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Hearn: Snooker doesn't need Ronnie!

Postby SnookerFan

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

I actually agree with Hearn. When you have tournaments of the excitement and quality of The China Open, where Ronnie was knocked out in the first round, I think the world of snooker can live without him. There's no way Selby vs Trump could've been any better of a match if Ronnie had been involvedi in it. And there were other belters, that didn't involve Mr. O'Sullivan.

Ronald, is a unique talent, yes. But if he's had his day, so be it. He shouldn't play snooker if he doesn't love it.

Re: Hearn: Snooker doesn't need Ronnie!

Postby Monique

No player is bigger than the game and Hearn has a sport to run. However other articles reporting the same press conference had a much moderate tone.
Dave Hendon today was tackling the subject, not Barry's interview, but Ronnie's situation and attitude http://snookerscene.blogspot.com/2011/0 ... ouble.html

Neil Robertson also had his word about it http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/07042011/ ... rites.html (end of the article) and showing a much moderate stance.

Re: Hearn: Snooker doesn't need Ronnie!

Postby Tubberlad

Does snooker need Ronnie O'Sullivan? No, absolutely not. The last two years have been magnificent for the sport and O'Sullivan has not been at his best during that time. He is not bigger than the game.

However, an inspired O'Sullivan at this time would be a great asset to the game. But there are big issues obviously at the moment, and at the end of the day, it's a game, not life or death, and he probably needs time to sort things out before we can seriously consider him a contender again.

Re: Hearn: Snooker doesn't need Ronnie!

Postby Wildey

players come and go sport just moves on.

When Borg retired in 1981 it deprived Tennis of 4 or 5 years of great rivelry with Mcenroe but then comes Lendl and Becker.

its just how it is.

Re: Hearn: Snooker doesn't need Ronnie!

Postby mediter

I agree with wild. Sport moves on.

I liked a lot what Kasparov said after Bobby Fischer died; something like that Bobby should be remembered and respected about what he did for the game. It´s not about personalities or rubbish like that. Fischer loved chess like Ronnie loves snooker and was enormous developer of the game. That´s the angle I like.

Re: Hearn: Snooker doesn't need Ronnie!

Postby vodkadiet

Snooker has had its best season in some while and Ronnie hasn't won a real match of best of 9 or more in that time. Speaks volumes.

Re: Hearn: Snooker doesn't need Ronnie!

Postby mediter

Yes, speaks volumes. Younger guys with more hunger and dedication idolising Hendry´s and O´Sullivan´s break-building and Higgins´s all-roung game are breaking through.

Personal hatred towards somebody is about mirroring your own faults and problems.

Re: Hearn: Snooker doesn't need Ronnie!

Postby Wildey

vodkadiet wrote:Snooker has had its best season in some while and Ronnie hasn't won a real match of best of 9 or more in that time. Speaks volumes.


i agree it has been a great season but Ronnie missing has not made the difference but it just shows how fast the sport can move on.

of course Ronnie would have packed out venues hes that sort of guy like Alex was before him however we always finds another.

Re: Hearn: Snooker doesn't need Ronnie!

Postby Casey

He added well to the World Open, however the other events from then have been great without him. The UK is a great example.

Re: Hearn: Snooker doesn't need Ronnie!

Postby jojo

snooker can and will live without ronnie however it will be a much better place with ronnie in it at the top of his game he a pure artist and i wouldnt rule him out of becoming world number one again and adding to his list of titles

maybe dropping out the top sixteen for a few months next season will be the kick up the bottom he needs he loves a challenge and maybe that will reignite his hunger in a way i want him to drop out the top sixteen because i think his response will be positive

Re: Hearn: Snooker doesn't need Ronnie!

Postby SnookerFan

What I will say is, though we may realise snooker can be enjoyable and fun whether Ronnie is playing or not, a hell of a lot of casual fans don't. I've used this annecdote before, but I watched Shaun Murphy vs Patrick Wallace in the first round of the UK at Telford. Okay, not the biggest match in the world, you knew who was going to win. But, it was on against Ronnie vs Stuart Bingham. At the time, nobody was predicting a Bingham win either, but it didn't stop the Ronnie match all but selling out. The Shaun Murphy match at one point had literally me and four other people watching it. No exaggeration.

