U.S. Open can't be a national championships says Mouratoglou

1stVolley

Professional
Since you would have had no idea what form the next pandemic would have taken, what action would you have proposed?
First and most important: set up clear lines of communications between all the entities concerned. Then formulate plans for managing resources likely needed in a pandemic: PPE, reagents, swabs ventilators and testing machines. The Federal Government should have had agreements with providers of all these materials. Third, set up triage procedures for when critical resources run out.

Perhaps most troubling is that we have no clear national directive/control for pandemic disasters. Just a bunch of local and state public health entities. Without getting into the Herculean task of reorganizing the entire public health sphere, we should have set up procedures to try an coordinate all of the local and state activity. It is unconscionable that we have had one state bidding against another for badly needed PPE and supplies.
 

1stVolley

Professional
What started as a rich mans game has evolved into a huge corporate method to exploit money. All sports are. They are obsessed with only one thing profit. It is evident in that they are willing to expose players and fans to potential deadly consequences to maintain their profits much the same as the worlds rich support war for profit. As long as its not them its ok. Time to wake up
Yes and let's include those sports fans who, to satisfy their sports watching lust, demand that leagues get back to holding sporting events.
 

Raul_SJ

G.O.A.T.
What started as a rich mans game has evolved into a huge corporate method to exploit money. All sports are. They are obsessed with only one thing profit.

It is in your hands. If people do not watch it on TV, there will be no U.S. Open.

Despite the challenges of holding a Grand Slam event this year, the financial imperative for the USTA to host the tournament and fulfill a television contract with ESPN worth a reported $70 million annually is paramount.​
The USTA laid off around 20 percent of its staff earlier this month and would be facing a significant financial shortfall if it had to cancel the tournament altogether.​
 
And what happens if that happens at the USO? Still nothing on that front...

If there answer is to just withdrawal the player, what happens if it is in the later rounds? Still need answers. The fact that we don't have any means everything will be "under the table."
I'm wondering the same. It needs to be addressed.
 

Tshooter

G.O.A.T.
...
Despite the challenges of holding a Grand Slam event this year, the financial imperative for the USTA to host the tournament and fulfill a television contract with ESPN worth a reported $70 million annually is paramount.​
The USTA laid off around 20 percent of its staff earlier this month and would be facing a significant financial shortfall if it had to cancel the tournament altogether.​

:rolleyes:

[bolded emphasis added]

"Fitch's financial analysis applies downside stresses to non-broadcast revenues and operating expenses to contemplate the impact of the novel coronavirus on ticket revenues and the potential for event cancellation. Under all Fitch scenarios, the resulting net cash flow is sufficient to cover annual debt service at or above an average of 4.9x through 2025. The DSCR, including payment of operating expenses, averages at or above a strong 3.5x in all cases."



"Summary: The 'A-' rating reflects strong expected long-term financial performance of the United States Tennis Association's (USTA) National Tennis Center Inc. (NTC) despite the impact from the novel coronavirus in 2020. While the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic may lead to a significant disruption or outright cancellation of this year's US Open tournament, stringent financial covenants and contractual protections against the single-event nature of the NTC's cash flow are positive credit factors for the rated securities. Further, the ratings reflect ongoing progress of the comprehensive overhaul of the tournament's facilities."

 
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Tshooter

G.O.A.T.
We love to castigate our politicians--Republicans and Democrats alike. I'm afraid, though, that the real problem is...us. It is humans, people--or at least people in large numbers--that do stupid and sometimes horrible things and have done so throughout history. Our "beloved" politicians are only the tip of the iceberg.

The current pandemic is only the very tip of the iceberg. People all over the world have been warned for years about the near certainty that we would be hit by a pandemic. No one demanded action. We simply went about our busy daily lives, did our grocery shopping and watched/played our tennis. The result was that no country, capitalist, socialist, anarchist, dictatorship, you name it, was spared a crisis. There was certainly a lot of angry blaming--in England, Germany, Sweden, China, the U.S.--but not a lot of advance preparations.

Above suggesting no one "demanded action" and no one planned and we all messed up substantially equally and essentially blaming human nature is disingenuous.

"45 days before the world’s first suspected case of COVID-19 was announced—a new “scorecard” was published called the Global Health Security Index. The scorecard ranked countries on how prepared they were to tackle a serious outbreak, based on a range of measures, including how quickly a country was likely to respond and how well its health care system would “treat the sick and protect health workers.” The U.S. was ranked first out of 195 nations, and the U.K. was ranked second."

"There’s a reason the scorecard got it so wrong: It did not account for the political context in which a national policy response to a pandemic is formulated and implemented.'

