Put Strickland in the Hall of Fame already !!!!

[recoveryjones]

As posted in an earlier thread, Earl Strickland has once again been nominated in the greatest player catergory along with Robin Bell- Dodson and Sang Lee.

If Earl doesn't get in, the whole Hall of Fame is a big joke as far as I'm concerned. SIX WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS and FIVE US OPENS !!!! That's ELEVEN MAJOR TITLES, not to mention 100's of other tourney wins.

That's like a tennis player winning 6 Wimbeldon's and 5 US Opens or like a golfer winning 6 British Opens and 5 US Opens. It's a freakin' joke. In any other sport Earl would have been in on the very first(no offense Ewa Laurance) ballot. Hell Tiger Woods has only won 8 majors and if he retired tommorow he'd get into golfs Hall of Fame.


Sure enough Earl has horrified many(including me) with his antics. But were Ty Cobb in baseball or John McInroe in tennis nice people....I think not. Is Barry Bonds going to be kept out of the Hall of Fame?....I think not. They are getting in for their outstanding play on the baseball field and tennis court. What Earl has accomplished on the pool table MUST not be ignored.

Love him or hate him, Earl deserves in the Hall of Fame.If the powers that be vote for anyone other than Earl (and Strickland doesn't get in on this ballot)they might as well call it the "The Hall of Shame." RJ

 

[parvus1202]

Earl will be in the Hall Of Fame, no doubt. But what year? We cannot say. Forcing people to vote for him will not help. Lets just hope voters vote for the right one.

 

[vagabond]

As posted in an earlier thread, Earl Strickland has once again been nominated in the greatest player catergory along with Robin Bell- Dodson and Sang Lee.

If Earl doesn't get in, the whole Hall of Fame is a big joke as far as I'm concerned.

Love him or hate him, Earl deserves in the Hall of Fame.RJ

Howdy,

I Agree with you.
vagabond

 

[satman]

Theres a long list of players who have not been even nominated. Earl is my choice for this year even with some of the behaviour problems over the years. Although Mike Massey is an incredible player and representative for the sport, I think Pat Fleming is my choice for the other category. Just my opinion. Best of luck to all nominees. Sam

 

[Duck]

The Magnificent Seven+1

In my 55 years of life and adoring the game of pool,there are seven players who personify the rarified air of pool's elite.At any time they take the game to an artistry that transcends just skill and execution.They have the hearts of triumphant olympians, they compete by their own standards which are set far above the mechanically perfect or technicaly correct.No matter where I am competing I go and I watch their matches with as much emotion invested as my own contest. They are what most others would dream of being at the table , if only for a few moments.they are physically ,mentally , spritually tied to the movements and strategic unwiding of a game that requires a greater focus than chess and and a repeatable skill set that transcends golf by the power of tens of mutiple shots. Each reached that level with a stamp of individual style imprinted on their presence and execution at the table.Each is as unique as a fine diamond.I find it vulgar to compare them amongst themselves as each presents a self evident perfection in cultivating thier talents. Like gemstones one is a fine ruby the other an emerald, but any fair minded informed pool devotee would readily admit they are treasures to the game for the portfolios of skill they present. The seven would be Steve Mizerak, Buddy Hall, Mike Siegel, Earl Strickland,Howard Vickery, Jose Parica and Efren Reyes and the plus one would certainly be Nick Varner who after heart surgery has returned to begin playing all games beautifully again. When you have seen these players play their best , you have seen the game we all love played at its best.Leave any of their personalitites out of evaluations just watch them silently at the table and you will have witnessed the full expression of "what is possible "when man compliments what God has afforded him with the dicipline to develop the gift. The Duck

 

[DaveK]

Earl will be in the Hall Of Fame, no doubt. But what year?

