Strickland vs. Vandenberg
- Thread starter rogelioii
- Start date
A few years ago I attended my first pro tournament. It was late and down to one match between Earl and Buddy Hall. I was amazed at the attitude of the fans. The guy next to me was trying to get everyone to get Earl started. I asked what is the deal? He said the only reason he attends is to see Earl put on a show and it is a challenge to get Earl hot enough to break his cue.
In all sports heckling has become part of the game. I agree with Earl about the respect part but I think he is getting payback for the way he "repects" the other players
In all sports heckling has become part of the game. I agree with Earl about the respect part but I think he is getting payback for the way he "repects" the other players
Earl's antics didn't end with that match...it only started! There were also incidents in his other matches yesterday. 
The IPT needs to levy fines for in-apropriate behaviors. I hate to hear professional players are behaving in an unprofessional way in a sporting event. There might be children watching this.
John
John
For all the wrong reasons unfortunately.
Strickland /Vandenberg Pictures
Check out Earl's facial expressions at these links:
http://www.internationalpooltour.com/ipt_content/events/06_na_8ball_open/photogallery/photo50.asp
http://www.internationalpooltour.com/ipt_content/events/06_na_8ball_open/photogallery/photo48.asp
http://www.internationalpooltour.com/ipt_content/events/06_na_8ball_open/photogallery/photo49.asp
RJ
Every picture tells a story
Check out Earl's facial expressions at these links:
http://www.internationalpooltour.com/ipt_content/events/06_na_8ball_open/photogallery/photo50.asp
http://www.internationalpooltour.com/ipt_content/events/06_na_8ball_open/photogallery/photo48.asp
http://www.internationalpooltour.com/ipt_content/events/06_na_8ball_open/photogallery/photo49.asp
RJ
Every picture tells a story
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Blue_Suede said:
Winning is never an excuse for behaving inappropriately. By your way of explaining things, any world class player/athlete has the "right" to act or behave any way they want because they've "paid their dues", even if degrading to other people. This couldn't be more untrue.
At the end of the day, world class player/athlete or not, they are just people, like you and me. And everyone deserves to be treated with respect and should treat others with respect, whether they pick up garbage for a living or play pool at a world championship level.
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jmrackem
New member
Earl ????
I also believe he needs the "bad guy image" to play his best. I remember about 10 years ago in a tournament in Worcester, Ma he was playing a local favorite Larry Liscotti, it was a close match until Earl got a bad rack.. after complaining to anyone that would listen the crowd started to get on him. He then started to play better and made a couple of kick shots and a jump shot to run out... Larry did make a comeback but Earl did win the set!
A couple of years later i was watching Earl practice by himself I was the only one around... He started talking to me about golf courses in the area and if there were any tennis courts around... I tell you he was nothing like i thought he would be....
I'm not to sure about his image being good for the game? but I do enjoy watching the "bad guys" in other sports proforming at top levels and there is a lot of them !
I also believe he needs the "bad guy image" to play his best. I remember about 10 years ago in a tournament in Worcester, Ma he was playing a local favorite Larry Liscotti, it was a close match until Earl got a bad rack.. after complaining to anyone that would listen the crowd started to get on him. He then started to play better and made a couple of kick shots and a jump shot to run out... Larry did make a comeback but Earl did win the set!
A couple of years later i was watching Earl practice by himself I was the only one around... He started talking to me about golf courses in the area and if there were any tennis courts around... I tell you he was nothing like i thought he would be....
I'm not to sure about his image being good for the game? but I do enjoy watching the "bad guys" in other sports proforming at top levels and there is a lot of them !
T
Timberly
Guest
Anyone that knows Earl will tell you that there are literally two Earl's. There is the Earl most on here know of from tournaments. Then there's the Earl that some people get to see away from a tournament and a crowd. It's very Dr. Jeckyl & Mr. Hydejmrackem said:
I keep seeing people say "Earl is Earl" and everyone should expect it and walk away. Could someone please tell me why everyone else (players & paying spectators) should have to walk away while it's perfectly ok for Earl to show his ass.cuedoctor said:
I rarely read any of the Earl threads because it's always the same... most are turned off by him & don't agree with him but there's always a few that make every excuse in the world and think what he does is perfectly ok. It's going on in two different threads in the main forum right now. It just amazes me how people will come up with lamest excuses to not hold him accountable for his actions.... amazing!
