Ronnie O’Sullivan, the defending Masters champion, begins his bid for a report seventh title on Sunday in opposition to Liang Wenbo – and he options so much within the media on Saturday.
O’Sullivan is in fact a lot in demand for his ideas forward of the largest tournaments, and World Snooker must be congratulated for making him obtainable for greater than an hour final week.
A small group of 4 journalists, together with yours really, sat down with him in Romford, together with a BBC tv crew and the outcomes are on the market for all to see.
And I might notably draw consideration to a few prolonged profiles from two of the higher interviewers and have writers in my recreation.
I and a few colleagues are lucky in that we get to talk to O’Sullivan a number of instances a yr, plus in a lot extra press conferences on high of that.
However the impression of somebody assembly him as soon as in a blue moon, or for the primary time, and given some house to jot down a correct piece, provides a unique and priceless perspective.
And Oliver Brown of the Each day Telegraph and Sean Ingle of the The Guardian have made probably the most of that chance to supply up glorious particular person takes on the identical assembly.
Hyperlinks
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/snooker/2017/01/13/renegade-ronnie-osullivan-looks-life-beyond-baize/
There may be additionally an excellent piece within the Each day Mail, all from the identical 70 minutes of quotes; however The Occasions, sadly a fading pressure on snooker protection and for causes greatest identified to themselves, snubbed the uncommon probability to both ship a employees reporter alongside or make use of the freelance useful resource within the room.
With the remainder of the bases coated I supplied up one or two mildly amusing strains to the tabloids (Star, Solar and Mirror on Saturday), and Jamie Broughton of the BBC additionally received some good use of their time with O’Sullivan.
Gamers, for instance John Higgins lately, get rightly criticised when they don’t fulfil their media duties both to the letter of the contract, or with the suitable degree of enthusiasm and embracing the ambassadorial obligation that comes with being a high skilled.
In equity to O’Sullivan, he has completed his bit over 25 years. Sure, he might have ducked the odd press convention, though you’d be arduous pushed to call a couple of lately, however he has completed extra media over time than a lot of the gamers put collectively. The honest ones know this, acknowledge it, and are sometimes fairly grateful that he’s the lightning conductor.
The overwhelming majority of gamers are excellent ambassadors for snooker. They know that whereas it’s their whole world, on the market it’s a minority sport combating for consideration with different, larger sports activities, and so they give of their time willingly and outdoors their contractual obligations for the great of the sport.
To all these gamers we are saying thanks, and likewise O’Sullivan on this event – with a busy schedule, turning up admitting he “actually didn’t need to be right here”, wanting dishevelled after a late evening in Eire at Goffs and an early flight, however answering the decision to advertise the Masters.