"One week before Trump’s inauguration, the outgoing Obama administration urged its replacement team to get ready for a pandemic that could be the worst since influenza in 1918, warning of possible ventilator shortages and stressing the importance of a coordinated federal response. The Trump team reportedlydismissed the advice. Instead, in May 2018, Trump shut down a White House office devoted to pandemic preparedness that President Obama set up after the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic. And while the Trump Administration’s requests for deep cuts overall to the CDC were repeatedly rejected by Congress, the White House did succeed in gutting the CDC’s Public Health Science and Surveillance program, which plays a key role in outbreak preparedness."

 

1stVolley

Professional
Above suggesting no one "demanded action" and no one planned and we all messed up substantially equally and essentially blaming human nature is disingenuous.

....

Yes, what you say is true. But the reason politicians get away with the things they do is that there aren't enough of us calling them to account. If more of us were concerned when we heard about the inevitability of a pandemic we would have put continuing pressure on whatever administration was in power to better prepare.
 

Tshooter

G.O.A.T.
Yes, what you say is true. But the reason politicians get away with the things they do is that there aren't enough of us calling them to account. If more of us were concerned when we heard about the inevitability of a pandemic we would have put continuing pressure on whatever administration was in power to better prepare.

Initially you seem to castigate the public for castigating politicians and suggest the real problem is the general public. Then you constigate the public for not castigating the politicians enough. Which is it ?

The general public — even a checked out general public — has a right to expect basic competence (and no self-dealing) from it’s politicians. The US Govt. failed at a historic, shocking level. There is no way around that fact whether pointing fingers at the complacency of the general public or not.

And I’m unclear what you expect people to do other than vote. Our political system is not exactly responsive to general voter concerns anyway.
 
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Bartelby

Bionic Poster
Being accountable at an election held infrequently doesn't really constitute any sort of test.

Yes, what you say is true. But the reason politicians get away with the things they do is that there aren't enough of us calling them to account. If more of us were concerned when we heard about the inevitability of a pandemic we would have put continuing pressure on whatever administration was in power to better prepare.
 

1stVolley

Professional
Initially you seem to constigate the public for castigating politicians and suggest the real problem is the general public. Then you constigate the public for not castigating the politicians enough. Which is it ?

The general public — even a checked out general public — has a right to expect basic competence (and no self-dealing) from it’s politicians. The US Govt. failed at a historic, shocking level. There is no way around that fact whether pointing fingers at the complacency of the general public or not.
No, I think I'm being entirely consistent. I castigated the public because they let up on the politicians so they--the politicians--didn't prepare properly. I also castigated the politicians because they frequently don't do the right thing but only the politically expedient thing.

I agree that we have a right to expect basic competence from our politicians. We don't get it because we don't really demand it. There are many cases of politicians caught with their hand in the cookie jar yet they successfully run for reelection. Every politician should make his or her financial situation open so as to promote trust. Some don't do this, some even lie regarding this yet the public lets this go on.

Yes our government failed at a historic, shocking level (and it's still doing so). We should be angry with the individuals responsible and impeaching them or voting them out of office. And we should also be ashamed at our complacency and our perversion of the First Amendment into a vehicle for doing whatever we please regardless of endangering our neighbors.
 

Bartelby

Bionic Poster
You have to have a really effective system of democratic accountability for public demands to be heard, and your institutions have failed particularly badly in this respect.

No, I think I'm being entirely consistent. I castigated the public because they let up on the politicians so they--the politicians--didn't prepare properly. I also castigated the politicians because they frequently don't do the right thing but only the politically expedient thing.

I agree that we have a right to expect basic competence from our politicians. We don't get it because we don't really demand it. There are many cases of politicians caught with their hand in the cookie jar yet they successfully run for reelection. Every politician should make his or her financial situation open so as to promote trust. Some don't do this, some even lie regarding this yet the public lets this go on.

Yes our government failed at a historic, shocking level (and it's still doing so). We should be angry with the individuals responsible and impeaching them or voting them out of office. And we should also be ashamed at our complacency and our perversion of the First Amendment into a vehicle for doing whatever we please regardless of endangering our neighbors.
 

1stVolley

Professional
Being accountable at an election held infrequently doesn't really constitute any sort of test.
I disagree here. Being voted out of office is a clear test. But you are right, elections are infrequent. So we have to put continuing pressure through demonstrations, writing and calling politicians in large number and in giving support for different candidates who may not have the eye of the two dominant political parties.
 

Bartelby

Bionic Poster
Over time the quality of the candidate replacing the ones voted out has palpably worsened. You have to fundamentally alter institutions to effect any change.

