Why does Agassi knock Pat? From the tone of the book, Andre was very needy and as Andre admitted Gil became his surrogate father. That does not mean that Pat didn't know what he was doing, just that Gil fit his emotional needs.
I have no earthly idea. If Pat did anything to deserve the childish insults, or the outright statements that he was incompetent, then it wasn't in the book; AND if you're going to do that, and have a good reason, you'd put it in the book!
What I do know is that during a lot of 89, and early 90, Agassi bragged over and over about his new training, his new strength, his new fitness, his hard-work and his trainer. (it's a bit odd because Andre claims in the book he worked with Gil through fall 89, but at the time, he specifically mentioned that he worked hard with Etcheberry through the winter break (December), he does say he approached Reyes formally in Jan 1990). Even at the 1990 FO, when he claimed to be so strong, (GIl had now just appeared on TV during the early 1990 season), was it all the short time with GIl? Or did all his work with Pat the previous year help? Hmmm....
He then makes it sound like he was doing everything all wrong in the gym with Pat, that Gil said even his arm curls were going to cause career disaster...that everyone was staring at his terrible form....O....K....I find that hard to believe. Really? Pat can't do benchpress? Pat can't do arm curls? I have video footage of them working out in a gym, and it looks decent to me (I was a trainer for a LONG time). This isn't rocket science, and while Gil' manner, and "breakdown" of long words and "theory" may seem good to Andre, I'm not sure Gil has magic secrets either. He certainly doesn't not have say...a masters in exercise science, kinetics, physiology, or anything else..though I am not saying that is necessary. I happen to think my best knowledge as a trainer came from experience NOT from any course, or book. Still, let's not pretentiously assume that Gil is a PHD in mechanics. Nor should we ignore that Andre was PLENTY UNFIT many times in his career. Now, I don't blame Gil...he can't MAKE Andre work, but again, there was no special magic here. (possibly chemistry supplementation aside)
He also makes it sound as if Pat only had him do long distance running, and that Gil had the stunning insight (didn't he say something like it was the smartest thing about training he EVER heard) that tennis was about stopping and starting? O...K....well, tennis magazine did a spread about cross-training in early 1990 that featured YOU and PAT, doing plyometrics, running drills, acceleration drills, footwork driils....Gil told you...hey, you better get good at taking a few steps and changing direction not long distance running? Funny, I saw a pic of you doing a drill where you watch pat, as he randomly signals run/move left, run/move right, and switch...simulating points.....hmmm....are you sure you never heard of this stuff before??
Ok, so Pat was no good....so let's write over and over how he spit. Gee, I wonder if you'd be mad if Pat wrote an article about you, where everytime he recounts you saying something he mentions your dead-rat breath?? Andre the toxic breath Iranian?? Hope Perry doesn't write a memoir featuring Agassi the chronic nose-picker. Well...maybe they won't be quite that childish eh?
Like I said, there are a LOT of little things like that in the book....again, Boris "socrates" stood out to me....yeah...I found Boris "sometimes I don't care about tennis, it's not that important, being a good person, and trying to understand life is important" a bit annoying, but IF ANYONE should understand that it should be...um...let me see......and like it or not, Boris never tanked anywhere the number of matches you did, or faded away as badly as you did, wasting months/years....no, Boris is probably no paper-publishing philosopher...but um...you ain't either Andre.
Even Jimbo like I mentioned. Now long-term fans...we've all seen Connors do plenty of jerky things on the court. He is, by all accounts, basically an unapologetically selfish guy. Still, he is one of the most intense players who ever lived, you know that, you know he's not super nice in the locker room, the other players told you that...do you think MAYBE he's not going to be too talkative right before you PLAY AGAINST HIM?? (which is his right...)
Do you think that maybe even though you remember it well, hitting a few balls with a four year old kid wasn't a lifetime memory for him? Do you think maybe, just maybe, the kid who delivered his racquets while he was hanging out with his buddies in Vegas, is not something he's gonna remember 10 years later? Yes I know you're the new flavor on the tour, but maybe, just maybe, another hotshot 18 yr old doesn't mean much to Connors, who seen dozens come and go. MAYBE Connors, who is in the QF of a slam, knowing full well, that his days of even being a very outside contender are numbering very few, doesn't feel like yakkity yak before his match??
Maybe his doing that doesn't justify your indignant anger at not being acknowledged? Maybe you shouldn't have made that prediction...which you swore after was not a prediction.....but now admit WAS a prediction, you made out of anger. (you were STILL repeating that lie a year later, afraid of backlash from the fans when you played him again in 89.....even though by then, he one-upped you by not outright accepting your excuse/apology (he KNEW you meant it) and saying "I really don't pay attention to anything he says to be honest!")..
Maybe, just maybe, you should think: gee, I guess it's no surprise that Jimmy Connors doesn't want to yak before the match. The guy is intense. I certainly wouldn't expect a guy who's been a legend, and traveling the world for the last 20+ years to remember me as little kid! Well, still, it's a nice memory, he didn't HAVE to hit with me, and do you think when he would tussle your hair and say something "sarcastic" about you, that maybe, in your little child mind, or in your retrospective bitterness, you may be mistinterpreting that? Do you remember anything he actually said? You dont' tell us.....do you think that maybe when you stormed off court when hitting with Nastase, that he wasn't really trying to ridicule you? That he was bored (which you admit), because he didnt' want to hit with you at all, but your psycho dad harrassed him relentlessly (which you admit). That maybe he was just trying to be light-hearted and joke around with the crowd of 200? So he called you "snoopy".....oh yikes...harsh for NASTY NASTASE.....he kept asking you if Wendi was your gf? Gee....annoying sure, but sounds like typical adult/child teasing to me.
Anyways, could go on and on but
basically, as I said many times before, i think Andre is basically a decent person. He CERTAINLY has spent his whole life cultivating his image, and continues to do so now. In fact, I suspect his image means more to him than EVER before. Again...a very hypocritical thing. I think he needs to think about things (PEOPLE) a bit more before he lashes out. And certainly, people need to realize that the book, while quite candid on some things, and certainly I believe quite truthful, is the MOST contrived, prepared, and measured communication POSSIBLE. There are lies in the book...exactly how many, we'll never know. Surely there are some, possibly many, that I do not know about. Andre got very good at saying the right things in his late career interviews...a book...well....you can't get a better press release than that. And with the good writing...it's easy to drag the feeble-minded, or the less knowledgeable fans right in over the course of hundreds of one-sided pages.
One phrase from Connors rings true...when Agassi made was trying to retract his prediction a year later..saying it wasn't a prediction, Connors said "it's fine. He's young...still learning. He's in the process of figuring out what goes over well and what doesn't." TRUE.