edge said:
C_urala, you have it ass-backwards. If it weren't for the fans, the players wouldn't make any money. They would be poor slobs just like you. They owe it to the fans that they live the life that they do. You take it to the extreme. Yes they can just say no, now are you frickin' happy? But the fact remains, they owe it to the fans. When tennis was an amatuer sport thay were not rich, as the fan base increased they became rich, that's a FACT. Agassi makes much more than Dementieva because he is more popular. Kournakova made much more than any WTA player because she was more popular, NOT because of her frickin' tennis game!
First of all, if you want to insult me, use russian curses. Somehow, english equivalents do not bother me to the least. If you don't, try to avoid all those 'slobs' etc. It means nothing to me, but other people can think that you are angry. That, in turn, would mean that you are wrong.
Second. Speaking about extremes. It's not me who said that players owe fans everything. I just gave a simple example that it's incorrect.
Third. The example with Agassi does not prove anything because Agassi won many more trophies than Dementieva, so it's not so evident why he makes much more - whether because he is more popular (which is debatable, per se) or because he has a better game.
The example with Kournikova is better in the sense of logics. And here we come to the
Forth. The whole thing "who owes whom" reminds me the proverbial "what was the first: the egg or the hen"
Fans bring money to the equation, players bring their game.
They sell, you buy. But you try to buy more for the same money - you want players not only entertain you with their game, you also want to get their private time. ( Now according to WADA regulations, professional players must pass drug tests almost anytime. Remember the case with Serena, when an official came to her house at 9 p.m. ). Of course, signing one autograph is not that time consuming, but when it happens too often , it's not so inoffensive.
And the last. You don't ask autographs during the match. Why? If that "frickin' tennis game" is not what you pay for, stop the match, make the players sign autographs for everyone and call it a day. ?
