25.1.13

SHARP SHOOTING

The first incarnation of the Shootout in Blackpool two years ago was a success.

It entertained the paying public, provided Sky Sports with very good audience figures and gave the players a chance to let their collective hair down over what was a bit of well paid fun.

There was all manner of nonsense talked afterwards about how the rules should be adapted for the World Championship but this was soon forgotten when proper snooker soon returned into view.

Last year’s staging of the Shootout wasn’t quite as entertaining, but that’s the thing with novelties: they soon wear off.

This season’s Shootout, sponsored by Betfair, begins this evening with new rules. Matches will still be ten minutes long but rather than the first five minutes having a 20 second shotclock and the last five one of 15 seconds, it will now be 15 seconds for the first five minutes and 10 seconds for the last five.

This risks making the players look pretty stupid. One of the appeals of snooker is the skill on show but there is precious little time under this format to even get into position to play, let alone execute the shot correctly.

The rules were altered at the insistence of Sky, who felt players were guilty of running the clock down last year. Even if this is true, it is one of the inevitabilities of having a timed match.

The Shootout is a piece of entertainment. It’s an ever-changing cast of players competing for the £32,000 first prize. However, it is only really compelling when matches go close.

It’s better in my view than Power Snooker, of which little has been heard of late, even though a date for an event was added to the World Snooker calendar for March, but shouldn’t really be taken seriously – either within snooker circles or by those who really, really, really want everyone to know how much they dislike something on television that they are apparently forced to watch/tweet about all night.

One player I spoke to last week had it about right: ‘I’m going to go up there, have a few beers and enjoy myself.’

And what is wrong with that?

That said, Neil Robertson isn’t playing and Judd Trump, who recently said snooker audiences should be more like those at darts, hasn’t entered the one event where this already happens.

Blackpool is a party town and I trust a good time will be had by all.

Those for whom it holds little appeal only have to wait a few days until the German Masters.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

"..but shouldn’t really be taken seriously – either within snooker circles or by those who really, really, really want everyone to know how much they dislike something on television that they are apparently forced to watch/tweet about all night."

So true

Anonymous said...

I think people's objections to it are

i) it isn't a great advert for the real game of snooker;

ii) it suggests Hearn is a bit myopic when it comes to formats for events (i.e, he thinks he can replicate the success of darts by doing exactly the same thing with snooker). I see that bowls has introduced a shot-clock for its world championship (another carry-over from a Matchroom sport event).

And World Snooker deserve criticism for endorsing Power Snooker and including it in the official calender. It has about as much place on the official calender as an 8 ball pool event.

Anonymous said...

@ 8:24 am
Well said!

Johan said...

Not one for me I'm afraid; I'll stick with the German Masters...

The Fish said...

Nothing wrong with the shoot out,its just a bit of fun,although i agree Dave bringing the shot clock down to 10 secs for the last five minutes will result in players missing a lot of balls.It may not be pretty

Anonymous said...

I took the wife for the Saturday afternoon session last year, and to my amazement she really enjoyed it AND won more than me betting on the matches.

The venue is such a classic - if you go, take time to go upstairs and wonder at the ballroom, complete with organist and dancing couples even in January.

Anonymous said...

Shame it's only shown on a subscription TV channel...

NewsfoxSport said...

I think Sky would do better with a 6-red series of events...go international with it.

Shoot out sounds a bit daft to be fair, not one I'd be bothered to watch.

Anonymous said...

you can watch online for free on the betting websites. Its a fun event not serious at all and the 1st blue ball sudden death shootout last night was very exciting!

Anonymous said...

Why do people keep bringing 6 reds into things?

It's such a boring version of the game, and has no significant future.

What is it with snooker fans that they're constantly looking to change the game?

Fans of footy, rugby and tennis just get on with watching the game. They don't spend their time sitting around trying to come up with a different game to watch instead.

(There was that Power Golf nonsense a couple of years ago, but nobody really seemed to take much notice).

The Blog said...

Today's afternoon session...

The crowd seem almost silent compared to yesterday's sessions! Were they told to be a bit more quiet when the players are down on the shot?

Anonymous said...

Haven't watched this but is Bazza using the rent-a-crowd blokes that Power Snooker used to initiate chanting?

The Blog said...

The tournament is good fun but I think having a one frame semi-final and final makes it seem like Pot Black. Surely the final should be best of five frames (first to three). One frame for a final seems a bit of an anti-climax.

The Blog said...

Sensational play by Martin Gould to win the tournament. Wow.

Mignon said...

I know it's been done before and above but I feel an utterly compelling desire to quote the following extremely well put hendonian words: "It’s better in my view than Power Snooker [...] but shouldn’t really be taken seriously – either within snooker circles or by those who really, really, really want everyone to know how much they dislike something on television that they are apparently forced to watch/tweet about all night."

The trouble with people who tend to take themselves too seriously is that they tend to do the same with all the less than important things in life. Regrettable symmetric consistency.

I believe the Shoot Out is fun - I've enjoyed it more than last year and had no fear that the players might look ridiculous if they had to play faster than before. That particular kind of atmosphere is not exactly my own 'cup of tea', but for one/two events in the season, well, it's bearable. The players seemed to love it.

Fun, yes, but the pressure must have been as hard to deal with as in other events and it must have been more difficult to focus.

Congratulations to Martin Gould!

Claus said...

Come on, we KNOW it is not all serious. It was good fun and I can't help but enjoy it. It isn't "real" snooker but there is real excitement. The players are obviously also excited and everyone's having a laugh.

Smile folks!