Snooker (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter speedie87
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Frostie
Well-Known Member
Incredible.
I'm not a huge snooker fan but usually watch some of the Semis/Final.
That last frame in Wilson v McGill was unbelievable, so many mistakes & then a place in the final decided on a fluke.
Delighted Ronnie is in the final; for casual fans like me he's so enthralling to watch. If Selby had won I probably wouldn't even watch it he's so dull & negative.
I'm not a huge snooker fan but usually watch some of the Semis/Final.
That last frame in Wilson v McGill was unbelievable, so many mistakes & then a place in the final decided on a fluke.
Delighted Ronnie is in the final; for casual fans like me he's so enthralling to watch. If Selby had won I probably wouldn't even watch it he's so dull & negative.
speedie87
Well-Known Member
Ronnie is box office from looking like he had thrown in towel and self destructing to playing like a god from one frame to next.
The other semi was so tense it was untrue , I like snooker but think it only becomes great at the world championship with the long matches and so much at stake
The other semi was so tense it was untrue , I like snooker but think it only becomes great at the world championship with the long matches and so much at stake
Skyblueweeman
Well-Known Member
As great as Ronnie is, I think I might be in the minority but he really does my head in. He's not only arrogant (I guess he's earnt it) but he always seems to play the victim card. Always seems to be moaning.
Not to mention his comments about some of his fellow professionals.
Not to mention his comments about some of his fellow professionals.
Frostie
Well-Known Member
Did you hear Selby's interviews yesterday?
Talk about sour grapes.
Said some of the shots Ronnie played were "disrespectful not only to me but the whole sport"
Bearing in mind Selby tries to bore his opponents into submission & has been known to take 6 minutes to play a single shot that's incredibly incongruous.
Skyblueweeman
Well-Known Member
I confess that I'm not a massive snooker fan to be fair so didn't see Selbys interview. Seen enough of Ronnie to know that he's a.) talented but b.) rather moany and full of self-pity.
skybluesam66
Well-Known Member
You need characters. Ronnie is Selby isn’t Used to love the Hurricane
Flying Fokker
Well-Known Member
City Talbot top in the crowd.
Sky_Blue_Dreamer
Well-Known Member
Is the guy that goes every year and usually sit near the players.
fernandopartridge
Well-Known Member
Can't stand him either, utter wanker of a bloke
David O'Day
Well-Known Member
when he played that qualifier left handed he should of been booted
covmark
Well-Known Member
Haha fucking hell. Yeah great idea to boot someone who is the reason most people watch the game.
Absolute genius of a player, love watching him play. When he retires the game will be a lot worse off.
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NorthernWisdom
Well-Known Member
He does have a few mental health issues, which wouldn't excuse all of it, but does explain some of it.
His interviews aren't necessarily my cup of tea but, tbf, in a world where sports stars give sanitised, anodine comments, at least he injects a bit of an edge.
And he is great to watch, but unpredictable enough it doesn't get a borefest where you expect him to win.
His interviews aren't necessarily my cup of tea but, tbf, in a world where sports stars give sanitised, anodine comments, at least he injects a bit of an edge.
And he is great to watch, but unpredictable enough it doesn't get a borefest where you expect him to win.
Ring Of Steel
Well-Known Member
O’Sullivan is the most talented player ever to play his sport, and on top of that I don’t know of any other sportsman that has achieved & maintained greatness for as long as he has.
it’s a very British thing to not like someone because they’re “arrogant”, the guy is a genius and he’s not actually being arrogant, he’s telling the truth.
covmark
Well-Known Member
I can see why he's not some people's cup of tea, interview wise. An absolute genius who should be celebrated for what he does on the table though.
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David O'Day
Well-Known Member
Can I not like because is a horrible c**t?
fernandopartridge
Well-Known Member
He's a genius yet still this year was his first world championship for 7 years in a field that he reckons is on the decline. He's a narcissist.
Ring Of Steel
Well-Known Member
He has every right to be. He’s the best of all time by miles, can do things every other player can only dream of (with both hands), there’s no doubt that in his sport he’s a bona fide genius. Too many want sportspeople to be gentleman, magnanimous, nice guys- I hate all that rubbish, I want to see them win, and I don’t see too many serial winners who are lovely warm people.
fernandopartridge
Well-Known Member
Right to be a narcissist lol
covmark
Well-Known Member
The bloke took a year off, didn't play one match. Then came back for the World's and caned everyone.
Genius.
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Ring Of Steel
Well-Known Member
I personally think he's the most naturally gifted sportsman on the planet, across all sports. Happy to be contradicted but I don't know of anyone else who can take huge time off & not even bother training, have loads of personal issues but then just rock up and beat the best in the world handily while using either hand. He's a once-in-a-lifetime player. Compare him with people like Selby, who once took longer to play one shot (which he missed) than it took O'Sullivan to make a 147- there is no comparison & the only way people know how to beat him is to slow it down & grind him out- which is when he tends to lose the plot- but he's head & shoulders above everyone else to have ever played the game in terms of ability. I'm definitely glad he won.
Sky_Blue_Dreamer
Well-Known Member
Undoubtedly the most naturally gifted sportsperson in his discipline on the planet.
Yes, he can be annoying with his conduct and interviews but I guess it's part of what makes him what he is. If he were different would he have the same mindset to play the way he does? Rough with the smooth and all that.
So you can admire his ability around the table and just have to bite your tongue on everything else.
Yes, he can be annoying with his conduct and interviews but I guess it's part of what makes him what he is. If he were different would he have the same mindset to play the way he does? Rough with the smooth and all that.
So you can admire his ability around the table and just have to bite your tongue on everything else.
Ranjit Bhurpa
Well-Known Member
Going back a few years, I would suggest that Ray Reardon was a gentleman, magnanimous and a nice guy....and a serial winner with a ruthless streak on his way to 6 World Championships.
Ring Of Steel
Well-Known Member
He was an all time great, definitely. But not the same level of natural ability as O'Sullivan, no chance. They made a great team actually, Reardon was O'Sullivan's coach for a while I think. You often get this with the 'geniuses' in their sports- George Best, Gascoigne etc, often the case that they tend to have issues & few rough edges & manage to alienate people with their personalities along the way.
Sky_Blue_Dreamer
Well-Known Member
It's almost a necessary evil to have an ego to use that level of talent, or at least to use it outside of practice.
If you worry that doing something you know you're capable of because it'll be perceived as arrogant or disrespectful it hampers that natural ability and holds you back. You need that ego and 'couldn't give a fuck what you think' attitude to have the freedom to do it when it matters. Loads of players are capable of astounding things but never do them in matches for fear of the reaction from teammates/managers/fans if it doesn't come off.
Precocious youngsters full of ability have that 'maverick' ability coached out of them in exchange for a better all round team game and work ethic and 99% of the time this is the best way to go to progress. You'll have a few who think 'whatever' and carry on and end up being difficult to manage and waste their ability like Balotelli and Morrison. But once every blue moon there's a player with that attitude and the ability to back it up and with those you end up with the Best's and Ronaldo's. Monumental pain in the arses but an almost God given ability that no mortal should rightly possess.
Ranjit Bhurpa
Well-Known Member
Yes, agree. As mentioned earlier in the thread, the natural talent/genius in Reardon's era was Alex Higgins where sadly the distractions too often overcame his sublime ability. Two opposites in terms of character but respectful of each other and fascinating to watch for very different reasons.
Ring Of Steel
Well-Known Member
I'd like to propose David Smith in the category "genius who had it coached out of him"
In all seriousness the example stands a bit, he was beating everyone for fun on the left wing, he had the best debut I ever saw- then if rumour is to be believed he was coached to be more defensive and that edge to his game was gone. Ronaldo is a great example actually, possibly one of the most narcissistic people in the game, but he can back it up, so as much as I don't like the guy you have to take your hat off to him, he is what he says & thinks he is, its undeniable.
Then you have Messi, who I think is actually more talented than Ronaldo, but he doesn't have that spike to him, he doesn't exude arrogance.. and for a guy of his ability its arguable that he has underachieved in terms of the world stage anyway. Compare him to Maradona- who was probably more talented but not by much, that guy had more issues than anyone but almost singlehandedly dragged teams to World Cup wins & finals, Serie A titles, and would do whatever it took. Where Messi goes anonymous if things are going badly, Ronaldo & Maradona got nasty & would do anything to win, and if anyone didn't like it then f*ck them. You could maybe count Zidane in that, again so talented but also capable of doing very daft things. I'd say that vicious, arrogant- and yes, narcissistic- personality is part of what goes towards being a serial winner.
Ring Of Steel
Well-Known Member
Very good point- Higgins is another example. I don't remember Higgins so much but the parallels are there for sure, ridiculous talent but along with it some issues, unfortunately Higgins couldn't overcome his.
Ranjit Bhurpa
Well-Known Member
I saw Higgins play Reardon at a UK Championship semi final in Preston. During the mid session interval, Higgins was in the public bar surrounded by groupies/minders and a table full of drinks, no doubt three sheets to the wind. Reardon I presume was on the practice table.
Higgins ended up winning an intriguing match and left the arena as soon as the final black went in, didn't even take the warm applause. Reardon stayed in his chair and went on to do many autographs at the table.
The contrast in behaviour was very noticeable, both were world class players but with very different approaches to the game.
Grendel
Well-Known Member
A sports writer once defined a sportsman as being able to compete in the programme hosted by David Vine - the Superstars. He quoted Jocky Wilson
I give you rocket Ronnie or Phil the power Taylor - I’m sure they’d hold their own against other elite sportsmen away from the pub games they compete in
I give you rocket Ronnie or Phil the power Taylor - I’m sure they’d hold their own against other elite sportsmen away from the pub games they compete in
covmark
Well-Known Member
Ronnie is an avid runner. Not that that has fuck all to do with anything.
Pub game my arse.
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Sky_Blue_Dreamer
Well-Known Member
I would say that is the definition of an athlete, not a sportsman.
