Earl Strickland vs Keith McCready 1988 pt1

[@timbomiller855]

2021 and i still love watching this match!

[@paulstoyko5308]

I can't believe I came across this I was there at starchers in Akron Ohio..I've been a fan since I was a child family owned pool halls I worked in them for years and I got a chance one day to travel from Cleveland to see the open at starchers and meet my heros..wow blown away I never thought I'd see this here many years later thank you for sharing brings back great memories

[@nickpatrick7021]

Couple of legends: one of the most feared tournament players ever vs. one of the most feared road players ever

[@gregvlchek9391]

I noticed that they're playing at the old "Starcher's Billiards" in Akron, OH. I used to play there in the early Nineties, when I lived in Cleveland. Loved that place!

[@OnTheRailTV]

When i played Earl a month or so ago,he broke dry i make the one ball and hook myself,kicked 2 rails and missed and he had ball in hand and ran out,i was ready to concede as soon as i gave him ball in hand,ball in hand at the top level usually means your toast.

[@kenstrain4366]

When Earl was Earl and Keith was Keith.....

[@Frankraats]

This is awesome. Two complete naturals at the pool table. I love McCready's style.

[@johnnytuups]

I could watch McCready play all day long.

[@lesliethompson4039]

John Tuups ... Me to

[@billysikes1374]

Same here, He was the best player on Earth back then, Fact, he used to wear a Shirt that said, The WORLD can get the 8 lol

[@geraldchalloner306]

This is the way 9 ball should be played. Not that look at each ball for 5 minutes and stroke 20 times. I miss the old days.

[@OriginalCowboy777]

Im sure thats grady seasons from the colour of money,the cocked cue action and the limp right hand when he walks around the table.Great footage,love it.

[@sjang816]

He's the greatest money player in the world!

[@nrjkdogg]

I really love this 80's tint on the camera. They need to make an app for phone cameras.

[@timlewis5799]

You can just smell the Calvin Klein Obsession on that late 80's sweater Keith is wearing. Gold

[@andrewmaning9522]

mcready shooting style. I shoot the same way I modeled my technique from his videos I like the hall McCready match.classic

[@jgallagher1359]

Excellent style.

[@GetMeThere1]

Great Video!! McCready is fantastic--like he's right out of some novel :)

[@paulbrown1585]

A high class joint.....

[@richig761]

LOL... I love how Keith conceded Earl the ENTIRE SECOND RACK after he didn't drop anything on the break. Now that's respect for your opponent. haha

[@timtrucker3838]

the 9 ball was almost falling in the pocket,,easy combo

[@stevewilliams2732]

@@timtrucker3838 duhhhhh....great.... assumption

[@FuckFacebookJones]

​​@@stevewilliams2732not assumption, facts kid. A fact you and richig missed lol. But that is why he did it. It was an easy combo you couldn't see or could ever make but Earl, McCready, timtrucker, and I would make easy.

[@lemonite1]

Thanx for this post Amiga. And thanx Phantomudd for all the great videos, keep postin' em.

[@BarbsLuck]

I love to watch Keith play. Hard times here we come and then the track. Sometimes I even miss it. And all the others too, except Jack, no not Jack.

[@JamesCaldera]

you are the man for posting this thanks

[@Faltzerbeast90]

Gotta love when your opponent just racks when you're about to shoot the 9ball ;)

[@sammysouth8372]

Hey that's Grady Seasons...you know... from the movie☺☺

[@nickpatrick7021]

Oh... the impossible dream

[@gringomontana]

He the greatest money player in the world

[@vincemiller234]

Its like a nightmare isn't it?

[@lemonite1]

Earl in his prime. no mouth, just stroke. i like the commentary.... hardly any. Keith McCready is funny, even here.

[@shayne.7770]

Earl still talked....siegel was the loud mouth in this era. Complained every shot. Earl didnt start being more vocal until his mental health started to slip a little in the early 2000s. Hes mellow now, but people still taunt him and bully him because he actually got disqualified at the 14.1 straight pool tournament at my local pool hall. Tried to punch a guy who was messing with him. He actually won the match too. He got DQ after!! Still love him tho haha

[@OnTheRailTV]

He broke and didnt make a ball,the 9 was hanging and the 2 was near it,Earl just had to draw off the one for position on the 2 and lights out and Keith conceded,it was respect that Earl would get out.

