relatively cheap for the network to produce. And part of the appeal of WWofS (for example) was that people tuned in to see some stuff they usually didn't get to see.

In any event, as far as Fats goes, his shtick is not even comparable to Earl. Fats didn't get into it with the ref, his opponent, or the crowd. If anything he was very congenial and kicked back. It was not one of anomosity. I never was a big Fats fan but I have to admit to a lot of people he was entertaining and he tried to be. It was an act. Earl is not doing shtick, it's not an act like Fats.

BTW, I'm also not saying that Earl wouldn't help pool on TV. Maybe he would help, IF it was on TV and enjoyed at least some success maybe a little more personality would bump the ratings up a little. All I'm saying is that he isn't going to make it popular. The problem isn't that easy to fix. But having a viable tour would do more than throwing Earl on the tube to play Dippy.
 
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cbi1000 said:
Listen, i agree with you, for sports to get better you have to demand more from it's players. Our sport is pool, so why can't we demand more them them?
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Pool? I thought that you were a golfer!
 
Well i'm new here but from what i've seen earl is a disscrase to pool. One of the reasons i've taken up pool at a competive level(or at leas i well when i turn 18 i'm 17 now) is becuase I used to play fighting games competively and we have the same problem a lot with people like JWong and Mike Ross, and so many more people I can't even think of right now, and people like that "make" the other people who play or who are just getting in act immature becuase of their idols actions. Now I don't see much of a reason for makeing so many trends for this guy. I can see were he can bring in people but he also hurts the game much like the people I've mentioned above. Personely I really like Florian "Venom" Kohler and he's my idol as far as pool goes. He seem to act profesional but is still cool at the same time, but of course a lot of guys don't consider trick shots real pool.Also were can I ask people to give me advice on which cue to get as a begginner and advice on certin teciqunecs, this site is a little confusing.
 
Interesting!

I didnt have the pleasure of watching Earls antics this weekend but there has been plenty posted about it. Im sure there is a slant to consider one way or another, but what is clear to me and anyone else who is honest, his behavior is one of the reason why there are very few major sponsors of our sport. Sure there are a few gentlemen injecting some pretty big money for challenge matches and all, but the rest of the pool players are struggling out there. Until we get more people acting like gentlemen, we will forever be having this debate. Everyone gets angry when they miss a ball or scratches on a good shot. We all have done that. But when your at that professional level there is a certain expectation from a professional to act like a professional. I have seen people saying hes nice when hes not on the pool table and that might be true, but when he is on stage and representing this sport its not very nice to see. Most of us on here are gonna support the game no matter what, but if we are wanting these guys to really start getting paid for their exceptional talent, we cannot allow this from anyone, no matter how great they play. Earl is a world class talent. I was so lucky to be front row when he ran 10 racks in a row to win the million dollar challenge. It was the most amazing thing I have ever witnessed in pool, so im a fan of the player. I dont mind the quirkiness of the man he has become. But the outburst at the fans and the sharking of his opponent is just over the line in my humble opinion. I really hope he gets to watch himself and see for himself what he must have looked like to the rest of the pool world. I know thats wishful thinking on my part so call me an optimist. The pool world does need great players like earl, but cant afford the unprofessional and honestly childish outburst that we have come to excuse from Earl. Just my humble opinion.

FC
 
cbi1000 said:
Here is one big difference between these other sports and pool. If you act like a jack off you get fined or suspended. The leagues do not allow you to continue to act that way. i agree there are situations like tiger and Daily acting up, but lets also look at how those organizations have fined and suspended players. Most of those guys know the game is bigger then them, not the other way around. In a sport that for the most part has nothing to do with you missing or making a wide open shot and when you miss you get all pissed with your opponent is stupid. It's a gentleman's game, so act like one.

And yes, i'd quit. When one guy acts like a chump, cheats and such it teaches others, and the next thing you know people at the pool room and in leagues are acting like chumps. I'd rather move on.

I do appreciate everyone opinion and i knew not all would agree with me, but I've been putting up with Earl for years, and this weekend has proven to me that if no one puts an end to how he acts we are only going to see more people acting like him.

If we want pool to grow, want the best from the sport, we need $$. Investors are not going to dump money into a sport any longer when the best of the best are turds.
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Yeah, John McEnroe really killed tennis.
 
Dr.Faust said:
Well i'm new here but from what i've seen earl is a disscrase to pool. One of the reasons i've taken up pool at a competive level(or at leas i well when i turn 18 i'm 17 now) is becuase I used to play fighting games competively and we have the same problem a lot with people like JWong and Mike Ross, and so many more people I can't even think of right now, and people like that "make" the other people who play or who are just getting in act immature becuase of their idols actions. Now I don't see much of a reason for makeing so many trends for this guy. I can see were he can bring in people but he also hurts the game much like the people I've mentioned above.
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Hey, welcome to the forums. I may be the only dude on here who knows who Justin Wong is, and I think you're crazy if you think he's hurt the fighting game competitive scene. There have been a crapton of people attending Evo and other majors every year, nobody's saying "man, I was gonna to evo, but that guy mike ross is such a dick, I won't even go this year". And Justin or Mike aren't half the ass earl is.

Still, cool to see the perspective of a gamer on here. You should see one of the posts earlier. Having rapists, wife beaters and convicted felons doesn't hurt the nfl or nba, how can a guy who gives fans the occasional mean look hurt pool?!
 
CreeDo said:
Hey, welcome to the forums. I may be the only dude on here who knows who Justin Wong is, and I think you're crazy if you think he's hurt the fighting game competitive scene. There have been a crapton of people attending Evo and other majors every year, nobody's saying "man, I was gonna to evo, but that guy mike ross is such a dick, I won't even go this year". And Justin or Mike aren't half the ass earl is.

Still, cool to see the perspective of a gamer on here. You should see one of the posts earlier. Having rapists, wife beaters and convicted felons doesn't hurt the nfl or nba, how can a guy who gives fans the occasional mean look hurt pool?!
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Great post, and directly centered to the point!!!!!:)
 
Residuals

cbi1000 said:
Interesting, as the same time i read this I watching ESPN running the women's 9 ball on TV. Why are they there and not the men? Maybe they was the two genders handle themselves?

Not sure....
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Why are the men not there? On ESPN? One word. Residuals.
 
punter said:
Yeah, John McEnroe really killed tennis.
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Getting sick of the McEnroe comparisons. McEnroe never went up and down the fans. He never belittled his opponent. He chewed out a few officials. Jimmy Connors was known as the bad boy of professional tennis. He used to kill racquets at the same rate that Earl does in cues. If you're going to make comparisons, get them right.
 
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