Clive Everton talks rubbish.

[Marc]

Lets get the boys on the baize!

Yeah thats all he does know. lol

[RonnieJunior]

you boys've got waaaaaaaaay too much free time on your hands.

[Maija]

What IS it with this discussion? I don't feel like worshipping at the Ronnie O'Sullivan altar, I prefer to watch other players, but still I have absolutely no problem recognising his outstanding talent and ability.

I'm not looking forward to the masses of threads like this one in the near future. They will no doubt be countless "OMG RONNIE I WANT URE BABYS!!!" threads, as well as "BAN HIM FOR LIFE" ones

[Semih_Sayginer]

Lets get the boys on the baize!

...as he leans and points towards the camera. jimmy nail

[Woppit]

I used to rate Clive as a commentator but he talks a lot of rubbish about O'Sullivan. Yesterday he likened O'Sullivan to Tiger Woods and Roger Federer. How can you compare a loser with those winners? It is simply absurd. Even if a miracle occurs and O'Sullivan beats Carter that is 3 world tiltes in 16 attempts. It is hardly the stuff of a legend is it? Clive needs to take a reality check.

I think you'll find Everton was quoting Steve Davis.

[frameandfortunereturns]

Everton said it also.

Actions speak louder than words anyway. If O'Sullivan is a genius what does that make Hendry and Davis?

[LWB]

Everton said it also.

Actions speak louder than words anyway. If O'Sullivan is a genius what does that make Hendry and Davis?

Jedi Masters??????

[sArnie]

Opinions are not negotiable.

@frameandfortunereturns & @Semih_Sayginer: Opinions are not negotiable. No one tries to do so anyway - just the two of you. One may or may not agree with Everton, or what some other players say about Ronnie O'Sullivan. To dub their opinion "rubbish" or "stupid" or call O'Sullivan a "loser" is not appropriate, but of course that's just my opinion.

Whether or not he qualifies for a legend or a comparison to Woods, or Federer may be in the eye of the beholder; that Ronnie O'Sullivan is an extraordinary snooker player is not. If statistics are your god, check that of played centuries, maximums, shot time, total clearances and compare it to other player's results - that and some other aspects of Ronnie O'Sullivans gameplay are the reason he is that respected.

[gavpowell]

Everton said it also.

Actions speak louder than words anyway. If O'Sullivan is a genius what does that make Hendry and Davis?

Extremely good snooker players, and possibly an argument could be made from Hendry's genius, but neither of them played with the same combination of speed, accuracy, flair and apparent ease that O'Sullivan has done. To play to such a standard and also play it with either hand is also exceptional.

Davis and Hendry were extremely good, but neither of them could be accused of making it look easy - they were 'simply' consistent and methodical.

[frameandfortunereturns]

Extremely good snooker players, and possibly an argument could be made from Hendry's genius, but neither of them played with the same combination of speed, accuracy, flair and apparent ease that O'Sullivan has done. To play to such a standard and also play it with either hand is also exceptional.

Davis and Hendry were extremely good, but neither of them could be accused of making it look easy - they were 'simply' consistent and methodical.

it is so easy for him yet he has captured just 3 world titles in 16 attempts. Don't tell me, I know, it would have been a lot more but he gets bored?!!

[gavpowell]

He makes it look easy when he's on form, yes. To say he gets distracted is a bit of an understatement- he suffers from a recognised mental illness, added to which he may just be a bit of a nutter even without the depression. He is also only the third player in the last 30 odd years to win 3 world titles, and third inb the all-time tournament wins.

There's no doubt he could have won more, but that doesn't lessen his ability. I'd also say Hendry probably has the ability tpo win more, he just isn't doing so at the moment.

[janverhaas]

He makes it look easy when he's on form, yes. To say he gets distracted is a bit of an understatement- he suffers from a recognised mental illness, added to which he may just be a bit of a nutter even without the depression. He is also only the third player in the last 30 odd years to win 3 world titles, and third inb the all-time tournament wins.

There's no doubt he could have won more, but that doesn't lessen his ability. I'd also say Hendry probably has the ability tpo win more, he just isn't doing so at the moment.

I think Hendry is just too old now. Watch Hendry when he was winning and watch him now, it is 2 different players. O'Sullivan is still playing well at 32 but this is the age when your game starts declining rapidly. O'Sullivan should have won more but I think what he possessed in skill and accuracy he lacked in his ability to perform under pressure. This is what has cost him a few world titles. He has undoubtedly lost some matches at the world championships he never should have and this will cost him his place in history.

[Darth_Spud]

I suppose the ultimate question (that will never be answered) is - If both Hendry and O'Sullivan were at the top of their game and played each other, who would win?

Now I would go with Hendry on this because I think O’Sullivan is susceptible to breaking down mentally over long periods or if he looses interest (usually if he’s loosing) which is why in my opinion he’s not a genius/greatest ever. He is undoubtedly an exceptional player but not a genius.

The analogy I would use to describe my opinion on this is simple – Take two 100 meter swimmers – let’s call them O’Sullivan and Hendry For the first 70 meters O’Sullivan is the fastest and is in front but looses interest or mentally can’t be bothered, all of a sudden Hendry catches up and wins the race. 7/10 times this scenario would happen so if this is the case, Hendy would be more consistent and therefore have more mental stamina, which is something that O’Sullivan does not have and probably never will although this year we did see a more focused Ronnie but still… out of the two Hendry would be more of a genius than Ronnie - the statistics alone speak for themselves (just my opinion)

[snooligan]

I suppose the ultimate question (that will never be answered) is - If both Hendry and O'Sullivan were at the top of their game and played each other, who would win?

Now I would go with Hendry on this because I think O’Sullivan is susceptible to breaking down mentally over long periods or if he looses interest (usually if he’s loosing) which is why in my opinion he’s not a genius/greatest ever. He is undoubtedly an exceptional player but not a genius.

The analogy I would use to describe my opinion on this is simple – Take two 100 meter swimmers – let’s call them O’Sullivan and Hendry For the first 70 meters O’Sullivan is the fastest and is in front but looses interest or mentally can’t be bothered, all of a sudden Hendry catches up and wins the race. 7/10 times this scenario would happen so if this is the case, Hendy would be more consistent and therefore have more mental stamina, which is something that O’Sullivan does not have and probably never will although this year we did see a more focused Ronnie but still… out of the two Hendry would be more of a genius than Ronnie - the statistics alone speak for themselves (just my opinion)

That's a very valid argument & a good example. But one could also argue that O'Sullivan (irrespective of his mental health) seems to be spurred by playing (and usually performs well against) the likes of Hendry, Williams & Higgins (even when he loses) so a possible scenario would be 50/50 or 60/40 win-loss ratio for any of the 4 players.

Like you said, the question will never have a concrete answer but when you come to think of it, it would have been awesome for the game if all 4 were to appear on the scene at the same time battling it out tournament after tournament.

[gavpowell]

You're confusing talent with success - Alex Higgins barely won any tournaments by comparison but nobody would deny his talent with a cue. Ronnie is probably the greatest talent the game has ever seen, while Hendry and Davis are the most successful.

By comparison , Hendry used to practise for about 15 hours a day in his prime, and still practises multiple hours per day now.

O'Sullivan has clearly never practised to that degree because he doesn't need to - the talent is there already, he just needs to keep his concentration and it all falls into place. When he has one of his lunatic spells, his concentration disappears and as such he throws away matches.