tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29605452.post3077900647746557795..comments2024-02-03T12:04:16.336+00:00Comments on SNOOKER SCENE BLOG: BARRY HEARN INTERVIEWDave Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08037719321756898982noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29605452.post-3154968456169366112012-03-26T13:01:05.106+01:002012-03-26T13:01:05.106+01:007 events 2 years ago - 52 events in 2 years,it sho...7 events 2 years ago - 52 events in 2 years,it shows the drastic change in sport events and the hectic schedule of a professional player. Its difficult but its reality.Cue Stickshttp://www.qstix.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29605452.post-52697600488689922672011-12-03T10:45:31.214+00:002011-12-03T10:45:31.214+00:00Barry Hearn - The Friendly Dictator. Brilliant!
B...<i>Barry Hearn - The Friendly Dictator. Brilliant!</i><br /><br />Barry Hearn actually describes himself as a "benevolent dictator"—I'm pretty sure I read that in a Dave Hendon article.<br /><br />There is no need to play "hard ball" with the beeb. If they want to downgrade the tournament then it is their prerogative as the broadcaster and main finanicer. They don't have to explain or justify their decision. The WSA always had the option of terminating the contract, but it was smart not to, because the BBC is still its main partner. It's about time China had a major, so maybe it would be more productive if they pushed to upgrade the China Open, and make their two rankers distinguishable from each other. If China is serious about becoming a major player on the snooker scene then it will have to put its money where its mouth is eventually.<br /><br />And wild, quit being a muppet. Snooker's viability in the UK depends entirely on a publicly funded state broadcaster, if it were left to market forces the professional game would be dead in this country. If you are that outraged write a letter to Points of View, but for God's sake run a spell-checker on it so you don't make the snooker fans of the country look illiterate.Betty Lgannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29605452.post-58614547445496340122011-12-03T09:37:20.734+00:002011-12-03T09:37:20.734+00:00Quickly responding too something mentioned earlier...Quickly responding too something mentioned earlier: fans would rather see a couple of new "super" events.<br /><br />You do realize that setting up any new event takes time to materialize. Sponsors aren't going to simply give WS 2m pounds to stage an event that no one will watch.<br /><br />IMHO, Hearn is completely on the ball in starting with these PTCs: start them smallish, see where the interest is biggest (Germany, Belgium), and then develop them into full ranking events OR possibly tiered ranking events.<br /><br />I have full confidence in his ability to do so, even though perhaps his attitude is somewhat arrogant. On the other hand, his track record speaks for itself.<br /><br />I'd say, let's first see how it pans out in 1 or 2 years before judging. He clearly has a longer-term plan so let him develop it.<br /><br />Cheers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29605452.post-87176375510315286622011-12-03T09:06:56.143+00:002011-12-03T09:06:56.143+00:00The difference is just to much: 7 events 2 years a...The difference is just to much: 7 events 2 years ago - 52 events in 2 years?<br /><br />Find the golden mean, Barristotle!Gerardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29605452.post-26364081088481407892011-12-03T08:24:44.324+00:002011-12-03T08:24:44.324+00:00wild said...
