What has Earl contributed to the sport?

Y'all need to understand that a lot of people never got to see Earl before all the nuttiness. Earl Strickland has always been mouthy with off-the-wall disrepectful comments when he plays. However there was a time when all his opponents could do is sit and listen as he rained racks.

When Earl started losing and started trying all sort of gadgets is when really weird Earl showed up. Some people commenting never got to see the Earl Strickland that was my inspiration.

Another thing Earl has given back to game is training a lot of champions how to withstand a verbal onslaught by a champion. It's hard enough to play someone who can run out the set in 3 minutes but to hve to be verbally abused on top of it? Many players used to find it hard to play Earl because of it. And they learned to adapt and figure out ways to play their game despite his fits.

So in a weird way Earl has made a lot of good players even stronger mentally.

And although Earl is more known for his volatility than his stellar play, he is still a draw. He does still command a crowd like very few can.
 
Earl Strickland, throughout the 80s, 90s, and today, has entertained the enterprise of Pocket Billiards as it is already. He has set in stone on what his other predecessors have not. His amazing offensive shotmaking, impossible curve and jump shots out of his own cue, and his exhibitions in trick shots throughout the world demonstrates a man within his power of his sport. And to say the "least" he participated in the Color of Money and performed his prime vs. his opponent (well... I ain't gonna say his name because yall know who it is) and it really takes gutts to play somebody of his caliber.

Plague towards this man has relentlessly taken his popularity to a controversial level. His temper towards the public has created such that there is a living monster inside him trying to talk his brain into it. Earl is just flat out making a jest out of himself. Either his past kept up with him or what (I don't know) but the fact is... is that he needs to see help.

I admired the man when he talked to a comentator (a few years back) and he seemed perfectly normal. When the Mosconi Cup of '04 was on and started taunting Nick Van Den Berg, I completely lost respect of him. Not only that, but on another Mosconi Cup when he disrespected Raj Hundal's family as well. He certainly needs help.

I mean... as the Golden Rule is said: Treat others as you would like to be treated; sooner or later, he will (or is right now, obviously) be what he created.
 
Hall Of Famer !!

I feel anyone that has been inducted to the (Hall of Fame) has been a Great ambassador for the Sport !!

I understand people not excusing his behavior these last several years but alot of people have issues, personal problems, and other things that just are hard to explain.

I remember the Great competitor he is with this sport and almost always saw him show respect to his opponents.

I hope it all works out for him and respect what he has brought to this game for over twenty something years !! Multiple Champion and always will be !!


Steve
 
I'm kinda confused..just who the hell is Rasta to ask what an American Icon such as Earl has ever contributed to our sport. From what i read, what has Rasta ever contributed to this forum. If it has to be explained to him about his greatness, i dont think he would understand anyways. HOFers are voted in because of accomplishments they made in our sport also..Just the name Earl Strickland is his contribution to the sport. And I dont think anyone loves this sport more than Earl. I've met Earl a few times and he is always thinking and talking pool, what has he contributed you ask, just his whole life.
 
????????????

They call him Earl the Pearl. He's a "Champion" many times over. He draws the largest of galleries. He has the respect of his fellow competitors. He has drawn many players to the table because they want to play like Earl. He is what he is an he's not done. If you can't figure out what he's contributed to pool you must be on the Cuetech payroll. So soon we seem to forget "Captian America" I for one have not forgotten. Can I get an AMEN???????????
Pinocchio
 
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Rasta said:
There has been a lot of talk about Earl since his dismissal from Cuetec. Some to consider this a slight on American pool.

I would like to know what Earl has done for the sport. I know he's won a bunch of nine ball. That's not what I'm talking about; someone has to win. Winning in and of itself does not constitute a contribution to the sport. What has Earl done to contribute?

Good Rolls,
Rasta
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I'm not sure what you are looking for here. You already said he has won a bunch of tournaments, so from a comptetition stand point that is all that you can ask from him right? At same time he is very exciting to watch, we can't ask him to do much more.

