Ronnie O’Sullivan, the defending Masters champion, begins his bid for a document seventh title on Sunday in opposition to Liang Wenbo – and he options quite a bit 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 ought to be congratulated for making him accessible for greater than an hour final week.
A small group of 4 journalists, together with yours actually, 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’d significantly draw consideration to a few prolonged profiles from two of the higher interviewers and have writers in my sport.
I and a few colleagues are lucky in that we get to talk to O’Sullivan a number of occasions a yr, plus in lots extra press conferences on prime of that.
However the impression of somebody assembly him as soon as in a blue moon, or for the primary time, and given some area to write down a correct piece, gives a special and invaluable perspective.
And Oliver Brown of the Day by 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’s additionally an excellent piece within the Day by 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 likelihood to both ship a employees reporter alongside or make use of the freelance useful resource within the room.
With the remainder of the bases lined I provided up one or two mildly amusing traces to the tabloids (Star, Solar and Mirror on Saturday), and Jamie Broughton of the BBC additionally obtained 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 fitting degree of enthusiasm and embracing the ambassadorial obligation that comes with being a prime skilled.
In equity to O’Sullivan, he has finished his bit over 25 years. Sure, he might have ducked the odd press convention, though you’ll be arduous pushed to call multiple lately, however he has finished extra media over time than many 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 very good ambassadors for snooker. They know that whereas it’s their complete 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 out of doors their contractual obligations for the nice 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 wish to be right here”, wanting dishevelled after a late night time in Eire at Goffs and an early flight, however answering the decision to advertise the Masters.