Average American is so ill-informed on tennis - Page 2

veroniquem · 11-12-2012, 08:35 PM

At school (a few years back), my daughter's class was asked who the #1 male tennis player was. Total silence. And then who won RG that year. Total silence. My daughter was the only one who knew the answers. She got a lollipop for her pain

Most Americans I know know Fed's name though. They may not have seen him play but they know who he is.

LaneMyer · 11-12-2012, 08:39 PM

Federer has Gillette and Rolex ads here on network TV. Even non-sports fans know who he is. They might not know Murray or Djoker but who cares.

LaneMyer · 11-12-2012, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by psYcon

It's fairly irritating. Sometime back while in office I saw a co-worker of mine, a guy in his late 30s rambling about some football match to another. He then asks me if I saw such and such match, and I told him I am more of a tennis fan. He had this look on his face

like he had almost never heard of that sport before. I asked him if he knew about Roger Federer or Nadal , and he gave me this blank stare. He had not even heard of Pete Sampras or Andre Agassi. The only guy he had 'heard' about was McEnroe.

Honestly, after that exchange, I started distancing myself from that guy. I don't care how unpopular a sport tennis is in the US now. How can someone not even have heard of these legendary players??

btw, keep us posted on the goings on with this co-worker of yours. For example, try to find out if he authored a post on some random website ripping a co-worker for calling a football game a "football match".

gavna · 11-13-2012, 05:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAXXply

I can't understand the American obsession with college sports, and statistics in American sports.

Well for a number of years college sports were bigger than pro sports......college basketball and football until only a few years ago dominated the sports pages along with baseball. It was a regional thing but with TV and cable pro sports exploded in he 60s. The exception is Baseball that WAS THE sport in the states for decades and it's a game based on statistics - in fact all of the big 3 sports American football, Basketball and Baseball are statistics driven.

And the REAL reason for all that is the gambling aspect - even though it's illegal in the states to bet (except Vegas) its a HUGE reason Football has become the no.1 sport in the states. The betting lines are posted and discussed everywhere as are the injury reports daily in the papers and talked about on radio and TV -

Folks gamble on college and pro football/ basketball and it takes in billions of dollars weekly........

tacou · 11-13-2012, 09:49 AM

so you told a guy you aren't into football and he said he knows nothing of tennis ?

cknobman · 11-13-2012, 10:00 AM

Look the only way your going to make tennis a more popular sport in America is if you start using the sport in beer advertisements with huge gutted guys and scantily clad cheerleaders.

joeri888 · 11-13-2012, 10:06 AM

Most people I know (age 18-25) have at least heard of Federer, a lot have heard of Nadal, and quite a few know Djokovic and Murray. After that, you'll probably need someone to sort of like the game to know Del Potro, Ferrer, Tsonga.

wangs78 · 11-13-2012, 10:35 AM

Some areas in the US just have very little exposure to tennis. Simple as that. You have to be in a middle class suburb or above to experience tennis, I think, or live in a tennis town, or live in a city that hosts a tennis tournament. I'm fairly well versed in all sports but for example if you asked me about the NHL I would be able to name about 2/3 of the teams, some past greats and maybe 5 current players but that is about it.

Rhino · 11-13-2012, 10:41 AM

I was in Honolulu the other day, in a clothes shop that had loads of sports polo's. I asked if they had any Roger Federer gear. He said "who's Roger Federer? Does he play golf?".

TMF · 11-13-2012, 10:42 AM

American only care if their players dominated the sport. It's too bad that other countries have caught up and surpassed them, just like Australian use to dominate the sport but now have to take the back seat. The US has to put much more of an effort than in the 80s and 90s in order to have a great players like Sampras or McEnroe. In fact, every countries has to continuously improve or else they will be out of the picture.

AnotherTennisProdigy · 11-13-2012, 10:45 AM

About 3/4 of the people I know recognize who Federer, Nadal and Djokovic are, Murray a little less. However, nobody knows who Ferrer and co are.

namelessone · 11-13-2012, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhino

I was in Honolulu the other day, in a clothes shop that had loads of sports polo's. I asked if they had any Roger Federer gear. He said "who's Roger Federer? Does he play golf?".

Seriously?

That's like not knowing who Jordan or Maradona is.

sureshs · 11-13-2012, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhino

I was in Honolulu the other day, in a clothes shop that had loads of sports polo's. I asked if they had any Roger Federer gear. He said "who's Roger Federer? Does he play golf?".

Hawaii has PGA and LPGA events, and for such a wonderful place, a woeful lack of ATP or WTA events. Golf is much bigger in Hawaii.

PCXL-Fan · 11-13-2012, 11:10 AM

Why are Australians, New Zealanders, Canadians and South Africaners so ill informed on tennis?

Why are French so ill informed on Basketball?

Mick3391 · 11-13-2012, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by psYcon

It's fairly irritating. Sometime back while in office I saw a co-worker of mine, a guy in his late 30s rambling about some football match to another. He then asks me if I saw such and such match, and I told him I am more of a tennis fan. He had this look on his face

like he had almost never heard of that sport before. I asked him if he knew about Roger Federer or Nadal , and he gave me this blank stare. He had not even heard of Pete Sampras or Andre Agassi. The only guy he had 'heard' about was McEnroe.

Honestly, after that exchange, I started distancing myself from that guy. I don't care how unpopular a sport tennis is in the US now. How can someone not even have heard of these legendary players??

Same deal with voting, it's the middle "Undecideds", you know the ones that have never studies monetary policy, even basic economics that the candidates have to pander to.

I hate talking bad about my country, but I believe we are spoiled. Our fathers built a great nation for us, too great! Too easy! My foreign distributors CRUSH my American distributors, not because they are smarter, but they act like if they don't do everything they won't eat.