I guess if anything as one of the greatest, if not THE greatest, 9 ball players ever he has made everybody improve to meet him.
 
Rasta said:
There has been a lot of talk about Earl since his dismissal from Cuetec. Some to consider this a slight on American pool.

I would like to know what Earl has done for the sport. I know he's won a bunch of nine ball. That's not what I'm talking about; someone has to win. Winning in and of itself does not constitute a contribution to the sport. What has Earl done to contribute?

Good Rolls,
Rasta
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OK let's assume your serious...lets review the BCA Hall of fame (players list)
Greatest Players (From BCA site):
Joe Balsis (1982)
Jean Balukas (1985)
Lou Butera (1986)
Jimmy Caras (1977)
Raymond Ceulemans (2001)
Welker Cochran (1967)
Irving Crane (1978)
Arthur Cranfield (1997)
Alfredo DeOro (1967)
Robin Bell Dodson (2005)
Ralph Greenleaf (1966)
Cecil Hall (2000)
Willie Hoppe (1966)
Larry Johnson (1999)
Loree Jon Jones (2002)
Edwin Kelly (2003)
Johnny Layton (1974)
Luther Lassiter (1983)
Ewa Mataya Laurance (2004)
Ray Martin (1994)
Ruth McGinnis (1997)
Steve Mizerak (1980)
Jimmy Moore (1994)
Willie Mosconi (1968)
Cicero Murphy (1995)
Andrew Ponzi (1988)
Jim Rempe (2002)
Efren Reyes (2003)
Erwin Rudolph (1987)
Jake Schaefer, Sr. (1968)
Jake Schaefer, Jr. (1968)
Mike Sigel (1989)
Earl Strickland (2006)
Frank Taberski (1975)
Eddie Taylor (1993)
Nick Varner (1992)
Dallas West (1996)
Dorothy Wise (1981)
Harold Worst (1972)

The game is pool not social work. The best living player on the list (Efren) thinks that ES is his toughest opponent. When his head is right and he's in the zone he spots the world the wild 7. What did Varner, Sigel or Hall do? Power pool = Earl. Do I think the Queen is going to Knight him? No. The man flat out changed the way the game is played.

Nick
 
Even in his prime Earl doesn't spot the world the wild 7. To paraphrase MCGoorty, 'there's a line of players a mile long that would swim through a river of s-hit to play him with that spot'. Most of them unknown Filipinos :-)

He's great, lets not go overboard with the hype though.
 
EARL's contribution was that he gave all he had to give.

He didn't just tithe,he was all in from an early age.
 
Let me guess. Rasta doesn't think Mike Tyson did anything for boxing either. Or that John Mcenroe didn't do anything for tennis. Does he think that the bad tempered hockey players that resort to fist fighting aren't contributing for their sport either?

Or has he figured it out by now that dramatic champions do wonders for the popularity of their sport.

Unbelievable.
 
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Rasta said:
There has been a lot of talk about Earl since his dismissal from Cuetec. Some to consider this a slight on American pool.

I would like to know what Earl has done for the sport. I know he's won a bunch of nine ball. That's not what I'm talking about; someone has to win. Winning in and of itself does not constitute a contribution to the sport. What has Earl done to contribute?

Good Rolls,
Rasta
Click to expand...

I have a friend at work that is about 26-27 yrs old. He has never played pool (other than at a bar) in his life. A few years ago when the world summit of pool was at grand central, I ran over during a lunch break (grand central is 3 blocks from work). When I got back I said to a friend that knows pool, "Earl is just about to play". My non-pool playing friend piped up and said, LOUDLY!!, "EARL STRICKLAND IS OVER THERE?!?!?!" That is what Earl is to pool! He is known outside of pool. I would venture to say that, Willie Mosconi, Minnesota Fats and Earl Strickland are the three most famous pool players outside of pool in the world.
 
Nick B said:
The game is pool not social work. The best living player on the list (Efren) thinks that ES is his toughest opponent. When his head is right and he's in the zone he spots the world the wild 7. What did Varner, Sigel or Hall do?

