Johnny Mac. The idiot genius or just an idiot?

[David L]

http://www.julianrubinstein.com/johnp.html

Interesting article.

[Azzurri]

Both??

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[PrinceO3TourOS]

I like John because he is so crazy like Gaston Gaudio, these players are funny

[Deuce]

He's not dumb - but definitely more idiot than genius.

A big phony.

Spoiled rotten, too.

I used to subscribe to the idea of him being a mad genius. Now I'm inclined to say sublimely talented and pathetic. Bottom line, he's not smart enough to realize he could grow up if he tried. Or maybe he doesn't have the cojones to do it.

It all begins and ends right here:

"...but also he truly seemed to expect from himself nothing less than perfection. He was and still is the only player in the game who gets ticked almost every single time he misses a shot. It is a trait he inherited not from his father but his mother Kay, who, when John Sr. came home years ago and announced he'd finished second in his class at Fordham Law, told him, "If you studied harder you would have been first."

[CEvertFan]

I would say a bit of both. Genius for his natural tennis talent and idiot for the way he acted on court. Although I have to say that watching McEnroe play was never dull.

[kar<3Ty]

he is a legend..controversial character with his talent and court behaviour
any1 read his auto-biography?

[Deuce]

I think he's made far more of an idiot of himself since he left the pro tour than while he was playing.
I'm not even referring to his sad on-court antics in the 'Champions Tour' - I'm referring to his desperate seeking out of television cameras. The guy has never met a TV camera that he didn't love. From commentating to talk shows to his own talk show and game show... it's neverending. And pathetic.
Rarely do we see one so absolutely starved for attention and validation.
And the thing is... this is the type of phony garbage that he always used to claim he hated.
He has become the exact type of person that he always claimed to hate: an utter and absolute phony.

And that is what is truly pathetic about him.

[Rabbit]

^I agree.

McEnroe on court still can hang. Problem is, he believes too much of his own press. He actually believes that fans come to see him lose control. He believes that the fans want to see a 48-year old version of his 18-year old self. It's sad.

The best thing he could've done was parody his former self. Had he not taken himself so seriously, or his image, then he could've been a great ambassador for the sport. IMO, the Senior Tour thinks it has to have him to put butts in the seats. But, it was my experience that he ran more butts off than attracted. Players like Larsson, Wilander, Ferreira, and espeially Cash entertain the fans and play great tennis to boot. I'd much rather watch two guys who can play act like they enjoy it than act like they're doing me a favor out there.

Genius? Idiot? Neither, I think he's a self-absorbed a-hole. All that said, he can play tennis when he wants to. It's just a shame that he's never appreciated the sport.

[Deuce]

Originally Posted by Rabbit

^I agree.

McEnroe on court still can hang. Problem is, he believes too much of his own press. He actually believes that fans come to see him lose control. He believes that the fans want to see a 48-year old version of his 18-year old self. It's sad.

Maybe - deep down in his most personal belief - he is worried that his tennis talent is not enough to please and entertain the fans. Perhaps, despite his words of bravado, he is quite insecure about his actual tennis talent, and feels that it's not good enough to please the fans... and so he resorts to the relative 'safety' of his childish 'antics. In much the same way that insecure singers/musicians create visual distractions to take the focus off of what they believe to be their flawed talent, maybe McEnroe's trying to deflect attention away from his actual - and present - game with all of the 'antics'.
He may well be of the belief - deep down - that he has greater talent as a circus act than as a tennis player.

If so, it's a shame, as his natural tennis ability is obviously both rare and unique - and appreciated by knowledgeable fans of the game.

Originally Posted by Rabbit

The best thing he could've done was parody his former self. Had he not taken himself so seriously, or his image, then he could've been a great ambassador for the sport.

I agree.

Originally Posted by Rabbit

IMO, the Senior Tour thinks it has to have him to put butts in the seats. But, it was my experience that he ran more butts off than attracted.

Quite likely.
Especially parents who bring their children to a Senior's match, only to hear McEnroe's abusive expletives...
Then he comes on TV (yet again) and tells everyone that children are the future of the sport, and need good influences...

sigh...

[Kobble]

Way above idiot, but certainly below genius. I'll bet he stumbled upon is tantrums. He probably did it twice by accident and found that every time he did it more people were in the seats, and more wins on the board.

[Rabbit]

Actually, according to some of his opponents, he used these tantrums like he uses his volley. McEnroe is prone to throwing a tantrum when the match is close or he senses a turn in the momentum. I think it's probably a valid insight.