Great stories from the Golden Era 1974-1984

JAY1 · Oct 23, 2012

I am putting together a list of great stories from what's widely regarded by the tennis experts as 'The Golden Era' 1974-1984. I would love you to share your favourite, outrageous, funny, unbelievable & shocking stories?
Some of you will dispute my claim that this was The Golden Era, but this was the period when tennis caught the public's imagination on and off the court.

A couple of stories to get it going....

*Connors & Evert, the 1974 Wimbledon & US Open Champions - Engaged.
*Transexual Rennee Richards plays the US women's singles after having previously played the US mens singles.
*The Italian fans outrageous behaviour in Rome at the Italian Open.
*McEnroe v Nastase night match at the US Open when Nastase gets defaulted and then reinstated with the original umpire having to leave the court.
*Bjorn Borg being pursued at Wimbledon by teenage girls like he's one of the Beatles.

I'm sure a lot of you can do better than me.........

kiki · Oct 23, 2012

I went to a party with Mac,Vitas,Adriano,Guillermo,Yannick and never girls were so easy...

JAY1 · Oct 23, 2012

kiki said:
I went to a party with Mac,Vitas,Adriano,Guillermo,Yannick and never girls were so easy...

And who got lucky?

kiki · Oct 23, 2012

JAY1 said:
And who got lucky?

all of them, except me.

JAY1 · Oct 23, 2012

kiki said:
all of them, except me.

Ha ha ha - I had feeling you were going to say that - It must have been their great strokes?!

kiki · Oct 23, 2012

JAY1 said:
Ha ha ha - I had feeling you were going to say that - It must have been their great strokes?!

Yes, they played them better on the dance´s floor than on court.

BTW, Mac empied like 2-3 full boxes of beer himself, although his buddy Gene Mayer, the greatest hamburger eater ever, helped him till he retired.Mayer was a pretty serious guy...

Oh¡¡ next day Mac beat Lendl in three tough sets, a memorable match.

Of course, Lendl was at bed by the time Mac opened up his first beer botle...

hoodjem · Oct 23, 2012

kiki said:
Yes, they played them better on the dance´s floor than on court.

BTW, Mac empied like 2-3 full boxes of beer himself, although his buddy Gene Mayer, the greatest hamburger eater ever, helped him till he retired.Mayer was a pretty serious guy...

Oh¡¡ next day Mac beat Lendl in three tough sets, a memorable match.

Of course, Lendl was at bed by the time Mac opened up his first beer botle...

What year was this?

Tshooter · Oct 23, 2012

I have some stories from attending several sessions of one of the great USOs. The NYTs did a story about that Open well worth reading:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/m...-of-the-1977-us-open.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

They left out some interesting details.

Anyone else go to the 1977 USO. They don't make them like that anymore...

treblings · Oct 23, 2012

Tshooter said:
I have some stories from attending several sessions of one of the great USOs. The NYTs did a story about that Open well worth reading:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/m...-of-the-1977-us-open.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

They left out some interesting details.

Anyone else go to the 1977 USO. They don't make them like that anymore...

thanks for sharing that link. i happen to own a spaghetti-strung racket, but have never played with it. i like the comparison to todays poly strings

JAY1 · Oct 24, 2012

Tshooter said:
I have some stories from attending several sessions of one of the great USOs. The NYTs did a story about that Open well worth reading:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/m...-of-the-1977-us-open.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

They left out some interesting details.

Anyone else go to the 1977 USO. They don't make them like that anymore...

I would love to hear the interesting details they left out please?

JAY1 · Oct 24, 2012

How amazing is this?!
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/magazine/the-chaotic-spectacle-of-the-1977-us-open.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&[/URL]

kiki · Oct 24, 2012

hoodjem said:
What year was this?

Early 80, s

JAY1 · Oct 25, 2012

Did anyone know that during a Mcenroe match at the 1977 US Open a spectator got shot.......

kiki · Oct 25, 2012

JAY1 said:
Did anyone know that during a Mcenroe match at the 1977 US Open a spectator got shot.......