I disagree here. Being voted out of office is a clear test. But you are right, elections are infrequent. So we have to put continuing pressure through demonstrations, writing and calling politicians in large number and in giving support for different candidates who may not have the eye of the two dominant political parties.
 

1stVolley

Professional
You have to have a really effective system of democratic accountability for public demands to be heard, and your institutions have failed particularly badly in this respect.
Sure, you need a really effective system of democratic accountability. Accountability comes and goes, unfortunately. You can bring it back by demanding more teeth into ethics investigations and penalties, into constantly demanding transparency, etc. Results may not happen instantaneously but they will eventually. What we have now are a people content to support politicians because they mouth what we want to hear. We're only too glad to turn a blind eye to their less savory actions. And we're too quick to turn off those who don't agree with us. In a democracy, like a marriage, you compromise or you rule by force. Force of arms or dictatorship of the majority who rule without compromise.
 

Bartelby

Bionic Poster
You are focusing only on the Tocquevillian problem of the tyranny of the majority, and while his analysis is telling for its time it is not relevant as is to 'now'.

Sure, you need a really effective system of democratic accountability. Accountability comes and goes, unfortunately. You can bring it back by demanding more teeth into ethics investigations and penalties, into constantly demanding transparency, etc. Results may not happen instantaneously but they will eventually. What we have now are a people content to support politicians because they mouth what we want to hear. We're only too glad to turn a blind eye to their less savory actions. And we're too quick to turn off those who don't agree with us. In a democracy, like a marriage, you compromise or you rule by force. Force of arms or dictatorship of the majority who rule without compromise.
 

1stVolley

Professional
Over time the quality of the candidate replacing the ones voted out has palpably worsened. You have to fundamentally alter institutions to effect any change.
Yes, I agree about candidate quality. I think a big reason for this is our primary election system. Primary elections favor the more extreme candidates because people more in the middle of the road tend to be lazier about voting that people in the political extremes. I'm not sure what you can do about this except better educate people about the importance of voting in the primaries and not just in the general elections. And, I think, it would be a good thing to have a viable third party, one who could bridge the gap between the two dominant parties (I don't think the Libertarian Party is right for this role).
 

1stVolley

Professional
You are focusing only on the Tocquevillian problem of the tyranny of the majority, and while his analysis is telling for its time it is not relevant as is to 'now'.
I don't know about that. Right now we have more threats about ending the Senate's filibuster rule. If you can force your own legislation through with just 51 votes, why bother to compromise? Maybe requiring 60 votes to end a filibuster is a bit too extreme; perhaps 55 would strike a better balance between compromise and efficiency, but 51 votes looks to be the death of non-partisanship.
 

Tshooter

G.O.A.T.
No, I think I'm being entirely consistent...

I get the pox on both your houses and I‘m not excusing the public for the shortcomings you‘ve noted. These people elected a dangerous and corrupt BS Artist to be POTUS. Nice going America. :giggle:
 
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Bartelby

Bionic Poster
You speak as if non-partisanship is a good thing whereas it is the death of politics. Super majorities should only be required sparingly. Your problem is the Senate itself.

I don't know about that. Right now we have more threats about ending the Senate's filibuster rule. If you can force your own legislation through with just 51 votes, why bother to compromise? Maybe requiring 60 votes to end a filibuster is a bit too extreme; perhaps 55 would strike a better balance between compromise and efficiency, but 51 votes looks to be the death of non-partisanship.
 

Raul_SJ

G.O.A.T.
:rolleyes:

[bolded emphasis added]

"Fitch's financial analysis applies downside stresses to non-broadcast revenues and operating expenses to contemplate the impact of the novel coronavirus on ticket revenues and the potential for event cancellation. Under all Fitch scenarios, the resulting net cash flow is sufficient to cover annual debt service at or above an average of 4.9x through 2025. The DSCR, including payment of operating expenses, averages at or above a strong 3.5x in all cases."



"Summary: The 'A-' rating reflects strong expected long-term financial performance of the United States Tennis Association's (USTA) National Tennis Center Inc. (NTC) despite the impact from the novel coronavirus in 2020. While the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic may lead to a significant disruption or outright cancellation of this year's US Open tournament, stringent financial covenants and contractual protections against the single-event nature of the NTC's cash flow are positive credit factors for the rated securities. Further, the ratings reflect ongoing progress of the comprehensive overhaul of the tournament's facilities."


A- Rating. Excellent.

Can one invest in the USTA?
 

