I agree, but it's too tricky to watch everything, so it's inevitable people prioritise the matches of those they feel more of a connection to, and celeb status is an influence. Giving up a sport altogether because one player retires just means you aren't a fan of the sport.
A couple of years ago when a lot of the big names fell early at Wimbledon, it was interesting to see how different people reacted. Some thought it was a disaster, and had no interest if there was no bandwagoning glory available to them, while others embraced the opportunity to give others more air time, so we could learn about them instead.
I don't think it's 'celeb status' or 'bandwagoning glory'. My interest in watching Ronnie (I genuinely had no idea who he was) was that he was (is) a charismatic player. Even knowing nothing about the game I could see his flair for it shine through. I've always loved watching someone who is outstanding in his or her sport even if the sport itself isn't necessarily a favourite. That 'once in a generation' skill and that 'flair' (which is hard to define) are the attraction. It certainly isn't 'celebrity' or 'glory' that draws me in!
I've been watching snooker since I was very young (probably about 6 or 7) and enjoy playing it too. I will always watch and like watching quite a few of the players that have rose to prominence since the mid 2000's. Namely Trump, Robinson and Junhui.
It takes two players to make a great match, like last night.
If DS in the 80s people would have probably said the same about Davis, and then Hendry in the 90s. There is always somebody waiting to take over and entertain. When Ronnie goes, snooker won't go with him, it will still be there with newer, younger talent ( like Judd Trump ) entertaining the fans of the player rather than the game.
For all his ability the one thing I admire most about Ronnie is his durability. He's done very well to keep himself at the top of his game for so long, especially with his mental instability when he was younger.
I thought he'd have probably chucked it by 30-32 and, given his style of play when young, I wouldn't have expected his game to be that strong now as I wouldn't have expected him to be that capable of adjusting his game (as Hendry couldn't really do as he got older - he still thought he could pot the long ball and clear up regularly.)
Ronnie has actually managed adjust his game as he gets older. I think he's better now in some ways (most ways actually). He definitely seems tougher and less likely to go off the boil mentally and that's a major strength. His safety knowledge is amazing. He sees shots others wouldn't see at all. He's always been amazing in the balls and controls the white fantastically, and his long potting is often good too (it can go off a bit at times but no worse than others and that's normal as you get older anyway. It was fantastic the other afternoon.)
The point is some people claim they love snooker, darts or tennis but in reality are only fans of Ronnie O'Sullivan, Stephen Hendry, Phil Taylor, Eric Bristow, Jockey Wilson, Andy Murray, Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal but are not really fans of the sports they say they love, and suddenly they disappear quicker than snow off a dyke when they have retired or retire, or they don't watch the rest of the tournament once they get knocked out early.
I think that's very sad that people are only fans of the sportsman who's playing the sport and not a fan of the actual sport concerned at all.
Don't like Taylor anymore I'm a huge Wade fan as it goes.
Although Ronnie is a legend and right now he is mr snooker......he just 1 player. When he does eventually retire there will be other players worth watching. I'll still be watching
Snooker might get less popular here in the UK regardless of Ronnie packing it up.. the Chinese have gone totally crazy for the sport and I predict 10-15 yrs from now the top 16 players will all come from China such is there passion for snooker
the World championships will eventually move over there and as the Chinese players grow in stature and skills we will see a decline in interest here as most people here wont have a vested interest in two foreign players
much the same as watching two foreign football teams as an example if China were playing Korea live on a saturday night at 8pm how many UK people would actually sit down and watch it
Snooker might get less popular here in the UK regardless of Ronnie packing it up.. the Chinese have gone totally crazy for the sport and I predict 10-15 yrs from now the top 16 players will all come from China such is there passion for snooker
the World championships will eventually move over there and as the Chinese players grow in stature and skills we will see a decline in interest here as most people here wont have a vested interest in two foreign players
much the same as watching two foreign football teams as an example if China were playing Korea live on a saturday night at 8pm how many UK people would actually sit down and watch it
I think that's highly unlikely - I'll be surprised if more than half are. I'm pretty certain in the 40 years the rankings have been in place there's never been all 16 of one nation.
