The Fantastic Shoot-Out!

The Shoot-Out is symbolized for it's excited crowd

This Sunday (14th February) will see the conclusion of the Shoot-Out on ITV4, and it's different format has been a controversy.
Well, I just think players or fans who don't like it should just stay quiet and don't watch/play rather than keeping moaning about it, because this event is very good for the game in many ways and ITV have just signed a deal with it putting another Snooker event on free TV, you don't want those traditionalists ruining their audience!

And I say it's good for the game because it's the one which brings a lot of new fans into the game, people just find it interesting and start watching the sport. It doesn't mean that every event must be like that, if it did the Premier League and the Power Snooker should still be played, but it's only 3 days a year and Snooker has plenty of space for that. It's no trouble for the game and scared people should just sit and enjoy because the special thing about Snooker will forver be the long matches, you know it by thinking that the World Championship have 3 days' matches and the Final is played over 35 frames and even though when it's over you just feel like you can't wait to the next one while in the Shoot-Out you just feel like you want to see proper Snooker soon.
It's also great because it gives lesser known players a lot of TV exposure, and as more famous players you have, bigger the game becomes. So to have it on free TV is just amazing for Snooker and we got to be thankful for ITV and tune it on.
It's great for the fans who like some noise too, you're giving them their space in Snooker. However the Shoot-Out is about lucky, you can't really judge the players' form based on it, the main thing is to have fun. Never the last you can take a lot of confidence from it, reaching your first Quarter Finals, Semi Finals, Finals or even winning your first title like Michael White did last year; It gave him a lot of confidence and in the next week he won a Major Ranking title.

So the conclusion is that Snooker doesn't need the Shot Clock but to have it once a year is great for the game and can be great for the fans too, just don't see it like a trouble for your old and good Snooker, sit and enjoy it on ITV!


This year we had the abscence of Mark Selby, Ronnie O`Sullivan, Neil Robertson and Ding Junhui, and it's clearly because everyone plays on Monday (15th February) for the Welsh Open and you don't want to feel any difference in the Welsh Open - the tournament that really matters.
This event is crucial for the one who the Blog is named after, O`Sullivan need to make at least the Final to have a place in the World Grand Prix next month, only winning the title gives him 100% sure of having a place there. And playing the World Grand Prix should be good for him because this season it will count for the World Ranking, and this season he's defending points from the 2013/14 season when he earned a big amount of points to be fair, and considering he has missed 8 months of the ongoing season he better make up a few points not to start dropping in the Rankings, what obviously doesn't mean he's playing badly as he just won the Masters beating Hawkins 10-1 in the Final, but it doesn't count towards the Rankings.

The Welsh Open means more 7 days of Snooker on free TV, and each day (from Monday 15th to Sunday 21st) will see everybody playing on. O`Sullivan drew Barry Pinches in Round 1 and you can follow all the action from both the Shoot-Out and the Welsh Open via Ronnie O`Sullivan Brasil on Facebook.