ill let them know myself when i dont...wild said... <br />ill let them know myself when i dont pay no need to post any detail on here<br /><br />2:39 AM<br />----------------------<br /><br />hahaha<br /><br />look at me. im not going to pay my license. im big and macho and a tough talker, ill show them.<br /><br />sure you will wild. <br /><br />not one person on here believes your initial post.<br /><br />just open your mouth and talk more nonsense. its entertaining at leastAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29605452.post-66268261061917418102011-12-03T08:22:25.246+00:002011-12-03T08:22:25.246+00:00well said claus
barry has done a lot of good
but...well said claus<br /><br />barry has done a lot of good<br /><br />but he has went back on his word<br /><br />and he basically says he will do as HE likes<br /><br />i think thats a bit of a **** you attitude to take and its turned me off him. completelyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29605452.post-77098885178385155302011-12-03T07:40:20.776+00:002011-12-03T07:40:20.776+00:00A bit pompous Claus
Hearn's done a great job ...A bit pompous Claus<br /><br />Hearn's done a great job - not everything is perfect but neither will it ever be. I much prefer how it is now to the days of seven tournaments and as he says just doling out the money without trying anything new or different!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29605452.post-65685970049846129262011-12-03T04:44:11.313+00:002011-12-03T04:44:11.313+00:00Oh, and furthermore: PTCs are not the guiding ligh...Oh, and furthermore: PTCs are not the guiding light that showed us the potential of mainland Europe. <br /><br />We had been crying out for someone to take advantage of the huge fanbase there for a long time (me being one of those fans) so PTCs where not really needed as there could have been set up normal proper rankers in a good handful of countries.<br /><br />German Masters was epic. Had that too been a PTC it would have been 'okay' with 'nice crowds' and perhaps another set of granny twins but who, if anyone on Earth, would have preferred that?<br /><br />Snooker in Europe was gold on the street that only needed to be picked up. We need to thank Eurosport for that - not an almost universally panned tournament concept that may cause more damage and disinterest in the booming regions than not going at all.<br /><br />Regarding the BBC: they may have set up some demands but Barry 'Smooth Talker' Hearn could have shot them down, I'm sure. If they don't like long mathces they don't deserve the privilege of showing them. Don't like the World Championship format? No soup for you! On to the next channel. In the long run it would be a blessing to not rely on state television. This is not the 1940s.<br /><br />Barry needs to play hardball with the beeb but I think the real truth is that he firmly agrees with them. We, the fans, love, love, love the drama of long matches. Almost all of us. There is no trend towards best of 5 or 7 being the delicious crowd pleasers. Perhaps Barry truly is bored with snooker as we know it. He may want the fast pace and "action" we see in Power "Snooker". <br /><br />That makes it a bit of a problem having him in charge when he openly states that he could give a tihs about anyone's opinion.<br /><br />I may downgrade love to respect. And possibly revise that come April.Clausnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29605452.post-75778688020358047732011-12-03T04:16:56.288+00:002011-12-03T04:16:56.288+00:00Barry Hearn - The Friendly Dictator. Brilliant!Barry Hearn - The Friendly Dictator. Brilliant!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29605452.post-63854326695516028962011-12-03T03:54:48.955+00:002011-12-03T03:54:48.955+00:00Hearn could just as easily have said; 'That is...Hearn could just as easily have said; 'That is why fans should watch whatever we present and not have opinions about formats, match lengths or sense of drama. Leave that to those of us who understand the commercial aspect'<br /><br />Fans, players and any other person not in charge of running the sport are EXACTLY the ones to have a say on what is worth watching and supporting. Such as best of 17 matches at the UK being better than best of 7s in a Sheffield cubicle.<br /><br />I love Barry but....<br /><br />Clearly a lot of us, fans as well as players, discard his ideas and changes just like he does our criticism. So who was he listening to when he threw out Walker? The fans? Players? Who requested the cubicle PTCs? Was that an interpretation of the cry for more tournaments?<br /><br />In the end, Barry will prove me wrong. That's all I cling to in order to still support him. But we know one thing. He can't be trusted anymore. He lied to us. That means something in my world.Clausnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29605452.post-21319258300923944732011-12-03T02:39:35.001+00:002011-12-03T02:39:35.001+00:00ill let them know myself when i dont pay no need t...ill let them know myself when i dont pay no need to post any detail on herewildnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29605452.post-45015558710192637322011-12-02T18:46:38.780+00:002011-12-02T18:46:38.780+00:0029 Acacia Road
