Snooker

[Shaggy]

What do people think of Barry Hearn's attempts at 'revolutionising' the sport?

It's started with this poxy 'World Open' event in Glasgow, first to ****ing three frames. What's the point?

Personally I hate T20 cricket - it's a ****, pointless, glitzy waste of time for people with the attention span of a two year old.

This to me seems the same.

[Shaggy]

This happened today. O'Sullivan 'talked into a 147'

Ronnie O'Sullivan fired a remarkable 147 break at the World Open in Glasgow after halting play when on nine points to check the prize for a maximum.

He was told there was no separate purse but cleared up to beat Mark King 3-0.

The 34-year-old appeared content to end on the pink in the final frame and had to be persuaded to pot the black.

Jimmy White now waits in the fourth round for O'Sullivan, whose break was a record 10th career maximum, one more than his rival Stephen Hendry.

It was a typically extraordinary performance from the mercurial O'Sullivan, who has surprisingly fallen to sixth in the world rankings, largely because he chose to miss the recent event in Shanghai.

O'Sullivan took the first frame in 10 minutes after breaks of 38 and 75.

The second frame was a comedy of errors, with gritty left-hander King running out of position having made only 15.

O'Sullivan fought his way back into the frame but only a couple of shots from securing a 2-0 lead he saw a break end on 25 when an attempt into the centre pocket bounced out of the jaws.

King reduced the deficit to 14 points with a run of 20 then left the yellow, but after O'Sullivan potted it he played a wild shot that let in the left-hander.

He could only knock in the green but another reckless shot from O'Sullivan gave him another chance, although in potting the brown over the pocket he snookered himself on the pink and after a few more shenanigans O'Sullivan took the frame.

Then came the brilliance, and after potting the first red and black in frame three O'Sullivan halted proceedings to ask what the prize for a 147 was, only to be eventually told there was no additional purse and only a £4,000 sum for the highest break.

He potted some outstanding balls in his maximum, achieved in barely 10 minutes - even with the delay when researching about the 147 prize - but shook hands with King after disposing of the pink.

Referee Jan Verhaas persuaded O'Sullivan to finish the break and he duly slammed in the black in nonchalant fashion.

"I wasn't going to pot the black to be honest with you because I asked the ref and was told there was no break prize for a 147," O'Sullivan admitted to the BBC.

"I wanted to make sure because if there was a decent prize then I would definitely have gone for it and I thought I might as well go for it anyway.

"Jan talked me into it [potting the black]. My whole thing was I was going to make 140 and leave the black What's the point of making a 147 if they're only going to give you four grand for it?

"I'm surprised. They're getting stingier. I thought Barry Hearn was supposed to be putting more money into the game, not taking it out.

"I've had loads of 147s so I don't really get excited by it and thought I needed to give myself something to go for. I just thought 'why not?'"

O'Sullivan has been a supporter of Hearn, who has promised to revitalise the sport as new supremo of World Snooker.

[Mr Darko]

I saw Ronnie's 147. In a way I think him leaving the black was a good idea to highlight the lack of a decent highest break prize and no maximum prize at all. £4000 isn't much considering 147's are rare and the like of Hendry and O'Sullivan have only made nine televised ones in their careers.

I don't agree with Hearn's recent changes. What's the point in 3 frames. Say for example you're a Pro ranked around 40 and then you get drawn against Ronnie, what's the point in hours travelling to Scotland when you know you're going to lose and it'll be over in about one hour.

[Kenneth]

I saw Ronnie's 147. In a way I think him leaving the black was a good idea to highlight the lack of a decent highest break prize and no maximum prize at all. £4000 isn't much considering 147's are rare and the like of Hendry and O'Sullivan have only made nine televised ones in their careers.

I don't agree with Hearn's recent changes. What's the point in 3 frames. Say for example you're a Pro ranked around 40 and then you get drawn against Ronnie, what's the point in hours travelling to Scotland when you know you're going to lose and it'll be over in about one hour.

Or about 20 mins if Ronnie fancies it.


A lot of people won't like the "What's the point of making a 147 if they're only going to give you four grand for it?" bit. It's funny though.

[Pablo]

Best of five means you have a better chance of beating the likes of Ronnie IMO. In theory it should be less predicatble. MOre of a cup game than a full league season if you catch my drift. If you get of to a flyer, or Ronnie starts slow, you can win it before he's even settled.

In terms of the changes in general, I think they had to try something, hopefully with a bit of experimenting they will get the balance right soon, because the game badly needs it.

[Shaggy]

Best of five means you have a better chance of beating the likes of Ronnie IMO. In theory it should be less predicatble. MOre of a cup game than a full league season if you catch my drift. If you get of to a flyer, or Ronnie starts slow, you can win it before he's even settled.

No doubt about it, but it makes it more of a lottery I reckon, can't take it as seriously. Cheap and nasty, like T20.

[wiw]

Pointless really, snooker is snooker. It's never really going to appeal to the masses consistently is it? A certain type of person likes it and that's it, don't see why they're ****ing around with it

Gotta love Ronnie

[Kenneth]

No doubt about it, but it makes it more of a lottery I reckon, can't take it as seriously. Cheap and nasty, like T20.

Although T20's not quite that abridged. There's definitely a balance between exciting and random and this is more in the latter category.

[Shaggy]

Check out his interview

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/9016342.stm

No doubt many will find it cuntish, but I think it's well funny. Far more interesting than the usual cliché-fests.

"So Ronnie, Dennis Taylor said that was sheer genius, your tenth televised 147!!!!!!!!!"

"Thanks."

[Kenneth]

Pointless really, snooker is snooker. It's never really going to appeal to the masses consistently is it? A certain type of person likes it and that's it, don't see why they're ****ing around with it

Gotta love Ronnie

That's true enough. There are people who like snooker in passing, but there are loads of people who like snooker A LOT. And there's more of them as a % than in most sports I think. Maybe I'm biased from living in Sheffield and seeing the social misfits and Chinese students hanging around the stage door.

[-V-]

Ronnie is a ****ing legend. He actually asked the ref how much the prize is for a 147 break when he was only on 8

He's just brilliant, the only good thing about snooker

[-V-]

Im watching it now. He's casually walking around potting all the balls without any effort and at the same time keeps asking how much the prize is

[Kenneth]

Check out his interview

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/9016342.stm

No doubt many will find it cuntish, but I think it's well funny. Far more interesting than the usual cliché-fests.

"So Ronnie, Dennis Taylor said that was sheer genius, your tenth televised 147!!!!!!!!!"

"Thanks."

[Kenneth]

Im watching it now. He's casually walking around potting all the balls without any effort and at the same time keeps asking how much the prize is

Great wasn't it. The black at the end too, proper arrogant ****


Bets bit was when they said 'look at all the smiles in the crowd' and the camera turns to a load of dead looking snooker mongs, and the look on King's face during the wait for news.

[Pablo]

Check out his interview

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/9016342.stm

No doubt many will find it cuntish, but I think it's well funny. Far more interesting than the usual cliché-fests.

"So Ronnie, Dennis Taylor said that was sheer genius, your tenth televised 147!!!!!!!!!"

"Thanks."

Fixing his cue tip in the middle of it The whole thing was hilarious