SteveJJ wrote:SnookerFan wrote:Yay! More Championship League.
At least its something different - with a lot of tournaments following the same format at the same venue then there's nowt wrong with a bit of variety - even if not the greatest. At least the next stage should see some good groups.
Is it just history that makes us not like group format tournaments?
I mean football fans don't moan about the Champions League etc.
I didn't like them in the past due to the higher likelihood of betting scams/match fixing but whilst that may not be stopped i think the current regime has a tighter handle on spotting such instances which should dissuade people from even trying.
Bring back the World Doubles and the Trick shot Chapionship!
Group stage just doesn't work for snooker, in my opinion. Individual sport in general too, I suppose. It certainly doesn't work in a sport like snooker where there isn't normally a draw.
When I was still getting into snooker, I'd sit down and think; "I'll just watch a frame of snooker, see what happens." Then after one frame, I'd want to know what happens next. Especially if something dramatic had happened, like one person misses frame ball. What would the response be?
Suddenly, I'd realise I'd been watching all afternoon. There's tension there.
Where's the tension when a) Both players can get a draw and b) If you lose, you're not necessarily out. The excitement of snooker disappears if you're not knocked out after one loss. It just isn't the same.
Football is a team game, and has pretty much always been built around a league structure. Yes, you can get some straight knockout tournaments like the FA Cup. But that's more of a minority. The whole point of things like the Premier League is that you play everybody home and away, and then the person who does the best wins. Knockout cup competitions are seen as something to win on top of the main league. And even stuff like the Champions League, is 50% league structure before the straight knockouts start.
Besides, you couldn't structure the football season like you do with the snooker season. How are you supposed to have several week long knock-out tournaments in a football season? It wouldn't work.
It's apples and oranges to compare the two.