Ssb - o'sullivan out of shanghai masters

[thinsy]

He can't live without snooker, otherwise who would give him the attention he constantly seeks?

Your comment makes no sense...... Ronnie actually DOESN'T want attention!!! Half his battle is because he gets too much

[Cloudy99]

The problem with comparing snooker to other sports, is that it doesn't work.

If Roger Federer pulls out of a grand slam or a tour event, he will be replaced by another player, or if very late, a lucky loser from a qualifier - so the field remains intact - 128 for a slam, or 32 for a normal tour event.
If Mo Farah pulls out of the Commonwealth games, there will still be a full field in the final (be that 12 or 16 - not exactly sure).

When a player pulls out at this stage of a snooker ranking event, he doesn't get replaced. So the event not only suffers from the lack of a star name, but it also suffers in that the tournament becomes smaller, because of less matches. If two or three were to pull out in similar circumstances, you might have a ridiculous situation where a player makes the quarter final of a ranking event without picking up his cue.
So, in snooker, unlike the the other sports I have mentioned, unless there is a change to let in lucky losers (which I don't think is necessarily a bad idea), there should be an onus on a player to compete once entered - because he is costing another pro a place at the venue.

If he doesn't enter in the first place - fine, no problem.

[wildJONESEYE]

Your comment makes no sense...... Ronnie actually DOESN'T want attention!!! Half his battle is because he gets too much

spot on

that is the biggest difference between Ronnie and Alex Higgins.

Ronnie does not like the fame aspect where as Alex Higgins thrived on attention.

[BrooklynCueless]

The problem with comparing snooker to other sports, is that it doesn't work.

If Roger Federer pulls out of a grand slam or a tour event, he will be replaced by another player, or if very late, a lucky loser from a qualifier - so the field remains intact - 128 for a slam, or 32 for a normal tour event.
If Mo Farah pulls out of the Commonwealth games, there will still be a full field in the final (be that 12 or 16 - not exactly sure).

When a player pulls out at this stage of a snooker ranking event, he doesn't get replaced. So the event not only suffers from the lack of a star name, but it also suffers in that the tournament becomes smaller, because of less matches. If two or three were to pull out in similar circumstances, you might have a ridiculous situation where a player makes the quarter final of a ranking event without picking up his cue.
So, in snooker, unlike the the other sports I have mentioned, unless there is a change to let in lucky losers (which I don't think is necessarily a bad idea), there should be an onus on a player to compete once entered - because he is costing another pro a place at the venue.

If he doesn't enter in the first place - fine, no problem.

Then it seems it would be a problem with rules and regulations towards this particular sport, but similarly other sports could face problems with players withdrawing out of events. Sponsors, fans, and related businesses get unhappy, for good reason, but O'Sullivan should not be singled out and frowned upon when many other name athletes do the same.

[beechy1212]

The problem could be that he's away from his family for a bit longer and a lot further away. I think the cricketer, Trescothick struggled to cope with being away as well.

[Erwan_BZH]

http://prosnookerblog.com/2010/09/02...ghai-possibly/

This would be a very plausible explanation, when you know Ronnie's attachment to his dad.

[ADR147]

its not the way to behave if you are a professional. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/othe...er/8968180.stm

[Neil Taperell]

Poor excuse . Did he not get enough time of in the summer .
I would love a job that pays well and get the time off he does . Poor show considering from what i recall he signed a £500k deal out in the Far East.

[Cloudy99]

Then it seems it would be a problem with rules and regulations towards this particular sport, but similarly other sports could face problems with players withdrawing out of events. Sponsors, fans, and related businesses get unhappy, for good reason, but O'Sullivan should not be singled out and frowned upon when many other name athletes do the same.

Many other name athletes do not pull out with the same regualirty that O'Sullivan does. That is exactly why he is singled out.
If this was the first time (or even the 2nd or 3rd) he wouldn't be singled out.

[BrooklynCueless]

Many other name athletes do not pull out with the same regualirty that O'Sullivan does. That is exactly why he is singled out.
If this was the first time (or even the 2nd or 3rd) he wouldn't be singled out.

I don't think he should be singled out, regardless of being high profiled in this situation. when I orginally mentioned an athletics star(Farrah), but I'm saying that withdrawing from a track event to prepare for stuff like the Olympics doesn't get this sort of attention for the refusal to compete in other big events. I'm sure fans are disadvantaged by buying tickets in advance when they pay to see anyone who cancels but everyone is aware that for whatever reason, those appearances aren't guaranteed.

[thinsy]

If Mark King pulled out would anybody really worry that much? (no offence to Mark King)

I'm not picking on Mark, just stating the fact that it's because it's Ronnie it's a big deal.... He's the big carrot in front of the majority of the snooker enthusiasts, but not by his choice!!

[miscuehamburg]

Maybe it's better to throw the towel in beforehand instead of losing deliberately one's first round match like the China Open last season. But what a poor ambassador to the game

[ken147]

I think Ronnie is bored in the Far East. He doesn't speak the lingo, not familar with the country, city. Basically he can handle the situation when what to do on his days off when not competing???

He's most probably couped up in his hotel room bored to the bones!!!

[Looki]

I think Ronnie is bored in the Far East. He doesn't speak the lingo, not familar with the country, city. Basically he can handle the situation when what to do on his days off when not competing???

He's most probably couped up in his hotel room bored to the bones!!!

There's only one day off maximum during the tournament (if you play on monday and win then you have to wait til wednesday but after that there's no days off). So I think you're theory is load of crap.

[ken147]

There's only one day off maximum during the tournament (if you play on monday and win then you have to wait til wednesday but after that there's no days off). So I think you're theory is load of crap.

So my theory is crap? ROS can still be bored in a country foreign to him... It would useful if you could come with a reasonable theroy, so I can say its a load of CRAP, LOL