[@mattwoodardtn]

I totally agree about kim davenport. Not very well known tourney player but so the rumour goes the man was never beaten in his prime years ago. Besides jack cooney in my book is twice the player of all these folks. He has without a doubt won more and he bet his own! Anyone who knows pool will agree. Doesnt matter how good you play if you cant get outta the room with it. I promise ya cooney robs em all in that dept. Including efren!

[@markwhewell4265]

Those were the says cigarette smoke and people coughing that’s real pool folks😂

[@PomBare]

Oh I see, it's obvious now you point it out, thanks, respect due

[@ficheye00]

McReady fouled in the first rack, leaning on top of the balls. He fouled the same way in the second rack. The dude was a speed freak.

[@jeremydweems3]

scotty townsend= the best pool player you've probably never heard of

[@williamhall7349]

Had more heart then most

[@billysikes1374]

If you've played ANY pool in the last 30 years and haven't heard of Scotty, You dont know pool

[@richig761]

His opponent conceded the shot to him. It's quite common in pool.

[@EaglePersonified]

Grady Seasons !!!!

[@LeonFleisherFan]

Classic stuff! I'd never have given away that Nine hanging in the pocket, though - even pros scratch on a carom like that once in a blue moon.

[@jgallagher1359]

Exactly. Never give a shot away.

[@TheNecador123]

never knew strickland was a smoker?? still an animal though

[@Edwardsjm]

that hat is the shizznit

[@CTRS777]

Scorsese went to the US open and saw Keith playing and talking shit and immediately cast him as Grady Seasons "Its like a nightmare isnt it? Just keeps gettin worse and worse"

[@nmartin0600]

This is how you play pool.

[@bobbylight111]

never gamble w someone who shoots sidearm, they’ve been at it a while

[@PomBare]

This is amazing, shows how much the discipline of the game has changed. How come McCready forfeits 2nd frame off the break? Isn't that kind of unsporting in the least? Or is the tone of the game away from anything official?

[@shayne.7770]

No I think it's more respect. Like I have confidence you will make it so I'm handing you the game.

[@commandernoodles2367]

How did McCready lose the second rack?

[@billysikes1374]

He broke dry, the 1 was straight in, 2 9 combo was hanging in jaws

[@phantomudd]

Earl wouldn't have played the carom. All he had to do was make the 1 in the side, stop the cue ball, and the 2 was right there for an easy 2-9 combo.

[@bone6966]

Earl was a cig smoker? never would have thought that. he bashed efren in the race to 120 for his smoking lol

[@coyoteslayer4722]

bone6966 Earl jogs 6 miles every day then comes rite into poolhall and plays for eight hours I've heard.i dunno why he don't go to big events anymore tho love watching him play he my fav!he is very health oriented and knew better than to smoke .prolly just a habit when he was young he was smart enough to quit.

[@KrushKrills]

why didnt he shoot the 9 in the first game?

[@bone6966]

right at 7.00 strickland goes to his jacket, hanging behind him, pulls out a pack of smokes, and looks like he uses keiths matches 2 lite his own.

[@neuvocastezero1838]

Wow, 4:03 didn't look like that much of a gimme billiard shot, though it probably is for Earl.

[@jaynosowsky9708]

These guys made pool fun, they play fast! Now it takes a couple of mins. To shoot one shot....even if it's str8 in!!! The new players is what killed pool....that's why it's not popular any more. I can't stand watching pool matches with slow players. It's just to bad.

[@sarkastiktv3033]

Jerry Nosowsky it was never popular. New players didn’t kill it, old school players who iconized it as a dirty backroom backstabbing game instead of a legitimate sport is what killed any future it could have had as a lucrative career. They had the tournament of champions with major sponsors back in the day and it came out that 7 of the 8 participants were rigging it so they could bet big in Vegas. That was the last time pool had a major sponsor. Hopefully now the young guys like Woodward and Thorpe will change the image and let pool turn around.

