Earl Strickland
Encyclopedia
Earl "The Pearl" Strickland (born on June 8, 1961, Roseboro
, North Carolina
) is an American
professional pool player and was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America
's Hall of Fame in 2006. He is considered one of the best nine-ball players of all time because of his numerous championship titles within a 25-year time span, and also one of the most controversial, for his often-outspoken views and sometimes volatile behavior at tournaments.
According to sources, Strickland played "like a polished gem." He was beginning to be a dominant force on the tournament trail and recognized as a future world champion. He had the "skill, endurance, patience, temperament, and tenacity of which champions are made." Because of his dominance, Strickland was named The National Billiard News Player of the Year in 1984. He won the 1988 World Open championship, after a momentous final confrontation between himself and Mike 'Captain Hook' Sigel".
A 45-second shot clock was used to monitor each shot because the tournament was being recorded for broadcast for a seven-week series. At the conclusion, Sigel commented he could feel the pressure of being clocked. Strickland, on the other hand, said they "could have made it only 30 seconds between shots, and it wouldn't have mattered.".
At the 2004 Derby City Classic, a week-long multiple tournament event held every January in Louisville, Kentucky
, Strickland was one of six competitors in a nine-ball ring game. Veteran Grady Mathews
, when introducing Strickland, says when Earl Strickland is in the house, "A hush ensues, and there is an expectation," because of his brilliant shot-making capabilities, and the unpredictability of his behaviour.
, and his career highlights include five wins at the U.S. Open Nine-ball Championships (more than any other professional pool player worldwide), and the WPA World Nine-ball Championship
s. Strickland is the only WPA World Nine-ball Champion ever to win the event in consecutive years. He is also an ever-present player for the American team in the annual Mosconi Cup
tournament.
Strickland once ran 11 consecutive racks against Nick Mannino during the first PCA tournament in 1996 where there was a stipulation that anyone who could 10 racks would win US$
1,000,000. Jimmy Mataya
, who was present at the event, witnessed Strickland's last shot, a tough nine-ball in which Earl showed no fear and "fired it in with authority" to win the prize.
For 2007, he was ranked #6 in Pool & Billiard Magazine' s "Fans' Top 20 Favorite Players" poll.
star Steve Davis
was particularly notorious. Before the match, Strickland had given a particularly charged interview with a Sky Sports
reporter, in which he complained that fans had been disrespectful to him (booing when his name had been broadcast over the PA), and that the event "Revolves around Davis" (the event was organized by Matchroom Sport
, which was headed by Davis's manager Barry Hearn
, while Sky's coverage had featured Davis heavily to win an audience in the UK). He also appeared upset that Sky Sports
had shown numerous replays during the build up to the match of Davis beating him in the previous year's Mosconi Cup
, the match which settled the event in favour of Team Europe.
During the match, Strickland entered the arena visibly downbeat, and after beginning the match in a quiet mood, Strickland soon began to engage in heated verbal arguments with fans and then referee Michaela Tabb
. TV Microphones caught him using foul language to one member of the crowd, then telling Tabb to "shut up" when she reprimanded him. In response, Davis made use of his entitlement to take a break in the match (Davis admitted later that the timing of this was intentional, leaving Strickland to the mercy of the crowd). During the gap, Strickland put his fingers in his ears to block out the crowd's support for Davis, to the derision of the crowd, who mocked the gesture, and cheered loudly for Davis whenever Strickland took his fingers out. Late in the match, he responded to Davis' missing of an easy shot by sharply leaping out of his chair, fists aloft, shouting to the crowd "Yeah! He dogged it!". When Davis took a second break, Strickland loudly complained that players were only entitled to a single break, telling the crowd "He's Steve Davis, he can do what he likes", another reference to his belief that Davis's status at Matchroom Sport afforded him special treatment.
Strickland's tirade against Davis, the crowd, and the rules of the event, continued through the main part of a post-match interview, before visibly calming and apologizing for his behaviour. After admitting regret over his reactions during the encounter with Davis, Strickland entered the arena for his next match carrying a bunch of flowers which he gave to Tabb by way of an apology, and proceeded to play in a much calmer manner for the remainder of the event. Davis would go on to liken his match with Strickland to his 1980s snooker matches against Alex Higgins
, another player noted for his combination of impressive play and enigmatic behaviour.
