Things That Make You Go Hmm !

church66

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World Championship 2020: O'Sullivan disrespect 'includes me' says Williams

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/53747845

Quote .

" Mark Williams says Ronnie O'Sullivan's criticism of snooker standards among the lower rankings is "disrespectful" to him as well as younger players.

Five-time world champion O'Sullivan said he would have to "lose an arm and a leg to fall out of the top 50".

"I understand what he was saying that the standard's no good, but that's compared to him," said Wales' Williams, who O'Sullivan beat on Tuesday to reach the World Championship semi-finals.

"He's including me in that."

Three-time champion Williams was speaking after O'Sullivan overcame a 6-2 deficit at the Crucible to win 13-10.

O'Sullivan made his comments before facing Williams, having been asked if he was surprised that two players who had been professional for so long were facing each other at the latter stages of the World Championship.

Williams, 45, and O'Sullivan, 44, both turned professional in 1992.

"He is the pioneer for our sport. He is the main man without doubt and the best player in the world," Williams told BBC Sport.

"You'd never have another top sportsman in their field sort of disrespecting or slagging off the rest of the tour.

"There's no-one on the tour that's as good as him, but it's unfair to class everyone else in his standards because it's not going to happen.

"And for him to have a go at the lower-ranked players I think is a bit naughty."

Williams believes all those on the professional tour "deserve" to be there and highlighted the efforts of compatriot Jamie Clarke earlier in the tournament.

Unfancied Clarke knocked world number four Mark Allen out in the first round and before losing 13-12 to Scotland's Anthony McGill.

"There are a couple [of players] coming through from Wales.

"Jamie must be one of the stories of the tournament, really, for what he's done. He looked like he was off the tour before he qualified to get a two-year card and should have beaten Anthony McGill really.

"He's done well and hopefully there are more Welsh ones coming through."

" Despite losing to O'Sullivan, the Welshman says he "loved every minute" of their quarter-final, adding: "If people think you're going to win from 6-2 against him, there's something wrong.

"It's nothing. At 6-2, I think he's still even money to beat me."

Williams has now set sights on next season, saying: "I'll just continue with the work I've been doing for the last few months. I'll just carry on.

"I'm not going to be in a club playing five, six hours a day. I can't do that any more. But I'm determined to get in there two or three hours a day, four hours tops, then just keep my game ticking over - and when it starts back in September, see if I can do any damage."
 

Bob Jewett

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Bob Jewett

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church66

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SCOTTISH OPEN SNOOKER 2020 - STEPHEN MAGUIRE SMASHES INTO PACK FROM BREAK-OFF​

STEPHEN MAGUIRE APPEARED TO LOSE HIS COMPOSURE AS HE SMASHED INTO THE PACK FROM THE BREAK-OFF IN HIS MATCH AGAINST ZAK SURETY AT THE SCOTTISH OPEN AT THE MARSHALL ARENA IN MILTON KEYNES. THE WORLD NUMBER EIGHT WOULD GO ON TO LOSE 4-1 TO HIS UNFANCIED OPPONENT, RANKED 119 IN THE WORLD.

00:00:12, 1861 VIEWS, 15 HOURS AGO :
https://www.eurosport.co.uk/snooker...to-pack-from-break-off_vid1390397/video.shtml

Off the back of Stephen Maguires smash off break here's a few more :

Snooker - Smash BreakOffs and some Rage :​


Stephen Maguire should have no complaints if he gets fined for that break off ! ;) (y)
 

church66

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Gary Wilson admits he is “totally gone” following Championship League foul against John Higgins​

Jamie Shaw in Championship League Snooker 7 January 2021 :

https://www.livesnooker.com/invitat...Sttarvr4uHhWgYRrzP8i0Gc0-ph4xULNYOvaau3KXVnZo

Don't know what Gary Wilson was thinking about but he should be expecting a fine . :oops: ;)
 

Bob Jewett

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Championship League Snooker

Wilson outburst vs HIggins
Have you ever seen anything like it..?…
Yes. I was watching a pool match from the top row of three in a narrow set of bleachers when the player at the table missed an easy shot as he was within sight of a win. Out of anger and frustration he cued the 13 ball directly -- of course that's a foul since it wasn't his turn and you are only supposed to use the white as the cue ball -- with some elevation, and the 13 ball hit the wall behind me about 12 inches from my head. I think you would recognize the name of the player. He was disqualified from the match after some discussion among the officials, as they should have done with Gary Wilson.
 

