Strickland vs Sigel- Huge Pockets
- Thread starter LastTwo
- Start date
Sigel would torture him, litterly. Sigel is one of the smartest players in the game at getting an edge mentally. He is called Captain Hook for a reason, and that is because he has one of the most deadly safety games out there. He also breaks like a spedgehammer, places pinpoint shape, and pots as good as anyone. Earl would never get a chance to get momentum against Sigel, and when Sigel gets control he will start playing safeties and controlling the table such that Earl will tilt off. I have loads of respect for Earl and in his prime he is a monster with massive runout potential, but Sigel controlled matches like no other player I have ever seen and simply had a knack at winning against anyone. 90%+ victory in the finals of 9-ball tournaments during the 80's is something no other player since Mosconi has touched.
DogLoop said:Race to 5-0 ....
Hmmmm ...
Takin' Mike on this one. Make it a race to 15 or less and I could bet the other way.
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When I've asked alot of top players who they'd least like to play for their own piggybank in a random choice of games, I would always hear Nick Varner ... If they knew it was nine-ball they used to say Buddy or even Medina, if they knew it was eight-ball they used to want to avoid Efren or Jeff Carter, if they knew it was 14.1 or one-pocket Ronnie Allen or the Fusco's were to be avoided like a bill collector.
All in all, too long a race to not ride it out with Mike
doGlooP
i find these answers too hard to believe. it's almost as if those pros purposely avoided giving sigel a nod. and all bullsh*t, i might add. peer envy is what drove those answers, imo.
baryshnikov was asked who he thought was the greatest dancer ever. did he say nureyev, his only equal?,,,NO. did he say nijinsky?,,,NO. he said fred astaire. an answer no one would argue with because it so totally came from left field.
i was listening to all the players at the first 14.1 championship in nyc held in the roosevelt hotel back in the early 90's,,,and to a man they were all sh*tting in their pants at the thought of facing sigel because they felt he could explode 150 on them at the drop of a hat.
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LastTwo said:
Apparently you are not aware of Mike Sigel's shotmaking ability....especially in the pressure situations. NOBODY came with them more consistently than Sigel...while Buddy Hall was just right underneath him (tournament wise). Gambling though...Sigel wanted nothing to do with Buddy in the long gambling sessions at 9 ball. Buddy would put him in a coma.
Voodoo Daddy
One Pocket 101
Earl is explosive without question and he is a champion but the longer race benifits the consumate player. Mike has won at all games, as did Efren, Nick and Allan Hopkins who is hardly mentioned. I am not a Sigel fan by no stretch but he is the winningst 9-Ball player in modern history...gotta think history isnt wrong.
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drivermaker
Banned
sjm said:
And on the Billiards Digest forum last week when Sigel was on live, someone asked HIM that question. Sigel's answer without hesitancy was Buddy Hall.
He said that Buddy beat him when he (Sigel) was absolutely playing at his best.
drivermaker said:
It was always the Hall/Sigel show. Sigel didn't want ANYTHING to do with Buddy for the cheese. Buddy was commentating on a Sigel match on Accu-Stats and was just gushing with compliments about his shotmaking and perfect position play. You can tell they have a great respect for one another's abilities. I think though, that is Buddy played straight pool he would play as good as anyone. His position play and cueball control is right on par with Sigel. They're both perfectionists.
LastTwo said:
This would be a tough one, Earl is my favorite 9
ball player of all-time, and Sigel is in my opinion
the greatest player of all-time or at the best I've
ever seen. If I were forced to pick one I'd go
with Sigel but it's really too close to safely bet
on. Let me put it this way: I wouldn't feel
comfortable having my money ride on anyone playing
Mike Sigel in ANY game period. For example, I think
Reyes is the best one pocket player I've ever seen
BUT I wouldn't want to bet on him if he was playing
Sigel. The same goes for 9-ball, Earl was born to
play 9-ball he's amazing, but Sigel is Sigel, he just
knows how to win against anyone.
F
Fred Agnir
Guest
In their prime? IMO, it's a no brainer. Sigel. I like to think I saw each playing their best. Sigel just didn't make any mistakes at any aspect of the game. And he could match shot for shot Strickland's fire power.LastTwo said:
In his prime, he was the best breaker, the best shotmaker, the best safety player.
Fred
LastTwo said:
I have it on tape (home video) of Sigel playing Reyes in one pocket at the Bicycle Club in CA in a banks, 9-ball and One pocket match from 1993 and Reyes handled Sigel real well in the One pocket event beating him 5-2. Sigel won the 9-ball 11-9 and Reyes won the banks 5-4.
F
Fred Agnir
Guest
LastTwo said:
There was a couple of one-pocket titles listed in Mike's 100 professional titles.
Probably would still go with Efren, however.
Fred
Found this in the National Billiard News dated July 1985. "Gibbs Billiards kicked off its grand opening with a head to head challenge match between Mike Sigel and Earl Strickland. This setting was one nine foot Gold Crown surrounded by bleacher seating, putting the fans close to the action. The format was three sessions of nine ball, race to fifteen, catch-up". Sigel was up the first session 15-12. The second session saw Sigel still ahead 30-27. Earl came back in the final session and won 45-44! Earl Strickland was most gracious in winning, he stated, "I don't think that by beating Mike Sigel by one game means that I am a better player than he is". The best summary of the match was a quote by Wimpy Lassister, "I've never seen better nine ball played by two players". By the way Gibbs Billiards (was/is?) in Virginia Beach and Wimpy was the house pro.
