Barry Hearn open to shortening the Worlds

Interview with Barry Hearn here. (I say interview, they seem to just be quoting what he said yesterday. )

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/others ... anges.html

It suggest he is opening to shortening matches at The Crucible, in particular the final. In my opinion that would come close to killing the sport.

What do other people think?

It wouldn't kill the sport, that's just silly. But it would go some way to ruining Bazza's reputation after his promise a coupla years ago which he probably cares about more ...

Bourne wrote:It wouldn't kill the sport, that's just silly. But it would go some way to ruining Bazza's reputation after his promise a coupla years ago which he probably cares about more ...

It'd kill it to me.

The UK Championship reduction didn't work at all for me, a World Championship reduction would be an awful move.

I think the title of this is reading too far in.
Hearn would have to be very careful if he really considered this because promises have to mean something, and he has plenty of space outside the Worlds to tinker. I think it shows two things here in this interview. 1. that he's done with promises and 2. he's starting to believe his own hype a little too much.
On the other hand people should stop over speculating and in general have more patience, especially with events like the PTCs.

And I think Hearn should really have been there, but 1.Hearn planned his holiday before Allen began his spat and 2. Hearn is probably more deserved of holiday than Allen, so Allen's sly comments are not very clever. Why would Hearn have egg on his face handing Allen a cheque that he thoroughly deserved to win? People who don't know what they're talking about shouldn't really talk.

These 3 points BH has made interest me...
"‘I change things if any of my three principal customers want things changed. ....
No 1, it’s our television partners, they want to see ratings driven up.
No 2 our sponsors must get value for money, to encourage them back in, and
No 3, and most important the punters who buy a ticket must be entertained

I'm not sure he's right about point 3, but overall was the UK a success? Course it was, but I can't help feeling that was mainly down to Judd Trump.

This last comment says it all...."But I have the last word, because I own the majority of the business, and I have a track record going back to 1974 in snooker. I know what I’m doing.’

The bottom line is, by going on what is written above, change is on the horizon.

John From London Town wrote:These 3 points BH has made interest me...
"‘I change things if any of my three principal customers want things changed. ....
No 1, it’s our television partners, they want to see ratings driven up.
No 2 our sponsors must get value for money, to encourage them back in, and
No 3, and most important the punters who buy a ticket must be entertained

I'm not sure he's right about point 3, but overall was the UK a success? Course it was, but I can't help feeling that was mainly down to Judd Trump.

This last comment says it all...."But I have the last word, because I own the majority of the business, and I have a track record going back to 1974 in snooker. I know what I’m doing.’

The bottom line is, by going on what is written above, change is on the horizon.

Yes. I think it is. Some of it may well be good, in fact I'm sure some of it will be good.

On the other hand, the shortening of the Worlds, should it happen, won't be.

It wasn't down to Judd, it wasn't down to shorter matches, it was down to renewed interest in the game and return to the Barbican.

Firsty, stop being such a pansy Snookerfan.
I reckon any changes to the worlds will be minor. Round 2 also reduced to best of 19s and the semis and quarters best of 25s. This would enable the semis to be completed by the thursday and id propose a final starting Friday nite (meaning players had a rest before it), sessions on Sat aft and eve and concluding on the Sun afternoon / early evening which would suit younger fans and those viewing in Europe and the Far East too. With the sport going global the most important game being played on a UK bank holiday is no longer viable.

Witz78 wrote:Firsty, stop being such a pansy Snookerfan.
I reckon any changes to the worlds will be minor. Round 2 also reduced to best of 19s and the semis and quarters best of 25s. This would enable the semis to be completed by the thursday and id propose a final starting Friday nite (meaning players had a rest before it), sessions on Sat aft and eve and concluding on the Sun afternoon / early evening which would suit younger fans and those viewing in Europe and the Far East too. With the sport going global the most important game being played on a UK bank holiday is no longer viable.

Sorry. I'll remember to be super tough from now on!

See?

Sonny wrote:It wasn't down to Judd, it wasn't down to shorter matches, it was down to renewed interest in the game and return to the Barbican.

Back to a solid venue (and a refurbished venue). A place where there is more than just the snooker. York was and will be a success for snooker. Format change did not make it a success, nor did any particular player, or a renewed interest in the game. The interest has always been there but we have had some shocking venues and some awful promotion.

