Screencaps from the last day of the Legends Cup, which was actually pretty enjoyable. Anyone who’s been to a Snooker Legends event knows they can put on a show.
While all this other stuff is going on, Stephen Hendry is the man to beat in the sport called “Retirement”. (via top147.com)
When I texted Matt that Stephen Hendry had announced his retirement, he didn’t really believe him. “We shall see after the short mid-season break. Do u really think he can watch and commentate?…When he knows he still has the magic?…” I tried to tell Matt Hendry said he’d made the decision months ago and sounded very content with it. “I still think there will be second thoughts. He hinted at this a couple of yrs ago. Competitive snooker is very addictive.” I told him he’d said he felt he’s played below his standard for about 10 years, which is a very long time, and that he’d still play in Snooker Legends events, along with his work in Chinese pool I’d posted about months ago. Matt noted, “As long as he stays in the game he will be happy. World Snooker should get him on the Board of Directors. They normally have at least 2 Scots.” But still he didn’t quite believe this would be an issue, as he still questioned how solid Hendry’s decision was.
This morning, he heard this video while getting ready for work. He didn’t even have to see it. There is no more questioning. “I’m sad,” he said as he left.
- Valerie
Ladies and gentlemen, the future of BBC snooker commentary. *fingers crossed*
Sad times. Stephen Hendry retiring from Snooker? I don’t like this at all… not one bit.
01.05.2012
This is all you need to know about Day 1 at The Crucible 2012, folks. Stephen MF Hendry. 22 years after he fell into a pool of baize down there.
vhis:
Very nice, really missed one of those.
Hendry’s 11th 147 21.4.12
Who remembers the Clydeside Classic of 1990?
Anyone?…No? Strange…
As we watch Stephen Hendry fight through qualifying for yet another trip to the Crucible, we recall a time he played the legendary Ray Reardon in a series of short films by David Mach which aired throughout regular programming on Channel Four in the UK. It messes with the well-worn framework and expectations of tv sports, particularly snooker - which don’t seem to have changed much in 20 years (keep in mind the reaction to cellphones in the crowd these days). As a master of those expectations, Matt didn’t take too long to smell a rat. “What was Ray Reardon doing playing Hendry in a tournament in 1990?” he said. “I know they practiced together, but still…”
- Valerie
Nice couple.
“What seems to be the trouble there, Mark?”
“Fucking auto-correct keeps changing my ‘arses’ to ‘asses’.”
“Here, let me see…I think you can save ‘arse’ to a dictionary and it should work…there you go.”
“Ah, okay. Thanks, mate.”
“No trouble.”
(In other news, look at Dom over there. Why’s he dressed like that while everyone else is at a golf league banquet? Oh, that Dom…)
Here’s the setup at the World Open in Haikou, Hainan, China (what is the deal with Bazza and resort towns? Happy memories of Pontins?). Clearly made for tv, unless they have a scaffolding fetish there. So after all that wildcard business to get more Chinese players in for folks to root for, all that remains is pun-bait Jin Long, who impressively beat their #1 draw Ding. Lovely.
We haven’t had much chance to watch a lot of the tournament, what with the time zones and all (we set a 6am alarm to watch Judd beat Higginson, but fell back asleep), but watching Hendry’s unsuccessful comeback bid against Neil “Judd=Balotelli” Robertson, the first thing I noticed was the creaky floor, as if they were playing upstairs at someone’s house. Snookerbacker explained to me on Twitter, “it’s not the floor though it’s the last breathy howls of hundreds of dying cats.” :-) For context on that, read his post on Mark Allen’s latest bouts of honesty and enjoy. (screengrab from liveworldsnooker.tv)
My professional snooker career has almost come to an end. But I am more of a lover of billiards than only a snooker player. Over 30 years of professional career, I have already formed a special love for billiards, which goes beyond the categories of billiards and national borders. Chinese Pool is one of the most important ones for me from now on.
“
| — | Stephen Hendry in Beijing, announcing his new role as “global ambassador” for Chinese Pool, a game described as “an eight-ball game which combines the precision of snooker and the flexibility of nine-ball billiards”. We’re not too sure what this bodes for Hendry, snooker as we know it and which way the Chinese/UK influence could turn, but this is an article you may want to remember. |
On this Robbie Burns Day, celebrating all things Scottish, we consider the great Stephen Hendry, who was winless in the Championship League yesterday. That was especially a shame because he didn’t really do anything really wrong, but things just didn’t break his way as they would way back when to combine with his ridiculous talent. He’s been classy in his decline of the last several years, and his recent commentating work has been fantastic in his focus, weirdly calming tone and inability to say stupid things. So it looks like Hendry will keep making the sport better for fans no matter what happens on the baize.
It’s easy to pick out any number of great Hendry moments from the long past, but we’re posting his 147 from last year’s Welsh Open (against fellow Scot Stephen Maguire) to show there might be life in the “wonder bairn” yet.