During the 2006 Mosconi Cup, which took place at Rotterdam
, Netherlands
, December 7–10, 2006, the audience was loud, cheering and blowing horns when rooting for Team Europe. During a match with Nick van den Berg
, someone shouted from the audience for Team USA Member Strickland to "shut up" since he had continued talking while opponents were taking their shots. The noise was so intense that Referee Michaela Tabb
warned spectators they could be thrown out of the arena if they persisted. During Strickland's match with Team Europe Member Thomas Engert
, he broke his own cue out of frustration by smashing it against the floor after a failed shot attempt. Strickland, however, replaced the broken shaft and went on to win the match 7-4.
One year later, the 2007 Mosconi Cup
in Las Vegas
saw Strickland complain strongly about the misbehaviour of European players and fans, reaching its peak in a particularly bad-tempered clash between himself and reigning world champion Daryl Peach
, which saw referee (again Michaela Tabb
) separating the two amid fears the animosity might turn violent. Whereas most matches in the event were followed by live TV interviews with both players, Strickland refused to participate, while the normally mild-mannered Englishman stated "Strickland is the scum of the Earth, everyone knows that". Given the opportunity to retract the statement moments later by the concerned interviewer, Peach declined.
One year later, with the Mosconi Cup being played in Portomaso
, Strickland's open night match again saw him repeatedly argue with European fans in the crowd, and also repeatedly comment aloud that the table was playing too easily. In a post match interview, Strickland stated that it was bad for the sport if the public sees top players in a high profile event using a table that was clearly playing more easily than a standard club table. When the crowd gave a mixed reaction to his comments, he turned to the spectators and attempted to rally them by calling "Do you want to see us have an easy time out here? Or do you want to see these guys shit on themselves?". Presenter Andy Goldstein
immediately apologised to viewers, an action that prompted Strickland to further argue that such language is acceptable, citing Tiger Woods
as a fellow sportsman who has used such language on TV without being challenged.
Asked about the possibility of banning Strickland from future events for his behaviour, Matchroom Sports founder Barry Hearn
stated he would always want Strickland to participate in the firm's events, since his presence "guarantees drama and unpredictability". Strickland though would be dropped by the USA team for the 2009 Mosconi Cup
. Strickland was not selected for the first time since the tournament was first staged in 1994.
Roseboro, North Carolina
Roseboro is a town in Sampson County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,267 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Roseboro is located at ....
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional pool player and was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America
Billiard Congress of America
Billiard Congress of America is a governing body for cue sports in North America , the regional member organization of the World Pool-Billiard Association...
's Hall of Fame in 2006. He is considered one of the best nine-ball players of all time because of his numerous championship titles within a 25-year time span, and also one of the most controversial, for his often-outspoken views and sometimes volatile behavior at tournaments.
Early days
Strickland started playing pool at the age of nine, and after intensive practice he entered his first pro tournament at 15.Career
Strickland rose to national prominence in 1983, with a victory in Lake Tahoe. This was followed in 1984, in Caesars Palace Pro Billiard Classic, Las Vegas.According to sources, Strickland played "like a polished gem." He was beginning to be a dominant force on the tournament trail and recognized as a future world champion. He had the "skill, endurance, patience, temperament, and tenacity of which champions are made." Because of his dominance, Strickland was named The National Billiard News Player of the Year in 1984. He won the 1988 World Open championship, after a momentous final confrontation between himself and Mike 'Captain Hook' Sigel".
A 45-second shot clock was used to monitor each shot because the tournament was being recorded for broadcast for a seven-week series. At the conclusion, Sigel commented he could feel the pressure of being clocked. Strickland, on the other hand, said they "could have made it only 30 seconds between shots, and it wouldn't have mattered.".
At the 2004 Derby City Classic, a week-long multiple tournament event held every January in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, Strickland was one of six competitors in a nine-ball ring game. Veteran Grady Mathews
Grady Mathews
Grady Mathews , also known as "The Professor", is an American pool player and was the first inductee into the One-Pocket Hall of Fame in 2004....
, when introducing Strickland, says when Earl Strickland is in the house, "A hush ensues, and there is an expectation," because of his brilliant shot-making capabilities, and the unpredictability of his behaviour.
Awards and accolades
Strickland is a multiple winner of the prestigious Player of the Year AwardPlayer of the year award
Several sports leagues honour their best player with an award called Player of the Year. In the United States, this type of award is usually called a Most Valuable Player award...
