Funny memories of the Golden Era

[kiki]

Big characters played a major role in what is considered the Golden Era.

I remember I was working as a partial free lance journalist for a tennis Magazine in the very early 80´s ( just for fun ).

The night during a big exo Vilas,Gerulaitis,Mc Enroe,Panatta,Noah and Mayer decided to go off to a very trendy disco.

Lots of superlative chicks hanged around ( with the results one can imagine...) and Mac ordered like a 12 beer box to be submitted to him.He had to leave on a taxi, barely standing his feet...

Next day he beat Lendl in a very torrid match, over three sets, and saving a match point in the second set tie breaker ( Lendl´s ball was called out and Mac knew it was in.In the changeover he clearly told Lendl so.., Lendl went beserk and lost his concentration).

Now come and tell me those guys didn´t take big unofficial events extremely serious...

 

[kiki]

A week before, another special eventtook place.

This time , Lendl defeated Mc Enroe in the finals.This match WAS ALSO torrid.Both players were going to fight in the shower room after the match had ended, and had to be kept away by journalists and officers...

Now, tell me that isn´t the Golden Era

 

[Phoenix1983]

Whether or not one agrees that the quality of tennis during that period was higher than today, it's hard to dispute that the game had more characters then.

 

[Nadal_Power]

Whether or not one agrees that the quality of tennis during that period was higher than today, it's hard to dispute that the game had more characters then.

Spot on, well said

 

[kiki]

Whether or not one agrees that the quality of tennis during that period was higher than today, it's hard to dispute that the game had more characters then.

That is a given.

But I wouldn´t just credit those players: in fact, they were " sons" of their time much like Federer and Nadal and Djokovic are " son " of theirs.

And the 70´s and 80´s, while clearly worse at some aspects of life, were clearly funnier, more creative and outgoing than current times.and much more genuine.

look at the other sport´s stars...I think Bolt could fit in there but...where are the Ali, Mercky,Treviño,Senna,Maradona,Cruyff,Magic,Jordan,Barkley gone?

 

[Phoenix1983]

That is a given.

But I wouldn´t just credit those players: in fact, they were " sons" of their time much like Federer and Nadal and Djokovic are " son " of theirs.

And the 70´s and 80´s, while clearly worse at some aspects of life, were clearly funnier, more creative and outgoing than current times.and much more genuine.

I don't necessarily agree with this, I think you're saying this because of your age (around 60?). You are a very good poster about old tennis (and music) but I think you are quite rude about the modern world!

 

[kiki]

I don't necessarily agree with this, I think you're saying this because of your age (around 60?). You are a very good poster about old tennis (and music) but I think you are quite rude about the modern world!

You should contrast it with people that went through that time and, like me, are alive now, and pretty younger than 60.look at books, historians etc...

 

[Phoenix1983]

You should contrast it with people that went through that time and, like me, are alive now, and pretty younger than 60.look at books, historians etc...

You do realise that every generation does the same thing, right?

So in 30 years' time, guys like me will be rhapsodising about this era, and telling younger guys how the tennis/music/culture etc. will never match up to the past.

I do appreciate many of the great figures from the past (and, as I admitted, in tennis there were certainly more characters in the 70s/early 80s), but I don't think that's because the world was infinitely "better" or "more creative" then.

 

[kiki]

You do realise that every generation does the same thing, right?

So in 30 years' time, guys like me will be rhapsodising about this era, and telling younger guys how the tennis/music/culture etc. will never match up to the past.

I do appreciate many of the great figures from the past (and, as I admitted, in tennis there were certainly more characters in the 70s/early 80s), but I don't think that's because the world was infinitely "better" or "more creative" then.

Of course every generation has its own biass.I never denied that.

All I said is that, the fact that there were more characters then has more to see with the general trend or general ground than with the players themshelves.

 

[Phoenix1983]

Of course every generation has its own biass.I never denied that.