Couldn't have said it better myself. Well said Craig.TheOne said:Earl is a great player and still a big threat to win this, however to say Earl is hard done by and people always push is buttons is the lamest excuse I've ever heard! Earl certainly doesn't need anyone to push his buttons to go off and act like an ass, I actually think he looks for it to pumo himself up and shark his opposition. Keep it real!
Let me correct one fact in your post: Earl Strickland has won the World 9 Ball Championship 6 TIMES!!!Blue_Suede said:
Here's a summary of Earl's accomplishments:
EARL STRICKLAND was a dominant player during the 1980s and 1990s, and continues to be so today. He currently holds over 100 tournament titles and has been named “Player of the Year” five times. He won the Akron Open nine times and the US Open 9-Ball Championship five times: 1984, 1987, 1993, 1997 and 2000. He has won the World 9-Ball Championship six times: 1984, ‘88, ‘90, ‘91, ‘94 and 2002. He most recently won the World Pool Masters Trick Shot Challenge in 2003. In addition to his individual championships, he has been a team member on nine winning U.S. Mosconi Cup teams, including 2005, and was captain in two of those years. He has conducted numerous exhibitions at trade shows, Air Force bases and at the Raoping Billiard School in China. Mr. Strickland maintains an active charity schedule, donating exhibition time for programs such as Pool Aid ’95, D.A.R.E., Paralyzed Veterans of America, Brenner Children’s Hospital, Billiard Education Foundation, Children’s Burn Center and others.
Earl's The Ali of pool. I hope we don't get no poetry.Timberly said:Anyone that knows Earl will tell you that there are literally two Earl's. There is the Earl most on here know of from tournaments. Then there's the Earl that some people get to see away from a tournament and a crowd. It's very Dr. Jeckyl & Mr. Hyde
I keep seeing people say "Earl is Earl" and everyone should expect it and walk away. Could someone please tell me why everyone else (players & paying spectators) should have to walk away while it's perfectly ok for Earl to show his ass.
I rarely read any of the Earl threads because it's always the same... most are turned off by him & don't agree with him but there's always a few that make every excuse in the world and think what he does is perfectly ok. It's going on in two different threads in the main forum right now. It just amazes me how people will come up with lamest excuses to not hold him accountable for his actions.... amazing!
Couldn't have said it better myself. Well said Craig.
NO room for hecklers...
I was there also.
Sitting directly across from the players. Nick V. had 3 people (2 females, 1 male) sitting front row. What the initial arguement was about..I missed. I did pick up on it right after. What I did see was the male making faces, and also noises directly at Earl. Intentionally provoking him further.
Why should players have to put up with this playing in the biggest, and best tournament EVER in pool?? 350 K is a lot of money, give the players some respect.
Do you ever see someone provoking Tiger Woods on the course? Hell no! Because if they do, they are out of there....in a split second. Not only are they ejected, some of the time criminal charges are pressed as well.
Earl's caught between a rock and a hard place. The promoters know outbursts sell tickets, and even sometimes encourage him to 'put on a show'. Meanwhile, it kills his endorsements too.
Blackjack is right.....
Meanwhile I'll continue to cheer for maybe the greatest 9 ball player that ever lived. I hope things can calm down a little for him, and he can get back to providing some of the most exciting 9 ball to be seen anywhere.
GO EARL!!
Rick S.
I was there also.
Sitting directly across from the players. Nick V. had 3 people (2 females, 1 male) sitting front row. What the initial arguement was about..I missed. I did pick up on it right after. What I did see was the male making faces, and also noises directly at Earl. Intentionally provoking him further.
Why should players have to put up with this playing in the biggest, and best tournament EVER in pool?? 350 K is a lot of money, give the players some respect.
Do you ever see someone provoking Tiger Woods on the course? Hell no! Because if they do, they are out of there....in a split second. Not only are they ejected, some of the time criminal charges are pressed as well.
Earl's caught between a rock and a hard place. The promoters know outbursts sell tickets, and even sometimes encourage him to 'put on a show'. Meanwhile, it kills his endorsements too.
Blackjack is right.....
Meanwhile I'll continue to cheer for maybe the greatest 9 ball player that ever lived. I hope things can calm down a little for him, and he can get back to providing some of the most exciting 9 ball to be seen anywhere.
GO EARL!!
Rick S.
