Off course, I've my favorite Snooker players! From last years they are Judd and Mark! And I grant any winner his trophy!!!
But this year I would have granted the Trophy to Allan McMannus after so many years! And, since I know he's cocking Italian, he got an extra sympathy point! :)
This year I was flabbergasted by that 15 year old Chineese boy I've forgot the name! And a big Wow for Kyren Wilson and Luca "Atomium" Bressel. Great upcoming players!
For World Snooker's PR sake, I think that a final with Marco Fu vs Ding Junghui would have been awesome. Even the 1/2 finals were according to many sources not "just" breaking any record of Snooker viewers. 500 million???
But the 1/2 finals and the final were breathtaking, literally! :)
My history with Snooker: In 1986 I was almost nailed to my bed for 6 weeks having shingles in the heaviest way my doctor ever heard off. Pics of me with shingles are at both Amsterdam and other University Hospitals as examples.
In those days we just had cable tv but in daytime nothing was going on except CNN and a strange Billiard game on the BBC called Snooker? (And Indoor Bowles!) The green cloth / field was relaxing for my eyes and the games breathtaking, strangely enough often easing the horrible pain of shingles. After those weeks I was hooked! :)
As an "artist" I can't stand football/Socker and other "war" games. Even my one-and-ONLY time attending a football stadium, Galgenwaart in Utrecht, to see Price with Sighn Of The Times was a horror story for me. The Crusible may be "cheerfully" supporting, but I would never attend it with Snooker. Especially nowadays with those mobile/cell phones, but the cheering/plaiting/ noisiest public with 2-table setting irritates me continuously.
Like I said before, I've my favorites! :) In those 30 years I had a few more! :) Not only due to their "craftsmanship" (almost artists) but also psychological. Who would I love to meet??? It's all in my opinion, and I MIGHT be wrong, but I doubt it. :) Psychology, Psychiary, Body Language are a kind of "hobby". :)
# 1 Steve Davis! From day 1 a true English Gentleman. :) To have High Tea and a good single malt with? Dalwiney or Lapproich??? (To name 2 totally, extreme different Single Malts I do love!)
# 2 Steven Hendry. From day one a kind of "Billy Elliot". :D Guess a pint of Lager?
# 3 Mark Selby. Sorry that I could be his father (in age). The twinkle in his eyes.... :) But... I'm almost sure he uses coke-with-a-bank-note from time to time and that's fine, but not with me.
# 4 Judd Trump. According to our age difference I should feel old... But he reminded me to myself, feeling young again. (Though... 2-3 years ago, he was falling asleep in his seat, and after a so called pinky break with Mark Selby, he was bouncing like a ping pong ball around the table (and lost the frame)
# 5 Dennis Tayler. ,Don't know, but I see him in Drag on the Amsterdam Hartjesdag (men and woman couples were supposed to wear their partners clothes! Nowadays it's more and more a Drag Queens event, But still sometimes awesome hysterical! :D And on another day, we likely would get hysterical laughing, pants wetting too! ( at least *I* when I get the unstoppable laughs! :D )
Okay I'll keep it to my top 5! :) But, with all respect, and having no doubts at all of his sometimes "rocketing" master ship, Ronny frightens me. And no, I wouldn't ever want to meet him. I'm straight forward! He has IMO enormous psychiatric problems and I really would fear even with my life. :(
What I don't understand in nowadays digital - video world is why rhe referee has to mess around endless minutes when a snooker / faul has to be replaced!!! Just stamp every position FROM A TOP SHOT camera and "blend" both pics, the original position with the live image! Not that 45 degree shot and not X-fading one with the other every 30 secs?
Also: why do we have to watch 90% or more of table shots in that awkward 1960's 45 degree shot where non of th commentators can see if a ball is on or isn't, a gap or not, .... Show a top shot!
Why do we have to watch 15 secs of extreme slow motion of the players facial expression, and then again half a dozen of snap shots from everywhere and the player or again that 45 degree shot where NONE can judge / see what's possible / impossible????
Yes, I'm very interested in body language! But in between, when nothing is going on. Not after whatever shot.
And again, last but not least: stop applauding in 2 table setup and PROHIBIT taking mobile/cell phones with you in the house! No knives, no guns, no bombs, no cell phones! Very simple! B-)
And now (I wrote this during the final intervalls) one of my 2 favorites won! :) But China is coming up soon! :) B-)