1stVolley

Professional
You speak as if non-partisanship is a good thing whereas it is the death of politics. Super majorities should only be required sparingly. Your problem is the Senate itself.
I think I got that phrase right. Non-partisanship is when parties reach out to their opposition. Right now in Washington we have partisan gridlock. We can't even seem to compromise about extended/expanded unemployment payments even though they've just expired and many people are facing imminent eviction.
 

Bartelby

Bionic Poster
You are looking at this wrongly. Trump does not want extended unemployment payments, so they are not happening. He is in government and he has a blocking majority.

There is no gridlock. You got what you voted for, which is a hard right government and Senate. They are not going to reach out. You have to blast them out of office, and then hope they leave.

I think I got that phrase right. Non-partisanship is when parties reach out to their opposition. Right now in Washington we have partisan gridlock. We can't even seem to compromise about extended/expanded unemployment payments even though they've just expired and many people are facing imminent eviction.
 

Tshooter

G.O.A.T.
A- Rating. Excellent.
Can one invest in the USTA?

Not if you mean buy stock. The USTA has no stockholders.:cool:

The USTA did several private placements of debt to institutional investors in order to finance the NTC expansion. Most of these investors are “buy and hold” but there may be a small secondary market. Ask your broker. :sneaky:
 
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Bartelby

Bionic Poster
The current one is flirting with the idea, so that's why people are talking about a possible coup.

There has never been a President that has lost an election and refused to leave office, so you've got that all very very wrong.
 

zipplock

Hall of Fame
Outside of the air travel, which is an impossibly large risk for those without private options, the behaviour of the players (essentially independent agents coming from many different areas) is the biggest concern for me.

Like you say, a lot of the players have exhibited behaviours that indicate they are still not taking even the most basic protective measures.

This would obviously make the bubble seem useless to players who are worried about contracting the virus and realize they could get it from someone inside who doesn't quarantine properly.
I've been flying since March, granted domestically, not internationally. Having said that, I've felt way safer in airports and on planes compared to the grocery store. Airports are clean, constantly being disinfected, planes are being hyper-cleaned all flights I've been on passengers have been spaced apart. Cabin air is filtered. temperature checks and mandatory masks. I don't consider air travel high risk.
 

zipplock

Hall of Fame
I'm unclear as to how term limits would improve the quality of politicians. Career politicians are a lot better than the amateur currently in office.
The fundamental flaw with career politicians is that they lose touch with the reality from where they came, normal folks. The goal becomes "getting re-elected", not connecting with and serving their constituents. How is it possible to be a voice of the common man when there is no connection to the common man?
 

Bartelby

Bionic Poster
None of them are close to what you call 'normal people'. They constitute an elite. (And a lot come from an economic elite). That's an inevitable function of representative government.

The fundamental flaw with career politicians is that they lose touch with the reality from where they came, normal folks. The goal becomes "getting re-elected", not connecting with and serving their constituents. How is it possible to be a voice of the common man when there is no connection to the common man?
 

zipplock

Hall of Fame
None of them are close to what you call 'normal people'. They constitute an elite. That's an inevitable function of representative government.
I agree, but I stand by my opinion that removing the "getting re-elected" motivation would filter some of the types that get into politics for purely selfish reasons. Systems will never be cleansed of takers, I understand that. Many politicians in the US start at a local level. Some move to a state level before jumping into the national level. It's the national level that becomes stagnant. Local and state levels generally have term limits, allowing for fresh perspectives and ideas. Just my opinion though.
 

Bartelby

Bionic Poster
This is an argument for one term.

I agree, but I stand by my opinion that removing the "getting re-elected" motivation would filter some of the types that get into politics for purely selfish reasons. Systems will never be cleansed of takers, I understand that. Many politicians in the US start at a local level. Some move to a state level before jumping into the national level. It's the national level that becomes stagnant. Local and state levels generally have term limits, allowing for fresh perspectives and ideas. Just my opinion though.
 
Using PM logic, would the French Open be considered less if Americans or non-Europeans don't play? What if Serena didn't play due to travel concerns, does it get an asterisk?

Not for me. Every result is valid. Players can only play who they play. Winning seven matches in a row is tough regardless.
 
But it is not tradition to put on a slam with a B-team these days, so Mouratoglou's concerns are valid.
Jan Kodes, Big W, 1973, it survived ;)


That is just something insecure people from other nations are projecting onto the U.S.
It's called 'wanting a strong field', dunderhead, so there is no insult to your nationalist pride.
Dunderhead? lol...


Your urgings are very weak these days despite all the noise you make.
But it's almost inevitable given the pandemic raging in your country. You're certainly global champions on the pandemic scoreboard!