In his book Laver mentioned to play surrounded by soldiers after a coup d' etat during a pro tour in some southamerican country, I can' t recall which.There were plenty of them in the 60 and 70

kiki · Oct 25, 2012

Golden era IMO started in 74 till 89 but I would generally refeer to the whole 70 and 80 and first years of 90 for men
For women those 25 yrs spread from 75 to 2000

treblings · Oct 25, 2012

kiki said:
In his book Laver mentioned to play surrounded by soldiers after a coup d' etat during a pro tour in some southamerican country, I can' t recall which.There were plenty of them in the 60 and 70

in the 70´s there was a tournament in Lagos/nigeria every year.
if i remember correctly, they had a coup d´etat there one year during the tournament

JAY1 · Oct 25, 2012

kiki said:
Golden era IMO started in 74 till 89 but I would generally refeer to the whole 70 and 80 and first years of 90 for men
For women those 25 yrs spread from 75 to 2000

I think I could be stretched to say the Golden Era was slightly longer than 84, but there was'nt quite the same excitement when Borg, Connors & McEnroe did'nt dominate the game anymore.
I think Lendl, Becker, Edberg, Wilander & Cash were all good, but I would say they were more part of The Silver Era 1985 - 1991, on a par with Laver, Rosewall, Newcombe etc.
Anyway, I want to hear more stunning stories that just would'nt happen these days?!
Like when Noah was allegedly snorting coke off his wristbands during the French Open....

kiki · Oct 25, 2012

treblings said:
in the 70´s there was a tournament in Lagos/nigeria every year.
if i remember correctly, they had a coup d´etat there one year during the tournament

Right I vaguely recall, but one must wonder at the lives lived by Von Cramm or Brookes to name a few

kiki · Oct 25, 2012

JAY1 said:
I think I could be stretched to say the Golden Era was slightly longer than 84, but there was'nt quite the same excitement when Borg, Connors & McEnroe did'nt dominate the game anymore.
I think Lendl, Becker, Edberg, Wilander & Cash were all good, but I would say they were more part of The Silver Era 1985 - 1991, on a par with Laver, Rosewall, Newcombe etc.
Anyway, I want to hear more stunning stories that just would'nt happen these days?!
Like when Noah was allegedly snorting coke off his wristbands during the French Open....

I agree but that silver is almost golden
Noah? He accussed Victor Pecci of doing what he was already doing.Noah is just a bunch of french ****

JAY1 · Oct 26, 2012

kiki said:
I agree but that silver is almost golden
Noah? He accussed Victor Pecci of doing what he was already doing.Noah is just a bunch of french ****

Why don't you like Noah, he always seemed and seems a nice guy?
Pecci did look a drog baron from a James Bond film...

JAY1 · Oct 26, 2012

I want to hear your Top 3 favourite tennis stories from the 70's & 80's?

kiki · Oct 26, 2012

JAY1 said:
Why don't you like Noah, he always seemed and seems a nice guy?
Pecci did look a drog baron from a James Bond film...

Noah had a nice nature but was so unmature since being spoiled as only french fans can spoil somebody...and when crazy unmature Leconte became a top player he soon replaced Noah, who had stablished in New York so unbearable was the fans pressure on him which also shows being unmature
Victor had coke eyes and was also spoilt in Paraguay since he was the only paraguayan witj worldwide exposure no matter what activity...he also had a wonderful wife but divorced later on
Their 1981 clash at Roland Garros was named The Battle of Machos and Pecci deservedly won it in 4 sets

kiki · Oct 27, 2012

JAY1 said:
I want to hear your Top 3 favourite tennis stories from the 70's & 80's?

I have more than that.Off my hat, I remember what Connors said about Evert criticism towards John mc Enroe, Vitas Gerulaitis partying out and, of course, many of Nastase´s jokes...

JAY1 · Oct 27, 2012

kiki said:
I have more than that.Off my hat, I remember what Connors said about Evert criticism towards John mc Enroe, Vitas Gerulaitis partying out and, of course, many of Nastase´s jokes...

What did Connors say?

kiki · Oct 27, 2012

JAY1 said:
What did Connors say?

Oh¡¡.That happened after the controversial Champions Dance at the 1981 Wimbledon that both, Mac and Evert had recently won.As you know, that is a tradition that Mac broke for the first time in history since he left London en route home just after his final was over ( he had had tremendous fights with journalists and even journalists staretd pumping each other, divided in pro Mac and agaisnt Mac)

Well, Mac skipped that party and Chris took the microphone and started her speech..." and I would like to talk on John´s behalf, but unfortunately I just don´t have his vocabulary"...big applause...

next day some journalists mentioned that to Connors and he, right at the spot, does.."I´ve been on court with Chris enough times to knoe she can match vocabularies with John anytime"...

Chris Evert had been long time fiancee with Jimmy Connors.John Mc Enroe was considered to be his worst enemy...

