Todd Martin : Tennis will not be what it is today without Roger Federer

[octogon]

I think when you compare Nadal to Jordan, there simply closer similarities beyond popularity, transcending the sport etc.

Most basketball fans consider Jordan to be the most mentally tough, cluchest and driven competitor the game has ever seen. They might argue that some guys had more talent (hell, people are even saying Lebron might be more talented than Jordan, and he may well be) but the crux of his "greatness" as an athlete is that he was the greatest competitor and mentally toughest baller the world has ever seen.

Nadal is the same animal. He's seen as the clutchest, most mentally tough tennis player ever. You ask most people who know tennis, which tennis player you'd choose to play for you if your life was on the line, the majority would say Nadal. In basketball the answer would be Jordan. These guys share the same intangibles as athletes, much moreso than Federer does with Jordan. Which is why on some level, the analogy of Nadal to Jordan makes much more sense. Nadal and Jordan seen as the "ultimate warriors" of their respective sports, in a way Fed, for all his grace and talent, simply isn't.

 

[tennis_crazy]

Federer has nothing in common with Jordan. Jordan owned all his rivals, was crazy clutch and had knee tendinitis for most of his career. Remind you of anyone?

May be you didn't know nothing about these two...
Federer absolutely dominated his generation. Don't compare this current generation who are 5 years younger than him.

Did MJ succeed when he came back in 2001-2003?
Federer post 2008 is still as good as his next generation...

Very few people can make a difficult job look damn easy...
RF & MJ are in that category..

On the contrary there are very majority of them who make even a easy job look very very difficult...

RN belongs to that category...

 

[PrinceMoron]

Nadal is a better poker player

Fixed it for ya.

 

[TheFifthSet]

I think when you compare Nadal to Jordan, there simply closer similarities beyond popularity, transcending the sport etc.

Most basketball fans consider Jordan to be the most mentally tough, cluchest and driven competitor the game has ever seen. They might argue that some guys had more talent (hell, people are even saying Lebron might be more talented than Jordan, and he may well be) but the crux of his "greatness" as an athlete is that he was the greatest competitor and mentally toughest baller the world has ever seen.

Nadal is the same animal. He's seen as the clutchest, most mentally tough tennis player ever. You ask most people who know tennis, which tennis player you'd choose to play for you if your life was on the line, the majority would say Nadal. In basketball the answer would be Jordan. These guys share the same intangibles as athletes, much moreso than Federer does with Jordan. Which is why on some level, the analogy of Nadal to Jordan makes much more sense. Nadal and Jordan seen as the "ultimate warriors" of their respective sports, in a way Fed, for all his grace and talent, simply isn't.

I guess theres some truth to that but at this point it just sounds like this is just grasping at straws and redefining the parameters. The greatness/influence comparison didn't pan out so now we're talking about their mentality, approach to the sport and mental toughness. We can, using our powers of creativity, compare Federer and Jordan just as easily; both had absolutely beautiful games, on an aesthetic level. Both were awe-inspiring and graceful. Both seemed like they glided.

Jordan and Nadal and Jordan and Federer have very superficial similarities. Jordan was a more complex figure than either. For what its worth, and you may disagree, I believe Jordan was 100x more competitive and had a 100x bigger chip on his shoulder than Rafa, or any all-time great athlete I've heard of, ever had. He was able to truly convince himself that the world owed him something. Nadal is a warrior, but I don't know if he was any more spirited than Sampras or Gonzales. That's not a criticism against Rafa, who's as tough as they come.

But Rafa is driven on a worldly level. Jordan was pathologically, psychotically competitive in a way I have never seen. He was so competitive that he actually made up stories in his head about perceived slights against him that never actually happened, to fuel him. He'd play million dollar golf games and almost broke down his Olympic coaches door down, in pursuit of a rematch after he lost a round by a single stroke. By the mid-90s, he was basketballs sleeping tiger -- in a league of loud mouths, nobody talked trash to him. Even in his tenure with the Wizards, he was off limits. Paul Pierce once mouthed him off during a pre-season scrimmage and a 38 year old Jordan gave him fair warning that he'd drop 40 points on him the next time they played. Pierce, mind you, was a top 10 player in the league and Jordan was a shell of his former self. Pierce was promptly pulled aside by his coach and screamed at for provoking "the one guy you don't talk smack to".

