The Matchroom Snooker chief has made it clear that he thinks Ronnie O'Sullivan is a great thing for snooker - despite being one of the most outspoken people in the sport
07:00, 03 Oct 2024Updated 07:02, 03 Oct 2024
Barry Hearn admits that Ronnie O'Sullivan is a pain in the backside - but has earned the right to be one because he's a genius.
O'Sullivan is the World Snooker Tour's most persistent critic despite being its biggest star and has never shied away from calling out schedules, venues or rival players. But Hearn, who has been the figurehead of snooker since the 1970s, has told The Barry Hearn Show that he has learned to accept that he will never make him change.
O'Sullivan is gunning for a record eighth world title next year, which would cement him as the sport's greatest of all time.
Speaking on Thursday's episode, Hearn said: "I've been chairman of World Snooker for many, many years. I'm now president of World Snooker. But the one thing I've learned as I get older is that geniuses are different.
READ MORE: Barry Hearn delivers ultimatum to Crucible over World Snooker with Anthony Joshua pointREAD MORE: Luke Littler in line to become millionaire shortly after 18th birthday"They're a different type of person than you normally come across and the danger is you treat them the same as you treat an ordinary person.
"I'm not being disrespectful to the other players, but geniuses are different. Alex Higgins was different. You can't cater for them.
"In many ways, you have to give them that rope because they are your entertainment factor. They're your wow factor.
"If you got them saying, yes, sir, no, sir, they wouldn't be the same animal. And by the way, there is absolutely no chance that Ronnie O'Sullivan is ever going to say, yes, sir, no, sir.
"Ronnie can be a pain in the ass for me and for Snooker, but we'd be so much poorer without him.
"You can't ignore the rules per se, but what you can do is give a little bit of rope and understand that he's coming at it from a different perspective than you because he's the genius and you're not.
"To my mind, when I watch him on a complicated break, it's Renoir putting together a masterpiece."