Brad Gilbert, new heir to the throne

[WBF]

I think Gilbert is a complete moron, but I don't think Del Potro hitting top 5 or #1 in his career is that terrible of a prediction...

 

[sillymonkey]

Since Gilbert is so enamored with Del Potro, it might be about time for him to pronounce his name correctly.

 

[fastdunn]

We have a new heir to the idiot throne. Brad Gilbert went from saying that Del Potro will be a top 5 player at some point next year to saying he will be number 1? This guy has lost it. I thought we had some quick bandwagon jumpers on these boards but Gilbert is the king of the hill in this department. I enjoy watching Del Potro play and he looks like a nice guy but when these idiot commentators blast off something like this then the player doesn't accomplish it there are always some who think they are not accomplishing what they should.

Maybe I am in minority. I somehow OK with Brad Gilbert. Like Mary Carillo, he sometimes says things that majority people don't agree. But he sometimes offers rare insights general public do not see.

I don't take his words too literally. You know,... it's fairly easy to say things that sounds reasonable, agreeable by many. Human language is horribly incomplete tools to describe this infinite world we are living in. Some reasonably sounding words sometimes means nothing.

 

[drakulie]

Gilbert is trying to get a job with Del Potro. But top 5??? I don't think so, much less # 1.

 

[LafayetteHitter]

[clears throat]

Lafayette....are you reading this?

Why do you have to clear your throat, some guy left something in it last night?

 

[LafayetteHitter]

Gilbert is trying to get a job with Del Potro. But top 5??? I don't think so, much less # 1.

Drakulie, NBMJ and Ignorant Genius Idiot have agreed with Gilbert that Del Potro will be the new number 1 so the good news is that everyone can stop praising Nadal soon.

 

[Ignorant Genius]

Why do you have to clear your throat, some guy left something in it last night?

Is that supposed to be funny?

 

[MEAC_ALLAMERICAN]

Good post. The funny thing about the guys that backup with Gilbert says is that they must have missed their meds for the day. Gilbert is notorious for boasting comments he knows are going to draw attention to himself.

The thing with Brad is he has realized that his glory days are gone from coaching Agassi to Roddick to Murray. I agree that he says some of, if not all of the stuff to get attention. He isn't going to get any attention coaching that other British player. *For the life of me I can't remember his name*

For whoever said he offers insights that people don't see, I just take everything he says with a grain of salt. Brad does better when Chris Fowler is around, but you have to admit that duo is funny.

 

[TheTruth]

This is a blast from the past, but here is a link to an interview I did with Brad right after Rafa won Toronto in 2005. Can anyone argue with what Brad said then about 19-year-old Rafa?

http://www.tennisreporters.net/qa_gilbert_082605.html

Brad looks like an absolute genius in this piece. Everything he said has either happened, or is on track to happen. Great article!

 

[TheTruth]

Brad says what often goes against the prevailing theory. He rarely mimics the other announcers. Whether you like him or not is a moot point, but many times he is right.

 

[David L]

I am going to cut Brad some slack, primarily because I think he's a better judge of these things than I am. And also because he was one of the few "experts" who said, when Rafa had just turned 19, that there was no doubt in his mind that Rafa would be No 1 one day and that he would be a contender on all surfaces, not just clay.

Yes, but it's hardly a major prediction if the 19 year old is already ranked No.2 in the world, is a Grand Slam champion, has won and finaled (sic) in Masters Series events on hardcourt and has beaten Federer on clay and hardcourt, at the age of 17 no less. I mean, Gilbert was hardly going out on a limb. Del Potro is the current flavour of the month because all the best players went to the Olympics. I doubt he was in Gilbert's rear view mirror, let alone on the tip of his tongue, a month ago. I think they call it bandwagoning (sic). If Del Potro makes it, Gilbert will remind everyone and claim he is a scouting genius, but no one will remember if he fails. Gilbert is full of so much hot air. The guy just likes to talk and hype everything.