Rozroz · Oct 27, 2012

that's all?? more more more!

kiki · Oct 27, 2012

Rozroz said:
that's all?? more more more!

Nastase calling his doubles mate Ashe Negroni at a press conference - and then painting his face black so to wear same equipment as his mate-?
Lendl ad Mac always kicking each other at the locker room after an exo in Italy?
Nastase being prosecuted by graebner whom he had just called anemaal or something like that?
Borg,Mac and Gerulaitis doing coke togerther at the same italian exo, just a few years before that incident?
Connors pointing and threatening Mac at the Chicaho exo? at Suntory?
"Next time I´ll bring in my 2 yrs old kid who has better manners than you" (Connors to Mc Enroe afteri their 1980 Wimbledon semifinal.
Vilas,Mac and Vitas organizing a rock and roll tennis band where Cash´d join in later on?
Connors and Nastase many many funny moments when they played doubles together?

oh¡ I am sure I´ll remember of a few more, those are just off my hat, without too much thinking.

JAY1 · Oct 28, 2012

kiki said:
Nastase calling his doubles mate Ashe Negroni at a press conference - and then painting his face black so to wear same equipment as his mate-?
Lendl ad Mac always kicking each other at the locker room after an exo in Italy?
Nastase being prosecuted by graebner whom he had just called anemaal or something like that?
Borg,Mac and Gerulaitis doing coke togerther at the same italian exo, just a few years before that incident?
Connors pointing and threatening Mac at the Chicaho exo? at Suntory?
"Next time I´ll bring in my 2 yrs old kid who has better manners than you" (Connors to Mc Enroe afteri their 1980 Wimbledon semifinal.
Vilas,Mac and Vitas organizing a rock and roll tennis band where Cash´d join in later on?
Connors and Nastase many many funny moments when they played doubles together?

oh¡ I am sure I´ll remember of a few more, those are just off my hat, without too much thinking.

They are brilliant!!

treblings · Oct 28, 2012

Jay,

what´s the aim of your list? do you plan to publish it in any form?
cause, than you would need some proof that all those stories really happened the way we remember them

good book by Richard Evans about that era with lots of anectodes.

Rozroz · Oct 28, 2012

kiki said:
Connors pointing and threatening Mac at the Chicaho exo?

that one is on youtube.. crazy stuff

JAY1 · Oct 29, 2012

treblings said:
Jay,

what´s the aim of your list? do you plan to publish it in any form?
cause, than you would need some proof that all those stories really happened the way we remember them

good book by Richard Evans about that era with lots of anectodes.

Hi there,
I'm trying to put a book together for the Golden Era of tennis and am looking for as many stories as possible.
Can you please tell me what Richard Evans book is called?
Thant would be a big help...
Many thanks
J

treblings · Oct 29, 2012

JAY1 said:
Hi there,
I'm trying to put a book together for the Golden Era of tennis and am looking for as many stories as possible.
Can you please tell me what Richard Evans book is called?
Thant would be a big help...
Many thanks
J

interesting, if it happens i´ll certainly buy a copy
the book is called ´open tennis´- the first 20 years 68-88

kiki · Oct 29, 2012

Richard Mewsham " SHORTCIRCUIT"
Carnival at Forest Hills ( cannot recall writter)
Both will complement Evans big knowledge

treblings · Oct 29, 2012

kiki said:
Richard Mewsham " SHORTCIRCUIT"
Carnival at Forest Hills ( cannot recall writter)
Both will complement Evans big knowledge

Michael Mewshaw - Short circuit: Six months on the men´s professional
tour(83)
Marty Bell - Carnival at Forest Hills. Anatomy of a tennis tournament(75)

good recommendations

kiki · Oct 29, 2012

treblings said:
Michael Mewshaw - Short circuit: Six months on the men´s professional
tour(83)
Marty Bell - Carnival at Forest Hills. Anatomy of a tennis tournament(75)

good recommendations

Thanks for the right info

treblings · Oct 29, 2012

kiki said:
Thanks for the right info

teamwork, kiki

you thought of the books and i looked in my library to check the right titles,...

JAY1 · Oct 29, 2012

treblings said:
teamwork, kiki you thought of the books and i looked in my library to check the right titles,...

