Ronnie O’Sullivan calls press conference for major career announcement

[cueman]

Let's play that Selby wins the world title this season and doesn't enter the Masters next season and O'Sullivan wins it. Not an impossible scenario. Would we say that his victory is devalued as the defending champion and reigning world champion wasn't there?

Is, by the same logic as with the Masters, actually every tournament devalued this season (except that one PTC and possibly WC) because O'Sullivan hasn't entered? Including those that Higgins and Trump won.

Completely hypothetical argument though and also the masters next season could be a very unusual list of players given that the rankings will be based on prize money and anyone could be in the 16. As the masters has always been an invitational event you kind of expect the cream of the best players involved so do you not think that having one member of the top 16 suspended and the world champion not entering that its still the same? I don't see the Masters as an event surviving in future years given the new format because the top 16 will fluctuate too much for it to have the same level of prestige as in previous years.

[JeeSe]

http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/lis...episode/106160

Stephen Hendry and Jimmy white speaking about Ronnie's press conference and snooker in general.. 2330 - 0000 segment.

[Looki]

Let's play that Selby wins the world title this season and doesn't enter the Masters next season and O'Sullivan wins it. Not an impossible scenario. Would we say that his victory is devalued as the defending champion and reigning world champion wasn't there?

Is, by the same logic as with the Masters, actually every tournament devalued this season (except that one PTC and possibly WC) because O'Sullivan hasn't entered? Including those that Higgins and Trump won.

[cueman]

Were three of four O'Sullivan's world titles devalued because he faced sad excuse for an opposition in the final?

Oh dear he we go again! You casually forget the players Ronnie had to beat to get there and in most of Ronnie's world title victories he was head and shoulders above everyone else and played at or near his best in nearly every match. Just because he beat Carter twice and Dott doesn't take away their pedegree as players or the form he showed.

[Looki]

Were three of four O'Sullivan's world titles devalued because he faced sad excuse for an opposition in the final?

[arbitrage]

That is possibly one of the most stupid posts I've ever seen on here. As if someone like Ronnie would be bothered about Selby! He wouldn't even care if Selby was to go on and win more titles than Ronnie has because the fact is Ronnie will always be considered as a legend of the game and Selby will never acquire or reach that status. Do you think Ronnie is sitting at home worrying that Selby might win the treble when its one of those accolades that was invented by the BBC because they are the only tournaments they show! The masters is devalued as a tournament anyway this season seeing as though one of the top 16 was suspended and the defending world champion didn't enter.

good response. the uk has also been devalued due to the shortening of the # of frames played. many pundits wouldn't consider selby a worthy winner of the uk anyway, given his 65% pot success average after the 1st session vs ryan day and his deliberate plodding vs dott, robertson and murphy - more like a bad joke on snooker

[wildJONESEYE]

It worries the hell out of me if Osullivan does come straight back and wins it, which he could do, as where does that leave snooker? especially if after the tournament he says he cant be bothered to play again, its struggling already for crowds, and to bring young players into the game(in this country anyway), how do you get youngsters enthused to go to a tournament when all you can offer is a chance to see the best of the rest, and not the main man, scary.

snooker is not struggling for crowds if anything its up this season without ronnie.

[magicman]

Was it the 2009 masters where he snapped his cue a day before, borrowed one from John Parris and went on to win?

Original Source: http://www.thesnookerforum.co.uk/boa...#ixzz2Lj0YUogQ
- TSF - TheSnookerForum.com

Yeah that was impressive but maybe not as impressive as it sounds. Parris has the stats for Ronnie's cue so his 'new' cue would have exactly the same size tip, exact same weight, exact same length etc.

He wouldn't even care if Selby was to go on and win more titles than Ronnie has because the fact is Ronnie will always be considered as a legend of the game and Selby will never acquire or reach that status.

Original Source: http://www.thesnookerforum.co.uk/boa...#ixzz2Lj2VQK8q
- TSF - TheSnookerForum.com

This is crystal ball time again! Who can say what status Selby will have? He's already a 3 times Masters winner, which is more times than John Higgins, for instance. The term 'legend' is liquid anyway if the legend tour is anything to go by. If Drago can be called a legend then Selby certainly can! I'd agree that Ronnie won't be quaking in his boots about being done over by Selby though.