We'll have to remember to dig this thread up in 2029 to find out who was right
Though I won't go as far as eulogising Ronnie, I think the big problem with Snooker is the inconsistency of the other players. Watching some of the so called top ranked players frustrates the life out of me. You get a series of brilliant games followed by such poor ones that they look no better than the guys in my local snooker hall.
We'll have to remember to dig this thread up in 2029 to find out who was right
You will find I am right... estimated 60 million people now playing snooker in China with more than half of the ranking tournaments also taking place over there
the sheer weight of numbers of people playing over there suggests that they will be taking over in a massive way and 3 years ago Steve Davis predicted the worlds top 16 will be from China within 15yrs
You will find I am right... estimated 60 million people now playing snooker in China with more than half of the ranking tournaments also taking place over there
the sheer weight of numbers of people playing over there suggests that they will be taking over in a massive way and 3 years ago Steve Davis predicted the worlds top 16 will be from China within 15yrs
I'm well aware of the numbers, quantity of ranking events etc, but I still think there will still be British / other countries players in amongst the elite. And for all the 'demise in this country' articles, it's worth pointing out that a lot of the Chinese lads come over here to live and stay in Sheffield, practicing at the Academy.
You also have to remember that ten years ago when Ding broke through everyone was expecting a wave of Chinese players to come through at the highest level and it's never happened. Yes there are obviously more playing now but progress hadn't been as quick as expected, and to reach a level where every player in the top 16 comes from one part of the world? Just can't see it.
I won't be so arrogant as to say "you will find I am right" though.
^ Oh and by the way, Steve's tweeted that he never claimed all the top 16 will be Chinese within 15 years time!
I dont do twitter but Steve Davis did say that the top 16 would be Chinese
( I am right) was tongue in cheek (take a chill pill)
the sheer mathematics of the Chinese taking over is overwhelming they have more Amateur registered players than we have population of people in the UK
that alone says they will dominate
they pay the most money
they have the most tournaments
take this as analogy the European snooker champion plays the Wantage snooker Champion in most cases who would win
the Chinese are exploding with talent and hope we can keep up but I think in time our players will be slowly squeezed out
after all there are only 128 pro's on the World Tour
I dont do twitter but Steve Davis did say that the top 16 would be Chinese
( I am right) was tongue in cheek (take a chill pill)
the sheer mathematics of the Chinese taking over is overwhelming they have more Amateur registered players than we have population of people in the UK
that alone says they will dominate
they pay the most money
they have the most tournaments
take this as analogy the European snooker champion plays the Wantage snooker Champion in most cases who would win
the Chinese are exploding with talent and hope we can keep up but I think in time our players will be slowly squeezed out
after all there are only 128 pro's on the World Tour
So are you saying that in 15 years time Judd Trump and Neil Robertson won't be good enough to play at the standard the Chinese will be at ?
I dont do twitter but Steve Davis did say that the top 16 would be Chinese
today he's denied it - season of goodwill so let's assume he was misquoted
( I am right) was tongue in cheek
fair enough, maybe use a
(take a chill pill)
rude
the sheer mathematics of the Chinese taking over is overwhelming they have more Amateur registered players than we have population of people in the UK
that alone says they will dominate
they pay the most money
they have the most tournaments
take this as analogy the European snooker champion plays the Wantage snooker Champion in most cases who would win
You could replace Wantage just as easily with South Queensferry, and lo and behold the greatest player ever came from there
the Chinese are exploding with talent and hope we can keep up but I think in time our players will be slowly squeezed out
after all there are only 128 pro's on the World Tour
At the moment there are, who knows how many there will be in 15 years time. But my point is only the very, very elite will be top 16, top 8. There are many emerging European countries, who's to say a once in a generation won't come from there, or anywhere else bar China for that matter? Numbers alone won't defeat the talent at the very top. It won't be all Chinese in ten years as there are too many current players who still won't be over the hill, and in 15 some of the emerging pro's may well take their place, the likes of Cahill for example.
