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Re: Snooker Shoot Out a Ranking Event!!!

Postby SnookerFan

Shaun Murphy has done a poll on his Twitter page asking whether they should bring back Big Break.

As usual, he has his finger on the pulse of what the snooker world are discussing. <doh>

Probably too scared to voice an opinion that contradicts World Snooker.

Re: Snooker Shoot Out a Ranking Event!!!

Postby PoolBoy

I've had a look at how the official World Rankings would have looked, had the previous 2 Shoot-outs been included.
As Wildey has mentioned, Kyren Wilson would be out of the Top 16 (slipping to 17), replaced by Michael White (who's currently at 19).
That would be the most significant change.
A little further down, Luca Brecel would be ranked at 26, instead of his official no.30.
Robin Hull would be the biggest benefactor in terms of places jumped. He's currently at 59, but he would have been up at no.37!!
Xiao Guodong would be at 41 instead of 51.

Nobody really 'fell' very far, as those 'leaps' mentioned above sees the 'leaped' players drop by only one or two places.
The only other moves of 3 or more places comes in the lower end of the rankings.
David Morris would be at 65 instead of 69.
Fraser Patrick would be at 113 instead of 117.
Jimmy White would be at 114 instead of 122.

This tournament is just a bit of fun - or was - will be interesting to see how the dynamic changes. Will Joe Swail be wearing that stupid hat? Will the players wear trainers to enable them to run around the table faster?
Will the players remember to put their cue extensions under the table to eliminate the nonsense of sprinting back to their table to collect it.
Will we see blatant 'time wasting' when players (who are leading), get down on the shot but wait for the beeps to start before playing? It's all just a farce!!
Yes, there's a place for it - a once-a-season 'let off steam' event - but a Ranking Event, it is not!

Re: Snooker Shoot Out a Ranking Event!!!

Postby pasunegirafe

I don't understand why some people like Barry Hearn (Mark Allen tweeting that he still loves him :roll:). Maybe he is a nice guy in private, but the way he talks is so condescending, as if the other players are like children and he knows best. You can't talk to someone like Hearn who dismisses your opinion before you can even give it.

Re: Snooker Shoot Out a Ranking Event!!!

Postby Ayrshirebhoy

Disappointed in Hearn for the first time since he took over but I can't help but think snooker is struggling and he's desperate to get the public more into it. Let's face it, even on here some tournaments dont get posted on much if ronnies not there.

Re: Snooker Shoot Out a Ranking Event!!!

Postby SnookerFan

pasunegirafe wrote:I don't understand why some people like Barry Hearn (Mark Allen tweeting that he still loves him :roll:). Maybe he is a nice guy in private, but the way he talks is so condescending, as if the other players are like children and he knows best. You can't talk to someone like Hearn who dismisses your opinion before you can even give it.



As a person, Barry Hearn is about as likeable as a kick to the nads, but I think people are mostly grateful for what he's done for Snooker. Which is a lot.

On this one he's cocked up though, and he seems to be suggesting that because everybody is telling him he's wrong that somehow proves he's correct. :shrug:

Re: Snooker Shoot Out a Ranking Event!!!

Postby Lucky

SnookerFan wrote:Shaun Murphy has done a poll on his Twitter page asking whether they should bring back Big Break.

As usual, he has his finger on the pulse of what the snooker world are discussing. <doh>

Probably too scared to voice an opinion that contradicts World Snooker.



Taking things further, should 'Big Break' be a ranking event :chin:

Re: Snooker Shoot Out a Ranking Event!!!

Postby TartanMc

Barry Hearn takes advice from no one, well it seems except TV companies.

He has done an excellent job of dragging a dying game back to the limelight but seems to have reached a level that he has found hard to improve upon.

Sky don't seem interested in getting involved, they only want the mass audience boozed up darts coverage. IT is so much easier for them to fit the adverts in during a dart game as essentially any one set has a much shorter time span. But snooker is not so easy, imagine their anger at another 60+ minute Mark Selby ftame, that is 3 or 4 advert breaks up the spout.

China is in a downturn and it appears unable to take on any further tournaments at the level Mr Hearn requires. Australia has only limited interest and their tax regulations and travel makes it unlikely they can supply future tournaments. Thailand could maybe provide more and it is disappointing their lack of events. Hopefully Thepchaiyah or some of the new breed will rise in the rankings but that is a few years away. America is hard to crack, again for the advertising reasons of Sky.

So with the BBC cutting back all we are left with is ITV4 and their modus appears to be they only want the top players. So only interested in restricted events. Hence we have the Champion of Champions, World Grand Prix and Players Championship. Clearly the Shoot Out hasn't the supply of top players so to a sense Hearn has sold out to the devil. They will give him more money to show it but only with the top players competing. His bribery is to offer ranking points which requires the 128 players to take part. The top players will be enduced to compete as otherwise ITV would lose interest, so Robertson may be alone in not competing.

A sad state but the never ending greed for money by all concerned has lead to this final travesty of Hearn's judgement. His only step now would be to have more similar events or why not play pot the Blue, blue on it's spot and white in the baulk area. First miss loses. It will appear one day.