Nick
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What did Varner, Sigel or Hall do?

Efren has said before that his toughest opponent ever was Mike Sigel. Sigel was, IMO, at least Earl's equal when they were the two best 9-ball players on the planet. Earl's top speed is the best I've ever seen, but Sigel had him beat on consistency. Varner is easily one of the top all-around players ever to play the game, and Buddy Hall was, by all accounts, unbeatable for the cash for a long time at 9-Ball.
 
Scottster said:
I respect Earl's game, he is a champion, and probably as sane as the rest of the pros away from the game.

The one affect that Earl definately had on U.S. Pool was a match between him and Corey Deuel, which was a live ESPN broadcast, and Earl quit the match because he didn't like the rack he got told to accept. Believe me that left an everlasting impression on the ESPN program directors....

Something I would have loved to have seen would have been Earl vs Louie Roberts. That could have been entertaining.
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I remember that match. It was 6-5 Corey at the time....And Scott was racking the balls. And it was not on TV.
 
Earl's contributions?

If you can just put his character flaw(s) aside, you would see that this guy has a tremendous God-given talent for pool and specifically 9-ball.....To me, he is a true example of a "natural" in the pool game....Even as I have been in awe of the great stroking abilities of such champions as Hall and Mizerak, somehow Earl stands out among them all......and I am not sure of what Earl's contributions are to the pool game, but I think surely that Earl must be God's contribution to show the world how the game of 9-ball can be played....
 
Fleece3 said:
I have a friend at work that is about 26-27 yrs old. He has never played pool (other than at a bar) in his life. A few years ago when the world summit of pool was at grand central, I ran over during a lunch break (grand central is 3 blocks from work). When I got back I said to a friend that knows pool, "Earl is just about to play". My non-pool playing friend piped up and said, LOUDLY!!, "EARL STRICKLAND IS OVER THERE?!?!?!" That is what Earl is to pool! He is known outside of pool. I would venture to say that, Willie Mosconi, Minnesota Fats and Earl Strickland are the three most famous pool players outside of pool in the world.
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I disagree. The most famous pool players ever outside of pool rooms are Minnesota Fats, Jeanette Lee, Willie Mosconi, and Steve Mizerak, in that order, in my opinion.

I dare anyone to go out right now to your local Starbucks and take a poll. Ask 100 people to name all the professional pool players they can.

Actually, this would be quite an interesting experiment. Anyone who wants to do it in this coming week can have a free Fury Sneaky Pete from me.
 
i'm trying to think where the sport would be WITHOUT earl. the only conclusion i can come to is the same place it already is. what earl has brought is a legion of admirers, but the sport itself could be no worse off than it already is.

objectively speaking, pool is in no position to say that it is somewhere better off than it was in any period previous. but since pool's heyday was somewhere before color tv, i might be inclined to pick a cueist from those years...mosconi being the player of choice.

therefore no AMERICAN player since the great M can lay claim to having made a CONTRIBUTION "spame"(sport + game) of pool, not by my definition, anyway.

but since the spame is so beloved overseas, i say look east(or west if you live on the pacific side of these states) to asia, and pick a player there. or if you want to refer to the "sport" to include all cue sports, then there is a living legend who makes his home in belgium.
 
John Barton said:
I disagree. The most famous pool players ever outside of pool rooms are Minnesota Fats, Jeanette Lee, Willie Mosconi, and Steve Mizerak, in that order, in my opinion.

I dare anyone to go out right now to your local Starbucks and take a poll. Ask 100 people to name all the professional pool players they can.

Actually, this would be quite an interesting experiment. Anyone who wants to do it in this coming week can have a free Fury Sneaky Pete from me.
Click to expand...

I forgot about Janette Lee. Steve Mizerak, I don't know, I think MOST people would know him as "that guy from the "even when you're just showing off commercial".

Anyway, I do work in a NYC hotel, so I can do our little experiment as post the results here. Will I get the sneaky pete? Interested??
 
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