Wild wrote:more than anything else this "disturbing topic" as you put it so well is a topic that should be put to bed once and for all.
keeping this format alone is the only thing that would help barry turning snooker around and people would overall accept changes to other events.
the only reason they reduced the WC from the BO 61 frames etc was for TV and since they done that the WC has contributed to the best matches by far in the history of the sport so theres no sense in reduction its worked well for TV and consistantly has brought snookers highest ever ratings from peak 4 channel 1980s to multi medis era today.
best of 5s WO was not for me but i accept the change and it made that tournament different and same with the shootout that worked well.
but for them to succeed you got to give the sport history the World Championship gives it.
One of the best comments I've ever read - one of the reasons why I dont like change is because it makes it hard to compare, I mean Ronnie O'Sullivan winning 10-6 in the UK Final? - Makes a 16-9 scoreline in the 1992 final seem a pulverising, - whereas based on the maths 10-2 being 16-3, 10-4 being 16-6, 10-5 being 16-8, 10-6 being 16-10, 10-7 being 16-12, 10-8 being 16-14, 10-9 being 16-15 - it can be done but it makes it such harder to compare, I mean - winning 46 frames to become UK Champion is a feat, - but compared to 70 it makes it look like a sprint
I mean Robertson has been credited with defending his title when he won the WO, compared to 2009 he won 10 frames less,
The issue with making it smaller in comparison is how many matches will have changed? A best of 25 frame final would have seen White win in 1992 and 1994, Davis win in 1985, Stevens in 2000 and Hendry in 2002.
A Best of 17 frame final would have made 2004 a 9-7 affair instead of 18-8, whereas 2003 would have been 9-2 rather than 18-16.