It's a fun argument but we can only speculate. You ought to try and find a bookie and place a bet on it cos I reckon you'd get good odds on all 16 being Chinese
So are you saying that in 15 years time Judd Trump and Neil Robertson won't be good enough to play at the standard the Chinese will be at ?
Personally I agree with TC.
Highly unlikely that either of them will still be in the top 16 15yrs from now
All elite sportsmen stay at the top for a limited period of time before they slip down the rankings
Trump could possibly still be there but statistically unlikely
A quick breakdown of players careers in the top 16
Stephen hendry 24 seasons
Steve Davis 24 seasons
Jimmy White 20 seasons
Ronnie O Sullivan 20 seasons
john higgins 20 seasons
Mark Selby 7 Seasons
Neil Robertson has been in the top 16 for the last 8 years for him to last another 15 would take him to one of the all time greats Dont see him lasting
Trump has been in the top 16 for the last 4 seasons and has a chance but his record so far does not suggest he is an all time great
and with the game getting so much harder players cannot hop to stay at the top for as long as the older players used to
but I guess we will have to wait 15 years to find out
Highly unlikely that either of them will still be in the top 16 15yrs from now
All elite sportsmen stay at the top for a limited period of time before they slip down the rankings
Trump could possibly still be there but statistically unlikely
A quick breakdown of players careers in the top 16
Stephen hendry 24 seasons
Steve Davis 24 seasons
Jimmy White 20 seasons
Ronnie O Sullivan 20 seasons
john higgins 20 seasons
Mark Selby 7 Seasons
Neil Robertson has been in the top 16 for the last 8 years for him to last another 15 would take him to one of the all time greats Dont see him lasting
Trump has been in the top 16 for the last 4 seasons and has a chance but his record so far does not suggest he is an all time great
and with the game getting so much harder players cannot hop to stay at the top for as long as the older players used to
but I guess we will have to wait 15 years to find out
Back peddling ? You're saying they may have a chance but a few posts ago you were adamant it wouldn't happen. Trump will only get better not worse.
Back peddling ? You're saying they may have a chance but a few posts ago you were adamant it wouldn't happen. Trump will only get better not worse.
If I was betting my life on Judd Trump being in the top 16 15 years from now my money would saying he wont be neither will Neil Robertson both names that I was asked about
Trump will surely win lots of tournaments through out his career and a long career but with the opposition standards rising through the roof my moneys on him out of the top 16
Comments
I don't think it's 'celeb status' or 'bandwagoning glory'. My interest in watching Ronnie (I genuinely had no idea who he was) was that he was (is) a charismatic player. Even knowing nothing about the game I could see his flair for it shine through. I've always loved watching someone who is outstanding in his or her sport even if the sport itself isn't necessarily a favourite. That 'once in a generation' skill and that 'flair' (which is hard to define) are the attraction. It certainly isn't 'celebrity' or 'glory' that draws me in!
If DS in the 80s people would have probably said the same about Davis, and then Hendry in the 90s. There is always somebody waiting to take over and entertain. When Ronnie goes, snooker won't go with him, it will still be there with newer, younger talent ( like Judd Trump ) entertaining the fans of the player rather than the game.
I thought he'd have probably chucked it by 30-32 and, given his style of play when young, I wouldn't have expected his game to be that strong now as I wouldn't have expected him to be that capable of adjusting his game (as Hendry couldn't really do as he got older - he still thought he could pot the long ball and clear up regularly.)
