Stephen Hendry's commentary

When did Hendry become such a woeful commentator?

When he was still playing on the circuit, he was by far the best commentator the BBC had. (Not that this is saying much.) His comments were always relevant and pertinent, because he was still regularly playing the people who he was paid to commentate on.

Forward to now. He just seems to sulk if a player he isn't interested in is doing well. During the UK final, he continually made out that Wenbo was a rank amateur. During the smis, he seemed to have the hump that David Grace had the audacity to exist.

For the last few BBC tournaments, he has given the impression of somebody who is just phoning it in. His once sensible comments that put his co-commentators to shame, has been replaced by typical BBC douchebaggery. I just don't think he cares any more.

Is he not dealing with retirement yet, or what?

He probably is wishing the fact that if he still had his game he would still be winning the odd tournament and mixing it with the top players. Seeing Higgins doing well in his 40's (and I'm sure Ronnie will) is just hammering it home.

Unfortunately for him, for whatever reasons his game went to pot. And that's why he jacked it in. At the elite end of the game, the standard is no better than 10 - 20 years ago. So it rankles him when players like Grace and to a lesser extent Wenbo do well as he probably thinks in his prime he could beat them comfortably and would not be a challenge to him. Just a theory.

whitespider wrote:He probably is wishing the fact that if he still had his game he would still be winning the odd tournament and mixing it with the top players. Seeing Higgins doing well in his 40's (and I'm sure Ronnie will) is just hammering it home.

Unfortunately for him, for whatever reasons his game went to pot. And that's why he jacked it in. At the elite end of the game, the standard is no better than 10 - 20 years ago. So it rankles him when players like Grace and to a lesser extent Wenbo do well as he probably thinks in his prime he could beat them comfortably and would not be a challenge to him. Just a theory.

That is in part Hendry's fault.

No getting away from the fact that Ronnie is a special talent, so winning titles with his style isn't something that even Stephen Hendry could replicate.

But there was an interesting discussion about John Higgins during the week. Apparently, he had been giving the younger players some tips on how to stand whilst cueing, and it made him realise that wasn't how he himself was playing any more. He'd picked up bad habits whilst playing, because he no longer analysed his own game. He went back to basics, and has won three ranking events in 2015.

Hendry kind of believed the way he played in his prime was the only way of playing. His 'safety is overrated' attitude isn't something he changed. Steve Davis was winning games against top opponents in his 50s, but had to analyse how he played and spend more time working on certain aspects of his game. He concentrated on making it hard for his opponents to win, then went from there.

I just can't see Hendry has the level of self-analysis, or the desire to change his game to encourage longevity. I guess being as good as he was, leads to a certain stubbornness about his game. But also finds it hard to take when he sees mediocrity in himself. (Or what he perceives as mediocrity in others.)

Can't say I disagree. But I think the less clinical nature of his breakbuilding also contributed. He played so open towards the end of his career (or at least it seemed that way). The reality was he didn't miss much in the 90's so didn't leave players with easy starters with the reds spread like he did towards the end. His final match with Maguire sums up his approach. He was all out attack still, just wasn't able to play at a level where it was ruthless one/two visit snooker frame after frame. Still a great break builder, but not as consistent as he was and it left him exposed in matchplay.

Good post, SnookerFan.

Holden Chinaski wrote:Good post, SnookerFan.

Thanks, man.

I do make them occasionally.

Hendry is a class commentator on the beeb always calls the right shot. I watched the final everything he said about wenbo was right he would pot outrageous balls and miss simple ones. Dont know how anyone can knock his commentary

Ronnie79 wrote:Hendry is a class commentator on the beeb always calls the right shot. I watched the final everything he said about wenbo was right he would pot outrageous balls and miss simple ones. Dont know how anyone can knock his commentary

To be fair, he didn't seem happy that David Grace had got through to the semis. I really don't think he likes lower ranked players.

But maybe that's just me. Maybe I'm over thinking it after his bizarre anti-PTC Twitter rant.

Wildey wrote:Being honest means being honest and having opinions.


that is why Clive Everton got the boot from the beeb he was too honest


Hendry is not afraid to call players rubbish if he thinks they are.

Most on the Beeb following the trend and brown nosing the game today. Not taking anything away from Grace but there is no way on earth he should have reached a UK Semi Final Hendry Knows that so he shows it outwards.

he aint a fan of sport then is he.....? Its utter arrogant tosh from sourface banker.

What did he think of Coventry reaching the Cup Final in 1987. What did he think of Joe Johnson winning the 86 final or Shaun Murphy the 2005 ???

Smart wrote:

Wildey wrote:Being honest means being honest and having opinions.


that is why Clive Everton got the boot from the beeb he was too honest


Hendry is not afraid to call players rubbish if he thinks they are.

Most on the Beeb following the trend and brown nosing the game today. Not taking anything away from Grace but there is no way on earth he should have reached a UK Semi Final Hendry Knows that so he shows it outwards.

he aint a fan of sport then is he.....? Its utter arrogant tosh from sourface banker.

What did he think of Coventry reaching the Cup Final in 1987. What did he think of Joe Johnson winning the 86 final or Shaun Murphy the 2005 ???

