Post a reply

The People's Champion Mark IV

Postby Tubberlad

With Ronnie O'Sullivan's star seemingly on the wane, I'm wondering who can potentially take over as a crowd favourite.

In the past, snooker has had three standout personalities that drew the crowds: Alex Higgins in the 1980's, Jimmy White in the early 90's, and Ronnie O'Sullivan from the late 90's through the 00's.

Snooker will survive perfectly fine beyond Ronnie, but I do think the game would benefit from another standout personality, as a sport often needs a player or team that they can get behind and excited about. That will be a different player for a lot of people as we all have our favourites, but there's going to be a guy who'll have more fans than anyone else, and often, a lot of dislikers too, which is totally understandable.

So, who's got the potential to do that?

Judd Trump: I think he's the standout contender if he can start making strides. Trump has great potential, and a few minor tournament wins, but it's disappointing that he only has one ranking semi-final to his name at this stage. Is game is very exciting, somewhat similar to the way Ronnie flicks the cueball around, and his personality is a bit edgy in that he divides opinion.

Liang Wenbo: I don't think he's good enough for a plethora of people to really get behind him, but Wenbo does seem a bit of a character. He's gotten quite a few laughs on his crucible appearances and gotten the crowd behind him, his outgoing nature the complete opposite to the more gifted Ding it would seem.

Luca Brecel: He's a young lad, but his personality is probably never going to be much to write home about. His game most certainly has the potential to be though, very, very raw and attacking.

Neil Robertson: Very nice guy, good image and a good man to promote the game, but his personality or game aren't really edgy enough for him to be a people's champion.

Mark Selby: He does seem to be a bit of a character, but a lot of people don't seem to appreciate his game like they probably should. His game is a bit misunderstood, to put it strangely, in my opinion. That said, he played a huge part in a couple of cracking Masters finals with Ronnie that gained him a few fans.

Re: The People's Champion Mark IV

Postby Tubberlad

Sonny wrote:Jack Lisowski could be a contender.

He crossed my mind too... but don't know very much about him

Re: The People's Champion Mark IV

Postby Tubberlad

Sonny wrote:you will soon I'm sure

I saw his match with Higgins. Early days, but a serious little player

Re: The People's Champion Mark IV

Postby Casey

Good Article <ok>
Well in terms of a peoples champion, Ding is clear favourite in Asia although I am aware that isn’t really what you are eluding too.
I don’t really know the answer, to take the mantel we need someone with an interesting background; a story if you like.
Wasn’t it Jack who successfully beat Cancer? You could be onto something guys, the lad has swagger.

Re: The People's Champion Mark IV

Postby GJ

there is no 1 stand out people champ and thats because there are quite a few players with good character and show emotion

robbo , selby and allen to name 3

Re: The People's Champion Mark IV

Postby Bourne

Judd has that aura about him, and still has age on his side so i'd say him for now but I wouldn't be surprised if we go through a little 'lull' for 3 or 4 years and maybe some unknown comes up from nowhere to steal the limelight <ok>

Re: The People's Champion Mark IV

Postby gallantrabbit

Ronnie O'sullivan was never a people's champion. Just incredible to watch. In my opinion you have to be one of two things to be a people's champion. Either you have to have come from nothing and crawled your way up (Higgins and Jimmy) or you have to have a personality that attracts people to you (Jimmy). Just because you distribute the odd head butt or have one or other relative banged up does not make you people's champion.
Coming from a middle class background and genreally not taking people's feelings into consideration does not make you people's champion.

Re: The People's Champion Mark IV

Postby GJ

gallant

robbo i know you dislike him

he came to england with no money nothing and has built his career from that

Re: The People's Champion Mark IV

Postby Wildey

Bourne wrote:Judd has that aura about him, and still has age on his side so i'd say him for now but I wouldn't be surprised if we go through a little 'lull' for 3 or 4 years and maybe some unknown comes up from nowhere to steal the limelight <ok>

judd has absalutly no aura what so ever about him ive seen more charisma in a rotten tomato..

yes hes talented yes he will probably have a future in the game to some extent but hes no Ronnie in ability or presence.

Alex Higgins was special because he did things his way from playing to living his life on the egde and every time he played he took the people on a roller coaster of emotion with him.

Jimmy White was different he was very emotionless to some extent during the first 10 years but he was flamboyant and played amazing shots but he did not take the audience on a journey until Stephen Hendry came along and beat him in so many World Finals.

Ronnie O'Sullivan was more Alex than Jimmy but had more consistency but sometimes people like to back the underdog against the king Jimmy and Alex had Davis and Hendry to be the ultimate to their flawed genius and people could back them against the best. Ronnie never had that because he has been the best of his time with the flamboyance of Jimmy so Gallant could be Right Ronnie was a champion as appose to being the peoples champion.

who is next in line ? maybe in the jimmy white sort of way it could be Judd Trump.

Re: The People's Champion Mark IV

Postby gallantrabbit

GJ wrote:there is no 1 stand out people champ and thats because there are quite a few players with good character and show emotion

robbo , selby and allen to name 3



GJ once again you are way off the mark. You were never this antagonistic towards me <doh>
I've got nothing against Robbo. I've got something against what you've posted in reply to me in recent months.

I also don't think Judd Trump could be a people's champ, because despite hitting the ball very sweet he doesn't match up to other criteria.