[cally]

I thought the part about the breakaway tour in china was more stupid myself....lol..

[cueman]

Screams of attention seeking to me, the press should just not turn up and Barry could leave an entry form on the table for him.

If he doesn't play he'll be largely forgotten after the world's but I wonder if Selby being on for the triple crown might affect his decision as only Davis, Hendry and Williams have done it in one season, not even Ronnie has managed that so he may want to try to stop Selby getting one over on him?
Then again, he could announce a rival breakaway tour in China with Hendry, White, Drago, all the chinese talent plus Hann, Lee, Jogia, etc - nothing surprises with him.

If he does play he could easily win it as can anyone who enters it as the game is so wide open these days with every ranking event being won by a different player.

That is possibly one of the most stupid posts I've ever seen on here. As if someone like Ronnie would be bothered about Selby! He wouldn't even care if Selby was to go on and win more titles than Ronnie has because the fact is Ronnie will always be considered as a legend of the game and Selby will never acquire or reach that status. Do you think Ronnie is sitting at home worrying that Selby might win the treble when its one of those accolades that was invented by the BBC because they are the only tournaments they show! The masters is devalued as a tournament anyway this season seeing as though one of the top 16 was suspended and the defending world champion didn't enter.

[sberry]

Screams of attention seeking to me, the press should just not turn up and Barry could leave an entry form on the table for him.

If he doesn't play he'll be largely forgotten after the world's but I wonder if Selby being on for the triple crown might affect his decision as only Davis, Hendry and Williams have done it in one season, not even Ronnie has managed that so he may want to try to stop Selby getting one over on him?

Then again, he could announce a rival breakaway tour in China with Hendry, White, Drago, all the chinese talent plus Hann, Lee, Jogia, etc - nothing surprises with him.

If he does play he could easily win it as can anyone who enters it as the game is so wide open these days with every ranking event being won by a different player.

[itsnoteasy]

It worries the hell out of me if Osullivan does come straight back and wins it, which he could do, as where does that leave snooker? especially if after the tournament he says he cant be bothered to play again, its struggling already for crowds, and to bring young players into the game(in this country anyway), how do you get youngsters enthused to go to a tournament when all you can offer is a chance to see the best of the rest, and not the main man, scary.

[JeeSe]

LOL.

I don´t think we´ve seen the last of O´Sullivan, but I don´t think he´ll make a comeback this season. Even for a player with O´Sullivans qualities I think going into a tournament without matchpractice will be to much.

Don't you think that is the kind of thing that will motivate him to try his very hardest, and do his very best? It seems when he does this he is the best player by far. To take the season off and then win the Worlds would be the kind of thing that I'm sure would give him plenty of motivation. Was it the 2009 masters where he snapped his cue a day before, borrowed one from John Parris and went on to win?

Do I think he is going to play the worlds this season though, No. I think he may well be announcing his retirement or some other project. But who can predict what Ronnie will do, he probably does not even know what he is announcing yet!

[Rane]

Actually - I'm not so sure about the theory that if he WAS playing, it'd be a simple statement. These days, no-one seems to do anything with a simple statement. You could just as easily say that if he was quitting, a simple written statement to the press would be all that was required.

I personally think he'll announce that he's playing.

However, he'll then pull out two days before the start.

At which point, we will then see Barry Hearn spontaneously combust on live television!

LOL.

I don´t think we´ve seen the last of O´Sullivan, but I don´t think he´ll make a comeback this season. Even for a player with O´Sullivans qualities I think going into a tournament without matchpractice will be to much.

[Bazil]

Actually - I'm not so sure about the theory that if he WAS playing, it'd be a simple statement. These days, no-one seems to do anything with a simple statement. You could just as easily say that if he was quitting, a simple written statement to the press would be all that was required.

I personally think he'll announce that he's playing.

However, he'll then pull out two days before the start.

At which point, we will then see Barry Hearn spontaneously combust on live television!