A sad day for snooker and Hearn.

Re: Snooker Shoot Out a Ranking Event!!!

Postby Wildey

Ronnie doesent enter the UK if he doesent feel like it so offering ranking points to entice him is pointless.

Selby and Robertson wont play either too far up the rankings to make whoring in this event worth it.

Re: Snooker Shoot Out a Ranking Event!!!

Postby SnookerFan

Wildey wrote:Ronnie doesent enter the UK if he doesent feel like it so offering ranking points to entice him is pointless.


That's it. If he cared about ranking points, he wouldn't have missed half of last season.

Hearn seems to think that sponsors having no objection proves this turd of an idea is a good one.

Re: Snooker Shoot Out a Ranking Event!!!

Postby Wildey

SnookerFan wrote:
Wildey wrote:Ronnie doesent enter the UK if he doesent feel like it so offering ranking points to entice him is pointless.


That's it. If he cared about ranking points, he wouldn't have missed half of last season.

Hearn seems to think that sponsors having no objection proves this turd of an idea is a good one.

yea Sponsors dont give a buck about the sport all they interested in getting their brand out there......however you have to question the type of sponsors that would sponsor this rubbish.

Re: Snooker Shoot Out a Ranking Event!!!

Postby SnookerFan

Wildey wrote:yea Sponsors dont give a buck about the sport all they interested in getting their brand out there......however you have to question the type of sponsors that would sponsor this rubbish.


Sponsors don't care if some of us hardcore fans don't like it being a ranker. They probably don't even know that there's a few of us moaning about it on Twitter, or on forums. What they care about is how many people are watching the Shootout and how many people will see their brand name. That's what's important to them.

The only way a controversy like this would stop them sponsoring the event, is if it was so massive and so many people were complaining, that they thought their brand would be harmed by associating with the Shootout. As galactically stupid as this idea is, sadly the controversy is nowhere near that big to make sponsors reconsider.

Re: Snooker Shoot Out a Ranking Event!!!

Postby Andy Spark

SnookerFan wrote:I think the annual World Snooker golf day should be a ranking event.

I can see Dennis Taylor approving that one...

Re: Snooker Shoot Out a Ranking Event!!!

Postby Wildey

SnookerFan wrote:
Wildey wrote:yea Sponsors dont give a buck about the sport all they interested in getting their brand out there......however you have to question the type of sponsors that would sponsor this rubbish.


Sponsors don't care if some of us hardcore fans don't like it being a ranker. They probably don't even know that there's a few of us moaning about it on Twitter, or on forums. What they care about is how many people are watching the Shootout and how many people will see their brand name. That's what's important to them.

The only way a controversy like this would stop them sponsoring the event, is if it was so massive and so many people were complaining, that they thought their brand would be harmed by associating with the Shootout. As galactically stupid as this idea is, sadly the controversy is nowhere near that big to make sponsors reconsider.

Players that enter, Fans who attend and Viewers care buck all about the sport end of.

Re: Snooker Shoot Out a Ranking Event!!!

Postby SnookerFan

Wildey wrote:
Players that enter, Fans who attend and Viewers care buck all about the sport end of.


We were talking about sponsors, not the players or fans.

As long as there are enough people attending and watching on TV it'll appeal to sponsors. They aren't going to care whether it is a ranking event, or whether it should be a ranking event.

I agree with you that the Shootout being ranking event is the worst decision that World Snooker has ever made. But we were talking about sponsorship. The sponsors don't care about the ins and outs of snooker, just about bringing their brand name to as many people as possible.

It's odd that Hearn thinks that the sponsors not minding whether it's ranking is somehow proof that this ridiculous farce of a decision is a good idea. It'd be like saying the guy who owns the pub opposite the venue is happy, because he'll get more customers. Bears absolute no relation to whether it should be a ranking event or not.

Re: Snooker Shoot Out a Ranking Event!!!

Postby Wildey

Thing is few years ago Barry and World Snooker wanted a blue chip sponsor for the World Championship.

Events like the Shoot out are a turn off for those kind of sponsors and that's why we are stuck with Betting firms sponsoring everything.

Big Sponsors want to invest in a confident sport not something that needs to try and re invent itself that is a major turn off.

Re: Snooker Shoot Out a Ranking Event!!!

Postby SnookerFan

Dan-cat wrote:Barry's inner monologue: 'now, what can I do today to put the cat amongst the pigeons, get all the players gassing on twitter and get snooker in the papers? I know - I'll make that toilet one frame event a ranker... that will do it'


It doesn't make it a good idea. If he's done it just to get people talking, it worked, and he can stop being silly and take away it's ranking points now.

Re: Snooker Shoot Out a Ranking Event!!!

Postby thecueview

Personally I actually like the Snooker Shootout.

It is something different - one of the things people wanted pre-Hearn was variety.

As a one off event it does no harm whatsoever...even if it brings just the casual fan wanting a quick bet in for the long weekend, that is great.