I think now its inevitable that the worlds will be tampered with and that will be another nail in the coffin.

You now have a devalued UK champs and shortly there will be a devalued World champs. He wont give a rubbish.

ive tweeted Steve Davis to tell hearn hes a lying bucking runt if he changes a thing in the world and when ill get hold of eddie hearn bucking acount ill tell him the same bucking thing.

at the end of the day yous are all making a mountain out a molehill

some minor tweaks to IMPROVE the worlds will happen, such as what i suggest above.

a few frames less here and there is harldy the end of the world (pardon the pun)

its the 21st century and snooker cant stay stale forever

Witz78 wrote:at the end of the day yous are all making a mountain out a molehill

some minor tweaks to IMPROVE the worlds will happen, such as what i suggest above.

a few frames less here and there is harldy the end of the world (pardon the pun)

its the 21st century and snooker cant stay stale forever

nothing means bucking nothing no bucking about here NOTHING

what part of that is bucking complicated ???

Wild wrote:

Witz78 wrote:at the end of the day yous are all making a mountain out a molehill

some minor tweaks to IMPROVE the worlds will happen, such as what i suggest above.

a few frames less here and there is harldy the end of the world (pardon the pun)

its the 21st century and snooker cant stay stale forever

nothing means bucking nothing no bucking about here NOTHING

what part of that is bucking complicated ???

minimal is as good as nothing

a few minor tweaks to actually improve it would help IMO and im sure Hearn thinks the same

Theres some major flaws with the WC format as it is at the moment.

1) The final ending on a Bank Holiday Monday which is no good to anyone not in the UK
2) The final session of the final being played at night time which is not ideal for young fans, Europeans and Chinese.
3) The semi finals over 3 days are too long and far too drawn out and sometimes anti-climatic
4) The players getting little or no rest before the final, hence the standard often being poor.

Id happily see best of 19s in the first 2 rounds then best of 25s in the quarters and semis.

Ok, so its a change but its hardly impacting majorly on the lengths of matches but these tweaks allow the final to be finished on a Sunday afternoon/early evening, players to get a rest before final etc, so i think anyone against these sort of changes is just a traditionalist fool with their feet firmly dug in the ground with the blinkers on.

ohh diddms players tired god almighty

Wild wrote:ohh diddms players tired god almighty

haha no i mean it in the sense that you have players coming straight into the final off the back of a 3 day marathon match in the semis hence the quality of the finals which should be the showpiece for the sport and a cracking match has been compromised lately and the final has really been a test of endurance rather than a snooker match.

sorry i do not buy World Final or the event has to be easier so that players dont over do it and get tired just for standards.

lets make a marathon 13 miles so that standard of running is better

World championship should make players on their knees by the end and the fittest survive it is endurance and it should be endurance if a player can blitz someone in a final fair play to them but i want a war for the title where players are begging for mercy.

Wild wrote:sorry i do not buy World Final or the event has to be easier so that players dont over do it and get tired just for standards.

lets make a marathon 13 miles so that standard of running is better

World championship should make players on their knees by the end and the fittest survive it is endurance and it should be endurance if a player can blitz someone in a final fair play to them but i want a war for the title where players are begging for mercy.

i still want a best of 35 final

I Do get your Point Regarding The Semi finals

how about Best of 27 over 3 sessions

8,9 and 10 sessions .

but other than that no need to shorten Last 16 it works and Works Well.

Just wondering, is there any reason why R2 and QF are the same number of frames ? Shouldn't there be a natural progression like in other rounds, so QFs should instead be BO27 OR R2 should go down to BO21 ?

Bourne wrote:Just wondering, is there any reason why R2 and QF are the same number of frames ? Shouldn't there be a natural progression like in other rounds, so QFs should instead be BO27 OR R2 should go down to BO21 ?

well main reason they extended the semis to best of 33 from best of 31 was so that you had 8 frames minimum in all session at beginning anyway obviously you cant guarantee it by the end lol

Round 1 Best of 19 9,10
Round 2 Best of 23 7,8,8
Quarter Best of 25 8,8,9
Semis Best of 27 8,9,10
Final Best of 35 8,9,8,10

Thoughts ?

Wild wrote:ive tweeted Steve Davis to tell hearn hes a lying bucking runt if he changes a thing in the world and when ill get hold of eddie hearn bucking acount ill tell him the same bucking thing.

