Post match interview with Higgins. Comments by Hendry and Doherty provide champion insight.
Ronnie interview post match.
Ronnie interview post match.
Ronnie O’Sullivan
- Thread starter Charles Hartfield
- Start date
I remember watching that BBC series...it was fun. Wish they'd done more episodes. More a travelog than cue skills, but fun.
Without Ronnie O Sullivan ,snooker would be as unwatchable as pool.
The greatest of all-time is always discussable and not always compareable.
In my opinion it is not about comparing achievements, it is about kick starting a new era.
For example, we can not compare Reyes and Strickland with Filler or Shane or Davis with Hendry andO'Sullivan.
But what makes Ronnie one of the greatest, is not only he overcame the existing standards ( as Higgins and Williams did), but he inspired a whole new generation of cueists.
Maybe in five or ten years we will discuss the same topic about Selby or Trump or some unknown rising star.
In the end it is not all about titles or championships, it is what about you force the upcoming players to produce. And yes, Ronnie playerd a very big part in developing Snooker to the sport it is right now.
In my opinion it is not about comparing achievements, it is about kick starting a new era.
For example, we can not compare Reyes and Strickland with Filler or Shane or Davis with Hendry andO'Sullivan.
But what makes Ronnie one of the greatest, is not only he overcame the existing standards ( as Higgins and Williams did), but he inspired a whole new generation of cueists.
Maybe in five or ten years we will discuss the same topic about Selby or Trump or some unknown rising star.
In the end it is not all about titles or championships, it is what about you force the upcoming players to produce. And yes, Ronnie playerd a very big part in developing Snooker to the sport it is right now.
Having watch hundreds of Ronnie frames I know he gets into the aggressive/don't-care moods, and this may be one of those matches (it seems to start that way) but he plays a safe at 5:10 (of a 44 minute match) .... and then I quit watching.
I believe Ronnie is the best ever, having started watching snooker in the 80's through to now. It's hard to argue with the speed, the position play, the safety play, the escapes, the centuries and 147s that he has shown over the decades ... although his attitude is sometimes not the best.
Dave
Ronnie has a longevity that neither Davis or Hendry had. Davis was the first professional in the modern sense of the word - he looked after himself in a non-athletic sport and practised a million and one hours everyday. Hendry was the first of the "aggressive" generation of players. Both of them dominated for a decade or so and then were overtaken by, as they would be the first to admit, "better players". Ronnie has a 26 year span from his first to his most recent triple crown event, is still making finals in ranking events, is undisputably one of the best 3 players in the world right now, and will win big tournaments again in the next few years. He is capable of not putting time in on the practice table and still finding the form to win a major championship in an era where the top players have a smaller edge over lower ranked pros than Davis or Hendry did. If he hadn't been so lazy he'd have won more events. GOAT is subjective but it's hard to argue against anyone who holds the opinion that it's Ronnie.
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I muat have forgotten about that one. Watch the rest of it, he gets into silly territory later. He starts firing at shots you would only see beginners try.
Seems I remember Selby getting all Butt Hurt, because he thought it disrespectful when Ronnie, "Hit 'em hard and wished them well." Most of the hurt was because it worked.
Reminds me of an interview with Goldie Howe, the hockey legend.
He had just signed a deal to unite him in the NHL with his sons on the Hartford Whalers, I think.
Since he was a star when the NHL was only 6 teams, the prevailing thought among the elitists was adding teams just diluted the talent level.
The interviewer posed a question echoing that bias and Gordie replied that just like each Olympics, each generation of players represent a new generation, bigger, stronger and faster, than the last.
Steve Davis, speaking to the subject talked about passing that baton.
He revealed he thought he was lucky to have dominated in an era of less top talent than found in the next era.
As someone who lived through the transitions of the excellent players noted, I echo the Howe sentiment.
In fairness, the standard of play on heated tables in humidity controlled spaces has added a level of touch not often found previously, in snooker matches.
Potters have always been potters but the pace and cue ball control is far beyond that found before.
John Higgins likewise stated prior to the English Open, that he was playing the best snooker of his career.
Even ROS has more precise control now than in his heyday, but he now plays more for fun.
No longer driven by winning alone, the odd lapse of focus, detracts from the standard of excellence, otherwise found in today’s Ronnie in full flow.
That said, I think fatigue is a bigger factor today.
Ronnie complained about some of the back to back to back scheduling and how it worked against finalists.
Those not in finals got a day or more rest between events not available to finalists.
Standard suffers in those conditions as well.
Top players suffer a form of burnout, after a stretch of successes.
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Thanks to all for sharing your views. I enjoyed reading them. I may change my view to O’Sullivan being the greatest in light of him telling Murphy to get a real job instead of complaining about amateurs playing (and beating him) in tournaments. 
Ronnie, Ronnie, Ronnie! 
Definitely got me hooked on snooker.
This was a funny match. Ronnie was playing Hussein Vafaei and was stuck 4-zip last month at the German Open Qualifier, racing to 5. It's Ronnie's break, and he decided to slam the balls, as if he's playing 9-ball. The balls went flying, and he pocketed one. He couldn't contain his laughter as he continued to shoot. I was watching it live. It was so funny.
Here's the video snippet of the break: Ronnie's pool break in snooker match
Definitely got me hooked on snooker.This was a funny match. Ronnie was playing Hussein Vafaei and was stuck 4-zip last month at the German Open Qualifier, racing to 5. It's Ronnie's break, and he decided to slam the balls, as if he's playing 9-ball. The balls went flying, and he pocketed one. He couldn't contain his laughter as he continued to shoot. I was watching it live. It was so funny.
Here's the video snippet of the break: Ronnie's pool break in snooker match
. Selby would be so butthurt he would probably have to go to therapy
Greg M
Active member
Reminds me of that Barry Hawkins frame against Marco Fu where he potted a red into the middle pocket off the break – only this time, Ronnie was using a Quinten Hann-style break into the pack.Ronnie, Ronnie, Ronnie!
This was a funny match. Ronnie was playing Hussein Vafaei and was stuck 4-zip last month at the German Open Qualifier, racing to 5. It's Ronnie's break, and he decided to slam the balls, as if he's playing 9-ball. The balls went flying, and he pocketed one. He couldn't contain his laughter as he continued to shoot. I was watching it live. It was so funny.
Here's the video snippet of the break: Ronnie's pool break in snooker match