Follow the White Ball: The torments of snooker’s greatest player | Hacker News Reader

Follow the White Ball: The torments of snooker’s greatest player

newyorker.com

67 pointsjonathansizz18 comments

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I've been a fan since 1992. Possibly the most beautiful video for me on youtube :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpeBugHSCnU

Ronnie O' Sullivan Fastest 147 in History - 5 minutes 20 seconds - 1997 World Championship

(mostly because I watched it live, and still remember how it blew my mind, still does)

Absolutely incredible the suspense must've been crazy.

From a timing perspective, O'Sullivan lost overnight - knocked out in the Quarter Finals of the World Championship.

"I'll go for a run in the morning and sparring in the afternoon. Life has to go on and will go on."

http://m.bbc.com/sport/snooker/32524542

Relevant quote from the article about a game 5 months ago:

> In the semifinal, O’Sullivan found himself 4–1 down and on the brink of losing to Stuart Bingham, the ninth-ranked player in the world. “That was a match where I just thought, I’m not going to be pushed around by someone like Stuart,” O’Sullivan told me afterward. “I’m not ready to accept that role yet. I fucking hated that match.” He won, 6–5.

(Bingham being the same player who just beat him)

After this defeat it sounds like he's thinking of quitting again, but I certainly wouldn't put money on him staying away.

He always sounds like he's quitting the game.

That was my point. They said, one of these days he actually will quit for good, but I hope not soon.

You could argue he's one of the greats. But the greatest?

"Many wonder whether O’Sullivan can equal Hendry’s record of seven world titles and officially become, in his forties, the greatest player the game has ever known."

Not yet.

Depends how you define it. O'Sullivan hasn't been consistent enough and simply attending enough Championships to win that many titles. But in terms of talent, no one really competes. O'Sullivan in his prime would have beaten Hendry two times out of three.

So tough to call but O'Sullivan has never played anyone with Hendry's long potting ability.

When O'Sullivan is on form, he has an ease and fluency that no other player can match. His maximum breaks are rightfully legendary, and give a glimpse of his immense talent. O'Sullivan doesn't really compete against other players, but against his own psyche; For this reason, he is both the most exciting and the most frustrating player to watch.

Yes, it reminds me of watching Jimmy White in the 80s. Although he didn't win many tournaments (and never the world title) his talent was so obvious and compelling.

There was a nice passage describing O'Sullivan in an article [1] posted on r/snooker recently:

"For years, the main frustration for the keen snooker fan was the apparently immutable dichotomy between the monotonous winners and the flamboyant losers. It seemed that we could either have the unflappable resolve of a Steve Davis (six-time World Champ) or the charismatic fragility of a Jimmy White (six-time runner-up), but we couldn't have both in one player. By only self-destructing either before the start of a tournament or after winning one, O'Sullivan has cleverly defied this convention. He doesn't fall apart in the crucial stages of a match; he plays consistently throughout, either like the greatest player in the world or only, say, the twelfth best. It all depends on which Ronnie shows up."

[1] http://www.ianbgibson.com/on-snooker

It depends on how you define greatness. Is it long-term consistency or is it in the highest peaks reached?

O'Sullivan has more talent than anyone else who ever played the game. I don't think any interested observer disputes this, including Hendry. It's harder to admire high-level consistency that is less dazzling; it's harder to empathize with, for one.

As a Brit, it seems funny to see Ronnie O'Sullivan profiled in the New Yorker. Who are they going to cover next? The Crafty Cockney? [1]

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Bristow

I'd prefer Jockey Wilson.

I was going to suggest him, but he has the disadvantage of being dead.

Shove ha'penny?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shove_ha'penny

> O’Sullivan is frequently described as a genius. But he does not see how this can be so.

Ah Imposter Syndrome, we meet again.

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