Re: The People's Champion Mark IV

Postby GJ

sorry gallant i get fed up of robbo bashing and took it out on you as i maybe misinterpreted your comments

Re: The People's Champion Mark IV

Postby Bourne

judd has absalutly no aura what so ever about him ive seen more charisma in a rotten tomato..

yes hes talented yes he will probably have a future in the game to some extent but hes no Ronnie in ability or presence.


Poppycock :zzz: Like I keep saying, when his results match his talent and ability (which let's face it, will be very soon), you'll share my thoughts <ok>

Re: The People's Champion Mark IV

Postby Wildey

a simple Question who thinks Judd Trump has a Aura about him ???

i would do a poll but i know the answer already <ok>

Re: The People's Champion Mark IV

Postby Bourne

Definitely does, a real flair and at the Shootout it was he who was getting the most adulation from the crowd out of almost all the players bar Ronnie <ok>

Re: The People's Champion Mark IV

Postby Tubberlad

Wild, I would say Trump DOES have an aura. I think he's got a similar swagger to O'Sullivan around the table actually, he just needs to make good on his potential like Ronnie eventually did.

Re: The People's Champion Mark IV

Postby gallantrabbit

GJ wrote:sorry gallant i get fed up of robbo bashing and took it out on you as i maybe misinterpreted your comments



ok fair enough <cool>

Re: The People's Champion Mark IV

Postby Witz78

Alex and Jimmy are more "Peoples Champions" than Ronnie has ever been.

Possibly because they played in the eras of drink and fags at the table and when the sport was more popular and was less professional to an extent. Perhaps on the flipside, had Ronnie been playing in the 80s then he would have been more of a tearaway / loveable rogue like the other 2?

What Ronnie does have that the other 2 did is have a high profile among even the more general public who dont know much about snooker. And despite what you may suggest, he is a bit of a hero to working class folk, possibly through admiration of his play and his swagger around the table.

Jimmy was popular long before his WC finals with Hendry. Sure, that was the peak of his popularity and for 2 weeks the country almost came to a standstill to see if he could finally win it, in the same way that Henmania took over the UK every June from the mid 90s to the early 00s.

Re: The People's Champion Mark IV

Postby Wildey

Tubberlad wrote:Wild, I would say Trump DOES have an aura. I think he's got a similar swagger to O'Sullivan around the table actually, he just needs to make good on his potential like Ronnie eventually did.

all i see when i see trump is Harry Enfields character Kevin the teenager.

Image

you might see swagger all i see is someone that wants his own way and sulks if he dont get it.

Re: The People's Champion Mark IV

Postby GJ

Just to elaborate tubbs criteria for peoples champion was personality and flair

robbo has both

My example above is one of many emotional reactions in his big matches and this shows his personality shining through and plenty of other players would just shake hands after winning them matchs with no big reaction so robbo is very different to most other players in that way.

His other emotional reactions incude carter match in 09 and against carter in 2010 at worlds so for tubbs to say in his opinion robbo isnt edgy enough i find odd to be honest but tubbs is entitled to his views so fair play.

And robbos style of break building is different as he runs out of position and pulls off tough pots alot of the time and his long potting shows real flair IMO.

So i respect tubbs views but in this case i totally disagree and i have not let my bias influence me as i have shown good reasons why i think robbo has the ingredients to be peoples champion.

Re: The People's Champion Mark IV

Postby Smart

GJ wrote:Just to elaborate tubbs criteria for peoples champion was personality and flair

robbo has both

My example above is one of many emotional reactions in his big matches and this shows his personality shining through and plenty of other players would just shake hands after winning them matchs with no big reaction so robbo is very different to most other players in that way.

His other emotional reactions incude carter match in 09 and against carter in 2010 at worlds so for tubbs to say in his opinion robbo isnt edgy enough i find odd to be honest but tubbs is entitled to his views so fair play.

And robbos style of break building is different as he runs out of position and pulls off tough pots alot of the time and his long potting shows real flair IMO.

So i respect tubbs views but in this case i totally disagree and i have not let my bias influence me as i have shown good reasons why i think robbo has the ingredients to be peoples champion.


Tubbs <cool>

Re: The People's Champion Mark IV

Postby Casey

Smart wrote:
Casey wrote:
Wasn’t it Jack who successfully beat Cancer? You could be onto something guys, the lad has swagger.


Casey <cool>

Zhanger is the only true personality left in the game when ROS hangs up his cue. <ok> :wave:


What about Dale? He has plenty of character about him.................http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS9OO0S5w2k

Re: The People's Champion Mark IV

Postby Wildey

The People decides who a Peoples Champion is there is no criteria to it....

Definition of a peoples champion is someone the People wants to get Behind against the establishment and the "CHAMPION" of the day.

Re: The People's Champion Mark IV

Postby Bourne

That's why I think British crowds won't generally root for him, for the simple fact that he's an Aussie.

Re: The People's Champion Mark IV

Postby gallantrabbit

Yes we Brits are still a little protective of our people's champ title. I know Robbo came over with very little cash, but like it or not he's just not very 'street'. The image of your typical Aussia is surf board under the arm not cue case. Health, sun and vitality and not pasty faced, not seen the sun in his eyes, benson wedged between thumb and forefinger and a large vodka on the go...
I'm not saying Robbo should try and cultivate this image cos he's world champion and on the top of his game, and what does he care, but in my opinion the only two people's champions have been Alex and Jimmy, a couple of street urchins dragged up and raised in the darkest dankest back street halls, playing for money as a way of life.
Ronnie never did this and though he's always been incredible to watch, he'll never be a people's champ.
Sorry Jim for the street urchin bit, I'm sure your ma and pa did you proud..