I to believe that Earl will be in the HoF. But the 'when' begs another comment. While our sport/game has the wonderful charactoristic of allowing players to compete well into their golden years, I think that the HoF induction should come after one has 'retired' from the top competition. Earl is not at that point in his life, he has many years of wins to look forward to ! JMO

Dave
You know you're over the hill
when your mind gives an order
that your body can't fill

 

[Macint0sh]

I to believe that Earl will be in the HoF. But the 'when' begs another comment. While our sport/game has the wonderful charactoristic of allowing players to compete well into their golden years, I think that the HoF induction should come after one has 'retired' from the top competition. Earl is not at that point in his life, he has many years of wins to look forward to !

I agree. No doubt Earl deserves to be in the HoF, but I don't think it should be this year. I would really hope to see Sang Lee get the spot, while Pat Fleming gets the other one. I can't imagine pool without the wonderful work he's done with Accu-Stats.

 

[poolplayer1988]

Aaammmeeennnn!!!!!

Love him or hate him, no one on the planet can deny his skills. I'm sure some of the other HOF'ers weren't nice all the time either. His skills are undeniable and Hall-Of-Fame-Worthy.

As posted in an earlier thread, Earl Strickland has once again been nominated in the greatest player catergory along with Robin Bell- Dodson and Sang Lee.

If Earl doesn't get in, the whole Hall of Fame is a big joke as far as I'm concerned. SIX WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS and FIVE US OPENS !!!! That's ELEVEN MAJOR TITLES, not to mention 100's of other tourney wins.

That's like a tennis player winning 6 Wimbeldon's and 5 US Opens or like a golfer winning 6 British Opens and 5 US Opens. It's a freakin' joke. In any other sport Earl would have been in on the very first(no offense Ewa Laurance) ballot. Hell Tiger Woods has only won 8 majors and if he retired tommorow he'd get into golfs Hall of Fame.


Sure enough Earl has horrified many(including me) with his antics. But were Ty Cobb in baseball or John McInroe in tennis nice people....I think not. Is Barry Bonds going to be kept out of the Hall of Fame?....I think not. They are getting in for their outstanding play on the baseball field and tennis court. What Earl has accomplished on the pool table MUST not be ignored.

Love him or hate him, Earl deserves in the Hall of Fame.If the powers that be vote for anyone other than Earl (and Strickland doesn't get in on this ballot)they might as well call it the "The Hall of Shame." RJ

 

[sjm]

In my 55 years of life and adoring the game of pool,there are seven players who personify the rarified air of pool's elite....The seven would be Steve Mizerak, Buddy Hall, Mike Siegel, Earl Strickland,Howard Vickery, Jose Parica and Efren Reyes and the plus one would certainly be Nick Varner who after heart surgery has returned to begin playing all games beautifully again. When you have seen these players play their best , you have seen the game we all love played at its best.

Nice post, Duck, but I'd suggest that Johnny Archer, Jim Rempe and Allen Hopkins belong, and I could make a pretty strong case for Ralf Souquet, as well.

 

[Bob Jewett]

Nice post, Duck, but I'd suggest that Johnny Archer, Jim Rempe and Allen Hopkins belong, and I could make a pretty strong case for Ralf Souquet, as well.

In a recent Billiards Digest, Mike Shamos (who is on the Hall of Fame Committee) made a pretty good case for 10 old-timers who have more impressive credentials than some of those mentioned for nomination. How can Maurice Daly not be in already?

 

[sjm]

In a recent Billiards Digest, Mike Shamos (who is on the Hall of Fame Committee) made a pretty good case for 10 old-timers who have more impressive credentials than some of those mentioned for nomination. How can Maurice Daly not be in already?

Another frequently forgotten great of the past was Rags Fitzpatrick. Eddie Taylor considered Rags to play better one pocket than Eddie himself in their respective primes. High praise indeed. I have also heard John Ervolino rate Fitzpatrick as having easily been Taylor's equal in one pocket. Any old timers out there that have seen Fitzpatrick play?

