As the BBC is torn apart by a remorseless Tory government and its institutional failings of the past couple of decades, one of its vestigial virtues is its snooker coverage. Marathon, nine-hour games without any ad breaks are anathema to the commercialised world that sport now inhabits, and it should not really work in a modern age in which we are told attention spans have dwindled to be unable to digest anything longer than 140 characters.
Yet when these games are matched with the hushed silences of the crowd, the velvet undertones of the commentators and the stony, stiff-upper-lipped defiance of the bow-tie shuffling players, it all just works. The Snooker World Championships becomes a fortnight-long showcase of old-fashioned British values, and no broadcaster better fits a sporting event than the BBC and snooker.
This cosy relationship poses a problem for Eurosport, who also show live coverage of the competition. How do you compete with the BBC? The answer is to be completely different, and the channel's 'analysis' after Ding Jun Hui/Alan McManus was about as far away from the BBC as you are likely to get.
Alongside host Colin Murray, Eurosport's pundits were snooker legends Ronnie O'Sullivan and Jimmy White and, madly, Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood. Wood's presence was down to the fact he is a snooker fanatic, but soon went about making the post-game show far more entertaining than the game itself. Wood appeared on the sofa bearing gifts, including chocolate, whiskey and a squeaky toy for his dog Dolly. Oh, and he also brought his dog. The entire scene descended into anarchy, which you can watch unfold below:
Things briefly settled down, as White and O'Sullivan decided to talk about the actual snooker. This seemed to bore Wood, and once he caught the eye of Murray, further madness developed, ending in a discussion on the Rolling Stones trip to Cuba:
Then, there was a genuinely touching moment. Wood's partner is expecting twins in a couple of weeks, and Wood asked White and O'Sullivan to be godfathers live on air, a question which seemed to move Murray, and all four had a toast live on air:
Fantastic television. Here is some of the reaction among viewers:
Dog in the studio. Ronnie Wood asking White and O'Sullivan to be godfathers to his twins. Strong pic.twitter.com/ozgleWhtsf
— James Dart (@James_Dart) April 29, 2016
Ronnie Wood's appearance on Eurosport's Snooker coverage with his dog was 1 of those bizarre TV moments that was also very entertaining
— Ernest G. Bilko 🌹🇺🇦 (@ste_nic) April 29, 2016
Ronnie Wood is off his rocker on EuroSport.
— Luke Williamson (@LukeWilliamson) April 29, 2016
The BBC have had Two Ronnies on before, but we are willing to wager this Eurosport version is much more entertaining.