Ronnie has actually managed adjust his game as he gets older. I think he's better now in some ways (most ways actually). He definitely seems tougher and less likely to go off the boil mentally and that's a major strength. His safety knowledge is amazing. He sees shots others wouldn't see at all. He's always been amazing in the balls and controls the white fantastically, and his long potting is often good too (it can go off a bit at times but no worse than others and that's normal as you get older anyway. It was fantastic the other afternoon.)
Don't like Taylor anymore I'm a huge Wade fan as it goes.
the World championships will eventually move over there and as the Chinese players grow in stature and skills we will see a decline in interest here as most people here wont have a vested interest in two foreign players
much the same as watching two foreign football teams as an example if China were playing Korea live on a saturday night at 8pm how many UK people would actually sit down and watch it
We'll have to remember to dig this thread up in 2029 to find out who was right
the sheer weight of numbers of people playing over there suggests that they will be taking over in a massive way and 3 years ago Steve Davis predicted the worlds top 16 will be from China within 15yrs
http://www.worldcrunch.com/dying-sport-britain-snooker-finds-new-high-class-home-china/culture-society/a-dying-sport-in-britain-snooker-finds-a-new-high-class-home-in-china/c3s4878/#.VI6xASusWSo
You also have to remember that ten years ago when Ding broke through everyone was expecting a wave of Chinese players to come through at the highest level and it's never happened. Yes there are obviously more playing now but progress hadn't been as quick as expected, and to reach a level where every player in the top 16 comes from one part of the world? Just can't see it.
I won't be so arrogant as to say "you will find I am right" though.
I dont do twitter but Steve Davis did say that the top 16 would be Chinese
( I am right) was tongue in cheek (take a chill pill)
the sheer mathematics of the Chinese taking over is overwhelming they have more Amateur registered players than we have population of people in the UK
that alone says they will dominate
they pay the most money
they have the most tournaments
take this as analogy the European snooker champion plays the Wantage snooker Champion in most cases who would win
the Chinese are exploding with talent and hope we can keep up but I think in time our players will be slowly squeezed out
after all there are only 128 pro's on the World Tour
So are you saying that in 15 years time Judd Trump and Neil Robertson won't be good enough to play at the standard the Chinese will be at ?
Personally I agree with TC.
rude
You could replace Wantage just as easily with South Queensferry, and lo and behold the greatest player ever came from there At the moment there are, who knows how many there will be in 15 years time. But my point is only the very, very elite will be top 16, top 8. There are many emerging European countries, who's to say a once in a generation won't come from there, or anywhere else bar China for that matter? Numbers alone won't defeat the talent at the very top. It won't be all Chinese in ten years as there are too many current players who still won't be over the hill, and in 15 some of the emerging pro's may well take their place, the likes of Cahill for example.
It's a fun argument but we can only speculate. You ought to try and find a bookie and place a bet on it cos I reckon you'd get good odds on all 16 being Chinese
Highly unlikely that either of them will still be in the top 16 15yrs from now
All elite sportsmen stay at the top for a limited period of time before they slip down the rankings
Trump could possibly still be there but statistically unlikely
A quick breakdown of players careers in the top 16
Stephen hendry 24 seasons
Steve Davis 24 seasons
Jimmy White 20 seasons
Ronnie O Sullivan 20 seasons
john higgins 20 seasons
Mark Selby 7 Seasons
Neil Robertson has been in the top 16 for the last 8 years for him to last another 15 would take him to one of the all time greats Dont see him lasting
Trump has been in the top 16 for the last 4 seasons and has a chance but his record so far does not suggest he is an all time great
and with the game getting so much harder players cannot hop to stay at the top for as long as the older players used to
but I guess we will have to wait 15 years to find out
Back peddling ? You're saying they may have a chance but a few posts ago you were adamant it wouldn't happen. Trump will only get better not worse.
Trump will surely win lots of tournaments through out his career and a long career but with the opposition standards rising through the roof my moneys on him out of the top 16