Monique wrote:Witz78 wrote:the EPTCs are a snooker equivalent of the darts European Tour events. This is where Hearns inspiration has came from basically.
Sure there could do with being a bit more money on offer at them but as many have already said, we have to start somewhere.
The PTCs are an issue being played behind closed doors, albeit 2 of them are going to SWSA now.
The way i see it the EPTCs should be looking to go the groundwork in new snooker markets that ultimatelt become full ranking events or 4/5 day events on a par with the German Masters.
When this happens, then that particular EPTC has served its purpose so we no longer need 12 PTCs to fill up the calendar.
As more full rankers emerge, id reduce the number of PTC events accordingly, starting with those behind closed doors which serve little real purpose other than justifying the use of the Academy not being Rodney Walkers white elephant.
There is no need for more ranking events. There were never more than 10 rankers even in the early 90th when the calendar was full-full. What we need is to resurrect the invitational events that existed at the time a bit everywhere, and allowed for the player to fulfill to the best what is an important a part of their duties: entertain. Entertainment is essential to build and keep an audience and the audience is what sponsors look at.
110% disagree
Just cos there was never more than 10 rankers in the early 90s what does that matter. This is now !
We have 9 rankers this coming season + 12 PTCs and a PTC final so your argument about having no more than 10 rankers is out of the water.
These PTC events take up a lot of time on the calendar and carry ranking points, but ultimately the aim of these should be to become proper rankers rather than the stop gap events they are at the moment, basically plugging gaps in the calendar between the "proper" events.
Easily scope to fit in 15 or so rankers in the season if the PTC is phased out over coming seasons for new full rankers.
Surely 15 full proper rankers are better than 9 full rankers + the PTC series anyway?
Im not anti-PTC, far from it infact but i see them as not being here long term, simply a platform to progress snooker and more proper rankers off the back of the PTC is the natural progression.
Hearns damned if he does, damned if he doesnt with regards to invitationals. Hell be seen as being too elitist if he has a lot of tournaments purely for the top 16 whilst the others are left kicking their heels.
As it is, for the elite there already is the following invitationals - The Masters, Premier League, Championship League, Brazilian Invitational, Hainin Classic, Jingsui Classic, Power Snooker ?, etc so theres plenty of exclusive events already.
then theres the likes of the Sky Shootout for the top 64 to take part in.
So the split between rankers and invitationals is not as extreme as you would first think.
Yet when you look at other sports like tennis, golf etc, then pretty much every week its serious stuff and routine tournaments for them, so snooker has to aim that way too with as many ranking events as possible as these are where the heart of the sport is.