All I said is that, the fact that there were more characters then has more to see with the general trend or general ground than with the players themshelves.

So your theory is that if Mac/Connors/Gerulaitis/Tanner/Nastase/Vilas etc. had been born in the 1980s (i.e. at their peak in this current era), they would have had radically different personalities? That they would have to be corporate clones to be successful?

 

[big ted]

i think theres so much $ in the game and the rules are so strict now you cant do what they used to do. before, the players were bigger than the sport and now the sport is bigger than the players

 

[big ted]

Big characters played a major role in what is considered the Golden Era.


Now come and tell me those guys didn´t take big unofficial events extremely serious...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYYUtb4GUHE
heres another 'exhibition' btwn connors and mac

 

[kiki]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYYUtb4GUHE
heres another 'exhibition' btwn connors and mac

Can you imagine Nadal and Djokovic going thorugh this?

 

[kiki]

So your theory is that if Mac/Connors/Gerulaitis/Tanner/Nastase/Vilas etc. had been born in the 1980s (i.e. at their peak in this current era), they would have had radically different personalities? That they would have to be corporate clones to be successful?

No, of course, each one personality counts.

But have you asked why Federer,Nadal,Murray,Djokovic ARE NOT like those guys? nONE OF THEM? has human race changed so much in 30 years? is this just a matter of casuality?...or there is something else nvolved too?

 

[kiki]

Most people doesn´t know it but Connors career as a top player began when he reached the Masters semis at Barcelona in 1972¡¡¡

20 years later, Courier beat him at the US Open semifinals

One of the most longevous of the all time great players, no doubt

 

[kiki]

Even the second stringers were great individuals.

I posted about Fibak, but I could have chosen hungarian Balasz Taroczy instead.

He was a Doctor in Mathematics for Budapest University and one of the best chess players of his country.Extremely well articulated, nice looks, this guy would have been a brilliant Bank exec if he had not picked tennis ( of course, Hungary was on the other side of the courtain..)

I think Jaime Fillol was also a reputed economist who went to UCLA.

Many players had attended great colleges before turning pro, Mc Enroe at Stanford, Tanner also Standford, Brian Gottfried, Kevin Curren,Tim Mayotte,Steve Denton.Maybe nowadays happens the same thing, not sure about.

Gerulaitis night life was a legend.Rivalised with the most famous actors.Think that one of his lovers was...¡ the wife of canada´s Prime Minister¡¡.

One day, after a WTT match, he just ..." rented" the whole hotel and made a big party for everybody who wanted to get there...of course he was not a second fiddle but one of the best players.

Amritraj´s father was a rich Indian businessman.He gave as a wedding´s present a Ferrari to his son.And, as a devoted Hinduist, chose the wife for him.


Tom Gorman was a wall street lawyer who decided to play pro tennis.

Tiriac was schrewd, rude, amazing.

Of course, there is nothing to add for
Nastase,Panatta,Newcombe etc

 

[kiki]

Even the second stringers were great individuals.

I posted about Fibak, but I could have chosen hungarian Balasz Taroczy instead.

He was a Doctor in Mathematics for Budapest University and one of the best chess players of his country.Extremely well articulated, nice looks, this guy would have been a brilliant Bank exec if he had not picked tennis ( of course, Hungary was on the other side of the courtain..)

I think Jaime Fillol was also a reputed economist who went to UCLA.

Many players had attended great colleges before turning pro, Mc Enroe at Stanford, Tanner also Standford, Brian Gottfried, Kevin Curren,Tim Mayotte,Steve Denton.Maybe nowadays happens the same thing, not sure about.

Gerulaitis night life was a legend.Rivalised with the most famous actors.Think that one of his lovers was...¡ the wife of canada´s Prime Minister¡¡.

One day, after a WTT match, he just ..." rented" the whole hotel and made a big party for everybody who wanted to get there...of course he was not a second fiddle but one of the best players.