It is essentially a jazzed up modern day version of Pot Black with a stopclock - the tournament that started snooker's TV era; I see no-one complaining about that format back in the day!

I think people may have been concerned this was BH's plans for the future, but 6 years in, this is the only timed event now remaining. (Premier League, Power Snooker, Seniors World Championship before)

128 players is a good idea IMO, it will be the only competition on the circuit where all the players on tour can play live in front of TV cameras / audience in a one table set-up right from the start. They can also bank some valuable money that will support them throughout the rest of the season.

However, the event being a ranked is a very hard one to take...as mentioned before, it certainly will take a big portion of the 'fun' out of it.

Re: Snooker Shoot Out a Ranking Event!!!

Postby Dan-cat

thecueview wrote:Personally I actually like the Snooker Shootout.

It is something different - one of the things people wanted pre-Hearn was variety.

As a one off event it does no harm whatsoever...even if it brings just the casual fan wanting a quick bet in for the long weekend, that is great.

It is essentially a jazzed up modern day version of Pot Black with a stopclock - the tournament that started snooker's TV era; I see no-one complaining about that format back in the day!

I think people may have been concerned this was BH's plans for the future, but 6 years in, this is the only timed event now remaining. (Premier League, Power Snooker, Seniors World Championship before)

128 players is a good idea IMO, it will be the only competition on the circuit where all the players on tour can play live in front of TV cameras / audience in a one table set-up right from the start. They can also bank some valuable money that will support them throughout the rest of the season.

However, the event being a ranked is a very hard one to take...as mentioned before, it certainly will take a big portion of the 'fun' out of it.


Good post, however I doubt it will affect the way it's actually played. Ebbo shouting Vegan power and all that... the crowd shouting 'yellow' and the commentators saying nonsense like 'ooooh the crowd love a yellow'. BTW, what is that about? :)

Re: Snooker Shoot Out a Ranking Event!!!

Postby Wildey

Ebdon wont be playing in it so no vegan power shout outs.


I Wish someone would blow up the bucking venue so this crap never happens load of rubbish

Re: Snooker Shoot Out a Ranking Event!!!

Postby TheSaviour

thecueview wrote:Personally I actually like the Snooker Shootout.

It is something different - one of the things people wanted pre-Hearn was variety.

As a one off event it does no harm whatsoever...even if it brings just the casual fan wanting a quick bet in for the long weekend, that is great.

It is essentially a jazzed up modern day version of Pot Black with a stopclock - the tournament that started snooker's TV era; I see no-one complaining about that format back in the day!

I think people may have been concerned this was BH's plans for the future, but 6 years in, this is the only timed event now remaining. (Premier League, Power Snooker, Seniors World Championship before)

128 players is a good idea IMO, it will be the only competition on the circuit where all the players on tour can play live in front of TV cameras / audience in a one table set-up right from the start. They can also bank some valuable money that will support them throughout the rest of the season.

However, the event being a ranked is a very hard one to take...as mentioned before, it certainly will take a big portion of the 'fun' out of it.


I tend to agree with you. I feel a much of this opposition against this move is because many players don´t wan´t to give off something they think they have well deserved. They are afraid of losing a match in early stages against some new-comer or a journeyman. A more likely than they would with the normal tournament formats. However, the truth is, the better player still wins the match regardless the format. Reanne Evans and some other female players might have confused them. Reanne has been trying to get in with no results so far. She probably has had some deluded thoughts considering the current top players relative strenghts and abilities.

Shoot out brings the best out the game if you ask me. It is about bringing the game back in to the it´s real routes where the top players are fastly being challenged. It is a do or die - situation, make it or break it. Show me what you really got, AND how well you can control your nerves. The lads plays an exciting do or die - snooker. Obviously, who can play like that, do got something to back it up. Otherwise even the basic psychology rules a very fastly would coun´t them out of doing so.

It is about what people want to and what they don´t wan´t to. There´s your difference. Forcing things is something I can´t say that don´t do it, but the chanches to have any success are always an extremely slim. So it´s about what the majority want´s to. I am not bothered at all about this forcing things. The truth is, people have been doing that the last 10 years so or so. And they will keep up doing so at the future, too. I have said that a many already but that´s just simply the truth. I can´t know what happens in a year 2035 or 2040. But this is the current situation.

Re: Snooker Shoot Out a Ranking Event!!!

Postby Wildey

SnookerFan wrote:Hearn just said on Twitter that the majority of players support this idea.

Hearn is being a right toss pot on this matter.


if players had a choice they would leave it as a invitational let their hair down event if i had my way i would castrate with a rusty knife any player that plays in it

Re: Snooker Shoot Out a Ranking Event!!!

Postby SnookerFan

Wildey wrote:
SnookerFan wrote:Hearn just said on Twitter that the majority of players support this idea.

Hearn is being a right toss pot on this matter.


if players had a choice they would leave it as a invitational let their hair down event if i had my way i would castrate with a rusty knife any player that plays in it


Would the knife have to be rusty?