he was still being asked about it at USO a few weeks later:
Q. Andre, the music aside, do you feel that gimmicks -- there is a place in tennis for like music, something other than that, is there anything that they can do to juice up the game?
ANDRE AGASSI: My whole issue had nothing to do with defending what I want out there. It had to do with stepping up and giving my opinion on behalf of the game quite honestly. I think to build up to what the event is, I mean, the attraction why people are coming there is because of tennis; if we feel we have to give them, besides tennis anything -- if we have to bring in some kind of magic show on the changeover; if we have to bring in some kind of, you know, models to walk around with score cards, I mean, things like that, I mean, it is just not -- it is not respecting the game. I think to do pregame shows and like in New Haven they did a couple of great things there, I felt, like they had the M. C. down on the court; they had the crowd ask some questions. I like that. They had the crowd involvement. A lot of people were a lot more involved than I have seen in anyplace, and those are good for the game because it highlights what they are there for. It doesn't take people away from the reason why they came. And so my bone to pick with the music is specifically in behalf of the game and not anything else.
Q. So why is tennis different from all these other sports that have the music? Even during the action in basketball games and indoor soccer games or things, they play music during play, they have race car engines roaring in Indianapolis while the Pacers are trying to concentrate making baskets down court; why is tennis different from those?
ANDRE AGASSI: You know, quite honestly it is the game that we always, you know, when you grow up playing a game a certain way, I mean, I think in some ways there is answers, like the people walking around and they say, well, in basketball you shoot the free throw and people are waiving stuff, but you know, what they forget is the basket is not moving. The ball is moving and you are trying to watch the ball and you got people walking behind. That is something I don't feel good about. You have to concentrate on the ball and that ball is moving everywhere. I think the music and tennis versus other sports, it could be just as simple as we have never had it and people aren't responding to it in a way that I feel is good. I was playing that match out there; I really felt like people had no sense of the fact that I was down a break a serve; then I turned the match around; now we are going into the third set. It took away a whole environment. It felt like an exhibition match I have been a part of a lot of times and that is something that I can't -- I can't answer specifically. I can only say that I am -- I don't like the feeling that it creates out there. You know, I just think that if we are going to make changes, we need to make changes on what we can do to help people enjoy the game and be more a part of the game, not take them away from it. And I do feel like like-- oh, forget it, I lost my train of thought.
Q. A couple of players have told me that the ATP didn't necessarily consult the players--
ANDRE AGASSI: That is exactly what I was going to say.
Q. -- when they went through the rule changes. Is that a real problem with you guys now? Do you feel like you should have had a hand vote or a voice vote on everything they put through?
ANDRE AGASSI: That is right. I think the most important thing is that you can do is talk to the players who are involved and talk to them; find out what they want and it is one thing to just enforce-- you know, the ATP is supposed to be, you know, the players' Tour. This is supposed to be the players Tour and I think everyday that I am a part of it I am realizing more and more how that is -- that is not the case. I mean, not only did we not vote on the music; when I asked if we can get the music turned off, we couldn't. And I don't understand that. So I wish we had a say so in it, and now Andre Medvedev is now on the board and he has been asking a few of the top players about 20 different questions and I sat down with him and answered them, what we think we should do about how much time between points; how much time between games, you know, the serves; what can we do to help the game and there is a lot of different things out there that I think now, we are starting to have a say so in, but that spectacle there in New Haven, nobody voted on it.
Q. You talk before about concentration during the Open and maybe you can tune out some things a little bit more here. Do you have a different level here than, let us say, New Haven and maybe you had a little harder time tuning out the music there?
ANDRE AGASSI: No. No. Again I want to say this has nothing to do with me tuning out the music. We can do anything. I mean, and force us to tune it out and eventually we are going to do that because playing tennis is what we do. I am not saying they shouldn't have music because it distracts me. I am saying we shouldn't have music because it isolates the people from what it is they are there for. Totally pulls them out of the match. You can't even -- by the time you get up and go back to serve, you know, you have no idea on really what took place the past two games; you have totally lost the whole momentum of the match, and I want to make it very clear, and listen to me, I can block out the music. It is not a problem on behalf of the playing. Eventually -- I don't think it is great for the players, but we can do that. It is what is best for the game - that is the platform that I am speaking from.
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