Jimmy White

I'd just like to say thank you to Jimmy White.

His career is the greatest story snooker has ever had. Don't tell me otherwise.

Do you think had he won at least 1 World Title, that it would still be the greatest story?

Part of me thinks him never winning it made it even more spectacular in a way.

Andre147 wrote:Do you think had he won at least 1 World Title, that it would still be the greatest story?

Part of me thinks him never winning it made it even more spectacular in a way.

Agree with that, people love a "so close, yet so far" heartbreak story in sport.

The sports saying about people "only remembering the winners" is not true at all.

Andre147 wrote:Do you think had he won at least 1 World Title, that it would still be the greatest story?

Part of me thinks him never winning it made it even more spectacular in a way.

I often wonder that.

But looking back, him clearing the table in the 1994 decider would have been the perfect happy ending to all the misery. Everything seemed weighted towards it. Then it became the ultimate nightmare in a flash.

It bugs the hell out of me that he was never world champion. But yeah, I do wonder is the story more spectacular for all of that.

Jimmy will win the world title. He's flying in practice.!!!

I thought this was going to be another rookie to watch thread.

Him winning in 1995 would have been anti-climactic.

I think the game came too easy for Jimmy. After the 84 loss to Davis he just assumed that it was bound to be his title eventually. He was unlucky in the sense that when he got to the stage he was outplaying Davis another even deadlier opponent had arrived. Some dubious lifestyle choices didn't help matters either.

Nonetheless at his best he was a wonderful player. Of course he should have won more, but he must have been one of the most popular and most loved sports personalities of the era. And probably the most entertaining player of all time.

He can still win

Surely the final against John Parrot was his best chance in a sense? (of course 14-8 up against Hendry and obviously 'that black in the decider, I think I mean before a ball had been hit he must have thought that there's no way he would lose to parrot) Deep down he probably can't believe that he lost to him over a 35 frame final but obviously wouldn't ever say it publicly

Parrott was always underrated. I had a bad feeling about that final from the word go.

The dream is over for another year.

Buck’s sake

Pink Ball wrote:Parrott was always underrated.

He does seem to be. Players like Ken and Ebdon seem to get more kudos despite having similar careers. Parrott seems to be something of a forgotten man from his era, despite being a pundit.

Iranu wrote:

Pink Ball wrote:Parrott was always underrated.

He does seem to be. Players like Ken and Ebdon seem to get more kudos despite having similar careers. Parrott seems to be something of a forgotten man from his era, despite being a pundit.

Ronnie often praises Parrott.

Holden Chinaski wrote:

Iranu wrote:

Pink Ball wrote:Parrott was always underrated.

He does seem to be. Players like Ken and Ebdon seem to get more kudos despite having similar careers. Parrott seems to be something of a forgotten man from his era, despite being a pundit.

Ronnie often praises Parrott.

Ronnie’s only one person.

Also his praise isn’t always a great indicator

It’s not that I think Parrott never gets praise, more than he doesn’t get as much as other with similar or even lesser careers.

Iranu wrote:

Holden Chinaski wrote:

Iranu wrote:

Pink Ball wrote:Parrott was always underrated.

He does seem to be. Players like Ken and Ebdon seem to get more kudos despite having similar careers. Parrott seems to be something of a forgotten man from his era, despite being a pundit.

Ronnie often praises Parrott.

Ronnie’s only one person.

Also his praise isn’t always a great indicator

It’s not that I think Parrott never gets praise, more than he doesn’t get as much as other with similar or even lesser careers.

I agree Parrott should get much more praise. I was just saying Ronnie is one of the few who does praise him.

Pink Ball wrote:Parrott was always underrated. I had a bad feeling about that final from the word go.

Even if he was underrated, if Jimmy had played anything like he could then I would have thought there was no way he could lose that final irrespective of what Parrot did, although I think perhaps all of jimmys off table activity's were starting to catch up with him at the time of that final?

shanew48 wrote:

Pink Ball wrote:Parrott was always underrated. I had a bad feeling about that final from the word go.

Even if he was underrated, if Jimmy had played anything like he could then I would have thought there was no way he could lose that final irrespective of what Parrot did, although I think perhaps all of jimmys off table activity's were starting to catch up with him at the time of that final?

Nah. No excuses.

1991 didn't really hurt me at all. I knew White was a better player than Parrott, but I knew that Parrott wasn't as far off his level as some suggested. Very few White performances ever would have beaten Parrott's form in that final. The man played the game of his life, and hats off to him for that.

And I wasn't shocked that he did either, so that made it much easier to take.

It is easy to forget just how good Parrott was at the time. He was a fine player and while I did expect Jimmy to win I knew how capable Parrott was. In the event Parrott played one of the all time great Crucible sessions in opening an unassailable lead.

It is strange how quickly Parrott faded. He lost to White in UK final the following year and never seemed a major contender after that. I guess the arrival of the class of 92 was pushing the standards ever higher. But at his peak Parrott was excellent, always had a world title in him and was one of the few genuine threats to Hendry before the arrival of the class of 92.

Holden Chinaski wrote:

Iranu wrote:

Pink Ball wrote:Parrott was always underrated.

He does seem to be. Players like Ken and Ebdon seem to get more kudos despite having similar careers. Parrott seems to be something of a forgotten man from his era, despite being a pundit.

Ronnie often praises Parrott.

That might be because Parrott always played well against Ronnie and is one of very few people who have a positive record against him, including the only match Ronnie ever lost with a session to spare.
https://cuetracker.net/head-to-head/joh ... -osullivan

Parrot had Ronnie's number no doubt, leads the h2h 8-4, and yes, the only person to beat him with a session to spare, but truth be told that came in 94, Ronnie was very young then.

Jimmy finally winning it in 94 would have been one of the all time sporting stories but it wasn't meant to be. With Jim it's the whole story not just the crucible. From bunking off school, to turning a few borrowed notes into hundreds in money matches, to blowing his maximum money before he'd been paid!! All part of the legend. And best of all the old adage about not meeting your heroes can sometimes be wrong because when I did meet him he was the nicest fellow possible. And if he carries on playing on the tour, I'll carry on backing him as snooker is his life, even if he struggles to qualify for much these days.

Andre147 wrote:Parrot had Ronnie's number no doubt, leads the h2h 8-4, and yes, the only person to beat him with a session to spare, but truth be told that came in 94, Ronnie was very young then.

He had already won the UK and the British Open by then though.