why the hell is earl svb partner in world cup of pool?

Straightpool_99 said:
Meh..I'm certainly not a Earl Strickland hater, in fact I have defended him several times on this forum, but a lot of people have had enough of him. It is easy to forget all the bullshit when he lights up the table with a brilliant play that only he would dare attempt. As these moments become rarer and rarer the bs. becomes more and more intolerable to more and more people.

In his own twisted way Earl has more respect for the game of pool than anyone, but he doesn't extend that respect to his opponents, the referee or even the spectators, only to the perfection of the game and the people dedicated to achieving it. You have to earn his respect, by having passion, knowledge and skill for the game. He won't stand for mediocrity or slacking off in any way. Shane has earned that respect, which is probably why they get along so well. Shane probably respects Earls skills as well.

I've seen and heard tales of things Earl has done that certainly should earn anyones contempt, but he has some redeeming features as well. He won't fix matches and he takes the sport seriously (again in his own way) which is more than can be said for some players earlier alluded to in this thread. The many hours of entertainment he has given us should not be forgotten, now that he is entering the autumn of his professional career. Through poor choices and money management he does not have a nest egg to fall back on. A lot of people would have just given up or buckled under in his situation, but instead he soldiers on and gives it his all. That in itself is a testament to the kind of guy he is.

I am ambivalent about Earl, I both love and hate him, which is why he is great for tv. Lets hope that the partnership with Shane works out and we get to see the best of both of them.
Click to expand...

Very nice post !!!
 
Straightpool_99 said:
Meh..I'm certainly not a Earl Strickland hater, in fact I have defended him several times on this forum, but a lot of people have had enough of him. It is easy to forget all the bullshit when he lights up the table with a brilliant play that only he would dare attempt. As these moments become rarer and rarer the bs. becomes more and more intolerable to more and more people.

In his own twisted way Earl has more respect for the game of pool than anyone, but he doesn't extend that respect to his opponents, the referee or even the spectators, only to the perfection of the game and the people dedicated to achieving it. You have to earn his respect, by having passion, knowledge and skill for the game. He won't stand for mediocrity or slacking off in any way. Shane has earned that respect, which is probably why they get along so well. Shane probably respects Earls skills as well.

I've seen and heard tales of things Earl has done that certainly should earn anyones contempt, but he has some redeeming features as well. He won't fix matches and he takes the sport seriously (again in his own way) which is more than can be said for some players earlier alluded to in this thread. The many hours of entertainment he has given us should not be forgotten, now that he is entering the autumn of his professional career. Through poor choices and money management he does not have a nest egg to fall back on. A lot of people would have just given up or buckled under in his situation, but instead he soldiers on and gives it his all. That in itself is a testament to the kind of guy he is.

I am ambivalent about Earl, I both love and hate him, which is why he is great for tv. Lets hope that the partnership with Shane works out and we get to see the best of both of them.
Click to expand...

Well said........I would add my own .05 cents (inflation).

In full stroke Earl and Shane are at a level where the game becomes a work of art; creativity and skill combined to perfection. A game that transcends the world class potting and positional play that many of the other great players have attained.

I regret never having the opportunity to see Earl or, for that matter, Efren live in the prime of their careers. I have enjoyed seeing both of them live in the last few years and have relished the flashes of brilliance they have shown.

I respect Earl for the effort that he is giving to regain his former level and I believe that he has shown longer periods of his former brilliance than he did a few years ago.

In my opinion his antics, described by others in this string as disrespect for opponents, fans and referees, described by some as sharking, usually result in eventually having a negative effect on Earl himself that burst the bubble of brilliance and brings him down.

I hope that with the relationship he has developed with Shane he is able to avoid that and for the short time it takes to win the World Cup of Pool for the U.S. they can show the perfection they are capable of.
 
The way I see it - and I should preface this with I know Earl personally - Earl is plagued by his own mental demons. He is one of those people whose brain doesn't work like "normal" people's does.

You might call him autistic or an asshole, depending on your point of view and whether you were on the receiviing end of a tongue lashing or just a witness to a tantrum.

So, while I know that Earl knows he can be a dick, while I know that Earl knows when his words are not kind and his actions are uncool, I have sympathy for it because I also know that some people simply cannot control themselves because of how they are wired inside. You might as well ask yourself to stop breathing.

I see Earl as a very tortured individual. Someone with brilliant skills which are savant-like but who is literally fuming inside all the time. I have seen Earl pissed off and complaining even when he is winning easily. Add to that the fact that he is the greatest living tournament nine ball player, perhaps the greatest who will ever live, and he has practically no secure financial reward from achieving that status. Argue the reasons but one of them is 100% the small amount of pay that this sport provides.

That is a sore spot for any pro and I think it's agony for the guy who won 5 US Opens.

I have been critical of the things Earl has said. Sat front row and watched him be a dick to a Japanese player and go on a support the USA rant because people dared to applaud the Japanese player's good shots. Turned me right off.

But I don't think Earl is evil or a disgrace to the "game". He is a competitor and a force to be reckoned with. I think he should have been sanctioned more in his early career for the things he did and then he would have found a way to control himself in the later years when tv came along. I think he is borderline autistic and can control himself for short periods when he focuses on doing that.

All just my non-qualified opinion. He is a human being first who deserves our compassion instead of our condemnation. That doesn't mean he should be allowed a free pass, just that people try to understand what lies under the behavior.

Although I don't care who wins the doubles event, I do root for Team USA because I respect the pairing of the younger and the older champion.
 
didn't read the rest of the replys, but the short of it is that they like and respect each other, which keeps earl in check.I was at steinway when they played each other on the 10 footer, shane really admires earl's game, he has a tremendous respect for him. and shane's cool and even temperment balances well with earl antics. and if needed he can turn the volume down on his earring aids :thumbup:
 
trinacria said:
didn't read the rest of the replys, but the short of it is that they like and respect each other, which keeps earl in check.I was at steinway when they played each other on the 10 footer, shane really admires earl's game, he has a tremendous respect for him. and shane's cool and even temperment balances well with earl antics. and if needed he can turn the volume down on his earring aids :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Wow small world, I was at Steinway when they played each other too. Too bad we didn't meet. Well maybe next time and you can tell me in person what you think of China and Chinese people.
 
alstl said:
Did Earl steal your girlfriend or something?

I'm thinking Shave Van Boening has respect for Earl because Earl beat Shane in the $$$ challenge match a couple years ago. I haven't heard of the others you mentioned stepping up with big dollars to challenge Shane.
Click to expand...

again another mature well articulated post , well done

I respect earls game well when he was at his best of course he was awesome. and svb respecting him is great also. but why is svb allowed to pick his partner? surely whoever sponsors them needs some input? whats the point of young guns like bergman, hall , woodward, etc having all this success this year and getting no look? even corey is still playing high level and of course dechaine who has earl in his back pcket in all the joss an predator events and also the lesson he gave him in ten ball

just sad that earl keeps getting multiple chances on the big stage and almost every time he makes us look like wankers. no time for that.
 
Most already know this and I'm sure that many have said it already...

When Earl is shooting, it can be like watching a masterpiece work of art being created. I've seen Earl do some things that have made me realize how much of a genius he is on the table.

On the flip side...

When Earl gets distracted from what he is so great at, he often becomes one of the poorest sportsmen you'll ever see.

At this point most people realize that Earl isn't going to change. To get the genius artist, you have to accept getting the poor sportsman. If he wasn't as talented as he is at the table, no one would put up with his antics away from the table.
 
JB Cases said:
The way I see it - and I should preface this with I know Earl personally - Earl is plagued by his own mental demons. He is one of those people whose brain doesn't work like "normal" people's does.

You might call him autistic or an asshole, depending on your point of view and whether you were on the receiviing end of a tongue lashing or just a witness to a tantrum.