[@jaynosowsky9708]

@@sarkastiktv3033 some a agree with you. But slowing the game down doesn't help...I can't even watch slow players on youtube...its annoying...Strickland it's the best player in the world, best player to watch, one of the fastest players...plus he put his own drama in there that just made it fun to watch. BTW, thorpe is not even close to woodward....shouldn't be named in the same sentence as Woodward. Thorpe has talent, he can't handle pressure...he not creative. Justin burgman had the gift, he was amazing when he played fast....but now he slowed his game down....he's not the same. He was awesome his first mosconi cup, him and Woodward should of been the new stricklands.

[@sarkastiktv3033]

I think billy might get there, but I agree that sky is a good distance ahead right now rotation wise. I don’t think we’ll ever have another Earl. I’ve never seen someone as competitive as him in pool, not even close. His hatred of losing and mediocrity may have made him cooky, but also a master of the game

[@CTRS777]

@@sarkastiktv3033 pool was only good as a filthy backstabbing game. Pool sucks now they wear jerseys. If u want class there's snooker

[@sarkastiktv3033]

@@CTRS777 that’s fine but people complain about jerseys and sponsorships then turn right around and complain there’s no money in pool. There’s a reason snooker world champion got literally 10x the money for winning than the pool world champion got.

[@thumper9mm]

when keith shot the 7 down in the corner while earl was sitting in front of his shot line he covertly start fumbling with something on the table, making sure to move right when he was about to pull the trigger.. delebirate shark attempt by earl lol

[@xanh350]

@pigdisposal i totally agree, I hate the new music theme in the pool halls, its really bad.

[@bunsomite]

he gave up the second rack because any decent player can carom off the 1 into the 9 that was sitting in the corner pocket.

[@PROFNINES1]

Keith lost his mom at 12 his dad gave him and his brother 20.00 each every week and them played them for it he slept under a table in a place in newport beach growing up once had his pockets slit while he was asleep and his cash stolen,if he would have stayed straight he would have been the best ever,Bucktooth brought him to Reno in 91 92 and he jumped up on a table in the green room and yelled any one you World Champions got the 8 first one to 10 for 10K no one opened there mouth .

[@mattwoodardtn]

It was the last 2 he offered. He had a tshirt made that said the world has the last two. He wore it alot when he lived in Nashville for while.

[@kenstrain4366]

@@mattwoodardtn - He said the last two didnt apply to Buddy Hall....LOL

[@nibols23]

mannn this shit is classic

[@ihcug90]

lol the info says 1998

[@jack_of_all_trades_master_none]

Damn they had to break hard on that slow cloth back then

[@cakins1986]

Earl pounds the rack and the balls barely move lol

[@BishopLab]

@scsuxci yous is why we has hooked on phoenex! LONG LIVE THE PEARL. LONG LIVE McCready. By the way hater, McCready is the reason we have Grady Seasons!!! Go watch intervention and feel good about yourself.

[@GodInTheMachine]

@thumper9mm good eye 9, he coughed too!

[@OnTheRailTV]

I didn't lose any money,lol.

[@scsuxci]

These 2 guys is why we have the Show "Intervention".To praise these guys in the world of pool is why the world of pool is in the state it is"fucked".

[@hendinho87]

your in the wrong halls then

[@msntopgeasr]

say that again

[@kholidamar7570]

3.54 mc cready funny😁😃hahahahahahahaha👌

[@spartan3244]

watching strickland in present day is cring worthy.....the man has turned into a full nutcase....I watched him in 2017 or 2018 at the Us Open in Virginia Beach, and omg hes just out there man

[@CTRS777]

The above comment is cringe, not "cring"...................

[@spartan3244]

@@CTRS777 lol i was commenting on my phone and apparently my thumb missed the "e" lol

[@rickyq61]

keller says this is shit!!!!

[@seandaugherty2033]

Dude is a killer pool player but his mouth out side of the casino would get slapped

[@CTRS777]

Not by you though. Youd keep that dirty mouth shut until someone needed it open. Sit down, you missed.