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Re: Dafabet Masters Final : Barry Hawkins v Ronnie O'Sulliv

Postby eraserhead » 17 Jan 2016 Read

Great post prop.

you can tell the bbc are focussed on stories rather than performances.

Will Robbo get the triple crown in a season?
Will Judd finally win another of the big three? (his all round game has improved, apparently)
Will Bingham deny the Rocket again?
Can Ronnie come back after another long break and win?

It's annoying because they never give players like Barry the time of day until the final, and Hendry is starting to sound proper bitter.

Re: Dafabet Masters Final : Barry Hawkins v Ronnie O'Sulliv

Postby Ronnie79 » 17 Jan 2016 Read

Sorry ya forgot them two. Isnt it great ROS and Higgins are the greatest rivals for the best part of 25 years and i have never heard either one of them saying one bad word about the other. Only the upmost respect for each other. Its empty vessels like allen that make the most noise. He should learn how to win events before he starts mouthing . I cant stand that lad.

Re: Dafabet Masters Final : Barry Hawkins v Ronnie O'Sulliv

Postby Andre147 » 17 Jan 2016 Read

Ronnie79 wrote:It seems to me the only player that Ronnie seems to be good friends with on tour is Jimmy. He doesnt seem to bother with the rest


he isn't there to make friends.

Hendry in his heyday never had any friends on tour, it was just about doing the business.

Re: Dafabet Masters Final : Barry Hawkins v Ronnie O'Sulliv

Postby Goldenballs147 » 17 Jan 2016 Read

Prop wrote:I personally absorb less of what he says but more of what he plays, as time goes on.

What you could once call enigmatic is now largely irrelevant nonsense, in relation to his actual snooker.

Sometimes I wonder if it's just a bit of a game to him, saying he's struggling, rubbish in practice - he's keeping everyone guessing, keeping people talking, sustaining the circus. He probably gets a bit of a laugh out of it, between him and himself.

I believe this is what MJW was alluding to so tactfully on twitter earlier.

Hazel and the boys can't help trying to create some sort of story out of nothing whenever he's in the studio. And I think he just plays along, saying any old nonsense in order to dodge any weighty expectations.

He's not as good at transparent conversation as he is at snooker, but that shouldn't mean a thing - I tune in to watch snooker. He can say what he likes as long as he keeps trying and doesn't throw the towel in.
.


This is very similar to my own thinking last year after the German Masters. Im not as used to Ronnie's escapades as others who have been watching a lot longer, but part of me can't tell if it's just all BS for his own amusement or if it's mind games or purely to lower expectations. I just struggle to believe that anyone with such a natural ability can be so critical of themselves when they're actually playing well (excluding tonight) and furthermore believe what they're saying, unless of course there are other issues...

With that said H e is very expressive with his body language, but there are times when he's playing poorly it's as if he plays to the camera with the facial expressions and the murmuring purely because he knows he's being watched. It's very strange.

Re: Dafabet Masters Final : Barry Hawkins v Ronnie O'Sulliv

Postby Holden Chinaski » 17 Jan 2016 Read

Ronnie79 wrote:Sorry ya forgot them two. Isnt it great ROS and Higgins are the greatest rivals for the best part of 25 years and i have never heard either one of them saying one bad word about the other. Only the upmost respect for each other. Its empty vessels like allen that make the most noise. He should learn how to win events before he starts mouthing . I cant stand that lad.

:goodpost:

The respect between Ronnie and John is indeed admirable.

Ronnie had some very nice words to say about Selby as well after their match.

Re: Dafabet Masters Final : Barry Hawkins v Ronnie O'Sulliv

Postby SnookerFan » 17 Jan 2016 Read

I'll second that.

I know some people love needle between players. But I find it incredibly tedious. If I want to watch people argue and run their mouth, I'll watch Big Brother or get into the soap operas.

Higgins vs Ronnie almost always provide dramatic moments. They have both inflicted heavy defeats on each other, both won incredibly tight matches against each other. Watching them throw childish tantrums decreases the entertainment, in my opinion.

I lost respect for Selby a bit, moaning on about his tie afterwards. Even if it was a legitimate thing he struggled with, would he say it if he lost to anybody else?

Higgins vs Ronnie is my favourite rivalry of all time.

Re: Dafabet Masters Final : Barry Hawkins v Ronnie O'Sulliv

Postby Holden Chinaski » 17 Jan 2016 Read

SnookerFan wrote:I lost respect for Selby a bit, moaning on about his tie afterwards. Even if it was a legitimate thing he struggled with, would he say it if he lost to anybody else?

Selby did sound a bit bitter to me. I mean come on, the tie thing is just silly. Find yourself a tie that's comfortable and stop moaning about it. You got outplayed, that's it. People talk about Ronnie using the excuse of having a back injury.. I think a back injury is more serious than wearing an uncomfortable tie ffs.
He showed a lot of frustration during the match as well. Stomping his foot on the ground and stuff. He looked angry at times. He really wanted to beat Ronnie because of the last match they had at the Masters I think. Selby and Ronnie have a bit of a Masters rivalry going on.