So, while I know that Earl knows he can be a dick, while I know that Earl knows when his words are not kind and his actions are uncool, I have sympathy for it because I also know that some people simply cannot control themselves because of how they are wired inside. You might as well ask yourself to stop breathing.

I see Earl as a very tortured individual. Someone with brilliant skills which are savant-like but who is literally fuming inside all the time. I have seen Earl pissed off and complaining even when he is winning easily. Add to that the fact that he is the greatest living tournament nine ball player, perhaps the greatest who will ever live, and he has practically no secure financial reward from achieving that status. Argue the reasons but one of them is 100% the small amount of pay that this sport provides.

That is a sore spot for any pro and I think it's agony for the guy who won 5 US Opens.

I have been critical of the things Earl has said. Sat front row and watched him be a dick to a Japanese player and go on a support the USA rant because people dared to applaud the Japanese player's good shots. Turned me right off.

But I don't think Earl is evil or a disgrace to the "game". He is a competitor and a force to be reckoned with. I think he should have been sanctioned more in his early career for the things he did and then he would have found a way to control himself in the later years when tv came along. I think he is borderline autistic and can control himself for short periods when he focuses on doing that.

All just my non-qualified opinion. He is a human being first who deserves our compassion instead of our condemnation. That doesn't mean he should be allowed a free pass, just that people try to understand what lies under the behavior.

Although I don't care who wins the doubles event, I do root for Team USA because I respect the pairing of the younger and the older champion.
Click to expand...

It is a fact that people perform at their potential when they are in THEIR optimum state of arousal. For most people, they play their best pool at a very low level of arousal. Earl however is a different breed. He performs best when he is highly fired up. The tougher the pressure, the better he gets. When he is mellow his performance suffers... see the Landon Shuffett match for an example. I 100% believe that that is what drives his actions wether it is conscious to him or not.
 
Earl hasn't lost very much of his top speed from the '80s and '90s. He just doesn't stay focused for as long. He gets distracted by this, that, and another thing. You name it, it can distract him.

If anyone doubts his ability, look at his ability to hang with Shane in challenge matches over the past several years. Yes, he has lost all but two of them, but he rarely gets blown out. In fact, on a few occasions he has self destructed his way to a loss. So, if Shane can keep him focused, they have a good chance.
 
actionplayer said:
again another mature well articulated post , well done

I respect earls game well when he was at his best of course he was awesome. and svb respecting him is great also. but why is svb allowed to pick his partner? surely whoever sponsors them needs some input? whats the point of young guns like bergman, hall , woodward, etc having all this success this year and getting no look? even corey is still playing high level and of course dechaine who has earl in his back pcket in all the joss an predator events and also the lesson he gave him in ten ball

just sad that earl keeps getting multiple chances on the big stage and almost every time he makes us look like wankers. no time for that.
Click to expand...

Sorry, not even close. We got NFL players beating their wives, kids and mistresses,,,,and that was just in the last week ;)

Let's not even talk about the rapes, murders, drug selling, steroids, burglaries and robberies over the last few years....and the NFL with a lying commissioner still reigns supreme in the US today......

Earl is all bark and no bite, which is what pool hustlers are usually all about.
 
ChicagoRJ said:
Sorry, not even close. We got NFL players beating their wives, kids and mistresses,,,,and that was just in the last week ;)

Let's not even talk about the rapes, murders, drug selling, steroids, burglaries and robberies over the last few years....and the NFL with a lying commissioner still reigns supreme in the US today......

Earl is all bark and no bite, which is what pool hustlers are usually all about.
Click to expand...

that's a fair comment, good perspective.

I just don't see anyone beating PI, Netherlands or Taipei, possibly england
 
Here's a video that Buckshot used in another thread.
It's mostly presented to show the genius of Efren.
But watch Earl's reaction to this devastating loss.....
...if you beat Earl by good shooting, he can handle it with class.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KYo8fpUks0


I like Earl 86% of the time.
...and he's given the game FAR more than he has detracted from it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top