Ssb - the nearly dead parrott sketch

[RocketRoy1983]

Hendry is in no way comparable to Parrott vex no matter what your thinking is and Parrott will retire when he feels the time is right not anybody else.

[Ekphantos]

I agree with Matt on giving young players a chance on the tour, so looking at that, he should retire, but I really don't think it would harm his reputation if he continued. In 10 years time, no one will talk about his later years anyway, a line or two like "dropped out of top XY, but continued to play until XY" is probably all that will be said, along with describing his commentator duties

[Looki]

I've understood that JP is very competitive man and loves a good competition. I think he still gets the buzz playing those young guys at Pontins and that's what keeps him going.

Although, I read some interview in which he said that he hates losing. Even when he's playing cards with his kids he tries to win So in that sense it must be quite painful for him to go there and bang his head against it. He certainly didn't look too happy after shaking hands with M. White after the whitewash.

It's a bit controversial, wanting to compete and win at the top level but at the same time not to practise enough to make any results. Like it has been said it's in his blood and nature. It's hard to stop.

What comes to Hendry I don't think he's not there with Parrott at all. He still gives his 100% to the game and from time to time it pays it dividends.

[poolqjunkie]

I asked myself the same question of why doesn't he retire when I watched Davis missing shots after shots...
I believe it is what they have been doing since they were kids; it is what makes them feel alive and is what they love and enjoy to do. Retirement would leave them feeling empty and lost.

[dannyd0g]

I asked myself the same question of why doesn't he retire when I watched Davis missing shots after shots...
I believe it is what they have been doing since they were kids; it is what makes them feel alive and is what they love and enjoy to do. Retirement would leave them feeling empty and lost.

That rings true - good post !

I think the likes of JP, Jimmy WHite, Steve Davis and Tony Drago all know they still have the abilty somewhere inside them. I remember JP saying a season or 2 ago "i dont always go out there expecting to win anymore, i just go out there and want to play" - meaning produce some good form. These guys know or believe that sooner or later they will produce a patch of decent form in an event.

Sadly for JP, I think it may have been a couple of years since he did this in a ranking event or qualifiers. Or last tiime i saw him play well anyway. But that was fantastic to see. Drago was apparently brilliant in a main tour qualifying event over the summer. Jimmys form was decent in the qualifiers last season.

These guys are former greats and are good enough to hang on with only intermittent good form. If their results are good enough to keep them on the main tour then they deserve their place. Simple as that.

[Migtsf]

Why don’t people just leave JP alone? If he wants to keep playing, why shouldn’t he?

It’s not anything other snooker players hadn’t done before him. In fact, it’s what the majority did!

Correct me if I’m wrong, but other than Terry Griffiths who retired at the “right time”, all other former glories kept competing for as long as they could until they finally dropped out of the tour.

Now, these players are being treated by some selfish fans as disposable toys once they are passed their best, and I think that is a very ungrateful attitude. They have given many joys to fans over the years and they deserve more respect than that.

Let them play as long as they want, I say, and let the system expel them naturally once they’re not good enough. It seems to be the natural thing in snooker and I think all the present great players will follow the same steps (except maybe O’Sullivan, too much not bothering attitude there), and I see no wrong or shame in that.

[snooker66]

JP is in the top 64 of what he does in the world. He is more than entitled to carry on for a little bit longer.