Mind you, none of this is intended to be a hagiography. That same competitive nature made him an a** in many respects, and it's why he's a miserable old dude right now. I have no doubt that, if his body allowed it, he would give anything to play the game of basketball, even now in his 50's. Even he said as much. Here's a portrait that sheds a lot of light into just what type of competitor he was and still is;

http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/page/Michael-Jordan/michael-jordan-not-left-building

Or watch his HoF speech and see for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLzBMGXfK4c



I just don't see any meaningful similarities between the 2, other than "great competitors, all-time great in their sports". But that applies to a wealth of other great athletes too. Too vague to yield any meaningful parallels. But, to each their own.

 

[tennis_pro]

Swiss bank(s), Swiss watch makers, Swiss chocolate makers...are paying him.
(I think, Swiss banks can afford to pay more money than, for example, banks in Spain.)

Besides, Fed is under a lifetime contract with some companies (for example Wilson) and he is getting paid and paid...

Touche. The facts remain.

 

[octobrina10]

Touche. The facts remain.

Is this case (below) the reason why Fed started to use a new racket?

¤¤Wilson Federer Tennis Racket Class Action Lawsuit.
March 12, 2013
Wilson Sporting Goods tricked consumers into buying expensive tennis racket models by falsely claiming top-ranked tennis pro Roger Federer uses them in competition, according to a proposed class action lawsuit filed Friday.¤¤
http://www.topclassactions.com/laws...n-federer-tennis-racket-class-action-lawsuit/

¤¤Courthouse News Sevice, March 12, 2013
LOS ANGELES (CN) - A class action accuses Wilson Sporting Goods of defrauding consumers by selling expensive tennis racket models it falsely claims that Roger Federer used in competition./---/
In truth, Andelson claims, Federer used a discontinued older model which can be bought at a discount.
Federer is under a lifetime contract with Wilson, and the Chicago-based company has "earned handsome profits" through his endorsements, the complaint states.
But "(w)hile Federer has been willing to cash defendant's endorsement checks, he has not been willing to part with his most prized piece of equipment on the court - his tennis racket," according to the complaint.
Andelson claims that Wilson bamboozled consumers with a simple paint job.¤¤
http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/03/12/55626.htm

 

[Phoenix1983]

But Rafa is driven on a worldly level. Jordan was pathologically, psychotically competitive in a way I have never seen. He was so competitive that he actually made up stories in his head about perceived slights against him that never actually happened, to fuel him. He'd play million dollar golf games and almost broke down his Olympic coaches door down, in pursuit of a rematch after he lost a round by a single stroke. By the mid-90s, he was basketballs sleeping tiger -- in a league of loud mouths, nobody talked trash to him. Even in his tenure with the Wizards, he was off limits. Paul Pierce once mouthed him off during a pre-season scrimmage and a 38 year old Jordan gave him fair warning that he'd drop 40 points on him the next time they played. Pierce, mind you, was a top 10 player in the league and Jordan was a shell of his former self. Pierce was promptly pulled aside by his coach and screamed at for provoking "the one guy you don't talk smack to".

Interesting.

I think Senna may be the one sports figure who rivalled Jordan in this way, although in his case it was more of a belief in his God-like invincibility which made him always need to be No 1.

I recall that Alain Prost (himself of course among the top 5 F1 drivers of all time) say that Senna did not just want to beat him, he wanted to humiliate him. This desire to win knew no boundaries, even to the extent of Senna putting his own and Prost's lives at risk in 1990 when he deliberately crashed into Prost to win the title. Senna often spoke about how he was above other drivers because he was being guided by God in a spiritual way when driving (I think it was at Monaco one year when he spoke out of an out-of-body sensation when setting a lap time that was unfathomably far ahead of his competitors).

OK maybe this is a bit different to Jordan's assholish personality, but it's still an example of someone pathologically driven to be not just No 1, but light years ahead of his competition - as if he had a divine right to be there.

The psychology of the greatest sportspeople is truly fascinating.

 

[octogon]

Well even Sampras has said flat-out that Nadal is the best competitor the sport has ever seen.

So while it's interesting that you put Sampras or Gonzales on a par, I think very much the general consensus (even among one of the guys you place on that level) put Nadal head and shoulders above anyone else on the score.

Nadal and Jordan have different psychologies for sure, but it's ultimately created the two most compeititive animals their sports have ever seen. I don't think it's close for Jordan in B-ball, and I don't think it's close for Nadal in tennis either.

Sampras was a hugely compeititive animal, and even he admits that Nadal is way beyond him on the score, which pretty much says it all. I agree that Jordan had a way bigger chip on his shoulder than Nadal, but i think it's silly to suggest he's 100x more competitive. Nadal's as competitive and unrelenting an athlete as I've seen in any sport....ever. He's up there with Jordan. Due to the fact that he's in an individual sport, you could even put him over on Jordan on that score, as he's out there on his own.

 

[tennis_pro]

Is this case (below) the reason why Fed started to use a new racket?

¤¤Wilson Federer Tennis Racket Class Action Lawsuit.
March 12, 2013
Wilson Sporting Goods tricked consumers into buying expensive tennis racket models by falsely claiming top-ranked tennis pro Roger Federer uses them in competition, according to a proposed class action lawsuit filed Friday.¤¤
http://www.topclassactions.com/laws...n-federer-tennis-racket-class-action-lawsuit/

¤¤Courthouse News Sevice, March 12, 2013
LOS ANGELES (CN) - A class action accuses Wilson Sporting Goods of defrauding consumers by selling expensive tennis racket models it falsely claims that Roger Federer used in competition./---/
In truth, Andelson claims, Federer used a discontinued older model which can be bought at a discount.
Federer is under a lifetime contract with Wilson, and the Chicago-based company has "earned handsome profits" through his endorsements, the complaint states.
But "(w)hile Federer has been willing to cash defendant's endorsement checks, he has not been willing to part with his most prized piece of equipment on the court - his tennis racket," according to the complaint.
Andelson claims that Wilson bamboozled consumers with a simple paint job.¤¤
http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/03/12/55626.htm

And what does Federer have to do with it? He does what they tell him to do, just like Nadal/Murray/Djokovic and their sponsors.

Do you think Fed needs more money?

 

[TMF]

Federer is comparable to Jordan simply because both players dominated their sport during their prime like no other athletes, with a few exceptions like Gretzky in hockey. Both players holds the most records and streaks, and is the goat by consensus. ESPN claimed Federer and Jordan are in the same league(Federer as dominant as MJ).

Federer is more popular than Nadal who was always the second fiddle. Even when he was past his prime, Federer was still the most popular tennis player(Roger Federer remains the most popular tennis player).

 

[stringertom]

I love how GPPD trolls ignore the OP's statement...Todd Martin was expressing that Federer's impact on the game through his active participation on the Players' Council has been monumental.

I can't wait until tomorrow and Tuesday when the diarrhea stops and play begins.

Reading skills, people (and I use that term very loosely)!!!!!

 

[octobrina10]

And what does Federer have to do with it? He does what they tell him to do, just like Nadal/Murray/Djokovic and their sponsors.

Do you think Fed needs more money?

I don't think. But he obviously does.

 

[monfed]

Roger that.

Nadal has been pushing for longer times between serves (one minute), longer set breaks, higher nets, more medical timeouts, larger towels, longer clay season, reduction and ultimate removal of non-clay season, ban of WTF unless shifted to clay, ban of grass/low bouncing surfaces, ban of cold weather and anything that hampers topspin, ban of high-altitude courts, ban of blue color ...

What has Federer done to compare with this long list of things Nadal has fought for?

OMG you are something else. LOL!! :lol:

 

[Omega_7000]

Roger that.

Nadal has been pushing for longer times between serves (one minute), longer set breaks, higher nets, more medical timeouts, larger towels, longer clay season, reduction and ultimate removal of non-clay season, ban of WTF unless shifted to clay, ban of grass/low bouncing surfaces, ban of cold weather and anything that hampers topspin, ban of high-altitude courts, ban of blue color ...

What has Federer done to compare with this long list of things Nadal has fought for?

LMAO! :lol:

You forgot the two year ranking system to help "other" players... ;-)

 

[octogon]

Federer is comparable to Jordan simply because both players dominated their sport during their prime like no other athletes, with a few exceptions like Gretzky in hockey. Both players holds the most records and streaks, and is the goat by consensus. ESPN claimed Federer and Jordan are in the same league(Federer as dominant as MJ).
[/url]).

Wasn't that ESPN article from 2006....the hyperbole was certainly strong then for Fed, but Nadal (not to mention Djokovic and Murray) had to to ascend as all-court threats and champions.

I very much doubt anyone at ESPN would write that article today, knowing what has taken place in the following 7-8 years. Back then, Fed was seen as unbeatable and untouchable. The bloom has gone of the rose since, even though he went on to win much more.

Nadal has actually been the one getting the Jordan comparisons in the mainsteam media in recent years. From USA TODAY, after Nadal won the French Open in 2013;

"Nadal's dominance at the French Open is one of the greatest sustained runs of brilliance in sports. UCLA winning seven straight NCAA championships or MICHAEL JORDAN winning six titles in his last six full seasons with the Chicago Bulls are Nadal's modern day equivalents".


From the NEW YORK TIMES, after the 2013 Nadal's 2013 US Open Victory

"David Stern, the NBA Commisioner who witnessed this vintage Nadal performance from a courtside seat, no doubt recognised that special brand of athlete he profited so much during the MICHAEL JORDAN years".

 

[Vcore89]

LMAO! :lol:

You forgot the two year ranking system to help "other" players... ;-)

There's too many for Sentinel to enumerate...

 

[octobrina10]

Roger that.

Nadal has been pushing for longer times between serves (one minute), longer set breaks, higher nets, more medical timeouts, larger towels, longer clay season, reduction and ultimate removal of non-clay season, ban of WTF unless shifted to clay, ban of grass/low bouncing surfaces, ban of cold weather and anything that hampers topspin, ban of high-altitude courts, ban of blue color ...

What has Federer done to compare with this long list of things Nadal has fought for?

Fed has continoulsy complained about Rafa
(for example:
¤ surfaces have been slowed down and surely it helped Rafa;
¤ Rafa is not grunting at every point
¤¤ Asked at the 2014AO whether Nadal's grunting bothered him, Federer said, "Not when he does it every point, but it goes in phases -- one point he does and one point he doesn't; that's what I was complaining about."¤¤)

 

[agreed]

Todd is as useless as Roddick is to tv commentary and the comedy world.
Spoiled brat had no talent for coaching and loved attention, Just like federer.

Unlike fed, Novak is not a sore loser and malicious liar. Novak was told to be friends with the announcers and ex-players since he was a teen. He's begged to do comedy routines even though he isn't as uninhibited as in 2006.
That's why he cheekily said he wouldn't be insulting the opponents with many impersonations, although fed and nadal were outraged or embarrassed by his realistic impressions of them.

 

[Down_the_line]

This is shameful. We just can't have a a nice, solid article about the contributions made to tennis by Federer OFF the court without it getting personal between fanatics.

You can have your favourite player, people, but that doesn't stop you from being objective. Just because you're a Nadal worshipper, it doesn't make it illegal or against some stupid moral code to admit great things about another player.

 

[stringertom]

This is shameful. We just can't have a a nice, solid article about the contributions made to tennis by Federer OFF the court without it getting personal between fanatics.

You can have your favourite player, people, but that doesn't stop you from being objective. Just because you're a Nadal worshipper, it doesn't make it illegal or against some stupid moral code to admit great things about another player.

Added to my buddy list!

 

[Start da Game]

djokovic would not have been the same with todd martin......

 

[TMF]

Wasn't that ESPN article from 2006....the hyperbole was certainly strong then for Fed, but Nadal (not to mention Djokovic and Murray) had to to ascend as all-court threats and champions.

I very much doubt anyone at ESPN would write that article today, knowing what has taken place in the following 7-8 years. Back then, Fed was seen as unbeatable and untouchable. The bloom has gone of the rose since, even though he went on to win much more.

Nadal has actually been the one getting the Jordan comparisons in the mainsteam media in recent years. From USA TODAY, after Nadal won the French Open in 2013;

"Nadal's dominance at the French Open is one of the greatest sustained runs of brilliance in sports. UCLA winning seven straight NCAA championships or MICHAEL JORDAN winning six titles in his last six full seasons with the Chicago Bulls are Nadal's modern day equivalents".


From the NEW YORK TIMES, after the 2013 Nadal's 2013 US Open Victory

"David Stern, the NBA Commisioner who witnessed this vintage Nadal performance from a courtside seat, no doubt recognised that special brand of athlete he profited so much during the MICHAEL JORDAN years".

You don't have to doubt ESPN today because sport science team at ESPN still considered Federer is the icon of tennis. They had a topic about who's the greatest athletes of all time that consists of 16 different sports, including MJ represent basketball, Gretzky for hockey, and Federer for tennis.

Greatest Althete Of All Time
1.Basketball - Michael Jordan
2.Golf - Tiger Woods
3.Olympics - Michael Phelps
4.Combat - Anderson Silva
5.Boxing - Muhammad Ali
6.Endurance - Mark Allen
7.Multisport - Bo Jackson
8.Tennis - Roger Federer
9.Baseball - Willie Mays
10.Game Changers - Jackie Robinson
11.Soccer - Pele
12.Action - Tony Hawk
13.Track & Field - Carl Lewis
14.Ice Hockey - Wayne Gretzky
15.Football - Jim Brown
16.Autosports - Dale Earnhardt Sr


Thanks to DoubleDeuce, he posted Federer is the #1 in all sports(Federer No. 1 — in all sports).

Also, there's only 4 greatest athletes that can be on Mount Rushmore, and that's include MJ and Federer.

 

[Vcore89]

David Mirra - BMX

 

[Down_the_line]

Added to my buddy list!

Well thank you.

 

[FedererWinsWimbledon2014]

17 and 302. The reason for the hatred.

 

[agreed]

Yes, what courage from fed! He was miserable just like Todd. They have a kinship.

All those severe back injury complaints and pain from mono during his long historic entertaining, inspirational slam finals. Brave!
He even said he foolishly played with injuries, but at the same time, Novak should've played with fed-like mental breakdowns, breathing problems and injuries.
He loved the 16 injuries joke against djoke, but not when he himself received the injury insult.
His former owners turned turkeys could cancel their matches and have no desire to win many titles or make contributions to tennis.
His worst turkey was an abomination to legends of current era.
fed had no problem with him. Fed keeps saying he and nadal are like #1 and#2 soul mates because nadal has no real entertaining "historic show with fed".

Wow. Remember The 5 set classic matches that fed won and the Mighty Mouse clowns he "competed" with in 2003-2006.

 

[FreeBird]

]
All those severe back injury complaints and pain from mono during his long historic entertaining, inspirational slam finals. Brave!
He even said he foolishly played with injuries, but at the same time, Novak should've played with fed-like mental breakdowns, breathing problems and injuries.
He loved the 16 injuries joke against djoke, but not when he himself received the injury insult.
His former owners turned turkeys could cancel their matches and have no desire to win many titles or make contributions to tennis.
His worst turkey was an abomination to legends of current era.
fed had no problem with him. Fed keeps saying he and nadal are like #1 and#2 soul mates because nadal has no real entertaining "historic show with fed".

Wow. Remember The 5 set classic matches that fed won and the Mighty Mouse clowns he "competed" with in 2003-2006.

Shame that they banned such an artistic and harmless poster there. Hopefully, we will see more of you here.

 

[octobrina10]

You don't have to doubt ESPN today because sport science team at ESPN still considered Federer is the icon of tennis.
...

No wonder that Fed fans consider Fed their icon! So what?!

 

[Nostradamus]

You don't have to doubt ESPN today because sport science team at ESPN still considered Federer is the icon of tennis. They had a topic about who's the greatest athletes of all time that consists of 16 different sports, including MJ represent basketball, Gretzky for hockey, and Federer for tennis.

Greatest Althete Of All Time
1.Basketball - Michael Jordan
2.Golf - Tiger Woods
3.Olympics - Michael Phelps
4.Combat - Anderson Silva
5.Boxing - Muhammad Ali
6.Endurance - Mark Allen
7.Multisport - Bo Jackson
8.Tennis - Roger Federer
9.Baseball - Willie Mays
10.Game Changers - Jackie Robinson
11.Soccer - Pele
12.Action - Tony Hawk
13.Track & Field - Carl Lewis
14.Ice Hockey - Wayne Gretzky
15.Football - Jim Brown
16.Autosports - Dale Earnhardt Sr


Thanks to DoubleDeuce, he posted Federer is the #1 in all sports(Federer No. 1 — in all sports).

Also, there's only 4 greatest athletes that can be on Mount Rushmore, and that's include MJ and Federer.

ROTFL,,,, hockey--Gretzky ????? Football -- Jim Brown................LOL CARS--- Earnhardt..............LOLLL.

Only correct thing ESPN saids up there is TENNIS- Federer

 

[Nostradamus]

^^^^^^Boxing,,,,-----Ali ???????? Tyson would have knocked him out in less than 20 seconds.

 

[octogon]

You don't have to doubt ESPN today because sport science team at ESPN still considered Federer is the icon of tennis. They had a topic about who's the greatest athletes of all time that consists of 16 different sports, including MJ represent basketball, Gretzky for hockey, and Federer for tennis.

Greatest Althete Of All Time
1.Basketball - Michael Jordan
2.Golf - Tiger Woods
3.Olympics - Michael Phelps
4.Combat - Anderson Silva
5.Boxing - Muhammad Ali
6.Endurance - Mark Allen
7.Multisport - Bo Jackson
8.Tennis - Roger Federer
9.Baseball - Willie Mays
10.Game Changers - Jackie Robinson
11.Soccer - Pele
12.Action - Tony Hawk
13.Track & Field - Carl Lewis
14.Ice Hockey - Wayne Gretzky
15.Football - Jim Brown
16.Autosports - Dale Earnhardt Sr


Thanks to DoubleDeuce, he posted Federer is the #1 in all sports(Federer No. 1 — in all sports).

Also, there's only 4 greatest athletes that can be on Mount Rushmore, and that's include MJ and Federer.

Wow....as people have pointed out, this list is pretty laughable. It's like a fanboy list of the most famous names they've heard of in any given sport, without any actual thought put into it. And a lot of American bias as well.

There is no list outside of the United States where Dale Earnhardt Sr would ever be considered the greatest motor racer. Formula 1 is regarded as the pinnacle of motorsport globally, not Nascar. Anyone who wants that recognition, needs to be a great or dominant F1 driver...it's that simple. Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Juan Manuel Fangio, Alain Prost....these guys are in the conversation. Earnhadrt sr or any other Nascar driver....nope.

The greatest endurance athlete of all time in global terms is probably an Ethiopian like Haille Gabreielle Sallassie....yet this being a pro-American ESPN list, they give that honor to the much lesser known American triathelete Mark Allen (I doubt he'd win any votes outside America as the greatest endurance athlete ever either).

Seems a bit premature to give Tiger Woods the distinction now that he's looking far from a sure thing to get past Jack Nickalaus' record (and that's what most "Tiger is the Golf GOAT" talk was based on).

I could spend all day talking about how bad that list is, but you get my point. If's a pro-American piece of gibberish. I expect they only chose Pele for "soccer" because people they've talked to who watch soccer said he was the "greatest". I'm pretty sure if they could have picked Sampras over Federer without looking completely ridiculous, they would have.

ESPN even contradict themselves. On this list, they have Muhammed Ali as the greatest boxer of all time. Yet on ESPN'S List for the 50 Greatest boxers of All Time.....Sugar Ray Robinson is at no.1 as the greatest, and Ali at no.2.

So which ESPN list are we to believe....the one that has Robinson as the greatest ever, or the one that has Ali?

Maybe in a couple of years time, ESPN will have a new 50 greatest tennis players list out, with Nadal at no.1 and Federer at no.2. Which would be about par the course with them.

 

[stringertom]

17 and 302. The reason for the hatred.

You forgot the 6 WTFs!

 

[agreed]

Clowns were talking up tiger woods and lance Armstrong as they promoted fed as one of the classiest and best and wonderful athletes.
Tiger and RogiFed were trollin' together on the grass stuff. How quick reality hit them.

 

[xanctus]

Eh really???

Ok. Todd Martin is clearly a fed fanatic, for the lack of better allowed word. It is obvious now why he messed up Novak's serve and set him back in 2009/2010. To increase Federer's legacy and be able to make statements like this now.

 

[JustBob]

This is shameful. We just can't have a a nice, solid article about the contributions made to tennis by Federer OFF the court without it getting personal between fanatics.

You can have your favourite player, people, but that doesn't stop you from being objective. Just because you're a Nadal worshipper, it doesn't make it illegal or against some stupid moral code to admit great things about another player.

And the Rafanatics complain that Federer has the most rabid fanbase. That's the epitomy of irony.

 

[Bobby Jr]

I love how this has turned into a discussion about Federer's on-court impact on the game when Todd Martin's comments were clearly about his involvement in the player's council and it impact on the way the game is today, not his tennis ability.

He said "...from a governing standpoint, he took the bull by the horns and decided he was going to lead."

then... "Without him showing the rest of the public that it's possible and that it's a responsibility that should be embraced by the best, I don't think our sport would be where it is today. I also think we would struggle to get others that are as elite as he is on the court, to participate off the court."

 

[MTF07]

Federer has nothing in common with Jordan. Jordan owned all his rivals, was crazy clutch and had knee tendinitis for most of his career. Remind you of anyone?

Jordan was 1-3 in the playoffs against the Pistons.

 

[Bobby Jr]

Jordan was 1-3 in the playoffs against the Pistons.

Nor did Jordan play every minute of every game in a season, nor even play in every game of ever season he won NBA titles.

Comparing team sports to tennis - no matter how great Jordan was - is impossible. Team sports-people can almost never hold a bar to individual sports-people in terms of overall balance of skills, aptitude and physical traits. In-general team sports-people rate far lower in the mental strength department simply because individual mental strength is buffered by the camaraderie of having others supporting you while you play. It helps accentuate the best in an athlete (since they have less to dwell on as an individual) and helps explain/excuse losses or poor team performance (since you can play the subconscious "I did my part but they let me down" narrative to yourself).

 

[TMF]

Jordan was 1-3 in the playoffs against the Pistons.

And 0-2 against the Celtics.

 

[octobrina10]

I love how this has turned into a discussion about Federer's on-court impact on the game when Todd Martin's comments were clearly about his involvement in the player's council and it impact on the way the game is today, not his tennis ability.

He said "...from a governing standpoint, he took the bull by the horns and decided he was going to lead."

then... "Without him showing the rest of the public that it's possible and that it's a responsibility that should be embraced by the best, I don't think our sport would be where it is today. I also think we would struggle to get others that are as elite as he is on the court, to participate off the court."

Reality talks
The Telegraph: ¤¤ Australian Open 2012: Nikolay Davydenko blasts 'perfect’ Roger Federer as row rumbles on
16 Jan 2012. By Simon Briggs
Nikolay Davydenko became the second man to object to Roger Federer’s non-interventionist stance over players’ grievances in his role as president of the Player Council yesterday.
Earlier yesterday Rafael Nadal attempted to defuse the controversy that he triggered on Sunday, when he accused the Swiss of ignoring the complaints of the majority of tennis professionals.
But Davydenko — the Russian who was formerly ranked No 3 in the world – became the second man to object to Federer’s approach.
“I don’t know why Roger is not supporting the players,” Davydenko said. “Because he don’t want... any problems. He’s nice guy. He’s winning grand slams. He’s from Switzerland. He’s perfect. He don’t want to do anything, he just try to be an outsider from this one.” /---/

...the key issues being debated are twofold: prize-money for lower-ranked players at grand slams and the number of tournaments the leading players have to appear in.

When asked to discuss these subjects yesterday, Federer declined...“I thought we’re going in a good direction,” he said. “I thought the game was healthy. We’re in a golden era right now. Everybody is happy, talking positive.”
This last comment seems an odd thing to say when the Association of Tennis Professionals players’ meeting held on Saturday night was full of angst and anger./---/

Although the new ATP chief executive, Brad Drewett, does not have any direct influence over the central issue of grand slam prize-money – which the players feel should be higher than the current 12 per cent of the tournaments’ total income – he is clearly under pressure to respond to the players’ dissatisfaction.
As Davydenko put it: “The ATP should try to do something between now and Indian Wells [the popular tournament held in California in the second week of March]. For sure, all the top 100 players will go there and just see what will be changed.” ¤¤
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/te...-perfect-Roger-Federer-as-row-rumbles-on.html

 

[Russeljones]

Reality talks
The Telegraph: ¤¤ Australian Open 2012: Nikolay Davydenko blasts 'perfect’ Roger Federer as row rumbles on
16 Jan 2012. By Simon Briggs
Nikolay Davydenko became the second man to object to Roger Federer’s non-interventionist stance over players’ grievances in his role as president of the Player Council yesterday.
Earlier yesterday Rafael Nadal attempted to defuse the controversy that he triggered on Sunday, when he accused the Swiss of ignoring the complaints of the majority of tennis professionals.
But Davydenko — the Russian who was formerly ranked No 3 in the world – became the second man to object to Federer’s approach.
“I don’t know why Roger is not supporting the players,” Davydenko said. “Because he don’t want... any problems. He’s nice guy. He’s winning grand slams. He’s from Switzerland. He’s perfect. He don’t want to do anything, he just try to be an outsider from this one.” /---/
Although the new ATP chief executive, Brad Drewett, does not have any direct influence over the central issue of grand slam prize-money – which the players feel should be higher than the current 12 per cent of the tournaments’ total income – he is clearly under pressure to respond to the players’ dissatisfaction.
As Davydenko put it: “The ATP should try to do something between now and Indian Wells [the popular tournament held in California in the second week of March]. For sure, all the top 100 players will go there and just see what will be changed.” ¤¤
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/te...-perfect-Roger-Federer-as-row-rumbles-on.html

Instead of quoting something meaningless, why not respond to the facts of what has been achieved while Federer has held the position?

 

[octobrina10]

Instead of quoting something meaningless, why not respond to the facts of what has been achieved while Federer has held the position?

After players succeeded in their fight and the tournaments officials started to increase the prize money for players who lose in the first rounds, suddenly pro-Federer people made him a hero as if he was the main man in this fight. Laughable!!!

 

[SoBad]

Unlike fed, Novak is not a sore loser and malicious liar.

Djokovic lied through his teeth when questioned about hitting a ball on the opponent's side of the net.

 

[Russeljones]

After players succeeded in their fight and tournaments officials started to increase increase the prize money for players who lose in the first rounds, suddenly pro-Federer people made him a hero as if he was the main man in this fight. Laughable!!!

That response is so churlish, I guess I have my answer.

 

[Bobby Jr]

Reality talks

My post wasn't about Federer's performance on the player's council, rather that people have completely misunderstood what Martin was talking about in the tone of their posts.

All you confirmed is that you didn't even read my post.

 

[octobrina10]

My post wasn't about Federer's performance on the player's council, rather that people have completely misunderstood what Martin was talking about in the tone of their posts.

All you confirmed is that you didn't even read my post.

Yeah, my post was about Fed's performance on player's council.

...Todd Martin's comments were clearly about his involvement in the player's council ...

 

[edk1512]

Todd Martin is talking about Federer's players council presidency and comments are talking about Fed's achievements on court. LOL

 

[Nostradamus]

yes just like basketball would not have been same without Kareem abadul Jazarrr.

 

[octobrina10]

Todd Martin is talking about Federer's players council presidency and comments are talking about Fed's achievements on court. LOL

Yeah, Fed fans talk about the goatness, as they usually do.

 

[Bobby Jr]

Yeah, my post was about Fed's performance on player's council.

My post was not. It was about the fact that people here misconstrued what Martin was on about.

Again, had you read what I wrote instead of what you think I wrote you... not much point really. :roll: