Strickliand vs Robles

[jay helfert]

uncalled for

Au contraire. This clown has been allowed to slide for way too long in my opinion. Years ago we knew how to handle Earl and there were few meltdowns. I can remember a few tournaments in the early 90's where Earl exhibited bad behavior, and he was told quietly but firmly that it was not acceptable, and if he wanted to remain in the tournament, he would curtail it right now. I can tell you that he was distinctly told he would be forfeited in the match, if we had to warn him again.

And guess what. It worked, no Earl meltdowns. Unfortunately, in the last few years he has been allowed to go unchecked by whoever was in charge. I believe the thinking was he was a good draw when he acted up. Or maybe they just didn't care how he acted.

He has been given license to act this way for far too long. And look what has occured. He may think his behavior is acceptable. I can tell you one thing right here and now. If I am ever running another tournament where Earl is a participant, there will be NO meltdowns! He'll be long gone before it comes to that.

And you can tell him I said so if you see him. I also have no problem telling him to his face if I should see him. My opinion is that his actions are a detriment to the game, and are inexcusable.

 

[JimS]

Au contraire. This clown has been allowed to slide for way too long in my opinion. Years ago we knew how to handle Earl and there were few meltdowns. I can remember a few tournaments in the early 90's where Earl exhibited bad behavior, and he was told quietly but firmly that it was not acceptable, and if he wanted to remain in the tournament, he would curtail it right now. I can tell you that he was distinctly told he would be forfeited in the match, if we had to warn him again.

And guess what. It worked, no Earl meltdowns. Unfortunately, in the last few years he has been allowed to go unchecked by whoever was in charge. I believe the thinking was he was a good draw when he acted up. Or maybe they just didn't care how he acted.

He has been given license to act this way for far too long. And look what has occured. He may think his behavior is acceptable. I can tell you one thing right here and now. If I am ever running another tournament where Earl is a participant, there will be NO meltdowns! He'll be long gone before it comes to that.

And you can tell him I said so if you see him. I also have no problem telling him to his face if I should see him. My opinion is that his actions are a detriment to the game, and are inexcusable.

Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! (and on and on) Bingo! On the money Jay. And, it does not matter whether it is mental illness or not. Unacceptable behavior is just that..... unacceptable. There must be appropriate consequences.

 

[poolmouse]

I used to race as a teenager, then quit after a drunk driver totaled my Peugeot and sent me bouncing across four empty lanes of pavement one night.

A friend of mine bought a mountain bike in 1997, and I got tired of hearing how much fun he was having and decided to take up riding again. He tried to get me to buy a mountain bike, but once I got to the bike shop I knew I wanted to get back on the road. I bought a Mondonico road bike with full Campagnolo components, and put over 9,000 miles on it my first year of riding. A 50 mile ride was an average ride for me.

I don't ride as much anymore, especially after getting back to pool in 1999, but I still have my Mondonico and it still rides as smooth as butter.

i went through a lot of bikes when i raced (from 1986-1996). now i ride a litespeed classic titanium with full dura-ace 10speed group. fsa carbon stem/bar/seatpost, speedplay pedals and neuvation wheels. i guess my bike would compare to a russ espiritu custom cue.

on the other hand, a merlin with campy record group would compare with a southwest.

don

 

[mindtriplx]

So you see, he does have control of his emotions, and should be held accountable. That was my point earlier. He should not get a pass because he is under stress. No one else does.

i also agree with that too. i was not making an excuse. i was just pointing out what i think his trigger maybe.

 

[cuetable]

That's about when I was riding too. I never got to cat 3, so I'm mediocre at best on both, but I can have occasional flashes of brilliance on a pool table, so I'll have to go with pool as my best pursuit.

Cuetable, I used to log about 5000 miles a year, but I never encountered a "small 50 miler".

Ken

Alright, I will let out the story. We rode on a Bike Friday tandem which I put together. It is great that I don't have to wait for my GF anymore (shhhh... don't tell her) I am very happy we did 50.

Now I just have to lure her into trail riding with me..

We are planing on go ride around Grand Canyon after the BCA Nationals..

 

[StevenPWaldon]

If anyone is interested in the match, I'm willing to video tape it. I'm not looking to make a quick buck, and will charge only $5 or $10 for interested parties... basically, just enough to cover my expenses for time and whatnot.

Mind you it will be a stationary camera, but of decent quality.

 

[cuetable]

i went through a lot of bikes when i raced (from 1986-1996). now i ride a litespeed classic titanium with full dura-ace 10speed group. fsa carbon stem/bar/seatpost, speedplay pedals and neuvation wheels. i guess my bike would compare to a russ espiritu custom cue.

on the other hand, a merlin with campy record group would compare with a southwest.

don

I am very very fortunate to have a perfect sized 1977 De Rosa with Super Record Grouppo. The brake levers were not very comfortable for my small hands so I swapped them to a DA set with a Cinelli bar which has internal cable routing.

And it's a lot cheaper than a southwest at the time of purchase.

I do take it out when the weather is nice.

 

[Rick S.]

Au contraire. This clown has been allowed to slide for way too long in my opinion. Years ago we knew how to handle Earl.

Ease up Jay! I agree he needs to tone it down, but "Clown"??? He should still get a little respect. Possibly the greatest 9 Ball player who ever lived?? And now, he's a clown!!

Years ago, his problem was very minor compared to these days. It wasn't compounded by a terrible divorce, losing a 1/2 million dollar house, another 1/2 million in furnishings, new Porsche, AND a hefty bankroll...as it is now. Not to mention severe medical (kidneys) problems he's been fighting for the last 2-3 years. From the top of the world....straight down.

Would you be depressed??

I watched ALL of this occur. It wasn't, and isn't pretty. Earl's a great guy, with a heart of gold. I wish nothing but the best for him. It kills me to see people turn their back on one of the living legends of the game. When Earl was 'on' there wasn't a single soul on the planet that could hang with him.

Bitter....damn right. Not saying it's right...but I can surely see how it cause someone to not give a ^%#$. Not to mention how his illness plays into this....

Your right about the 'license'. You know yourself, most of the promoters LOVE it. I have been there and have seen it with my own eyes. Now, all of a sudden, he's wrong?? That's kinda like teaching your dog to fetch...and rewarding him everytime he returns. THEN, the next time he brings it back, you beat the shit out of him. What kind of message are you sending? You want to blame someone, blame the PROMOTERS!! They are the ones that 'conditioned' him to think it was alright....They are the ones who let him get away with it for so long...and some of them CONTINUE to encourage the 'Bad' Earl to act out.

Earl's my friend, and will always be. I just hope he gets the help he needs, and climbs back out of that deep dark hole he's in. He deserves it.....

Rick S.

 

[Fleece3]

Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! (and on and on) Bingo! On the money Jay. And, it does not matter whether it is mental illness or not. Unacceptable behavior is just that..... unacceptable. There must be appropriate consequences.

WHAT!!!!

I don't know if you know anyone with a "MENTAL ILLNESS" (not saying if Earl has one or not) However, when you do have a mental illness the symptoms displayed by that mental illness IS NOT A CHOICE!! It is an UNCONTROLLABLE impulse. You can't simply tell a person with tourets "Please stop talking like that, IT IS RUDE" or maybe you would like to tell a persons with Parkinsons "Dude, you gotta stop shaking, it is freaking me out"

 

[poolmouse]

WHAT!!!!

I don't know if you know anyone with a "MENTAL ILLNESS" (not saying if Earl has one or not) However, when you do have a mental illness the symptoms displayed by that mental illness IS NOT A CHOICE!! It is an UNCONTROLLABLE impulse. You can't simply tell a person with tourets "Please stop talking like that, IT IS RUDE" or maybe you would like to tell a persons with Parkinsons "Dude, you gotta stop shaking, it is freaking me out"

earls outbursts only happen when he's losing. i guess that means the only way to prevent him from misbehaving is for all his opponents to allow him to win? would that qualify as controllable behavior?

poolmouse

 

[Pete]

If anyone is interested in the match, I'm willing to video tape it. I'm not looking to make a quick buck, and will charge only $5 or $10 for interested parties... basically, just enough to cover my expenses for time and whatnot.

Mind you it will be a stationary camera, but of decent quality.

Count me in...

 

[CaptainHook]

Robles will win.

maybe we can bet V cash. I put 500 on Earl.

 

[crawfish]

Guys, we love McEnroe on the courts, don't we? The only time it really would bother me is if I was actually playing him in a match. He's a draw, period. He is, or was, the man to beat for many years. Even if you don't like him, gotta respect him. Hey, I'm not a big Earl fan, and I'm from his home state. But, when he's on, 'nuff said.

 

[ragbug74]

If anyone is interested in the match, I'm willing to video tape it. I'm not looking to make a quick buck, and will charge only $5 or $10 for interested parties... basically, just enough to cover my expenses for time and whatnot.

Mind you it will be a stationary camera, but of decent quality.

I'd be interested for $5-$10.

 

[rayjay]

If anyone is interested in the match, I'm willing to video tape it. I'm not looking to make a quick buck, and will charge only $5 or $10 for interested parties... basically, just enough to cover my expenses for time and whatnot.

Mind you it will be a stationary camera, but of decent quality.

Count me in! PM when you have it...thanks!!

 

[Fast Lenny]

If anyone is interested in the match, I'm willing to video tape it. I'm not looking to make a quick buck, and will charge only $5 or $10 for interested parties... basically, just enough to cover my expenses for time and whatnot.

Mind you it will be a stationary camera, but of decent quality.

I would be interested,i would go down as im an hour north but i have a tourney locally and the action there is alot of fun,sets for a G so i think ill stay local,PM me if you record it,thanks.

 

[JoeyA]

Earl Isn't My Friend

Ease up Jay! I agree he needs to tone it down, but "Clown"??? He should still get a little respect. Possibly the greatest 9 Ball player who ever lived?? And now, he's a clown!!

Years ago, his problem was very minor compared to these days. It wasn't compounded by a terrible divorce, losing a 1/2 million dollar house, another 1/2 million in furnishings, new Porsche, AND a hefty bankroll...as it is now. Not to mention severe medical (kidneys) problems he's been fighting for the last 2-3 years. From the top of the world....straight down.

Would you be depressed??

I watched ALL of this occur. It wasn't, and isn't pretty. Earl's a great guy, with a heart of gold. I wish nothing but the best for him. It kills me to see people turn their back on one of the living legends of the game. When Earl was 'on' there wasn't a single soul on the planet that could hang with him.

Bitter....damn right. Not saying it's right...but I can surely see how it cause someone to not give a ^%#$. Not to mention how his illness plays into this....

Your right about the 'license'. You know yourself, most of the promoters LOVE it. I have been there and have seen it with my own eyes. Now, all of a sudden, he's wrong?? That's kinda like teaching your dog to fetch...and rewarding him everytime he returns. THEN, the next time he brings it back, you beat the shit out of him. What kind of message are you sending? You want to blame someone, blame the PROMOTERS!! They are the ones that 'conditioned' him to think it was alright....They are the ones who let him get away with it for so long...and some of them CONTINUE to encourage the 'Bad' Earl to act out.

Earl's my friend, and will always be. I just hope he gets the help he needs, and climbs back out of that deep dark hole he's in. He deserves it.....

Rick S.

And you Rick, are a STAND UP GUY. I like the way you handle yourself especially when it comes to your friends.

From what I've seen I know that there are people who RELISH getting to Earl. They get a rush out of making him go off and then go an giggle behind his back. That's not very mature.

Earl isn't my friend but I have seen him harassed to the point where, if I were him, I am afraid I would go off on the troublemakers a bit more severely than he does.

No one deserves to have antagonizers when you are trying to play at your highest level you are capable of.

Playing pool at a high level isn't easy even when all you hearing is Itzhak Perlman's music in your head.

Jay, if you are tournament director when Earl is playing I hope you will also be on top of Earl's hecklers and other POS that routinely set up shop on Earl's one yard line.

A tournament director should know how to handle the troublemakers whether they be players or instigators.
JoeyA

 

[Fleece3]

earls outbursts only happen when he's losing. i guess that means the only way to prevent him from misbehaving is for all his opponents to allow him to win? would that qualify as controllable behavior?

poolmouse

YET ANOTHER URBAN MYTH!!! I have seen Earl lose it when he was winning several times. I saw him against Fu in the world championship go on tilt. He was winning and won that match.

 

[jay helfert]

And you Rick, are a STAND UP GUY. I like the way you handle yourself especially when it comes to your friends.

From what I've seen I know that there are people who RELISH getting to Earl. They get a rush out of making him go off and then go an giggle behind his back. That's not very mature.

Earl isn't my friend but I have seen him harassed to the point where, if I were him, I am afraid I would go off on the troublemakers a bit more severely than he does.

No one deserves to have antagonizers when you are trying to play at your highest level you are capable of.

Playing pool at a high level isn't easy even when all you hearing is Itzhak Perlman's music in your head.

Jay, if you are tournament director when Earl is playing I hope you will also be on top of Earl's hecklers and other POS that routinely set up shop on Earl's one yard line.

A tournament director should know how to handle the troublemakers whether they be players or instigators.
JoeyA

Not a problem. Never has been one either.

 

[jay helfert]

Ease up Jay! I agree he needs to tone it down, but "Clown"??? He should still get a little respect. Possibly the greatest 9 Ball player who ever lived?? And now, he's a clown!!

Years ago, his problem was very minor compared to these days. It wasn't compounded by a terrible divorce, losing a 1/2 million dollar house, another 1/2 million in furnishings, new Porsche, AND a hefty bankroll...as it is now. Not to mention severe medical (kidneys) problems he's been fighting for the last 2-3 years. From the top of the world....straight down.

Would you be depressed??

I watched ALL of this occur. It wasn't, and isn't pretty. Earl's a great guy, with a heart of gold. I wish nothing but the best for him. It kills me to see people turn their back on one of the living legends of the game. When Earl was 'on' there wasn't a single soul on the planet that could hang with him.

Bitter....damn right. Not saying it's right...but I can surely see how it cause someone to not give a ^%#$. Not to mention how his illness plays into this....

Your right about the 'license'. You know yourself, most of the promoters LOVE it. I have been there and have seen it with my own eyes. Now, all of a sudden, he's wrong?? That's kinda like teaching your dog to fetch...and rewarding him everytime he returns. THEN, the next time he brings it back, you beat the shit out of him. What kind of message are you sending? You want to blame someone, blame the PROMOTERS!! They are the ones that 'conditioned' him to think it was alright....They are the ones who let him get away with it for so long...and some of them CONTINUE to encourage the 'Bad' Earl to act out.

Earl's my friend, and will always be. I just hope he gets the help he needs, and climbs back out of that deep dark hole he's in. He deserves it.....

Rick S.

I apologize for my choice of words. I knew it was a little strong when I wrote it. I AM a tournament promoter also. And Earl and I have had our ups and downs. But he has always known what was expected of him in tournaments I worked on, and acted accordingly. Maybe you are correct in my beef being with those who have allowed the "bad" Earl to come out.

The last two tournaments I worked where Earl played was the 1998 and 1999 U.S. Open. I spent far more time on the floor than Scott or anyone else. If you were there, you know that. There was one incident with Earl and his unnamed opponent over racking the balls (naturally). There were some loud words and I came over, listened to their respective "speeches", and proceeded to clean the table and rack the balls myself.

I showed BOTH of them where and how the balls could be racked cleanly on this table. Earl requested that I rack the rest of the match, and I declined. I DO NOT want to be a rack boy when I am a tournament official. Although I will rack for final matches if it seems appropriate. The problem with racking for a match, is that it stops you from watching the other matches in progress.

In this instance I told both players that a good rack can be achieved and there should be no further problems. I let them both know that I did not want to have to come back again for this same issue. Guess what, they played out the matches in relative quiet. Eureka, it can be done!

There were no other "problems" with Earl in these two events.