Thank you so much guys (Treblings & Kiki)!
I've actually read Short Circuit and have bought Carnival at Forest Hills ready to read.
But I have not heard of Open Tennis by Richard Evans i'll buy that now. Thank you again.
J

JAY1 · Oct 29, 2012

JAY1 said:
Thank you so much guys (Treblings & Kiki)!
I've actually read Short Circuit and have bought Carnival at Forest Hills ready to read.
But I have not heard of Open Tennis by Richard Evans i'll buy that now. Thank you again.
J

Guys? How does Richard Evans book compare to Bud Collins book 'My life with the pros'?
Thanks guys. J

treblings · Oct 29, 2012

JAY1 said:
Guys? How does Richard Evans book compare to Bud Collins book 'My life with the pros'?
Thanks guys. J

maybe kiki knows the answer, haven´t read it.

kiki · Oct 29, 2012

treblings said:
teamwork, kiki you thought of the books and i looked in my library to check the right titles,...

I lost carnival during my many home changes, do you know where to buy it?
By the way hope Sandy - Mayer- has been good to you

kiki · Oct 29, 2012

treblings said:
maybe kiki knows the answer, haven´t read it.

No unfortunately I did not.
Collins and Evans are the best narrators of Golden Era in my opinion
They really loved tennis

kiki · Oct 29, 2012

Treblings has shown us his true soul, a golden era lover
I cannot separate GE in tennis and rock music
It goes from the second half of 60 and first half of 90
The rest, if you missed it matters nothing
But if you missed 67 to 92.....

treblings · Oct 29, 2012

kiki said:
I lost carnival during my many home changes, do you know where to buy it?
By the way hope Sandy - Mayer- has been good to you

not off-hand, i guess it´s out of print.
if you can´t find it anywhere else, you might want to contact Alan Chalmers at http://www.tennisbookshop.com/
i´m well out of the way of Sandy, thanks for asking

treblings · Oct 29, 2012

kiki said:
Treblings has shown us his true soul, a golden era lover
I cannot separate GE in tennis and rock music
It goes from the second half of 60 and first half of 90
The rest, if you missed it matters nothing
But if you missed 67 to 92.....

i guess i have to finally come out of the closet and admit it

JAY1 · Oct 29, 2012

treblings said:
not off-hand, i guess it´s out of print.
if you can´t find it anywhere else, you might want to contact Alan Chalmers at http://www.tennisbookshop.com/
i´m well out of the way of Sandy, thanks for asking

I bought my copy off Amazon, it was used but in good condition.

JAY1 · Oct 29, 2012

kiki said:
Treblings has shown us his true soul, a golden era lover
I cannot separate GE in tennis and rock music
It goes from the second half of 60 and first half of 90
The rest, if you missed it matters nothing
But if you missed 67 to 92.....

Top 10 rock artists from the Golden Era Kiki?
Rock music is my other passion too!!!

treblings · Oct 29, 2012

Jay,

i´m sure you covered all the bases researching for your book project, but have you tried to contact some of the long-term tournament directors. i´m sure they would be glad to share anecdotes with you

Horst Klosterkemper comes to mind, the director for the world team cup in Düsseldorf. he is just one example of many

kiki · Oct 29, 2012

JAY1 said:
Top 10 rock artists from the Golden Era Kiki?
Rock music is my other passion too!!!

What is your GE for rock?

kiki · Oct 29, 2012

treblings said:
i guess i have to finally come out of the closet and admit it

Never mind about the closet...one of my favourite visions is Martina Hingis and Anna Kournikova coming out of the closet...TOGETHER...

I heard some rumours, which jsut adds up to the whole excitment...man... that is the last vision I want to have before passing away¡¡¡

treblings · Oct 29, 2012

kiki said:
Never mind about the closet...one of my favourite visions is Martina Hingis and Anna Kournikova coming out of the closet...TOGETHER...

I heard some rumours, which jsut adds up to the whole excitment...man... that is the last vision I want to have before passing away¡¡¡

works for me too

Great stories from the Golden Era 1974-1984

Semi-Pro

Banned

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G.O.A.T.

G.O.A.T.

Hall of Fame

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Hall of Fame

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Banned

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Semi-Pro

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Semi-Pro

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G.O.A.T.

Banned

Semi-Pro

Hall of Fame

G.O.A.T.

Semi-Pro

Hall of Fame

Banned

Hall of Fame

Banned

Hall of Fame

Semi-Pro

Semi-Pro

Hall of Fame

Banned

Banned

Banned

Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame

Semi-Pro

Semi-Pro

Hall of Fame

Banned

Banned

Hall of Fame

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