Ronnie showed a lot of respect for Selby after the match.

Re: Dafabet Masters Final : Barry Hawkins v Ronnie O'Sulliv

Postby Andy Spark » 17 Jan 2016 Read

Snookerbacker thinks Ronnie is merely a member of the most excellent order of the British empire. He should refer to an officer in proper terms. It is disrespectful of him.

Re: Dafabet Masters Final : Barry Hawkins v Ronnie O'Sulliv

Postby SnookerFan » 17 Jan 2016 Read

I've said for a long time that the dress code in Snooker is entirely impractical. Formal gear should be nowhere near a game like Snooker that involves so many stretching. You wouldn't expect gymnasts to run out in a full suit, would you?

It's just a pity that the person who made this point had just lost to somebody he is known for not liking. It makes the point an excuse, rather than anything else.

Re: Dafabet Masters Final : Barry Hawkins v Ronnie O'Sulliv

Postby SnookerFan » 17 Jan 2016 Read

Andy Spark wrote:Snookerbacker thinks Ronnie is merely a member of the most excellent order of the British empire. He should refer to an officer in proper terms. It is disrespectful of him.



Isn't an MBE higher than an OBE? He has actually promoted him. rofl

Can we take it you will now be giving John Higgins his full title, Andy?
Last edited by SnookerFan on 17 Jan 2016, edited 1 time in total.

Re: Dafabet Masters Final : Barry Hawkins v Ronnie O'Sulliv

Postby Andy Spark » 17 Jan 2016 Read

SnookerFan wrote:I've said for a long time that the dress code in Snooker is entirely impractical. Formal gear should be nowhere near a game like Snooker that involves so many stretching. You wouldn't expect gymnasts to run out in a full suit, would you?

It's just a pity that the person who made this point had just lost to somebody he is known for not liking. It makes the point an excuse, rather than anything else.

Yes, I'd like to see the gentlemen and ladies in leotards. :evilgrin:

Re: Dafabet Masters Final : Barry Hawkins v Ronnie O'Sulliv

Postby SnookerFan » 17 Jan 2016 Read

Andy Spark wrote:
SnookerFan wrote:I've said for a long time that the dress code in Snooker is entirely impractical. Formal gear should be nowhere near a game like Snooker that involves so many stretching. You wouldn't expect gymnasts to run out in a full suit, would you?

It's just a pity that the person who made this point had just lost to somebody he is known for not liking. It makes the point an excuse, rather than anything else.

Yes, I'd like to see the gentlemen and ladies in leotards. :evilgrin:


Nobody more than Ronnie, I'll bet.

:evilgrin:

Re: Dafabet Masters Final : Barry Hawkins v Ronnie O'Sulliv

Postby Andy Spark » 17 Jan 2016 Read

SnookerFan wrote:
Andy Spark wrote:Snookerbacker thinks Ronnie is merely a member of the most excellent order of the British empire. He should refer to an officer in proper terms. It is disrespectful of him.



Isn't an MBE higher than an OBE? He has actually promoted him. rofl

Can we take it you will now be giving John Higgins his full title, Andy?

No, an MBE is a member, an OBE is an officer. Officers outrank mere members. And Higgins has rather besmirched his reputation since he was awarded a membership of our most excellent order.

Re: Dafabet Masters Final : Barry Hawkins v Ronnie O'Sulliv

Postby Andy Spark » 17 Jan 2016 Read

SnookerFan wrote:I thought OBE stood for Order, not Officer.

I'm probably wrong. I don't pay attention. They'll give this rewards to any old mug nowadays.

I think the "O" refers to "Officer". Not certain.

Re: Dafabet Masters Final : Barry Hawkins v Ronnie O'Sulliv

Postby Cheshire Cat » 17 Jan 2016 Read

I thought Stuart was a bit sour in his interview the beeb did about his WC win. He said there that Ronnie last year just wanted to find an excuse in case he got beat, so that's why he kept being edgy in the WC with his shoe antics and all.

Hendry's thoughts were more on point IMO, Ronnie looked more like he was just trying to take the pressure off himself because so many people now expect him to show up and win. In 2012 he was in dire form pre-German Masters, so the WC wasn't as much pressure, people were happy to see he'd just qualified through the top 16. In 2013 he took the year out, so again, there wasn't that much expectation to defend the World Title. He then won the CoC, the Masters, the Welsh, and all of a sudden, Ronnie O'Sullivan is getting skits done by the beeb hyping him up to win almost every event they do. I don't see them doing personal skits on Robbo being by far the best player this season, with a possibility to win the triple crown in a single season, the first person since Mark Williams to do so.

Look at the Masters this year. The opening day one of the first things the Beeb showed was that 'Return of the Rocket' skit saying how he'd taken 6 months off, how he'd suffered 'massive' losses (Selby WC 2014, Robbo 2015 Masters, Trump 2015 Grand Prix and Bingo 2015 WC) in the past few years and how this could be the end of Ronnie's dominance. It was a ridiculous skit just to imply that Ronnie's back was against the wall and build up some drama. Funny, because I seem to remember him winning a UK title and defending his CoC in that season as well - one title a season is generally considered successful nowadays, many of the players seem to agree on that. I didn't realise losing a few matches in the second half of 2015 signalled the possible 'end' of Ronnie O'Sullivan, it doesn't seem to mean the end for Mark Selby having lost to Higgins (IC semi), Robbo (UK semi) and now Ronnie in 'big' events all in the one season.

