Recently there has been much debate on whether snooker should follow darts' lead to modernise the sport. Undoubtedly, there are things the WSPBA could do to improve its appeal but it is also clear that snooker already has much to admire.
Having thoroughly enjoyed recent coverage on TV, I have a question of my own… Would football benefit from becoming a little more like snooker? Before you question my sanity please consider the following.
Firstly, notice the largely faultless behaviour, sporting behaviour and manners of the competitors even under extreme pressure. Then there's the encouraging yet respectful audiences who can be surprisingly loud yet remain in the control of the referee's, who in turn are incredibly diligent and rarely if at all, make mistakes. I wondered if an obvious mistake would lead to a player chasing the referee around the table?
Snooker has in place the ultimate performance-related pay structure - yes continued success is handsomely rewarded but one-off tournament glory is just that. And although it may help reduce the mortgage or pay for a car, the need to earn a living will remain. Consider those mercenary footballers who have on the back of short-term success, perhaps in a World Cup tournament, secured a multi-year, multi-million pound contract and set themselves up for life.
People often ponder the lack of characters in snooker but I found likenesses between Ronnie O'Sullivan and Jose Mourinho, both play the game the way they want and will, for better or worse, always say what they want. For Sir Alex Ferguson, see Stephen Hendry. They both have a burning desire to continue adding trophies to their already vast collections but they don't always take defeat in the correct manner.
Also, the television coverage of tournaments is comprehensive yet fitting, with the action always at the focal point. On a lighter note, I think the only issue is how many times the commentators forecast the shots wrong, possibly because of the ever-increasing standard within the game. In addition, their determined search for the immortal phrase to go with a frame-winning shot is funny if not a little embarrassing.
Is football crazy or is snooker loopy?
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