Friday, May 31, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.
You would think winning a million dollars would change a man. Such apparently is not the case with billiards professional Earl Strickland.
Strickland became the first pocket billiards player to claim a $1 million check when he ran 11 consecutive 9-ball racks at the Professional CueSports Association Million Dollar Challenge in April. The tournament offered the money to any player who could pull off the highly-unlikely feat of running 10 straight racks.
Fresh off that accomplishment, Strickland is in Las Vegas to compete in the $50,000 winner-take-all International Challenge of Champions which concludes today at The Mirage.
The 34-year-old native of Roseboro, N.C., said he thought turning the 10-rack trick was impossible when he stepped up to the table in Dallas.
"It was totally unexpected," Strickland said. "They say the odds of running 10 racks in a row are one in 7.8 million. I did it 15 years ago or so at the local pool hall in my hometown, but my high over 16 years of tournament play was eight.
"I don't know how to explain it. Being lucky and good came together just at the right time. When I got into the seventh game, I starting thinking just keep the balls on the table and don't scratch. The key was, I was able to keep the cue ball where I needed to the entire time."
Not only did Strickland accomplish the feat before a packed house under tournament conditions, he did so on a table featuring pockets smaller than the standard, five-inch variety.
"I think it was interesting that I did it on a table with 4 1/2-inch pockets," he said. "But I tell you, it was one of those days. Every ball rolled just perfect.
"It may happen 15-20 years from now, or it may never happen again. I don't know if the balls could ever roll that well again."
For the man who grew up as a tobacco farmer in the rural South, literally pocketing a cool million has meant no discernible change in lifestyle.
"I haven't changed a bit," said Strickland, who will receive his winnings in the form of a $50,000 annual annuity. "It can't change a guy like me. I've had ups and downs all my life. I'm a very genuine person. I can't change.
"I've played a lot of pool in my life, and I'm very fortunate to have the gift to play the game well. I used to have an ego about it, but I got over that long ago. The game has allowed me to travel to over 30 countries, and when you see all the people who are deprived in life you realize just how fortunate you are."
Strickland began playing billiards at age nine, and entered his first tournament -- finishing third -- at the ripe age of 15. He made the move to the professional ranks at age 20. He has won five world championships, three U.S. Open titles and one world 9-ball championship, and has been named his sport's player of the year five times.
While Strickland has seen his sport grow, but it has progressed far too slowly for his liking. While he is sponsored by a host of companies such as Cuetec Cues and Olhausen Billiard Manufacturing, he said corporate involvement is vital to the success of pro billiards.
"When pool is put in the right perspective, then I think you'll see it get up to the levels of golf and tennis," he said. "I think television is the key ingredient. People are seeing that billiards is not just an activity, it is a sport in which skills can be perfected.
"I think pool will one day be a big TV game. It's a great individual game. We need to find some sponsors from the corporate community like the other sports."
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