Shouters

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I don't like doing comparisons across sports but will do on this occasion.

In a snooker game would it be acceptable for a spectator, from the first frame, to be shouting out 'get in the pocket' or 'mashed potato' every time Higgins (I deliberately choose possibly the most popular/populist snooker player of last 30yrs) played a shot? I suggest that it wouldn't. I suggest that the perpetrator would be asked to refrain and if he refused he would be asked to leave. OK towards the end of a tight frame or towards the end of the match when others in the audience would likely be doing the same. But not from the start and on his lonesome.

Respect for the players and the enjoyment of the other members of the audience prevail over what one individual thinks he should be able to do.

 

[londonlewis]

I don't like doing comparisons across sports but will do on this occasion.

In a snooker game would it be acceptable for a spectator, from the first frame, to be shouting out 'get in the pocket' or 'mashed potato' every time Higgins (I deliberately choose possibly the most popular/populist snooker player of last 30yrs) played a shot? I suggest that it wouldn't. I suggest that the perpetrator would be asked to refrain and if he refused he would be asked to leave. OK towards the end of a tight frame or towards the end of the match when others in the audience would likely be doing the same. But not from the start and on his lonesome.

Respect for the players and the enjoyment of the other members of the audience prevail over what one individual thinks he should be able to do.

I see a very valid point in this argument but I would also argue that your data set is very limited, in terms of only choosing one sport.

If you want a thorough analysis shouldn't you therefore include more sports and decide whether it is acceptable elsewhere?

would it be acceptable in;
Football, rugby, cricket, hockey, the olympics, darts, formula 1 (would be hilarious if this did happen in F1 as none of the drivers would know anyway).... the list goes on.

I don't agree with it and it is annoying when people shout out incessant stuff after every tee shot but they have paid the price of admission and aren't putting players off during their swing.

I do feel it is disappointing that people can't take photos of the players anymore (unless it is only when they are swinging the club).

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I see a very valid point in this argument but I would also argue that your data set is very limited, in terms of only choosing one sport.

If you want a thorough analysis shouldn't you therefore include more sports and decide whether it is acceptable elsewhere?

would it be acceptable in;
Football, rugby, cricket, hockey, the olympics, darts, formula 1 (would be hilarious if this did happen in F1 as none of the drivers would know anyway).... the list goes on.

I don't agree with it and it is annoying when people shout out incessant stuff after every tee shot but they have paid the price of admission and aren't putting players off during their swing.

I do feel it is disappointing that people can't take photos of the players anymore (unless it is only when they are swinging the club).

Your starting point for a comparison has to be a sport with similar conventions and environment for spectators. In that I class snooker and golf as similar. Close proximity to the competitors and silent.

Football, rugby, cricket, hockey, 'the olympics', darts, formula 1 are all in a different category of spectator sport - darts is a hybrid as the time between the throw and the dart hitting target is too short for the spectator to call out. I can't think of further sports comparative with snooker and golf - that's why I limited my comparison to snooker. Tennis is similar in a way - shouting out immediately after a player hits his shot being a no-no - for different obvious reasons.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I do feel it is disappointing that people can't take photos of the players anymore (unless it is only when they are swinging the club).

Separately on this.

I'm afraid I do not understand why folks feel they have to take photos of players. I absolutely understood in pre-internet days - but today what is such a photo for? What are you going to do with it? You know you've been and you've experienced the event - is that not the memories you need. Sticking a photo on Facebook (for instance) is not telling anyone anything new or that they didn't know or couldn't otherwise find out about the player...no the photo is just to say 'look at me - I was at the golf event and stood near player X' And I'd say. Fine, and...

 

[londonlewis]

Your starting point for a comparison has to be a sport with similar conventions and environment for spectators. In that I class snooker and golf as similar. Close proximity to the competitors and silent.

Football, rugby, cricket, hockey, 'the olympics', darts, formula 1 are all in a different category of spectator sport - darts is a hybrid as the time between the throw and the dart hitting target is too short for the spectator to call out. I can't think of further sports comparative with snooker and golf - that's why I limited my comparison to snooker. Tennis is similar in a way - shouting out immediately after a player hits his shot being a no-no - for different obvious reasons.

Similar conventions and environment?
The environment between snooker and golf is very different.
Have you ever seen a snooker player pocket the black and then high five someone in his corner? You ever seen a snooker player break the reds before punching the air?

I think you are comparing apples and oranges my friend.

