emankov

I just saw the video of Davis-Strickland match in CIA and i feel the
need to make some comments.
I think this match is a must have in your video collections because it
is the best "book" you will ever read about pool psychology.
I am Greek and here we dont have players at the caliber of Earl here,
but if i was an American, i would be really proud. I mean, you have
about 500 ppl boo you and curse you and say names to you, and you
string 3-4 racks together like a walk in the daylight...what can i
say..you even have to practice in the same atmosphere 1 hour before
the match..and the whole day before you hear all the tv-gossip about
revenge and stuff.
And yes Earl was right about the whole WPC was around Davis..it was
obvious even for the most neutral observer. Davis will eventually
become WPC in the next 3-4 years cause of his quality like a player
and a person but he can do it alone and can do it outside of England
also with no help from anyone.
On the other hand i didnt like the behaviour of Earl. He could win
without say a word to anyone (especially Michela-that was nasty)
But anyway when you watch those games you dont search for a proper
husband. You want someone to make you understand, not how you will
become a Champion, but why you cannot.
Everyone in CIA played astronomical pool.But only one had a heart of
Pearls
Keep him like a national treasure and respect him deeply. He deserves
it like noone else.
I bet he is a champion every day of his life.
Congratulations again

PS
If the next WPC is sponsored by Stan James, bet your money to whoever
has 1000/1 and up . Then wait and see what happens

art tripp

Right ON, Emankov!! Earl IS a national treasure. I'll bet there's
certainly no one on this site, and possibly even any of the pros who could
play at their highest level of pool which Earl does, while being booed and
heckled. Not even Tampa Tubby!!!

Art

bob johnson

Earl is one of the few bright spots in American pro pool. He's a true
athlete, and the game is a sport. Unfortunately, I doubt that Earl or pool
ever makes the front of a Wheaties box!

--
Bob Johnson, Denver, Co.
bobj@cris.com

rsb-asp-google

From observation I've made of Earl his seems as if all his outburst
stem from a legitimate complain, but he always overreacts and can't
just let it go. No excuses for him, he behaves like a jerk, but there
always a kernal of truth in his complaints. Somehow he never got the
idea in his head that life isn't fair, it just is what it is. If life
were fair, I'd be able to shoot pool like Earl. The only time I saw
him live he of course misbehaved, but that where it dawned on me that
all his little tirades come out of real occurences that most people
would just pretend to ignore. It a cyclical thing too, the more he
acts up the more people get on him causing him to act up more.
All in all I'd say he helps pool more than harms it, I just which I
could watch a vidio featuring him with out getting irritated. One
man's opinion of Earl's behaviour.

jamalloy

front of a Wheaties box."

Pro players never will make the front of a Wheaties box because they aren't
even accepted by their own subculture.

JAM

bob jewett

This has been my (limited) observation as well. He had reasons
to be irritated, but he pushed it in a way that people would be
against him, even when he was right. I wonder if Earl needs to
feel like an underdog or outsider to play his best game.

--

Bob Jewett
http://www.sfbilliards.com/

bob johnson

But, it doesn't have to be that way. Most PGA golfers are just as much
gamblers as most pool players, and while I don't believe the PGA allows
gambling, most have gambling in their golfing background, and still gamble
outside of the tournament venues. Phil Mickelson is widely known to enjoy
betting on his game.

They even have their own bad boys. John Daly's various problems and temper
tantrums, for example, have been widely discussed and covered in the media.
Even now, his 4th wife is under an indictment along with her father and
brother for drug trafficking. I haven't seen anything about John being
involved, however.

Somehow, they've managed to overcome the negative by overwhelming us with
goodness, from well publicized involvement with charities, to numerous goody
goody kind of players out front, to celebrity enthusiasm for the game. I'm
not saying pool, or bowling for that matter, could ever be as big as PGA
Tour golf, but I can't help but think there are some marketing lessons to be
learned from it.

(Did anyone else notice that the PWBA had to cancel it's fall schedule due
to lack of funding? Maybe the women bowlers could learn something from the
WPBA).

--
Bob Johnson, Denver, Co.
bobj@cris.com

scanman

x-no-archive: yes

I remember reading an interview w/ Earl in which he stated that he
considers himself one of the last true 'characters' in the game. If that
be the case, maybe he feels like his antics and tirades are part of
keeping that image alive. But, as far as I'm concerned, it only cheapens
his image and makes him appear to be a spoiled brat and even a fool.
Yes, of course he's a great player, but so what? He's also a human being
living among other human beings, and making other people feel terrible
is not a good way to live.

steve ellis

I've heard many serious athletes express that opinion and coaches certainly strive to encourage it,
but I'm not convinced it works. I think the best motivation in any sport or game is just to want to
win. Not because of who your opponent is or isn't, but because you want to win. That's why Microsoft
is such a giant force, because Bill Gates wanted to win. He didn't hate his competitors (probably
liked them), he hated losing and money is how you keep score in his "game".

wbspool

I'm convinced that it can and does work, mainly because it's a way of
distancing yourself from the opponent. It doesn't necessarily have to
be "hate" that does it, it could just be the silent treatment where no
talk or friendly chatter goes on in order to maintain focus and killer
instinct, and I do want to emphasize killer instinct because I feel
it's one of the most important factors in a long term winner. Some
people have it, some don't, and some had it and lost it along the way
and never seem to be able to turn it back on. But if you get too
friendly and let your guard down there can be a tendency toward
sloppiness or feeling sorry for the other player, and that's the kiss
of death. There are other players that lull you into their world with
charm and ongoing conversation, but underneath it the real winners are
only using that tact to mask their killer instinct and are trying to
pulverize another player. It's just a way of psyching your own mind
into high gear and whatever works....works.

...................Billy