Same deal with Tennis, we have a great Amateur program, why are we dominated by guys in Switzerland or Serbia? Spain? I think they are hungrier. I saw a great study that tracked American sports success to the level of money involved, it was fascinating, the golden age of boxing came as Ali started getting bigger purses, not guaranteed $20m for one fight, but it showed if you gave 100% you could do great, same deal with Tennis, Conners, Mac, Sampras, Aggassi, where have they all gone? Where is the next American legend? I've seen some of these kids, I don't mean at school, but at the centers where they get private lessons with the pros and they are AMAZING, just incredible, this one kid Justin Bower said was like one in the country, don't know what level, but he said "This kid moves us around". I saw another study that showed guys like, oh what is their names, Donald Youngs of the world, have all the talent in the world, get a good payday and the hunger stops. I'm not saying this is what is going on, but look at America's population, Tennis is very popular and a great amateur program and trainers, yet no stars. The last was Roddick, and while incredible certainly no legend.

Sorry about my mini rant, it just seems America is different, everyone is an expert on things they know nothing of, and will argue with you to death over their point.

Don't get mad at me, just one mans opinion.

RF20Lennon · 11-13-2012, 11:43 AM

The only reason fed is somewhat known is due to sponsorships and connection with woods lol. Sad really

LaneMyer · 11-13-2012, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMF

American only care if their players dominated the sport. It's too bad that other countries have caught up and surpassed them, just like Australian use to dominate the sport but now have to take the back seat. The US has to put much more of an effort than in the 80s and 90s in order to have a great players like Sampras or McEnroe. In fact, every countries has to continuously improve or else they will be out of the picture.

Right, because Fed doesn't have a huge following in the states. He didn't just play an exhibition at Madison Square Garden this year and he doesn't have at least 4 national commercials here - Lindt, Rolex, Mercedes and Gillette. Sure you need to be great to be widely known. Just like every other country. Maybe tennis players as a whole aren't as widely known here as in most European countries, but that's because we have a lot more pro sports whereas it's just soccer, tennis, golf maybe F1 in western Europe and some low revenue fringe sports. I'd venture to say right now Fed is every bit as popular here as Sampras or Roddick. Maybe not McEnroe but that's as the result of him being more well known than just a tennis player. He's a celebrity not just an athlete. I suspect if Nadal spoke better English, didn't always carry a snarl on his face when he plays, and said something relevant once and awhile he wouldn't be far behind either. I'd also bet large quantities of cash that the average American would recognize Fed and Nadal in a lineup before Messi and Ronaldo or Beckham. Beckham has a Burger King ad here and I suspect (since there is no mention of soccer) that most people think he's Jason Statham or something.

LaneMyer · 11-13-2012, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RF20Lennon

The only reason fed is somewhat known is due to sponsorships and connection with woods lol. Sad really

Fed and Tiger were never friends. That was just their shared agency marketing. And in fairness you're in TX where every sport other than football is a fringe sport. Where creepy Texans go to watch children they aren't related to play football at the youth level like Canadians who pay to watch children they aren't related to play hockey. For some reason this widely accepted there.

kaku · 11-13-2012, 01:33 PM

Idk, Skip Bayless seems to know something about tennis. In fact, he sounds like a lot of posters on these boards

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWuhO1pMYlk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...lybycxc#t=112s

Roddick85 · 11-13-2012, 02:34 PM

Op don't worry about it. Canadian's are just as bad.

11-12-2012, 08:35 PM	#21
veroniquem Talk Tennis Guru Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: New York Posts: 21,184	At school (a few years back), my daughter's class was asked who the #1 male tennis player was. Total silence. And then who won RG that year. Total silence. My daughter was the only one who knew the answers. She got a lollipop for her pain Most Americans I know know Fed's name though. They may not have seen him play but they know who he is. Last edited by veroniquem : 11-12-2012 at 08:44 PM.

11-13-2012, 10:00 AM	#26
cknobman Hall Of Fame Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Saudi Arabia Posts: 4,700	Look the only way your going to make tennis a more popular sport in America is if you start using the sport in beer advertisements with huge gutted guys and scantily clad cheerleaders. __________________ Wilson 2012 Pro Tour BLX 16x20, very close to my Dunlop Bio 200 lite with more power. Donnay X-Hybrid a true hidden (and cheap) gem of a hybrid.

11-13-2012, 10:41 AM	#29
Rhino Legend Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: South of London, west of Moscow Posts: 6,931	I was in Honolulu the other day, in a clothes shop that had loads of sports polo's. I asked if they had any Roger Federer gear. He said "who's Roger Federer? Does he play golf?". __________________ Every breath you take contains an atom breathed out by Marilyn Monroe.

11-13-2012, 10:42 AM	#30
TMF G.O.A.T. Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 13,617	American only care if their players dominated the sport. It's too bad that other countries have caught up and surpassed them, just like Australian use to dominate the sport but now have to take the back seat. The US has to put much more of an effort than in the 80s and 90s in order to have a great players like Sampras or McEnroe. In fact, every countries has to continuously improve or else they will be out of the picture. __________________ NadalAgassi: I think Serena's final slam tally will be something from 18-27. My best guess is 24 or 25 though; Nole(2010) will never win Wimbledon

11-13-2012, 11:43 AM	#36
RF20Lennon Hall Of Fame Join Date: May 2011 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 3,609	The only reason fed is somewhat known is due to sponsorships and connection with woods lol. Sad really __________________ Intellectuals solve problems, Geniuses prevent them RAFA2005RG- "If he (Rafa) lost Roland Garros it would be like death."