Ronnie O’Sullivan calls press conference for major career announcement

[wildJONESEYE]

It worries the hell out of me if Osullivan does come straight back and wins it, which he could do, as where does that leave snooker? especially if after the tournament he says he cant be bothered to play again, its struggling already for crowds, and to bring young players into the game(in this country anyway), how do you get youngsters enthused to go to a tournament when all you can offer is a chance to see the best of the rest, and not the main man, scary.

snooker is not struggling for crowds if anything its up this season without ronnie.

[arbitrage]

That is possibly one of the most stupid posts I've ever seen on here. As if someone like Ronnie would be bothered about Selby! He wouldn't even care if Selby was to go on and win more titles than Ronnie has because the fact is Ronnie will always be considered as a legend of the game and Selby will never acquire or reach that status. Do you think Ronnie is sitting at home worrying that Selby might win the treble when its one of those accolades that was invented by the BBC because they are the only tournaments they show! The masters is devalued as a tournament anyway this season seeing as though one of the top 16 was suspended and the defending world champion didn't enter.

good response. the uk has also been devalued due to the shortening of the # of frames played. many pundits wouldn't consider selby a worthy winner of the uk anyway, given his 65% pot success average after the 1st session vs ryan day and his deliberate plodding vs dott, robertson and murphy - more like a bad joke on snooker

[Looki]

Were three of four O'Sullivan's world titles devalued because he faced sad excuse for an opposition in the final?

[cueman]

Were three of four O'Sullivan's world titles devalued because he faced sad excuse for an opposition in the final?

Oh dear he we go again! You casually forget the players Ronnie had to beat to get there and in most of Ronnie's world title victories he was head and shoulders above everyone else and played at or near his best in nearly every match. Just because he beat Carter twice and Dott doesn't take away their pedegree as players or the form he showed.

[Looki]

Let's play that Selby wins the world title this season and doesn't enter the Masters next season and O'Sullivan wins it. Not an impossible scenario. Would we say that his victory is devalued as the defending champion and reigning world champion wasn't there?

Is, by the same logic as with the Masters, actually every tournament devalued this season (except that one PTC and possibly WC) because O'Sullivan hasn't entered? Including those that Higgins and Trump won.

[JeeSe]

http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/lis...episode/106160

Stephen Hendry and Jimmy white speaking about Ronnie's press conference and snooker in general.. 2330 - 0000 segment.

[cueman]

Let's play that Selby wins the world title this season and doesn't enter the Masters next season and O'Sullivan wins it. Not an impossible scenario. Would we say that his victory is devalued as the defending champion and reigning world champion wasn't there?

Is, by the same logic as with the Masters, actually every tournament devalued this season (except that one PTC and possibly WC) because O'Sullivan hasn't entered? Including those that Higgins and Trump won.

Completely hypothetical argument though and also the masters next season could be a very unusual list of players given that the rankings will be based on prize money and anyone could be in the 16. As the masters has always been an invitational event you kind of expect the cream of the best players involved so do you not think that having one member of the top 16 suspended and the world champion not entering that its still the same? I don't see the Masters as an event surviving in future years given the new format because the top 16 will fluctuate too much for it to have the same level of prestige as in previous years.

[cally]

Hendry... "I'm getting pumped by jimmy at the mo"..

lol...

[Looki]

Completely hypothetical argument though and also the masters next season could be a very unusual list of players given that the rankings will be based on prize money and anyone could be in the 16. As the masters has always been an invitational event you kind of expect the cream of the best players involved so do you not think that having one member of the top 16 suspended and the world champion not entering that its still the same? I don't see the Masters as an event surviving in future years given the new format because the top 16 will fluctuate too much for it to have the same level of prestige as in previous years.

Won't the level of prestige of the world championship also be devalued in the future then?

[JeeSe]

Hendry... "I'm getting pumped by jimmy at the mo"..

lol...

haha yeah, funny stuff.

[miscuehamburg]

ROS' press-conferences, as his behaviour in general, seldom make sense. So, it's unpredictable what we'll see on tuesday...

[cueman]

Won't the level of prestige of the world championship also be devalued in the future then?

Not really because its never been an invitational event since the early days of the game. Its always been open to any professional unlike the masters which is a closed rank and its possible to see some big outsiders making their way into the top 16 that wouldn't normally get there. I just don't see how its possible to have the Masters classed as such a big event anymore with the new tour plans and prize money list.

This kind of backs up my view http://www.prosnookerblog.com/2013/0...oints-v-money/
The likes of Ding, Allen, Maguire and Stevens just about holding onto a top 16 place and Williams just outside and depending on the cut off point for the tournament some of those will definitely miss out. I should imagine its not going to be a good seller for the sponsors not knowing who the hell is going to be there.

[itsnoteasy]

snooker is not struggling for crowds if anything its up this season without ronnie.

That really does surprise me if its true, as i have seen Trump (and another player think it was Robertson)on the tv, moaning that its hard to play in front of a handful of spectators im sure that was at the masters which is a big tournament yet the crowds were very low(even the pundits agreed with him and said they hoped the crowds got better in the latter rounds).If its true its good news as snooker has been in a bit of a slump ,since the last time i watched it in its heydays of the eighties and early nineties

[DeanH]

That really does surprise me if its true, as i have seen Trump (and another player think it was Robertson)on the tv, moaning that its hard to play in front of a handful of spectators im sure that was at the masters which is a big tournament yet the crowds were very low(even the pundits agreed with him and said they hoped the crowds got better in the latter rounds).If its true its good news as snooker has been in a bit of a slump ,since the last time i watched it in its heydays of the eighties and early nineties

"handful of spectators" I thought this was referring to playing in cubicles for the flat 128 announcement ?
Not specifically for numbers in the tv arena

[itsnoteasy]

"handful of spectators" I thought this was referring to playing in cubicles for the flat 128 announcement ?
Not specifically for numbers in the tv arena

It was after he had lost(Trump) and had played poorly i think, thats when he came out with this quote, so i think it was about the Masters not the new system being introduced.