So much for the American hype

[Vlad]

Pat and Mal are trying so hard to promote some of the American players and they are all keep losing early. All of them did horrible in LA and now they are all losing in Indy. What is it with Dent, Fish, others? are they so much overhyped or just struggling in the mean time?

[Nadal2]

Overhyped. We're used to the second best American of a generation being the second ranked player in the world (Mardy Fish is no Andre Agassi) and since ESPN does most of the coverage, they're looking for ways to attract the average fan. The best ways to do this are:
1. Show the really sexy ones so stupid people just watch to see them move (this is why idiots think that men's tennis is in ruins while womens is not; this strategy doesn't work for male pleyers as well)
or
2. Appeal to their patriotism!!!! You turn on the Olympics and who are you going to root for? Why, you have no clue who anyone is, you root for them because they're from your country.
Anyways, now that I am done complaining, Fish could actually be a threat to go deep in a GS... if he stops choking. Dent is overhyped (the last hope for serve-and-volleying!!!), and Blake has just been injured and has stumbled.

[Brian Purdie]

It's easy to appeal to patriotism, you are correct. They are not the future of tennis. They have no long future in the top 10. They are lousy. They hyped Agassi, Chang, Sampras, and Courier in the early 90's, and they won. This modern group is nothing in comparison. I thought maybe that crop of Jan-Michael Gambill and the gang 5 years ago, but it didn't pan out either.

What ESPN doesn't understand is that they can create personality among the top players via SHOWING THEM. Everyone wanted to watch Becker and Edberg. Those guys were the coolest. What different styles and games all their own! Rafter was very well liked. No one knows Hewitt or Guga, former recent world #1's.

[PJVA]

Originally Posted by Brian Purdie

What ESPN doesn't understand is that they can create personality among the top players via SHOWING THEM. Everyone wanted to watch Becker and Edberg. Those guys were the coolest. What different styles and games all their own! Rafter was very well liked. No one knows Hewitt or Guga, former recent world #1's.

YES! ESPN does not understand that they can generate enthusiam simply by showing the top players regardless of what country they are from. What gets viewers excited and motivated about tennis is seeing a variety of styles and excellent playing.

I'd say another thing ESPN doesn't realize is that there are many sexy male players if sex appeal is something they want to show........ Federer, Moya, Gaudio, Nadal, to name a few.

I get so irritated every time I hear a commentator saying that we have to have American players winning in order to give kids motivation to be interested in tennis. Why can't American kids get motivated by Federer and other foreign players? I think the quality of the playing is what matters.

Oh and about Dent....he's too fat, and Fish's legs are shapeless.

[VamosRafa]

Now you know why they focus so much on Andy. He has lived up to his hype.

So when folks complain about how much air-time the former World No. 1, and current World No. 2, is getting, think about this:

At least we are watching a top player.

Susan

[Metzler]

In the same way Gerulaitis lived up to the hype - he was Borg's whipping boy, Roddick is Federer's!

[The Franchise]

Andy Roddick is the American Dream.

[Rickson]

I hope N2 and pjva are both women because calling men sexy is not a very manly gesture.

[Aoya]

I hope Rickson isn't closed minded and ignorant, because being homophobic isn't a very humane gesture.

[PJVA]

Originally Posted by Rickson

I hope N2 and pjva are both women because calling men sexy is not a very manly gesture.

Yes, I'm a woman. I have to wonder if ESPN doesn't realize that there are many women viewers and the foreign male players have sex appeal and could be marketed. They seem to only think of young blonde women players with that factor.