church66

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Yes. I was watching a pool match from the top row of three in a narrow set of bleachers when the player at the table missed an easy shot as he was within sight of a win. Out of anger and frustration he cued the 13 ball directly -- of course that's a foul since it wasn't his turn and you are only supposed to use the white as the cue ball -- with some elevation, and the 13 ball hit the wall behind me about 12 inches from my head. I think you would recognize the name of the player. He was disqualified from the match after some discussion among the officials, as they should have done with Gary Wilson.
True stories .
Back in the day on a 6x3 Snooker table in my parents house I played a shot and the cue ball jumped off the table and somehow flew off the table and as we waited for it to smash the bedroom window that was opened less than two inches it somehow found the gap , beyond the front garden , through a gap in the fence , crossed the pavement and onto the road ! Never mind foul 4 away it was almost 4 weeks or months pocket money away if the bedroom window smashed and my Dad was a glazier to trade ! :ROFLMAO: :p ;) (y)

Glenhead Social Club .
I broke off , the cue ball flies high up in the air and my mate Tam is sitting at the table opposite to the break off and it was one of those moments in time when the earth stops spinning and the pub fell silent waiting to see where the cue ball landed and some how it landed plumb into Tam's freshly bought pint of lager so the earth stopped spinning again and somehow the glass pint tumbler never broke so I apologised to Tam and offered to buy him a fresh of lager but he just took the cue ball out of his pint and said no it's alright , not much lager got wasted . :cool:;):ROFLMAO:;)

Florian Kohler would have been proud of those shots ! ;):ROFLMAO::cool:(y)
 

church66

AzB Silver Member
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Mark Williams M.B.E tweet via Snookerbacker .

:





MARK WILLIAMS M.B.E

@markwil147


I think it’s terrible you don’t get your first round prize money for the masters if you test positive , work hard all year to get in top 16 and not get a penny and not your own fault . Or at least get half and the reserve player gets half .

Too many comments and replies to list but here's a few .

Replying to
@markwil147
Don't think Judd is short of a few quid at the moment, Jack might be tho so I agree it's a good idea.






@snookerbacker
·
Jan 9

Replying to
@markwil147
Maybe going on holiday to Dubai during a global pandemic just before it shouldn't be classed as the best preparation .

Lot's more comment's and replies.....


 

church66

AzB Silver Member
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https://www.skysports.com/more-spor...epTTxgHsU5p9f_6wuSGqqMvs1lXhFI6hGqnb8g8GLCBi0

Sky Sports Golf podcast: Is golf a harder sport to play than snooker?​

The latest Sky Sports Golf podcast is out now via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker and the Sky Sports website; watch the vodcast edition on Sky Sports On Demand or on Tuesday from 8pm on Sky Sports Golf​

By Sky Sports Golf​

Last Updated: 19/01/21 10:18am

The new Sky Sports Golf podcast is out now to download and listen to
Golfers of all abilities have experienced just how challenging the game can be, but where does golf rank in difficulty compared to other sports?
Former snooker world champion Shaun Murphy reignited the debate between different sports on social media in recent days when he tweeted: "Snooker is the hardest single-player sport in the world. Change my mind."
The post received thousands of comments offering mixed views on the subject, with golf and darts among the other sports being considered as requiring a similar level of technique and precision.


Murphy's post was among the talking points on this week's Sky Sports Golf podcast [21 minutes in], where Jamie Spence put forward his argument why he feels that golf poses a more challenging test than snooker.
Listen or subscribe on:
"It [the hardest sport] has to be golf," Spence told the Sky Sports Golf podcast. "If you put a beginner with a golf club, having never played the game before, they generally miss the ball during the first lesson.
"They don't even make contact with it, they keep just hitting the ground and duffing it and missing it, but if you put them on a snooker table I guarantee you they'll hit the cue ball and hit it into the next red.

Golf Vodcast​

January 20, 2021, 7:00pm
Live on
Sky Sports Golf HD

Get Sky Sports Get a Sky Sports pass
"In Snooker, you can have perfection with a 147 and all the world's top professional players have done it. You show me what perfection is in golf because no matter what you shoot - and we've all shot some scores - you can always do a little bit better.
"As far as I'm aware, I've never seen Ronnie O'Sullivan playing in a waterproof jacket with the wind blowing at him in the pouring rain, playing off of sand and rubbish behind your ball and all the rest of it.

Ronnie O'Sullivan is the reigning snooker world champion, having won the event for a sixth time in 2020
"I understand snooker is incredibly difficult, but golf has so many different facets to it that you have to master and you're never going to master this game. You can have a 147 in snooker but you can't birdie every hole in golf, as nobody has ever done it."
Is golf harder than snooker? Which other sports could be considered more difficult to play? Get in touch via @SkySportsGolf or comment below to get involved in the debate, but please adhere to our House Rules. If you wish to report any comment, simply click on the down arrow next to the offending comment and click 'Report'.
Also on the podcast…

This week's episode sees Jamie Spence and John E Morgan join host Josh Antmann to reflect on a thrilling finish at the Sony Open, look ahead to the start of the new European Tour season and offer their golfing predictions for 2021.

Also See:​


Kevin Na registered a one-shot win and fifth PGA Tour title on Sunday
There's also an extended interview with Solheim Cup star Anne van Dam ahead of the new LPGA Tour season, where she discusses her work with Sean Foley, her friendship with AIG Women's Open champion Sophia Popov and the areas of her game she is looking to improve.
Download and listen to the latest Sky Sports Golf podcast and don't forget to subscribe! The Vodcast version is out now on Sky Sports On Demand, with the show also on Sky Sports Golf this Tuesday at 8pm, and Wednesday at 2pm and 7pm.

This question is for memikey . ;) ;)
 

church66

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Judd Trump: Snooker is stuck in a rut and this is how to fix it :


Judd Trump feels snooker is failing to move with the times and risks being left a long way behind other sports if changes aren’t made to attract a younger audience. The world number one has plenty of ideas on the matter and wants to see commentary, dress code, marketing and TV coverage all seriously shaken up. The 31-year-old has enjoyed incredible success in the last three seasons, winning his first World Championship and Masters titles and taking his career prize money to well over £5m. Far from resting on his laurels, though, he believes snooker faces a difficult future as it is not appealing to younger sports fans and he wants and he wants changes made fast. The Ace sees two major problems with how the game is presented. Firstly, how the players dress, which he feels is completely unappealing to a younger audience.

Secondly, he believes snooker has something of an obsession with the past, showcasing veterans rather than young talent on the television, and allowing unbridled waves of nostalgia rather than living in the present. Trump sees other sports modernising and urges snooker to follow their lead. ‘It’s kind of stuck in a rut a little bit, it’s fallen behind some of the other sports and not enough is being done on the whole image of snooker,’ Trump told Metro.co.uk. ‘I’ve got the golf on and their clothing is all changing, becoming more lenient for the younger generation. People don’t want to go around dressed in waistcoats nowadays, they did 40 years ago but snooker is falling behind, stuck in their own ways and other sports have moved on.

‘I don’t want to be stuck in a waistcoat walking to the Crucible, it’s not cool to be wearing that nowadays, if I think that then I know people younger than me won’t want to be dressed like that either. ‘Golfers are wearing hoodies, got Air Max shoes on. This was all good 30 years ago but to make new stars and make the game popular again in the UK and bring it back to where it was you need to move with the times. ‘Keep the trousers, shoes, just maybe polo shirts or something more relaxed and different. You don’t need to be dressed in a five-piece suit every time you go to a game. It would attract more sports sponsors, it’s difficult to attract different sponsors when you’re doing the same thing year-in-year-out. ‘To be honest, a lot of my friends aren’t big snooker fans. They just watch it for me and they don’t want to be seeing people dressed in waistcoats, it should be more appealing to young people.’ Trump believes that the powers that be are also failing to promote young players in the game, continuing to broadcast well-known names from previous eras rather than take a punt on emerging talent. The world number one has been watching the World Championship qualifiers this week and felt the event has been a prime example of that problem. ‘It’s how they advertise games,’ Trump said. ‘A lot of younger players are coming through in this World Championship and the social media all seems to be about people who were popular 30 years ago. ‘I’m not picking on Ken [Doherty], but he played and the Twitter was all about, “the 1997 world champion.” They should be advertising the upcoming stars, like Jamie Clarke and Iulian Boiko were playing. ‘They can’t keep these players in the spotlight forever, they haven’t done anything for 10-15 years. Everything they’re doing is 15 years out of date and not enough is being done to advertise the younger players in the game. ‘Things are never going to change unless they take a risk on advertising to different people. Otherwise you’ll get to a point where the older generation of snooker fans will be gone and you’re stuck with nobody because they haven’t appealed to the younger generation now.’

Trump does recognise that it is a wide range of people that tournament organisers are trying to attract, with plenty of snooker fans wanting to see the old faces they know and love. The Bristolian feels that this focus is harming the development of young players, though, and it is making it harder to discover the next Ronnie O’Sullivan. ‘I know a lot of people want to watch some of the older players but I wouldn’t even turn the TV on for people from 30 years ago,’ he said. ‘It’s only my point of view, I know people will disagree, but I’m trying to speak for younger people. ‘They don’t want to see people they don’t even remember, it was before my era. ‘A lot of teenagers want to see more appealing quicker players. Jamie Wilson the other day, people like that. How’s he going to get a target audience or make a name for himself if he’s not covered? ‘People love Ronnie because he’s so fast, Jamie Wilson is trying to get through but he’s not going to be seen on TV unless he gets to the semi-finals of the World Championship or something silly. ‘Someone like Wilson, I don’t know how good he’s going to be, but someone who is playing as quick as Ronnie O’Sullivan, it won’t be much more exciting than that. There is young talent out there but the viewing public doesn’t get to see it.’ Trump sees an unhealthy focus on the past in front of the cameras but behind them, especially among the BBC’s veteran group of commentators. He admits he is lost immediately when tales of the distant past are told and wants to see some more modern voices covering the game. ‘There’s not enough trying out new things in snooker for me at the moment, it’s all the same every season, not enough excitement, not enough different dimensions,’ he said. ‘Change the coverage, the commentators who have been around a long time, change the way the game is spoken about.
 

church66

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
‘It doesn’t have to be every single tournament, but a few new faces. There’s not enough passion in their voices. When you hear people in Formula One, boxing, other sports, there’s someone with passion and a distinctive voice, kind of like what Clive Everton had. I think snooker is missing that at the moment, it’s all a bit samey. ‘It does frustrate me, not all of them, but when they start going on about things from the 1980s, I just don’t want to hear it. ‘Anyone my age, we just have no idea what they’re going on about, all these names, they just lose me immediately, lose my interest. ‘It’s doing nothing for making the game more appealing to the younger generation when they’re going on about something that happened 40 years ago. They need more of a mix, someone a bit younger at the same time as an older person. Then if someone is going on about a fact from 1975 they can just tell them to shut up. ‘It’s a lot of, “my friend did this” it’s just a little bit left behind, especially the BBC. I do like Eurosport’s coverage, [presenter] Andy Goldstein does an amazing job. I think the BBC need to mix it up a little bit more and get a few different personalities in the commentary box, maybe current players, get them in and ask them some stuff. ‘There’s no talk about the Golden Age of golf when the Masters is on, or the Golden Age of tennis at Wimbledon, it’s just about the here and now. Snooker is too much about 20-30 years ago. Is the standard better now? Nobody cares. The standard is what it is now and all that matters is the tournament coming up.’