Nuttytown29 Acacia Road<br />Nuttytownwildnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29605452.post-15357310829249672962011-12-02T18:05:47.240+00:002011-12-02T18:05:47.240+00:00wild, please post your full name and address so we...wild, please post your full name and address so we can let them know.<br /><br />im not paying an ever increasing fee just so you can sit there and evade.<br /><br />theres a good boyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29605452.post-42467869560464102612011-12-02T12:37:56.081+00:002011-12-02T12:37:56.081+00:00"Unfortunately the licence fee is not optiona..."Unfortunately the licence fee is not optional and therein lies the problem."<br /><br />-----------------------------------<br /><br />its becoming optional im not paying so that other people gets what they want to watch.<br /><br />if i don't get what i want then im not going to pay it really is that simple.wildnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29605452.post-70714656682984608632011-12-02T11:59:47.598+00:002011-12-02T11:59:47.598+00:00Some of Hearn's comments are borderline offens...Some of Hearn's comments are borderline offensive and certainly disrespectful to pro snooker players. Examples:<br /><br />"To be honest, what they want is almost immaterial to me..."<br /><br />"“It seems to me a lot of top players would rather be at home in bed than go out to work like the rest of us.<br /><br /> “The players job is to keep their mouths shut and play snooker."<br /><br />These are rude comments and the boss of Snooker shouldn't be saying them. I suppose you have to give him credit for transforming the sport, he has given the sport a lot more events, but it seems his ego is getting out of control. He seems like a dictator - albeit a friendly one - out to control all aspects of the game. I wouldn't be surprised if the likes of Ebdon, Higgins and O'Sullivan continue to be critical of his handling of the sport. The guy is a great businessman but he's got zero tact. You can't just dismiss the players' opinions, Barry, and yes, John Higgins is right - the players should have been consulted about the frame change to the UK Championship. It's a major event and Hearn should not change it without consulting the players. He would ignore their comments but at least he'd have GIVEN THE IMPRESSION he cared for their views!The Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05880651698568010594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29605452.post-33222357487902672452011-12-02T11:08:16.890+00:002011-12-02T11:08:16.890+00:00I wonder what BH would do to chess. Reduce the num...I wonder what BH would do to chess. Reduce the number of pieces on the board, introduce a power-pawn .. <br /><br />That would speed things up! It's what this dumbed down population wants nowadays, isn't it?Gerardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29605452.post-86937567420667181352011-12-02T10:36:05.005+00:002011-12-02T10:36:05.005+00:00I would like to know who in the BBC is making thes...I would like to know who in the BBC is making these assumptions regarding what viewers want. <br /><br />I fear the BBC has dumbed itself down hugely over the last few years and this is another example of that. The BBC1 offering in particular is not what it used to be. Unfortunately the licence fee is not optional and therein lies the problem.<br /><br />On the plus side, it's nice to see the tournament return to York and also it's great that the Nugget is playing Ronnie in the first round.Colin Mnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29605452.post-12471796247031484952011-12-02T03:15:47.347+00:002011-12-02T03:15:47.347+00:00Great! Looks bright.Support Hearn.Great! Looks bright.Support Hearn.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29605452.post-13644419907515688482011-12-02T02:17:54.550+00:002011-12-02T02:17:54.550+00:00The difference with golf and tennis is that both o...The difference with golf and tennis is that both operate on a system of multiple tiers. Golf has the Challenger Tour and Nationwide Tour in Europe and America respectively while tennis operates a Challenger Tour and a Futures Tour beneath that. <br /><br />This allows young players to develop their skills AND make a living before attempting to qualify for main tour events. Indeed, many tennis players can enjoy a successful and long career through challenger play alone. For tennis at least, the rankings are weighted in such a way that you can only get so high in the rankings before only main tour play can ensure further progression. <br /><br />I wander if Hearn has considered such a system in snooker although it perhaps doesn't fit with his winners/losers philosophy.