New York is reasonably fine due to the strong actions of the leaders there, but you are judged by your national situation ... and that is disastrous.
New York eventually stemmed the tide....eventually.....but not after a number of mishaps....



There are flights from Australia ==> Qatar==> JFK.
No excuses.
actually.....
Players are ARRIVING here my dear little scaremonger, so your analogy does not hold. The safety is judged by the conditions in NYC.
Dunderhead?....Scaremonger?............bunch o' savages.




Ah! So you were wrong and it wasn’t 0 as you said and it was 5. Glad you cleared that up.
I said NYC hit zero.Never said NY State hit zero.
So you got that all very very wrong.
Aussie Darcy, it's bad enough Bartelby trips over himself from 10,000 miles away....no need to follow suit. Like Conrad Hilton said: "location, location, location." Knowledge of the landscapes helps...just sayin' :)
NY State, with a population of 20 million, reported 5 deaths yesterday.
My statement of New York City hitting zero was completely accurate.
Don't know why you are nitpicking about this.
There is a liberal Governor in NY.
Any death even suspected of covid is added to the total. The criteria is extremely generous. NY is not underreporting.
There is a rose in Spanish Harlem...what?.....oh yeah...about the death counts....more $ (in certain circles...shhh) if you report it as rona-related.



700 in New York and 900 in Paris, and given that the pandemic waxes and wanes, that's a line ball.
It's currently waxing in Paris, but New York's turn will come despite the miracle wrought by the Democrats.
Miracle? Just stop. The death totals were horrific. Cuomo did his best (although he eff'ed up with the nursing homes) but overall he truly cared...DeBlasio? Don't even go there. The guy was so late to the party (while living very hypocritically in the early days); guy could eff-up a wet dream. NYC? You live in another world and are just politically spitballing here... please, just stop.
NYC is USED TO BE (pre-DeBlasio) one of the safest major cities in the world!
@Raul_SJ ^ FYP
I'm not advising anyone. NYC is WAS one of the safest places in America, and you had GOP the Democrat leadership there to thank for that. I'm glad you finally acknowledge that.
Just stop. I am not coming from a GOP vs. Dem. standpoint, just pointing out your know-nothing presumptuousness here. Just stop. Giuliani was a douche and Bloomberg's stop & frisk policy was illegal profiling, however NYC was safer (let alone cleaner) than it is today, And besides, "safest in America?" 3 million square miles...320 million people..... sweeping generalizations....smh....



And yet even Raul admits Mayor Bill has NYC as clean as an American whistle can be at the moment!
DiBlasio is a joke, the city's taken a turn for the worse on several levels. But then again you live 10,000 miles away....feel free to provincially prattle on....


It did happen elsewhere but those two were 'head in the sand' notorious failures. South Korea and Taiwan were models. Australia, Canada, and New Zealand also performed well.

The NYP is a non-stop propaganda vehicle for the currently-elected Fedstar.
As is "the paper of record" that hits my driveway at 5:00 a.m. every morning not to mention the NYDN......your point?
 
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He got rid of the squeegee guys. People said it couldn’t be done. You can’t take that away from him. Where he put the bodies I don’t know. :whistle:
.lol - that's true (what a shakedown racquet that was). I guess seeing him (and his kid) getting 'comped' with great tix at Yankee games rubbed me the wrong way.
 
tenor.gif
 

Bartelby

Bionic Poster
“I want to play tournaments but I think that the US right now is a little bit of a funny place." - Zverev
 

Bartelby

Bionic Poster
You know, Sean, TW is a global brand with a global board. It has has both a separate website and bricks and mortar stores located 10,000 miles away from SLO.

If they can escape their narrow provincialism, Sean, then I'm sure you too can manage it regardless of your advanced years.

Aussie Darcy, it's bad enough Bartelby trips over himself from 10,000 miles away....no need to follow suit. Like Conrad Hilton said: "location, location, location." Knowledge of the landscapes helps...just sayin' :)

DiBlasio is a joke, the city's taken a turn for the worse on several levels. But then again you live 10,000 miles away....feel free to provincially prattle on....
 

Raul_SJ

G.O.A.T.
“I want to play tournaments but I think that the US right now is a little bit of a funny place." - Zverev

This wacky Zverev played Belgrade exhibition, with zero distancing, masking and testing. Then danced naked at crowded Belgrade bars and night clubs after the match.

Got caught in a bar again when he was supposed to be quarantining after his buddies Djoker, Grigor, Coric, and Goran got infected.

Now he is frightened to play in a prestigious Slam with strict biosecurity protocols and constant testing.

How very odd!
 
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