 

[Bob Jewett]

Another frequently forgotten great of the past was Rags Fitzpatrick. Eddie Taylor considered Rags to play better one pocket than Eddie himself in their respective primes. High praise indeed. I have also heard John Ervolino rate Fitzpatrick as having easily been Taylor's equal in one pocket. Any old timers out there that have seen Fitzpatrick play?

Well, yes, but to include Rags in the BCA Hall of Fame would clearly require a change in its charter. Which national or international championships did Rags win?

And when discussion championships, I think it's important to know the sanctioning organization. I can think of at least one "World Championship" that was so declared only by the two people playing in it.

 

[JAM]

Well, yes, but to include Rags in the BCA Hall of Fame would clearly require a change in its charter. Which national or international championships did Rags win?

And when discussing championships, I think it's important to know the sanctioning organization. I can think of at least one "World Championship" that was so declared only by the two people playing in it.

Bob Jewett makes a good point about eligibility into the BCA Hall of Fame. If you look at boxing, as an example, there exist numerous championship titles and belts. Who is to say which one of those is to be heralded as the highest in ranking?!

The way I see it, this is the BCA's Hall of Fame, not so much the people's. The Billiard Congress of America represents the interests of pool industry members. It would seem prudent, then, for the BCA to admit a player into their Hall of Fame that fits within the BCA's standards, not necessarily the most popular player.

Take St. Louis Louie Roberts as an example. He was definitely a prominent figure in American pool (IMO). Did he win a whole bunch of international and national championship titles in his brief career? What he did win was the hearts of many who to this day continue to enjoy recanting Louie stories. As famed and popular as Louie is, even in 2005, he most likely will never meet the eligibility requirements of the BCA's Hall of Fame. I believe the BCA Hall of Fame is an honor that is bestowed to prominent pool people who benefit the BCA's industry members. It ain't a popularity contest, in other words.

Earl Strickland is an entity that is desired at most venues. His very presence when he walks in the tournament room is noticed immediately, and all eyes dart towards him. Pool organizations change their rules willy nilly to accommodate Earl's presence. If I were a pool promoter, I would want Earl competing in my event. The man has paid his dues, he's achieved heights some may only dream about, and he is to this day an American legend. Whether he gets in the BCA's Hall of Fame or not doesn't change the fact that there is not an American player who has achieved what Earl "The Pearl" Strickland has.

Admittance to the HOF to a player past his prime isn't an eligibility requirement, i.e., Efren Reyes last year. JMHO, FWIW!

JAM

 

[JAM]

Nice post, Duck, but I'd suggest that Johnny Archer, Jim Rempe and Allen Hopkins belong, and I could make a pretty strong case for Ralf Souquet, as well.

SJM, as we know, "King James" Rempe is already a BCA Hall of Famer.

Allen Hopkins has an impressive list of championship titles. You can't pick up a pool magazine from the '80s and '90s era without seeing Allen Hopkins front and center. Yet, each one of his peers in this era who excelled -- Nick Varner, Jim Rempe, Buddy Hall, and Mike Sigel -- were admitted into the BCA's Hall of Fame. It is very odd that Allen Hopkins' good name is skipped over year after year.

Allen Hopkins continues to contribute to the sport and still competes on occasion. He looks like a kid in the candy store when he's in action. The Super Billiards Expo is an event that is heralded as one of the BEST, and each year it seems to get better and better and bigger and bigger. Whether he ever gets in the BCA's Hall of Fame or not, every one of us knows this pool world is a whole lot brighter because of Allen Hopkins' endeavors. If the BCA continues to overlook Allen Hopkins for their Hall of Fame, I can only surmise that is must be political.

I don't think Allen Hopkins or Earl Strickland are losing any sleep over the Hall of Fame, and I don't see them bashing the BCA and tooting their own horn either. Both of these champions have succeeded to the top, with or without the BCA's stamp of approval, and will continue to do so. I couldn't imagine the American pool scene without them. They are American pool icons (IMO)!

JAM