He may not be bigger then the sport, and he certainly doesn't need to be there for quality matches to happen, but he does bring in a massive amount of fans. If he left the sport, so would a hell of a lot of fans.

What we need to do is promote the sport, and I've been saying it for yonks. Make sure the casual fans realise there is more to the sport then Ronnie. Ronnie's popularity is a good tool to use whilst we have it, but we can't rely on it. It doesn't help that the BBC commentary and analysis team practically cream themselves every time Ronnie plays. We need people to realise what we all know, that snooker itself can be highly entertaining. Not just one individual in it.

Re: Hearn: Snooker doesn't need Ronnie!

Postby randam05

It was the big thing I didnt stop talking about on here when I first joined up and on 606. Is the promotion of the sport, or lack of it. There is no promotion, I used to bang on about it a lot, but cant be bothered anymore. We all know the promotion of snooker is literally appauling. Basically I think top quality promotion could double its viewers and atleast get people talking.

Anyway, a great read from barry there. I worship 50% of what that man says, and what he said there was top drawer.

Re: Hearn: Snooker doesn't need Ronnie!

Postby SnookerFan

randam05 wrote:It was the big thing I didnt stop talking about on here when I first joined up and on 606. Is the promotion of the sport, or lack of it. There is no promotion, I used to bang on about it a lot, but cant be bothered anymore. We all know the promotion of snooker is literally appauling. Basically I think top quality promotion could double its viewers and atleast get people talking.

Anyway, a great read from barry there. I worship 50% of what that man says, and what he said there was top drawer.


What's the 50% you don't worship?

Re: Hearn: Snooker doesn't need Ronnie!

Postby Wildey

i think the best thing for a sport is the competitive of that sport and over the years from Davis to Hendry to Ronnie and John Higgins that has been limited because of the greatness of those players this years world championship according to Barry Hearn and i agree is the most open in 30 years that can only be great....

if Ronnie was flying it might not be as Open ?

Re: Hearn: Snooker doesn't need Ronnie!

Postby SnookerFan

Wild wrote:i think the best thing for a sport is the competitive of that sport and over the years from Davis to Hendry to Ronnie and John Higgins that has been limited because of the greatness of those players this years world championship according to Barry Hearn and i agree is the most open in 30 years that can only be great....

if Ronnie was flying it might not be as Open ?


Maybe Hearn's chat will make Ronnie fight back, and try to win?

Re: Hearn: Snooker doesn't need Ronnie!

Postby Wildey

SnookerFan wrote:
Wild wrote:i think the best thing for a sport is the competitive of that sport and over the years from Davis to Hendry to Ronnie and John Higgins that has been limited because of the greatness of those players this years world championship according to Barry Hearn and i agree is the most open in 30 years that can only be great....

if Ronnie was flying it might not be as Open ?


Maybe Hearn's chat will make Ronnie fight back, and try to win?

why not lets see some fight

Re: Hearn: Snooker doesn't need Ronnie!

Postby Black2white

SnookerFan wrote:
Wild wrote:i think the best thing for a sport is the competitive of that sport and over the years from Davis to Hendry to Ronnie and John Higgins that has been limited because of the greatness of those players this years world championship according to Barry Hearn and i agree is the most open in 30 years that can only be great....

if Ronnie was flying it might not be as Open ?


Maybe Hearn's chat will make Ronnie fight back, and try to win?

doubt it I have to say
for me Ronnie's actions just show he doesn't want any sort of a fight anymore
would be good if he found this love for the game again, I can't say he's one of my favourites really but I enjoy some of his rivalries <ok>

Re: Hearn: Snooker doesn't need Ronnie!

Postby KrazeeEyezKilla

During the Welsh Open Ronnie didn't look too bad, he was just very rusty and was up against an in form Day. This time he will have an easier first round match and will have two sessions to get settled in. After that he will have eleven days in a row if he makes the final so he won't get bored at any point.

Re: Hearn: Snooker doesn't need Ronnie!

Postby Wildey

KrazeeEyezKilla wrote:During the Welsh Open Ronnie didn't look too bad, he was just very rusty and was up against an in form Day. This time he will have an easier first round match and will have two sessions to get settled in. After that he will have eleven days in a row if he makes the final so he won't get bored at any point.

yup but he has to show fight mate.

he cant expect players to roll over and die.

Re: Hearn: Snooker doesn't need Ronnie!

Postby SnookerFan

KrazeeEyezKilla wrote:During the Welsh Open Ronnie didn't look too bad, he was just very rusty and was up against an in form Day. This time he will have an easier first round match and will have two sessions to get settled in. After that he will have eleven days in a row if he makes the final so he won't get bored at any point.


Pretty true of The Masters as well.

I think it'll be tough, but it's not impossible for Ronnie to win this. If he can't get motivated for this, then what can he?

Re: Hearn: Snooker doesn't need Ronnie!

Postby Monique

And the same again is true about the UK. Stuart played really well, and it was quality from both until the MSI of session 2. Then Ronnie came back with a strained and angry look, a couple of shots didn't work for him and you could literally see the frustration mounting.
As Clive wrote in the April issue of his magazine, there is nothing wrong with his technique, it's the appetite for competition and the thrill that are gone (at least for now).
Now anyone - except true workaholics, and in my eyes BH is one - will know that when you have deep private concerns or sorrows, everything else gets second priority.

Re: Hearn: Snooker doesn't need Ronnie!

Postby Wildey

agree monique same with hendry if things start to go wrong they just fold like a pack of card of frustration.

Re: Hearn: Snooker doesn't need Ronnie!

Postby gallantrabbit

Snooker doesn't NEED Ronnie to survive, but can you imagine having Ronnie in full flight, motivated, practising and talking up the game a little. In that situation the game would go two or three more notches up, and while Hearn has done a terrific job, virtually without Ronnie, I'm sure he'd love to have tackled snooker push up WITH Ronnie.
Who knows he should beat Dale and maybe that will spark something in him, with his family in Sheffield etc.
The best thing people could do is leave him alone, because he has to work this out on his own not with 30 microphones stuick in his eye.

Re: Hearn: Snooker doesn't need Ronnie!

Postby Wildey

gallantrabbit wrote:Snooker doesn't NEED Ronnie to survive, but can you imagine having Ronnie in full flight, motivated, practising and talking up the game a little. In that situation the game would go two or three more notches up, and while Hearn has done a terrific job, virtually without Ronnie, I'm sure he'd love to have tackled snooker push up WITH Ronnie.
Who knows he should beat Dale and maybe that will spark something in him, with his family in Sheffield etc.
The best thing people could do is leave him alone, because he has to work this out on his own not with 30 microphones stuick in his eye.

but gallant point is and its fact of life if they did not stick thoes microphones in his face then he could leave and nobody would give a stuff anyway.

point is hes box office and with that comes thoes microphones.

Alex Higgins thrived on that he just loved it Ronnie doesent.

Re: Hearn: Snooker doesn't need Ronnie!

Postby gallantrabbit

Ok Wild I understand, but Hearn would be doing us a favour if he had a word with some of the top press boys and pleaded for just a little space for Ronnie.
Hearn wanted Ronnie everywhere when he first took over as his pin up and promotion boy, but Ronnie has been so negative that Barry has now given up.
I'm personally disappinted with Ronnie because he wanted the change (Hearn) and he's not giving the man any help, which is a great shame. It's ironic that Ronnie's worst period as a pro, (not just results) has come under Barry's stewardship.

Re: Hearn: Snooker doesn't need Ronnie!

Postby Wildey

lets not forget one thing he wanted Barry Hearn that's not changed his personal circumstance's has which has put him on the back foot.

Barry is right you cant take personal problems to the work place what if a doctor or a policeman does that it would lead to ciaos but snooker is not life and death.

Barry is looking for the same commitment he gives from players as he said "i always turn up for work" that's how barry sees it and that's the definition of being a Professional in what ever line of work your in.

Re: Hearn: Snooker doesn't need Ronnie!

Postby The Cueist

gallantrabbit wrote:Snooker doesn't NEED Ronnie to survive, but can you imagine having Ronnie in full flight, motivated, practising and talking up the game a little. In that situation the game would go two or three more notches up, and while Hearn has done a terrific job, virtually without Ronnie, I'm sure he'd love to have tackled snooker push up WITH Ronnie.
Who knows he should beat Dale and maybe that will spark something in him, with his family in Sheffield etc.
The best thing people could do is leave him alone, because he has to work this out on his own not with 30 microphones stuick in his eye.



Exactly right there mate. :spot on:

Ronnie will sort it out eventually when he gets fed up being beat by lesser players,Well i hope he does. :chin: :chin: