I can agree with most all of all your incitful comments. in the specific case of the finals and the case gamenbetween SVB and Earl, while it is easy for any of us to question champions, both are outstanding shotmakers but perhaps just not experienced enough in the game's finer points.
In the lastmgame, for those who saw it. Earl had two shot choices. An almost straight in one that would haven allowed him a max of three or four balls in the run before ducking. The one he shot was a ten degree or so angle into the stack next to it. He shot the 3 and buried himself in the middle of all the balls with no practical escape and basically sold out.
My thought was thatnif he had been a more experienced one pocket, long rack or especially straight pool player, he would have taken the easy three or four balls but jumpedmat a chance to break open more balls and really paid for it.
Overall, I thought he played brilliantly, with a few bad choices in the tournament that he didn't often pay a high price for. His amazing, old Earl, shotmaking got him there.
Both he and Shane can be proud and I have not seen him in so much control and cheerful in about 25 years! Even with him flipping off Pots and Pans he was well behaved. On second thought, that made him even more likable this time!
Glad I saw all his matches.
DeeMan