Hendry had a sense of entitlement issue when he was playing, and he seems to have brought the same atittude with him to his broadcasting career.

If Hendry had his way, all the favourites would win everything and there would no point in anybody else turning up. Not surprising he feels this way, as this would be in keeping with own boring personality.

Smart wrote:
he aint a fan of sport then is he.....? Its utter arrogant tosh from sourface banker.

What did he think of Coventry reaching the Cup Final in 1987. What did he think of Joe Johnson winning the 86 final or Shaun Murphy the 2005 ???

Who cares what he thinks of Coventry City? He's not paid to know that, it's not his job. I couldn't care less what Hendry thinks of that. Much like I really don't care that much what Ronnie Woods thinks about snooker.

SnookerFan wrote:

Smart wrote:
he aint a fan of sport then is he.....? Its utter arrogant tosh from sourface banker.

What did he think of Coventry reaching the Cup Final in 1987. What did he think of Joe Johnson winning the 86 final or Shaun Murphy the 2005 ???

Who cares what he thinks of Coventry City? He's not paid to know that, it's not his job. I couldn't care less what Hendry thinks of that. Much like I really don't care that much what Ronnie Woods thinks about snooker.

If he cant appreciate that sport is about the unknown and that sometimes the little fella beats the big favourite, then he has no place in comms. He comes across as ultra-arrogant and that is saying something considering the other runts the BBC employ.

Sorry, I see what you mean. I thought it was an odd example. You are, of course, correct.

If the top ranked player won every tournament, sport would be very boring and very predictable. David Grace coming back over Martin Gould was one of the big moments of the UK Championships. I was out watching the other match at a friend's house, and only got back in time to watch the deciding frame, but what drama. If anybody, Hendry included, thinks that dull, I can't say I agree.

Also regarding Liang's 'amateurism', he won every match to get to the final. So there's no point pretending he doesn't deserve to be there. You don't play like cack and get to a final. There is 126 players who didn't make it. Are they amateurs too? Liang beat Judd Trump from 3-1 behind, he can't be that pathetic a player.

Wenbo vs Grace wasn't the greatest match ever, but it was a big match in their careers. Nerves will get the better of them. Notice Liang's UK Championship final loss was closer than Gary Wilson's China Open final or Ben Wollaston's Welsh Open final. Against Neil Robertson, a man who whitewashed Mark Selby the day before.

If Hendry had a strop on because he didn't like lower ranked snooker players having a decent run, how does he expect the sport to progress? Everybody was low ranked at one point.

In fairness who wanted to see Grace in a uk semi or final i didnt because he would have been battered in the the final.

Wildey wrote:

Smart wrote:

Wildey wrote:Being honest means being honest and having opinions.


that is why Clive Everton got the boot from the beeb he was too honest


Hendry is not afraid to call players rubbish if he thinks they are.

Most on the Beeb following the trend and brown nosing the game today. Not taking anything away from Grace but there is no way on earth he should have reached a UK Semi Final Hendry Knows that so he shows it outwards.

he aint a fan of sport then is he.....? Its utter arrogant tosh from sourface banker.

What did he think of Coventry reaching the Cup Final in 1987. What did he think of Joe Johnson winning the 86 final or Shaun Murphy the 2005 ???

mate i could pull out endless posts by you, cloud strife etc etc etc that has backed up what hendry was thinking so are you a fan of sport?

like most others I enjoyed this UK champs, the final frame of Grace / Gould match was immense entertainment - so yes I would classify myself as a fan of the sport. Its hard to get the feeling that Hendo is a fan of the sport, he doesn't ooze enjoyment in what he is watching, he doesn't have any enthusiasm in his voice for the sport, just bitterness and jibes. Very poor.

Wildey wrote:to be fair Hendry was when he was playing the last player to ever become a commentator he never watched snooker when he got knocked out.

but despite that i think he still pisses all over Davis, Parrott etc etc

Well, he weren't the last player to become a commentator, because he DID become a commentator whilst still playing.

However, I know what you mean. Hendry's passion wasn't snooker, it was winning at snooker. That's why some of his comments about lower ranked players seem a bit off. He doesn't see the point in playing snooker, unless you have the potential to be the absolute best. It must've killed him playing at the end of his career, where he was struggling to beat an egg, let alone a top player.

He is still a better commentator than most of what the BBC have. But he used to be good, not just good by comparison. I get the feeling that since he's stopped playing, he's slowly losing his capabilities to say anything pertinent or relevant.

The majority of the BBC don't care about watching snooker unless they are paid to.

Hendry was very sour about Bingham winning the World Title as well. Then again Hendry hammered him in the World Championship only three years earlier and that was when Bingham was already a ranking event winner/top 16 player. If he was still playing he would be still ranked higher then Grace and probably Liang before last week. It might frustrate him to see players he would fancy beating going deep in major tournaments. As mentioned he never seemed to type to end up on BBC with the rest of the lads.

KrazeeEyezKilla wrote:Hendry was very sour about Bingham winning the World Title as well. Then again Hendry hammered him in the World Championship only three years earlier and that was when Bingham was already a ranking event winner/top 16 player.

I was at that match.