The world number one also wants to see other players take responsibility for making the game a more appealing prospect for viewers, although this is easier said than done for many who are fighting to earn a living on the baize. ‘It’s about making the game as attractive as possible,’ said Judd. ‘Still obviously trying to win, but it’s the manner of how I’m doing it. ‘Open the balls up, make it attractive and if you can bring more people to the game the prize money is going to go up and up rather than if you’re sat there battling a frame out for 50 minutes and boring everyone to death. ‘Some of the other players forget that it needs to be entertainment as well. For me it’s not all about the prize money, you can get sponsorships and other areas to earn money, that’s why I try to appeal to a wider audience rather than taking 30-35 seconds a shot trying to figure it out.’ The Juddernaut does not expect everyone to be pulling off the shots that he does on the baize, but he is aware that whatever he does on the table is a chance to bring in new fans to the sport. A memorable shot against Barry Hawkins at the German Masters went viral on social media and Trump says he is intentionally trying these things to grow the sport. ‘If everyone was doing the same thing that would get boring,’ he said. ‘Everyone needs to have their own personality, but just the smallest moment like that, I looked like I was out of the game and it sort of spurred me on. ‘That shot appealed to people that don’t even watch snooker, people who would never have it on, but they’ll see it and it could make someone flick on during the World Championship, to then become a fan. ‘Small moments that you think don’t matter can find new followers at any single moment, especially with social media. Different ages, different countries that might not even see snooker normally.’ Trump wants to see things shaken up but hopes his ideas can be seen as constructive rather than him trying to have a scrap with snooker bosses. He feels he is having to talk for a couple of generations that are being left behind but is happy to use his voice and platform to do so. ‘Everything is taken as a criticism rather than constructive debate, Barry Hearn’s done an amazing job,’ he said. ’50 per cent of people probably love what’s going on and love seeing the older players but the other 50 per cent don’t, so there’s got to be a compromise. ‘A bit more could be done by listening to some of the younger players’ thoughts and how they think we could go about making the game more glamorous and more appealing. ‘That’s where I’m trying to come from on the dress code and that side of things. I’m a bit older now at 31, but I can see it from a young person’s point of view. ‘Myself, Jack Lisowski, a few others, we have different mindsets to other people who, for them, snooker is their whole life and I can sort of see it from a different angle. ‘I can see it’s not quite appealing to the masses. For the younger generation, football, golf, tennis are taking the limelight. ‘We need to appeal to people from the UK and get them competing with the younger players from China because we’re getting left behind a little bit.’

Judd Trump makes some excellent points here Dude's .

BBC Snooker coverage is like walking into an old antique store full of cobwebs and Eurosports , ITV Sports can blow those cobwebs away .

I don't know the reason why Emperor Barry Hearn OBE continues to give BBC access to snooker and he gave them a darts tournament . Maybe once you get a gong you become part of 'The Establishment' .

Bob .

What's your thoughts on Judd Trump's interview ?
 

Bob Jewett

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...

Bob .

What's your thoughts on Judd Trump's interview ?
The changes Judd suggests are well above my pay grade, but....

The visuals are a big part of snooker -- the huge table, the tiny balls, and maybe the players in something other than baseball hats on backwards and pants that don't fit. I think it is a big decision to make a major change in the image. As for the young people's spectating attitudes, not wanting to wear a 5-piece yourself is different from watching someone perform cue ball magic in one. Do UK judges still wear wigs?
 

church66

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The changes Judd suggests are well above my pay grade, but....

The visuals are a big part of snooker -- the huge table, the tiny balls, and maybe the players in something other than baseball hats on backwards and pants that don't fit. I think it is a big decision to make a major change in the image. As for the young people's spectating attitudes, not wanting to wear a 5-piece yourself is different from watching someone perform cue ball magic in one. Do UK judges still wear wigs?
Hi Bob !

Thanks for the input !

Emperor Barry Hearn OBE will be Chinese snookered when Da' Bookie get's blocked by the UK government from sponsoring so where do we go from here ?

The World Snooker Championships sponsored by Greta Thunberg and The Global Climate Change ?

The Fred Perry UK Championships etc.....
 

church66

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Silver Member

church66

AzB Silver Member
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SNOOKER NEWS - 'IT WAS AWFUL' - REANNE EVANS REFUSES TO BUMP FISTS WITH MARK ALLEN IN 'BATTLE OF THE EXES'​

Reanne Evans and Mark Allen were drawn against each other in a highly awkward first round meeting at the British Open on Monday at the Morningside Arena in Leicester. Evans and Allen were in a three-year relationship before they split 13 years ago and are still in a dispute over child maintenance payments for their 14-year-old daughter. :​

https://www.eurosport.co.uk/snooker...-in-battle-of-the-exes_sto8493928/story.shtml

Mark Allen declared bancruptsy remember :

Mark Allen goes from black to red: Snooker star declared bankrupt :​

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/...-snooker-star-declared-bankrupt-40457827.html

The last person in the world you want to be drawn against is your ex-wife .
 
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