Way to make your point eloquently. It's not like they'll just assume you're a nutter and ignore you.

SnookerFan wrote:

Wild wrote:ive tweeted Steve Davis to tell hearn hes a lying bucking runt if he changes a thing in the world and when ill get hold of eddie hearn bucking acount ill tell him the same bucking thing.

Way to make your point eloquently. It's not like they'll just assume you're a nutter and ignore you.

dont give a buck to be honest saying nothing and doing nothing wont do buck all will it only asume everyone hunkey doorey and giving them the green light to buck it up as they please..

Wild wrote:

SnookerFan wrote:

Wild wrote:ive tweeted Steve Davis to tell hearn hes a lying little kittens playing with each other having fun baby kangaroo if he changes a thing in the world and when ill get hold of eddie hearn little kittens playing with each other having fun acount ill tell him the same little kittens playing with each other having fun thing.

Way to make your point eloquently. It's not like they'll just assume you're a nutter and ignore you.

dont give a little kitten to be honest saying nothing and doing nothing wont do little kitten all will it only asume everyone hunkey doorey and giving them the green light to little kitten it up as they please..

Eh you don't give a rubbish that they won't read it but in the same post basically say that you want them to hear your views ?

Wild wrote:

Bourne wrote:Just wondering, is there any reason why R2 and QF are the same number of frames ? Shouldn't there be a natural progression like in other rounds, so QFs should instead be BO27 OR R2 should go down to BO21 ?

well main reason they extended the semis to best of 33 from best of 31 was so that you had 8 frames minimum in all session at beginning anyway obviously you cant guarantee it by the end lol

Round 1 Best of 19 9,10
Round 2 Best of 23 7,8,8
Quarter Best of 25 8,8,9
Semis Best of 27 8,9,10
Final Best of 35 8,9,8,10

Thoughts ?

bullocks. 9 frame sessions at least in every session and 2 to 3 session matches at least throughout.

Wild wrote:

SnookerFan wrote:

Wild wrote:ive tweeted Steve Davis to tell hearn hes a lying bucking runt if he changes a thing in the world and when ill get hold of eddie hearn bucking acount ill tell him the same bucking thing.

Way to make your point eloquently. It's not like they'll just assume you're a nutter and ignore you.

dont give a buck to be honest saying nothing and doing nothing wont do buck all will it only asume everyone hunkey doorey and giving them the green light to buck it up as they please..

Did I say that you should say or do nothing? I was just suggesting that tweet ;"buck You, Die You runt. I dislike short frame matches. bullocks. rubbish. I am going to kill you and twiddle over you. hammers", won't make them sit up and take notice of your point.

Sonny wrote:

Wild wrote:

Bourne wrote:Just wondering, is there any reason why R2 and QF are the same number of frames ? Shouldn't there be a natural progression like in other rounds, so QFs should instead be BO27 OR R2 should go down to BO21 ?

well main reason they extended the semis to best of 33 from best of 31 was so that you had 8 frames minimum in all session at beginning anyway obviously you cant guarantee it by the end lol

Round 1 Best of 19 9,10
Round 2 Best of 23 7,8,8
Quarter Best of 25 8,8,9
Semis Best of 27 8,9,10
Final Best of 35 8,9,8,10

Thoughts ?

bullocks. 9 frame sessions at least in every session and 2 to 3 session matches at least throughout.

Ahh your unhappy with his 4 session final not fitting into your 2-3 session criteria Long format hatah

Quite funny how Wild goes off on one of his rants at me when i first suggested a few small tweaks to the format then i log back in to find him proposing a reduced format

another one to add to the ever growing list of Wild U-turns

SnookerFan wrote:

Wild wrote:

SnookerFan wrote:

Wild wrote:ive tweeted Steve Davis to tell hearn hes a lying bucking runt if he changes a thing in the world and when ill get hold of eddie hearn bucking acount ill tell him the same bucking thing.

Way to make your point eloquently. It's not like they'll just assume you're a nutter and ignore you.

dont give a buck to be honest saying nothing and doing nothing wont do buck all will it only asume everyone hunkey doorey and giving them the green light to buck it up as they please..

Did I say that you should say or do nothing? I was just suggesting that tweet ;"buck You, Die You runt. I dislike short frame matches. bullocks. rubbish. I am going to kill you and twiddle over you. hammers", won't make them sit up and take notice of your point.