 

[londonlewis]

Separately on this.

I'm afraid I do not understand why folks feel they have to take photos of players. I absolutely understood in pre-internet days - but today what is such a photo for? What are you going to do with it? You know you've been and you've experienced the event - is that not the memories you need. Sticking a photo on Facebook (for instance) is not telling anyone anything new or that they didn't know or couldn't otherwise find out about the player...no the photo is just to say 'look at me - I was at the golf event and stood near player X' And I'd say. Fine, and...

There are photos of the eiffel tower on the internet, would you not take one if you went to paris?
If I went to a golf tournament I would definitely want to take photos and they would be for me. Not for you and if you took no interest in them, so what. I would just remember that for next time and wouldn't show you any again.

 

[Conman85]

there are photos of the eiffel tower on the internet, would you not take one if you went to paris?
If i went to a golf tournament i would definitely want to take photos and they would be for me. Not for you and if you took no interest in them, so what. I would just remember that for next time and wouldn't show you any again.

here here!

 

[Papas1982]

I don't like doing comparisons across sports but will do on this occasion.

In a snooker game would it be acceptable for a spectator, from the first frame, to be shouting out 'get in the pocket' or 'mashed potato' every time Higgins (I deliberately choose possibly the most popular/populist snooker player of last 30yrs) played a shot? I suggest that it wouldn't. I suggest that the perpetrator would be asked to refrain and if he refused he would be asked to leave. OK towards the end of a tight frame or towards the end of the match when others in the audience would likely be doing the same. But not from the start and on his lonesome.

Respect for the players and the enjoyment of the other members of the audience prevail over what one individual thinks he should be able to do.

I think you have missed one thing here when comparing the wonderful etiquette of snooker. Ronnie is 45 behind we'll say Higgins, with 50 on the table. Higgins missed his shot leaving an easy start. Are you telli g me the whole crowd don't road, irrespective of what is happening on accomapnayung table? Unfortunate almost all sports have noisy cheering, the words used are totally irrelevant. When my kids grow up ill take them to many sporting venues as possible and I'm sure they'll hear a lot worse than mash potato and different sports.......

 

[Sweep]

I think you have missed one thing here when comparing the wonderful etiquette of snooker. Ronnie is 45 behind we'll say Higgins, with 50 on the table. Higgins missed his shot leaving an easy start. Are you telli g me the whole crowd don't road, irrespective of what is happening on accomapnayung table? Unfortunate almost all sports have noisy cheering, the words used are totally irrelevant. When my kids grow up ill take them to many sporting venues as possible and I'm sure they'll hear a lot worse than mash potato and different sports.......

Quite. But how about the first shot of the first frame? No-one would be shouting "in the pocket". Yet they do in golf, from the first shot on the first hole. And do Higgins fans shout "mashed potato" or is that Ronnie fans? Actually it's neither. I don't think anyone is arguing against cheering a player, but this isn't about support. It's about getting your voice heard on TV, as close to impact as possible, shouting completely irrelevant nonsense, so that generations of viewers for centuries to come will have no doubt what a complete prat you were. It's a real shame that this great game has been infected with these idiots. It only exists because it is tolerated. As previously mentioned, it wouldn't happen in tennis for obvious reasons. If they tried it at Flushing Meadows they'd be out on their ear. The PGA Tour should do the same.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

There are photos of the eiffel tower on the internet, would you not take one if you went to paris?

A general snap of the Eiffel Tower? - maybe I would - but maybe I might not bother. Might take a picture of my Mrs in Paris with the Eiffel Tower in the background - but that's not the same thing. You get a snap taken of you with Tiger Woods - fair enough - great momento. But a snap of Tiger walking along a fairway? Maybe not.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Anyway - Shouters - watching last night - oh what a bunch of dorks. Someone take them away...please...

 

[CMAC]

I'm all for a shot across the bows for anyone 'excited' enough to shout out something, however, where do you mark the line?

The guy in the stand on 18 who shouted "c'mon Nicky Baby" to Nick Faldo when he won that year which had lots of laughter from the crowd, or the guy/girl who shouts "get in the hole"?

It's a difficult one to police and set rules but I am all for self policing and the knowledgable crowd 'having a word' with anyone being idiotic but that also has the potential to flare up into something that none of us want to see in golf.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

So what are the proponents of the 'Shouters are OK' argument going to say on the matter today (see apology from John of NC).