<br /><br />This might also prevent the transformation of tournaments into "free for alls" with no seeding. Players starting out will have immediate opportunities to adjust to the nuances of being a pro while the viewer is not denied the opportunity to see the very best (who had to earn their place as well) play regularly in the most prestigious tournaments. Like most sports, snooker benefits from rivalries and a well-known cast of characters. In any case, it is hardly a closed shop. The rankings are more fluid than ever. Of course there are a number of faces that have been present since the mid nineties but then snooker offers a longer career at the highest level than other sports.<br /><br />It is admirable that he is taking snooker by the scruff of the neck but it is troubling that he seems unwilling to even allow the players to have an opinion. After all, 35 of them made the most fundamental commercial decision of all - approving his control of World Snooker.Anluanhttp://www.twitter.com/ALHennigannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29605452.post-69044255418088874672011-12-02T00:15:15.869+00:002011-12-02T00:15:15.869+00:00Before the season 2013/2014, we can only talk abou...Before the season 2013/2014, we can only talk about these things, but one thing I have to emphasize many times that:<br /><br />Snooker development is not only the responsibility of WPBSA, it's also the responsibility of continental association, especially ACBS and EBSA. There are too few tournaments, most amateurs just take the experiences from World Championship(Amateur), continental and national events.likahokeithnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29605452.post-64346645022603288312011-12-01T23:47:15.453+00:002011-12-01T23:47:15.453+00:00PTC's are easy and low cost to put on, the pub...PTC's are easy and low cost to put on, the public would prefer to take all these away and put on an additional 2 televised ranking tournaments. The focus for Hearn should be working with BBC and Sky Sports to ensure that these broadcasters are on side to present top flight action rather than spending more time dealing with PTC's, and I know the comments will come back the BBC are not interested and we are lucky to have what we have, well go back to them and work harder and sell it for cheaper because the sport will only grow with this kind of mainstream television coverage, not Eurosport and not PTCs, so if it's sold for buttons in the first instance to mainstream channels, the sport will grow and become more valuable. This is the route to take.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29605452.post-58652916165372872082011-12-01T22:27:13.136+00:002011-12-01T22:27:13.136+00:00It's ludicrous and offensive to compare a spor...It's ludicrous and offensive to compare a sports promoter to Stalin or Hitler. Prize money is up, there are more tournaments, more opportunities and more markets being tapped. If people are still unhappy then that says a lot more about them than the state of professional snooker.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29605452.post-65001984306912514592011-12-01T22:22:49.755+00:002011-12-01T22:22:49.755+00:00If it were any other broadcaster I wouldn't be...If it were any other broadcaster I wouldn't believe the "result in every session" explanation, but we are talking about BBC Sport (who thought it appropriate to spend a billion pounds on a studio in Salford) so it probably is true. <br /><br />This suggests decisions about snooker are being made by ignorant, hubristic BBC commissioning editors who have no interest in the sport or what makes people watch - meaning it is only a matter of time before they demand the worlds are cut back from 17 days. Hearn should be looking at the bigger picture (overseas broadcasters) and keep the WC as it is. If the BBC don't want 17 days then they should share coverage with a pay channel (like they are doing for F1 and the Lakeside darts). <br /><br />I think that Hearn's intentions with the PTCs are entirely correct, but he shouldn't think that he is beyond reproach - I just hope he can build up the prize fund across the ranking tournaments to an acceptable level, and that this doesn't end up in an unseemly challenge (led by Doyle or whoever).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29605452.post-59004561101387798392011-12-01T21:43:33.563+00:002011-12-01T21:43:33.563+00:00Correct betty it was Stalin he achieved tremendous...Correct betty it was Stalin he achieved tremendous successes as far as the commercial side is concerned but at appalling human cost failures been wages fell,sacked if you voiced your opinion or were late for work etc etc . There is also a four year plan but its not good PR as nazi germany used this as their calling card.Hence the five year plan.147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29605452.post-78027965664144341622011-12-01T20:12:33.200+00:002011-12-01T20:12:33.200+00:00EVERY snooker fan i know thinks the PTCs are far t...EVERY snooker fan i know thinks the PTCs are far too weak and EVERY snooker fan i know thinks reducing the UK was wrong.<br /><br />seems Basil just thinks its the players who are not happy with his decisions.<br /><br />wake up Basil and smell the 6xcaff coffeeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com