Finally A Eye Witness That Shows The Other Side Of This Story.i Dont Care How Nasty Earl Got With Vb Family Or What Ever They Were,they Had No Business Heckling Earl.and We Have A Custom Here In The Usa,stand Up When Someone Comes Over And Shakes Your Hand,dont Sit There Like Some King On His Throne.like Sccues Said,earl Does More Than Just Play Pool,he Travels Around The World Doing Charity Work.I've Spoken To Earl A Few Times,away From The Table Hes Nothing But Polite And Willing To Chat.i Know,every Tournament Something Happens,but If You Took Away The Ones That The Other Players Start,well It Would Be Like Earls Fault Only 3 Out Of 4 Times
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I need to make it clear that I agree Earl is very talented and have won a lot and achieved a lot. I am trying to express my opinion about his behavior in this incident; please do not mistake the followings as comment made on him as a person in general.
Is there a reason why Earl did not allow the referee to handle the situation?
If he had any problem with Nick's family talking or discussing, why didn't he speak to the referee about it?
Nick has no control on what his family would do when they were humiliated.
It seems to me what Earl was doing was saying it was not right that he was disturbed, so he had to make a big fuss to disturb Nick in return. He said he did not feel being respected, so he had to disrespect others in return.
Earl might have been provoked, but he certainly did not show any respect to anyone by acting the way he did. His action was a disgrace to the sports, and was also disrespectful to the IPT, and all the paying audience.
It is not part of the US culture to act in an aggresive and abusive manner when being provoked. It is certainly a double standard to demand respect by being disrespectful.
This situation could have been handled very differently on Earl's part.
Using the Tiger Wood example, if Tiger was disturbed by a spectator at the tee because the spectator was talking, do you think Tiger would freak out the way Earl had? Tiger would simply bring the matter to the attention to the staff, and they would ask the spectator to be quiet. That should be the end of it.
Nick is one of the nicest guy in the pool community. He is extremely talented and yet very down to earth, humble, and polite. I am sure if his family members were asked nicely to keep it down because they were too loud unintentionally, they would have complied without protest.
Not every sport needs a bad boy to be popular. When a recreational player saw Earl's behavior on TV, it is only going to make pool players look like quick tempered red necks. Even if someone would find his behavior amusing, it is for the same reason one finds the WWF entertaining.
Richard
Is there a reason why Earl did not allow the referee to handle the situation?
If he had any problem with Nick's family talking or discussing, why didn't he speak to the referee about it?
Nick has no control on what his family would do when they were humiliated.
It seems to me what Earl was doing was saying it was not right that he was disturbed, so he had to make a big fuss to disturb Nick in return. He said he did not feel being respected, so he had to disrespect others in return.
Earl might have been provoked, but he certainly did not show any respect to anyone by acting the way he did. His action was a disgrace to the sports, and was also disrespectful to the IPT, and all the paying audience.
It is not part of the US culture to act in an aggresive and abusive manner when being provoked. It is certainly a double standard to demand respect by being disrespectful.
This situation could have been handled very differently on Earl's part.
Using the Tiger Wood example, if Tiger was disturbed by a spectator at the tee because the spectator was talking, do you think Tiger would freak out the way Earl had? Tiger would simply bring the matter to the attention to the staff, and they would ask the spectator to be quiet. That should be the end of it.
Nick is one of the nicest guy in the pool community. He is extremely talented and yet very down to earth, humble, and polite. I am sure if his family members were asked nicely to keep it down because they were too loud unintentionally, they would have complied without protest.
Not every sport needs a bad boy to be popular. When a recreational player saw Earl's behavior on TV, it is only going to make pool players look like quick tempered red necks. Even if someone would find his behavior amusing, it is for the same reason one finds the WWF entertaining.
Richard
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Yes I do....
You haven't watched Tiger too much, have you?
Tiger isn't an angel either. A couple yrs ago, Tiger went off on a photog for snapping the shutter during his swing. Tiger has snapped clubs in half as well. Not too mention hitting the ground w/club in anger after a shot.
He also well known for screaming out profanities too. His words have been picked up by the microphones on more than one occasion. Is that sending the proper message to the public about golf?
Nobody is perfect.
Rick S.
nipponbilliards said:
You haven't watched Tiger too much, have you?
Tiger isn't an angel either. A couple yrs ago, Tiger went off on a photog for snapping the shutter during his swing. Tiger has snapped clubs in half as well. Not too mention hitting the ground w/club in anger after a shot.
He also well known for screaming out profanities too. His words have been picked up by the microphones on more than one occasion. Is that sending the proper message to the public about golf?
Nobody is perfect.
Rick S.