American still don't know who Roger Federer is?

[pound cat]

mediocrity rules. i would have printed this in caps if i had the initiative to press the shift button. go andy and everyone else who's name i can pronounce. zzzzzzz

[Stinkdyr]

Half of Duhmerica can't find Iraq on a map and name our Vice President.......why would they EVER know anything about a foreign tennis player. I mean, it's not like we would bump into him at Target snack counter while we order our chili-cheese fries.

[Kevin T]

Hey, buddy, you can come on this board and bash our president, way of life, religion, etc. but we draw the line on bashing baseball!
Repeat after me...Soccer will never be a major sport in the US. It's a very popular intramural and kiddie sport but interest dies after high school. Interest in baseball has picked up the last few years. It will probably never overtake football and basketball again but it will always be a "Big 3" sport. Concerning Federer, he will NEVER be popular with the general sporting public here in the US. Sampras is the greatest American player ever, likely the greatest period, and no one cared about him either. When's the last time you were in a bar and struck up a conversation about Wimbledon?
Or demanded the barkeep turn off that Reds v. Cubs game for a glimpse at the Henman/Ancic quarter? Unless you hang out at the Yale Club, probably never. Sad but true. And lay off baseball.

Perhaps some people are choosing Roddick because Roddick actually has a chance of winning Wimbledon, even if it's against the Great Unbeatable Tennis God Roger "orgasm" Federer.

I think Federer would become far more popular in the US if he got a personality of some sort. Being a great player isn't enough. Americans like strong personalities: Borg, Becker, Rafter, McEnroe, Agassi. It doesn't matter to them if you're not American; just show some personality, have some fun on the court, and they'll love you.

[mlee2]

A lot of people would be feeling rather foolish if Roddick were to win.

I highly doubt it but you never know. I hear crow is a delicasee in some places in the world, such as TW cyberspace.

[Datacipher]

Originally Posted by mlee2

A lot of people would be feeling rather foolish if Roddick were to win.

I highly doubt it but you never know. I hear crow is a delicasee in some places in the world, such as TW cyberspace.

This doesn't make sense. Why do you think they would feel foolish if you yourself "highly doubt it"?

Since you all agree that Federer is the favorite....

[PJVA]

I think all tennis fans in the U.S. know who Federer is. Anyone who watches Wimbledon knows.

I really don't understand the logic in how the networks decide that we only want to see American players. People who don't follow tennis don't usually watch regardless of who is playing. People who do follow tennis usually want to see Federer more than Roddick. In fact other pro players gather to watch Federer.

However, I don't think Federer should be worrying about increasing his recognition. He gets plenty of recognition from the rest of the world. Besides the more celebrity type appearances he would have to give the less time he'd have to concentrate on tennis and staying in shape.

I'd say at some point more people in the US will know who Federer is just because of how many times he will win majors.

[Brian Purdie]

I think it's better that people not know who Federer is. It keeps him out of the spotlight and focused on #1, not interviews and tv shows. Sampras and Lendl were both #1's who shunned the spotlight (relatively speaking, of course). It's hard to be the #1 player in the world and focus on only tennis when everyone wants a part of you. Roger doesn't offer that to the US public, and let's face it: you can be a star on one continent, but until you're a star by the right of the media in the US, you're small potatoes.

[JohnThomas1]

Actuall FM i remember how long it took Lendl to be accepted and perhaps even embraced in the US due to his veiled dour personality. In the early stages Lendl was worse than Federer tho, he didn't even hide the fact he had no time for the media etc. Federer has no probs with the media, but is seen by some as boring on the court. His shots sure aren't tho. Another problem is that he has no GREAT matchups or rivalries at present, in the vein of Mac-Borg, Borg-Connors, Sampras-Agassi etc. Borg was the most boring personality you could ever see on court, but he sure was popular and heralded, almost a cult figure actually. If someone could come thru and go shot for shot with Federer and actually make for some great matches i am sure the interest level in him would hit the sky in no time. Particularly if this player was outgoing and passionate. Maybe, just MAYBE Roddick can hit his straps and form a good rivalry with him, especially on hard courts. Here's to hoping.

[pound cat]

Lets face it. It's only us and 2654 other people who know who Federer is. And the taxman of course, who no doubt is frustrated & puzzled by all those Monte Carlo addresses.

[pound cat]

They don't know who Federer is for he same reason that the buzz on this message board is not about Wimbledon and the semi's. No one cares about anything that's not on this side on this side of the pond. Period. Pitiful. End of discussion.