Amritraj´s father was a rich Indian businessman.He gave as a wedding´s present a Ferrari to his son.And, as a devoted Hinduist, chose the wife for him.


Tom Gorman was a wall street lawyer who decided to play pro tennis.

Tiriac was schrewd, rude, amazing.

Of course, there is nothing to add for
Nastase,Panatta,Newcombe etc

Vilas was a poet with some work published...and he and the probably most famous and publicized woman of his time, caroline of Monaco, were having a big affair...

 

[Frank Silbermann]

Big characters played a major role in what is considered the Golden Era.

I remember I was working as a partial free lance journalist for a tennis Magazine in the very early 80´s ( just for fun ).

I thought Tennis' Golden Era was the 1930s, when most of the candidates for Greatest of All Time were playing -- aging Bill Tilden, Jacl Crawford, Ellsworth Vinces, Fred Perry, Don Budge, Bobby Riggs and (a young) Jack Kramer.

 

[BobbyOne]

I thought Tennis' Golden Era was the 1930s, when most of the candidates for Greatest of All Time were playing -- aging Bill Tilden, Jacl Crawford, Ellsworth Vinces, Fred Perry, Don Budge, Bobby Riggs and (a young) Jack Kramer.

I would add Cochet and Nüsslein and von Cramm.

 

[kiki]

I thought Tennis' Golden Era was the 1930s, when most of the candidates for Greatest of All Time were playing -- aging Bill Tilden, Jacl Crawford, Ellsworth Vinces, Fred Perry, Don Budge, Bobby Riggs and (a young) Jack Kramer.

Kramer in the 30?
Well that decade was huge in amazing characters and you must add Borotra,Cochet and Von Cramm
Yes, as far as individuals being greater than sport to use your words, it is definitely the 30, 70 and late 50
If Laver and Emmo had peaked 5 yrs before, say in 1958 or 1959, the late 50 would rivalise and syrpass the oher two great eras

 

[borg number one]

A funny memory..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK45lDHc8yw (with some skill thrown in).

 

[big ted]

Even the second stringers were great individuals.

I posted about Fibak, but I could have chosen hungarian Balasz Taroczy instead.

He was a Doctor in Mathematics for Budapest University and one of the best chess players of his country.Extremely well articulated, nice looks, this guy would have been a brilliant Bank exec if he had not picked tennis ( of course, Hungary was on the other side of the courtain..)

I think Jaime Fillol was also a reputed economist who went to UCLA.

Many players had attended great colleges before turning pro, Mc Enroe at Stanford, Tanner also Standford, Brian Gottfried, Kevin Curren,Tim Mayotte,Steve Denton.Maybe nowadays happens the same thing, not sure about.

Gerulaitis night life was a legend.Rivalised with the most famous actors.Think that one of his lovers was...¡ the wife of canada´s Prime Minister¡¡.

One day, after a WTT match, he just ..." rented" the whole hotel and made a big party for everybody who wanted to get there...of course he was not a second fiddle but one of the best players.

Amritraj´s father was a rich Indian businessman.He gave as a wedding´s present a Ferrari to his son.And, as a devoted Hinduist, chose the wife for him.


Tom Gorman was a wall street lawyer who decided to play pro tennis.

Tiriac was schrewd, rude, amazing.

Of course, there is nothing to add for
Nastase,Panatta,Newcombe etc

there is so much money in the game now and its so global i dont think it will ever be like that again. players have to be more singleminded to survive now. even when borg tried to comeback in 91 he said the tour changed into a more businesslike atmosphere and wasnt as fun anymore.

not to mention it seems when a player shows some type of personality oncourt theyre either punished with a fine or berated in social media (i.e. - safin dropping his shorts, stakhovsky taking picture of ballmark, etc...)

 

[big ted]

A funny memory..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK45lDHc8yw (with some skill thrown in).

i remember seeing that point on the news. i still think its interesting how charasmatic borg was even tho all he did most the time was just play. (didnt say much, or play w crowd, have tantrums, etc..). sampras was similar in a way and he got flack for it for being uninteresting. i supposse alot of it had to do with borg being more mysterious and had unique strokes, fancy italian clothing, etc... borg had a presence. you had to watch him for some reason and he seemed superhuman with his fitness and concentration.

 

[newpball]

Sampras and charismatic in the same sentence, I don't know it seems I never stop seeing new things.

 

[big ted]

Sampras and charismatic in the same sentence, I don't know it seems I never stop seeing new things.

yea i just think its interesting how both borg and sampras both seemed to just go about their business and play but one was charasmatic and one was not. they did have different body language tho. was it their style of play? borgs aura? something else?

 

[kiki]

A funny memory..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK45lDHc8yw (with some skill thrown in).

Mac played soccer in high school
Which others were good at it?

 

[borg number one]

Mac played soccer in high school
Which others were good at it?

They mentioned that at the end of the video, that McEnroe played soccer when he was growing up. Borg played ice hockey and table tennis when he was younger. The ice hockey led him to develop his signature two hander. I like how McEnroe hits it back in the court and Borg just hits the ball square with his right foot just like it was his hand! Nice athleticism there. It's great that those two could let their guard down a bit right in the middle of a big match. I miss Trabert and Summerall on CBS TV during tennis matches, but there are some good commentators around these days as well.

i remember seeing that point on the news. i still think its interesting how charasmatic borg was even tho all he did most the time was just play. (didnt say much, or play w crowd, have tantrums, etc..). sampras was similar in a way and he got flack for it for being uninteresting. i supposse alot of it had to do with borg being more mysterious and had unique strokes, fancy italian clothing, etc... borg had a presence. you had to watch him for some reason and he seemed superhuman with his fitness and concentration.

Yes, I agree big ted. Sampras and Borg did have some definite similarities as far as on court demeanor. They both just let their racquet do the talking. I think both picked up some things from Laver actually in terms of on court persona, but Borg was usually just absolutely stoic. I've read that people are often very intrigued by a person that is as still as possible. The fact that he was a style icon did not hurt either, with the Donnay frames, VS gut, Diadora shoes, and of course top of the line Fila. For him, he was performance oriented though. He was thinking function, not form. That's the Iceman. He never wanted to draw that attention either, as the quote in my signature touches upon.

 

[kiki]

Manuel Orantes owns a big part of his 1976 Masters title to Kirk Douglas wife, who happened to be the only person watching the final at the Houston Summit ( biggest ever venue for tennis) that still had faith in him after losing the first two sets to Wojtek Fibak in the final.

It is a great tale, very funny to recall.When both players left to the locker room, at the end of the third set, Fibak led 2-1.In the locker room there was a big TV screen, so players could relax a bit before coming back to play the rest of the match.

During that rest time, the broadcaster interviewed Kirk Douglas, who sat in the main row at the stands, and asked him who´d win the title.Douglas didn´t need too much time to assert what seemed logical to the other 20.000 people at the Summit: " Fibak".

But one out the 20.000 people watching the match had serious doubts that Fibak could win.It was Kirk Douglas wife who, sitting next to her husband, after hearing him pronounce " Fibak" turned to the commentator and said that she still expected Orantes to make one of his pattented comebacks and win the championship.She was clearly a much better expert on tennis than her famous husband.

In fact, that very short TV chat decided the match.In the locker room, Fibak got stuck up, pressure began to climb up and he barely could concentrate on the next two sets...while Orantes felt a great release and began to recover his magic inspiration...as it had happened in many of his legendary comebacks.

As a result of that, Manuel won the title in the fifth set.When he was presented his trophy, he took the micro and his first words were a BIG THANK to the actor´s spouse who, he said, was probably the only people there who still believed a come back was possible.Orantes was always a true gentleman and proved that again.

Golden story of the Golden years...