, and his career highlights include five wins at the U.S. Open Nine-ball Championships (more than any other professional pool player worldwide), and the WPA World Nine-ball Championship
WPA World Nine-ball Championship
The WPA World Nine-ball Championship is an annual, international, professional nine-ball pool tournament, founded in 1990, sanctioned by the World Pool-Billiard Association , and principally sponsored and organised by Matchroom Sport...
s. Strickland is the only WPA World Nine-ball Champion ever to win the event in consecutive years. He is also an ever-present player for the American team in the annual Mosconi Cup
Mosconi Cup
The Mosconi Cup is an annual nine-ball pool tournament contested between teams representing Europe and the USA since 1994. The trophy is named after American player Willie Mosconi, and is modeled on and compared to the Ryder Cup in golf...
tournament.
Strickland once ran 11 consecutive racks against Nick Mannino during the first PCA tournament in 1996 where there was a stipulation that anyone who could 10 racks would win US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
1,000,000. Jimmy Mataya
Jimmy Mataya
Jimmy Mataya is an American professional pool player, nicknamed "Pretty Boy Floyd".In 1982, Jimmy Mataya, 31, wed Ewa Svensson, 17, of Sweden , forming pool's first "power couple". Their daughter Nikki was born in 1985, but they later divorced.Mataya enjoys other games of stake...
, who was present at the event, witnessed Strickland's last shot, a tough nine-ball in which Earl showed no fear and "fired it in with authority" to win the prize.
For 2007, he was ranked #6 in Pool & Billiard Magazine
Controversy
Strickland has engaged in back-and-forth colloquies with fans, players, referees, and tournament officials. His 2003 World Pool Championship match with snookerSnooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
star Steve Davis
Steve Davis
Steve Davis, OBE is an English professional snooker player. He has won more professional titles in the sport than any other player, including six World Championships during the 1980s, when he was the world number one for seven years and became the sport's first millionaire...
was particularly notorious. Before the match, Strickland had given a particularly charged interview with a Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
reporter, in which he complained that fans had been disrespectful to him (booing when his name had been broadcast over the PA), and that the event "Revolves around Davis" (the event was organized by Matchroom Sport
Matchroom Sport
Matchroom Sport is a sport event promotions company founded by the English entrepreneur Barry Hearn. It first came to attention in the sports of snooker and boxing and is also involved in pool, bowling, golf , fishing, darts and poker...
, which was headed by Davis's manager Barry Hearn
Barry Hearn
Barry Hearn is an English sporting events promoter, and the founder and chairman of promotions company Matchroom Sport. He is currently the chairman of Leyton Orient F.C., and the Professional Darts Corporation and was also until July 2010 chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker...
, while Sky's coverage had featured Davis heavily to win an audience in the UK). He also appeared upset that Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
had shown numerous replays during the build up to the match of Davis beating him in the previous year's Mosconi Cup
Mosconi Cup
The Mosconi Cup is an annual nine-ball pool tournament contested between teams representing Europe and the USA since 1994. The trophy is named after American player Willie Mosconi, and is modeled on and compared to the Ryder Cup in golf...
, the match which settled the event in favour of Team Europe.
During the match, Strickland entered the arena visibly downbeat, and after beginning the match in a quiet mood, Strickland soon began to engage in heated verbal arguments with fans and then referee Michaela Tabb
Michaela Tabb
Michaela Tabb is a snooker and pool referee who has established a number of significant milestones for female officials in professional cue sports...
. TV Microphones caught him using foul language to one member of the crowd, then telling Tabb to "shut up" when she reprimanded him. In response, Davis made use of his entitlement to take a break in the match (Davis admitted later that the timing of this was intentional, leaving Strickland to the mercy of the crowd). During the gap, Strickland put his fingers in his ears to block out the crowd's support for Davis, to the derision of the crowd, who mocked the gesture, and cheered loudly for Davis whenever Strickland took his fingers out. Late in the match, he responded to Davis' missing of an easy shot by sharply leaping out of his chair, fists aloft, shouting to the crowd "Yeah! He dogged it!". When Davis took a second break, Strickland loudly complained that players were only entitled to a single break, telling the crowd "He's Steve Davis, he can do what he likes", another reference to his belief that Davis's status at Matchroom Sport afforded him special treatment.
Strickland's tirade against Davis, the crowd, and the rules of the event, continued through the main part of a post-match interview, before visibly calming and apologizing for his behaviour. After admitting regret over his reactions during the encounter with Davis, Strickland entered the arena for his next match carrying a bunch of flowers which he gave to Tabb by way of an apology, and proceeded to play in a much calmer manner for the remainder of the event. Davis would go on to liken his match with Strickland to his 1980s snooker matches against Alex Higgins
Alex Higgins
Alexander Gordon "Alex" Higgins , also known by his nickname of Hurricane Higgins, was a Northern Irish professional snooker player who was twice World Champion and twice runner-up. Higgins earned the nickname The Hurricane because of his speed of play...
