Snooker

[excelsior-1]

just in from work and turned on bbc2

am delighted to see bingham ahead and performing brilliantly, after he was playing catch up all day yesterday

i mentioned the other day that i always root for the underdog

[Canary42]

Brilliant player - beat O'Sullivan, Trump, and then Murphy.

A very worthy Champion.

[magicmick]

Cloverjo I have no doubt that HI has good script writers, cue cards etc, but I do feel you should have someone who has played the game. They have a list of ex pros giving thoughts, and explanations so why do we need her.

[petal54]

I don't normally watch,but great match

[Cloverjo]

Magicmick, I think she's a good presenter who knows what questions to ask, when to bring people in and when to shut up. The guys who are former players are knowledgable about the sport, but don't have her presenting skills.

[Cloverjo]

Incidentally, I'm getting a wee bit tired of Sue Barker coming on to court at the end of Wimbledon to quiz the players, so I understand your dislike of Hazel brandishing her mic at the snooker players' moment of triumph or defeat.

[Canary42]

... and I can't understand why they don't have a greyhound interviewing the winner of a race.

[magicmick]

Cloverjo I think you will find the little microphone in her ear will tell her when to do all that, it's just that I am a snooker player from the old school and I do not want to listen to a lady going on about the sport she knows nothing about. I have spent many hours in smoke filled snooker halls, con clubs labour clubs, social clubs with not a lady in sight, it just bugs me sorry.

[magicmick]

I would also like to throw something else in the mix, I was friends for a long time with a ex World Champion snooker player and he would tell me often that the game is bent, fixed, from top to bottom. I see nothing to this day to make me think otherwise, this is when the final was not televised and Hazel Irvine no where to be seen.

[THECORBYLOON]

Have you informed the police?

[Cloverjo]

I know nothing about the basics of playing snooker, and certainly nothing about playing in the World Championship, but what do you see that makes you think it's fixed? Bingham's emotions at winning his semifinal were clear. I'm sure there are some players who would be tempted to throw some minor matches for money, but I'm not convinced it happens top to bottom in the big events.

[magicmick]

I would have thought that was up to him, he would have more facts than me but I think he felt like the rest of them he was on a good thing. But he was quite adamant about it.

[magicmick]

It's all a show cloverjo, all a show.

[-Talbot-]

Why do we need Jeff Stelling?

I could go on....you're argument is not a valid one magicmick

[THECORBYLOON]

MAGICMICK, if it is bent from top to bottom, does that not include that ex-World Champion pal of yours too?

[ichkeria]

" I see nothing to this day to make me think otherwise, this is when the final was not televised and Hazel Irvine no where to be seen. "

So presumably back in the year dot when the players could probably not be seen for clouds of cigarette smoke but you could hear the Kray towns exchanging crisp notes with their clients :-)
Mind you we know well that there have been match fixing scandals occasionally in the more recent past.

[ichkeria]

Kray twins :-)

[-Talbot-]

Of course it is fixed from top to bottom. You had to feel for Jimmy White, being told to throw all 6 of his World finals must have hit him pretty hard!

[Ken4155]

^^

The problem was, Talbot, that i forgot i'd told him to throw those finals - and backed him in every one:-(

[thesecondlaw]

magicmick...........a bloke I used to work with once told me to back a player @ 33/1 to win a tournament. Apparently, he'd heard that this certain player was a good thing to win a tournament because it was 'his turn'. He wasn't prepared to divulge any more, but the player duly obliged, making my mate a few quid. I chose to ignore him, thinking the game was straight, and won absolutely nothing.

[yogi-bear]

Snookerzzzzzzzzz

Like playing it, hate watching it .....good for about 30 mins no more.

I'd rather watch next doors cat licking it's johnson. :-)