Question for Fed fans

[Ivanišević]

Ok..
I have one question and it's been bothering me for a some time..
I see there's a lot of americans on this board and I've noticed that most of them are Fed fans.
I even think there's a more american fed fans that europeans fed fans.
I read somewhere that Pete wasn't quite popular in US in his prime, but stil...

I know.. someone will say that fed is more talented etc.. but being a fan is more than just skills, it's also about personality, charisma, patriotism or so.

[Rhino]

so whats the question?

[malakas]

lol yeah..ivanisevic..what's the question?;p

[Ivanišević]

Question is-WHY IS THAT?

[Rhino]

Ok if the question is: Why are there more american fed fans than europeans fed fans?
I don't think there are, Europeans love Federer.

if the question is:Why wasn't Pete wasn't quite as popular in US in his prime?
I thought he was huge, but not as big as Agassi obviously because Andre had the rock star charisma going on.

[malakas]

Originally Posted by Ivanišević

Question is-WHY IS THAT?

I take it you ask,why Fed is more popular than Sampras was among american..and not why there are more american Fed fans than European..

Eh..maybe the fact that the American fans used to support more the other American..Andre Aggasi?..And now the american player are not that good as in Sampras era,and any true tennis fan will appreciate and be a fan of Fed's tennis now..
But really that's just my opinion.

[Ivanišević]

If Sampras was a Croat I'll be Sampras fan obviously so that's why I don't get why are there a lot of american fed fans...

[Shabazza]

Originally Posted by Ivanišević

I even think there's a more american fed fans that europeans fed fans.

You really think this board is representative for all american and european tennis fans?!!!

[Ivanišević]

Originally Posted by Shabazza

You really think this board is representative for all american and european tennis fans?!!!

I guess..
If not, what board is representative then?

[Shabazza]

Originally Posted by Ivanišević

If Sampras was a Croat I'll be Sampras fan obviously so that's why I don't get why are there a lot of american fed fans...

Becker is german and I'm german, still I'm not a big fan of him...as you said, being a fan is not only about someone's game or nationality, obviously!

[Shabazza]

Originally Posted by Ivanišević

I guess..
If not, what board is representative then?

None, of course.

[malakas]

Originally Posted by Ivanišević

If Sampras was a Croat I'll be Sampras fan obviously so that's why I don't get why are there a lot of american fed fans...

Well..that's not how many tennis fans choose the players who they will support.I mean at first,it can be a reason but as you become more hard-core tennis fan,you support,at least me,players for other more important,if I may say from a tennis scope,reasons..Off -on court personality,style of game,sportsmanship etc..

But..if I may add,without trying to be offensive or anything,what you describe it's also a characteristic of smaller countries when they get sucess in a sport.I know from my country.We suddendly win the Euro and everyone becomes an expert on european football..

[Shabazza]

Originally Posted by malakas

But..if I may add,without trying to be offensive or anything,what you describe it's also a characteristic of smaller countries when they get sucess in a sport.I know from my country.We suddendly win the Euro and everyone becomes an expert on european football..

Com'on, you know that your EC win was one of the biggest surprises in recent sports-history. Overhype is to be expected!
Croatia winning DC wasn't that surprising, imo. Can't be compared, really. But I know what you mean.

[Tezuka Kunimitsu]

for me it was between roddick or federer. I started watching tennis a fell in love with roddick's power, then saw everything federer had...shot making, attitude, his strokes (inside out)... well the rest is pretty obivious. I am a federer fan.

~Joe

[malakas]

Originally Posted by Shabazza

Com'on, you know that your EC win was one of the biggest surprises in recent sports-history. Overhype is to be expected!
Croatia winning DC wasn't that surprising, imo. Can't be compared, really. But I know what you mean.

lol yeah.. Croatia does have a tradition in tennis,but what I meant to say is....smaller nations,who don't have as many successes in sports as for example USA etc,tend to be more..ehm.."patriotic" when it comes to sports.

lol Just count how many cypriot and greek posters have suddendly come to MTF or TW after February..

[Shabazza]

Originally Posted by malakas

lol yeah.. Croatia does have a tradition in tennis,but what I meant to say is....smaller nations,who don't have as many successes in sports as for example USA etc,tend to be more..ehm.."patriotic" when it comes to sports.

lol Just count how many cypriot and greek posters have suddendly come to MTF or TW after February..

Yeah - it's common everywhere!
Take a (well-known) sport not famous in a given country - take a team or player of that country, who comes out and wins all of a sudden against some of the best players world-wide and the hype will start. And with the hype goes the bandwaggon!
Fans will pop out - many of them will be there just as long as the team/player wins, but some (or some more ) will grow a liking to the sport itself and other players and thus, new true fans of the sport are born, which (hopefully) leads to more players from this country and more bandwaggons as well.

[BluBarry]

Mostly evryone has given thoughful answers to this. For me, and the people that I've associated with who are Tennis Fans and happen to be Americans just simply appreciate Talent regardless of where that Player bornes from.

The only time I get the American Spirit is during Davis Cup and I haven't gotten excited about Davis Cup since Sampras, Agassi, Courier were the main team.
Last year when Agassi played Federer at the USO Finals, I was routing for Agassi because I like Agassi, not because he's American. This year, I was routing for Federer because I'm not a big Roddick Fan and I really like records being broken, which raises the Bar up a notch again.

[Ivanišević]

Originally Posted by BluBarry

Mostly evryone has given thoughful answers to this. For me, and the people that I've associated with who are Tennis Fans and happen to be Americans just simply appreciate Talent regardless of where that Player bornes from.

The only time I get the American Spirit is during Davis Cup and I haven't gotten excited about Davis Cup since Sampras, Agassi, Courier were the main team.
Last year when Agassi played Federer at the USO Finals, I was routing for Agassi because I like Agassi, not because he's American. This year, I was routing for Federer because I'm not a big Roddick Fan and I really like records being broken, which raises the Bar up a notch again.

This is exatctly the thing I don't understand...
Ok, you don't like Roddick.. but still he's an american and he represent your country, doesn't he?

[Breaker]

Originally Posted by Ivanišević

This is exatctly the thing I don't understand...
Ok, you don't like Roddick.. but still he's an american and he represent your country, doesn't he?

So are you saying that only Swiss should be allowed to root for Federer?

[BluBarry]

Originally Posted by Ivanišević

This is exatctly the thing I don't understand...
Ok, you don't like Roddick.. but still he's an american and he represent your country, doesn't he?

The only time Roddick represents America is when he's playing Davis Cup other than that, he nowhere near represents what opportunities most young Amreicans have been offered to advance their Tennis career. Roddick was chosen by whomever to be the next whatever but in reality, the vast majority of young upcoming Americans don't get the funding that Roddick got and hasn't proven worthy of yet imo.

When the USTA starts going bigtime into putting not only a lot of money into their training programs and actually developing a training program. And offers that to potential players outside of the wealthy bracket in our society, then I would say " Let's go Americans Players "