When Ronnie lost to Mark Selby in 2014 I was devastated, because I was so used to seeing him win since the 2013 WC. The more I really got into the game though and started following it, the more I realised that's just snooker, and anyone and can beat anyone on the day and that it's not much of a surprise in the modern game. I'm not making excuses, I would like to see Ronnie a bit more positive in his post-match interviews, but when he's being built up to win every tournament, especially the big BBC ones and being made to sound like he carries the game and its appeal, you can't help but feel for him. I'm not fussed if the 'Ronnie' fans take a hike and leave when he eventually puts down the cue tbqh, snooker is about more than just Ronnie O'Sullivan and it's just nice to see him back and competing with the best.

Won't be around much today, but GG to both Barry and Ronnie. Will be a nice story for snooker no matter who wins.

Re: Dafabet Masters Final : Barry Hawkins v Ronnie O'Sulliv

Postby SnookerFan » 17 Jan 2016 Read

Cheshire Cat wrote:I thought Stuart was a bit sour in his interview the beeb did about his WC win. He said there that Ronnie last year just wanted to find an excuse in case he got beat, so that's why he kept being edgy in the WC with his shoe antics and all.

Hendry's thoughts were more on point IMO, Ronnie looked more like he was just trying to take the pressure off himself because so many people now expect him to show up and win. In 2012 he was in dire form pre-German Masters, so the WC wasn't as much pressure, people were happy to see he'd just qualified through the top 16. In 2013 he took the year out, so again, there wasn't that much expectation to defend the World Title. He then won the CoC, the Masters, the Welsh, and all of a sudden, Ronnie O'Sullivan is getting skits done by the beeb hyping him up to win almost every event they do. I don't see them doing personal skits on Robbo being by far the best player this season, with a possibility to win the triple crown in a single season, the first person since Mark Williams to do so.

Look at the Masters this year. The opening day one of the first things the Beeb showed was that 'Return of the Rocket' skit saying how he'd taken 6 months off, how he'd suffered 'massive' losses (Selby WC 2014, Robbo 2015 Masters, Trump 2015 Grand Prix and Bingo 2015 WC) in the past few years and how this could be the end of Ronnie's dominance. It was a ridiculous skit just to imply that Ronnie's back was against the wall and build up some drama. Funny, because I seem to remember him winning a UK title and defending his CoC in that season as well - one title a season is generally considered successful nowadays, many of the players seem to agree on that. I didn't realise losing a few matches in the second half of 2015 signalled the possible 'end' of Ronnie O'Sullivan, it doesn't seem to mean the end for Mark Selby having lost to Higgins (IC semi), Robbo (UK semi) and now Ronnie in 'big' events all in the one season.

When Ronnie lost to Mark Selby in 2014 I was devastated, because I was so used to seeing him win since the 2013 WC. The more I really got into the game though and started following it, the more I realised that's just snooker, and anyone and can beat anyone on the day and that it's not much of a surprise in the modern game. I'm not making excuses, I would like to see Ronnie a bit more positive in his post-match interviews, but when he's being built up to win every tournament, especially the big BBC ones and being made to sound like he carries the game and its appeal, you can't help but feel for him. I'm not fussed if the 'Ronnie' fans take a hike and leave when he eventually puts down the cue tbqh, snooker is about more than just Ronnie O'Sullivan and it's just nice to see him back and competing with the best.

Won't be around much today, but GG to both Barry and Ronnie. Will be a nice story for snooker no matter who wins.



Hendry hates Bingham, and everything he stands for. Hendry thinks there's no point playing Snooker unless you are capable of winning every tournament.

The fact that somebody like Bingham can dedicate their life to the sport, travel to every tournament no matter where, and finally get rewarded with tournament wins late in life disgusts Hendry. Unless you are breaking records you're entire career, he sees no point in bothering to enter at all.

That's sometimes the price when you are as good as him. It's hard to relate to people who aren't.

Re: Dafabet Masters Final : Barry Hawkins v Ronnie O'Sulliv

Postby vodkadiet » 17 Jan 2016 Read

O'Sullivan will win this very easily. Hawkins doesn't have the personality to deal with O'Sullivan in front of this crowd. He will be a shrinking violet. Early night and BBC rescheduling programmes from about 8.30pm.

Re: Dafabet Masters Final : Barry Hawkins v Ronnie O'Sulliv

Postby Muppet147 » 17 Jan 2016 Read

Andy Spark wrote:
SnookerFan wrote:I thought OBE stood for Order, not Officer.

I'm probably wrong. I don't pay attention. They'll give this rewards to any old mug nowadays.

I think the "O" refers to "Officer". Not certain.


Wrong!

OBE stands for Order of the British Empire.
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