, another player noted for his combination of impressive play and enigmatic behaviour.
During the 2006 Mosconi Cup, which took place at Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, December 7–10, 2006, the audience was loud, cheering and blowing horns when rooting for Team Europe. During a match with Nick van den Berg
Nick van den Berg
Nick van den Berg is a professional pool player.In 2005 he was runner-up to Wu Chia-ching in the WPA World Eight-ball Championship.He represented Team Europe in the Mosconi Cup in 2006 for the third time....
, someone shouted from the audience for Team USA Member Strickland to "shut up" since he had continued talking while opponents were taking their shots. The noise was so intense that Referee Michaela Tabb
Michaela Tabb
Michaela Tabb is a snooker and pool referee who has established a number of significant milestones for female officials in professional cue sports...
warned spectators they could be thrown out of the arena if they persisted. During Strickland's match with Team Europe Member Thomas Engert
Thomas Engert
Thomas Engert is a German professional pool player. Engert won the 2004 International Challenge of Champions beating fellow German Thorsten Hohmann in the finals...
, he broke his own cue out of frustration by smashing it against the floor after a failed shot attempt. Strickland, however, replaced the broken shaft and went on to win the match 7-4.
One year later, the 2007 Mosconi Cup
Mosconi Cup
The Mosconi Cup is an annual nine-ball pool tournament contested between teams representing Europe and the USA since 1994. The trophy is named after American player Willie Mosconi, and is modeled on and compared to the Ryder Cup in golf...
in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
saw Strickland complain strongly about the misbehaviour of European players and fans, reaching its peak in a particularly bad-tempered clash between himself and reigning world champion Daryl Peach
Daryl Peach
Daryl Peach is an English professional pocket billiards player. Nicknamed "Razzledazzle" and "the Dazzler," he defeated the Philippines' Roberto Gomez in 2007 to become the first English male to win the WPA World Nine-ball Championship...
, which saw referee (again Michaela Tabb
Michaela Tabb
Michaela Tabb is a snooker and pool referee who has established a number of significant milestones for female officials in professional cue sports...
) separating the two amid fears the animosity might turn violent. Whereas most matches in the event were followed by live TV interviews with both players, Strickland refused to participate, while the normally mild-mannered Englishman stated "Strickland is the scum of the Earth, everyone knows that". Given the opportunity to retract the statement moments later by the concerned interviewer, Peach declined.
One year later, with the Mosconi Cup being played in Portomaso
Portomaso
Portomaso in Paceville, St. Julian's, Malta, is a waterfront residential development covering an area of 128,000 square metres . Portomaso also encompasses one of Malta’s Marinas.-General:...
, Strickland's open night match again saw him repeatedly argue with European fans in the crowd, and also repeatedly comment aloud that the table was playing too easily. In a post match interview, Strickland stated that it was bad for the sport if the public sees top players in a high profile event using a table that was clearly playing more easily than a standard club table. When the crowd gave a mixed reaction to his comments, he turned to the spectators and attempted to rally them by calling "Do you want to see us have an easy time out here? Or do you want to see these guys shit on themselves?". Presenter Andy Goldstein
Andy Goldstein
Andrew 'Andy' Goldstein is a British TV presenter.Well known for his rather long nose, homosexuality, dodgy briefs and dapple faced complextion....
immediately apologised to viewers, an action that prompted Strickland to further argue that such language is acceptable, citing Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
as a fellow sportsman who has used such language on TV without being challenged.
Asked about the possibility of banning Strickland from future events for his behaviour, Matchroom Sports founder Barry Hearn
Barry Hearn
Barry Hearn is an English sporting events promoter, and the founder and chairman of promotions company Matchroom Sport. He is currently the chairman of Leyton Orient F.C., and the Professional Darts Corporation and was also until July 2010 chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker...
stated he would always want Strickland to participate in the firm's events, since his presence "guarantees drama and unpredictability". Strickland though would be dropped by the USA team for the 2009 Mosconi Cup
2009 Mosconi Cup
The 2009 Mosconi Cup, the 16th edition of the annual nine-ball pool competition between five-player teams representing Europe and the United States, took place between 10–13 December, at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada....
. Strickland was not selected for the first time since the tournament was first staged in 1994.
Titles and achievements
|
|
External links
- "Earl Strickland, Player Profile", InternationalPoolTour.com, International Pool Tour