YellowFedBetter
Hall of Fame
First off this is not just another Fed hate post. These statements apply to Nadal and Djokovic too.
So many talking heads on TV and in the media like to give lip service to what Roger and Rafa (and to a lesser extent Djokovic) have “done for the game”. My question is what exactly is that? Do they mean they’ve helped grow the game?
Because I can sure as hell say that tennis here I’m the US AIN’T a bigger deal than it was 15 years ago. I can’t speak for Europe (please enlighten me those of you across the pond if you can) and other places but Tennis has certainly gone DOWN in popularity here.
When Sampras (and later Agassi) retired tennis could still be considered a semi-mainstream sport. While it’s never quite been chic like it was for a time in the 70’s it had a solid following that was probably equal with hockey, NASCAR and pre Tiger era golf.
But since these guys dominated tennis has declined in interest. It is pretty much strictly a niche sport here now and it has lost all crossover appeal. It’s been at least 6 years since I’ve even heard anything about tennis in a non sports channel context.
Even worse there has been more of a return of unfortunate country club snobbish attitudes. While these things have ALWAYS been present and always will to some extent it has gotten better after Sampras and Agassi managed to transcend some of the stereotypes (following in the footsteps of guys like Connors Lendl etc.)
Many times the public courts around my area are a ghost town and not many working class people can afford exorbitant membership rates at tennis clubs. And the people who do play tennis are (not always but often) very snooty people who look down on those who work menial jobs and such. It’s a big reason why I’m only able to play tennis 20-25 times a year even though I’d LIKE to play a LOT more. For example my “coach” went to university and had a good paying job and was able to retire at an early age. Which is great! But he and his son very subtly look down their noses at me and my parents and seem to take pleasure in the fact that their son (who I’m about equal in ability with) beats me because he gets to play 5x more than I do. And it’s that way with many people. We’re just outsiders I’m not trying to just be whiny here I’m just giving personal evidence to support my case here. It’s hard to really do much when people will have nothing to do with your family.
For this I blame the tanking economy first. That is obviously a big reason why. When the playing field was more even money wise there was less room for classism to breathe. But then I blame the media and the players. I think Fed and Nadal are guilty of helping make tennis a more PC game with less colorful personalities. And regardless of whether you agree with that or not It’s clear outside of novelties like this years AO that Fed/Rafa/Novak don’t drive the public’s imagination enough to generate any kind of consistent real interest outside of die hards.
While no doubt I dislike Fed and his unapologetic white collar rich boy image I actually think Rafa is the worst offender here. I still like and respect him but I really don’t like how in the later part of his career he’s embraced more of the PC highly image concious staid attitude himself following Fed’s footsteps (hello wearing a multi thousand dollar wrist watch on court!) Its a marked change from his early pirate style. To be quite frank I think he’s a bit of a turncoat. I still respect him but I do shake my head at things like this as well as his well documented moments of fake humility.
I don’t have anything against Novak personally but it’s clear the public was never going to get behind him but regardless even he has lost some of the “edge” he had pre 2011.
Regardless of anything ratings have often been down the last decade and you’d be hard pressed to find many people in my city that know or care a thing about tennis anymore.
Don’t get me wrong tennis isn’t “dead” and isn’t going to be but take it from someone’s who’s first love is NASCAR. I know EXACTLY what it’s like to have a sport you love go down the tubes because of a shift in attitudes and other factors. 20 years ago NASCAR was an awesome sport with colorful personalities that was the fastest rising sport in the world. Now it is a PC boring horribly managed fustercluck that struggles to get 2 million viewers a race (after knocking on the door of the NFL and NBA 15 years ago).
Not gonna mention Murray since no one outside the UK cares about him
.
I realize I kinda rambled here and not all of this might make sense but while I’m still sick and have nothing to do I figured I’d chime in on this.
So many talking heads on TV and in the media like to give lip service to what Roger and Rafa (and to a lesser extent Djokovic) have “done for the game”. My question is what exactly is that? Do they mean they’ve helped grow the game?
Because I can sure as hell say that tennis here I’m the US AIN’T a bigger deal than it was 15 years ago. I can’t speak for Europe (please enlighten me those of you across the pond if you can) and other places but Tennis has certainly gone DOWN in popularity here.
When Sampras (and later Agassi) retired tennis could still be considered a semi-mainstream sport. While it’s never quite been chic like it was for a time in the 70’s it had a solid following that was probably equal with hockey, NASCAR and pre Tiger era golf.
But since these guys dominated tennis has declined in interest. It is pretty much strictly a niche sport here now and it has lost all crossover appeal. It’s been at least 6 years since I’ve even heard anything about tennis in a non sports channel context.
Even worse there has been more of a return of unfortunate country club snobbish attitudes. While these things have ALWAYS been present and always will to some extent it has gotten better after Sampras and Agassi managed to transcend some of the stereotypes (following in the footsteps of guys like Connors Lendl etc.)
Many times the public courts around my area are a ghost town and not many working class people can afford exorbitant membership rates at tennis clubs. And the people who do play tennis are (not always but often) very snooty people who look down on those who work menial jobs and such. It’s a big reason why I’m only able to play tennis 20-25 times a year even though I’d LIKE to play a LOT more. For example my “coach” went to university and had a good paying job and was able to retire at an early age. Which is great! But he and his son very subtly look down their noses at me and my parents and seem to take pleasure in the fact that their son (who I’m about equal in ability with) beats me because he gets to play 5x more than I do. And it’s that way with many people. We’re just outsiders I’m not trying to just be whiny here I’m just giving personal evidence to support my case here. It’s hard to really do much when people will have nothing to do with your family.
For this I blame the tanking economy first. That is obviously a big reason why. When the playing field was more even money wise there was less room for classism to breathe. But then I blame the media and the players. I think Fed and Nadal are guilty of helping make tennis a more PC game with less colorful personalities. And regardless of whether you agree with that or not It’s clear outside of novelties like this years AO that Fed/Rafa/Novak don’t drive the public’s imagination enough to generate any kind of consistent real interest outside of die hards.
While no doubt I dislike Fed and his unapologetic white collar rich boy image I actually think Rafa is the worst offender here. I still like and respect him but I really don’t like how in the later part of his career he’s embraced more of the PC highly image concious staid attitude himself following Fed’s footsteps (hello wearing a multi thousand dollar wrist watch on court!) Its a marked change from his early pirate style. To be quite frank I think he’s a bit of a turncoat. I still respect him but I do shake my head at things like this as well as his well documented moments of fake humility.
I don’t have anything against Novak personally but it’s clear the public was never going to get behind him but regardless even he has lost some of the “edge” he had pre 2011.
Regardless of anything ratings have often been down the last decade and you’d be hard pressed to find many people in my city that know or care a thing about tennis anymore.
Don’t get me wrong tennis isn’t “dead” and isn’t going to be but take it from someone’s who’s first love is NASCAR. I know EXACTLY what it’s like to have a sport you love go down the tubes because of a shift in attitudes and other factors. 20 years ago NASCAR was an awesome sport with colorful personalities that was the fastest rising sport in the world. Now it is a PC boring horribly managed fustercluck that struggles to get 2 million viewers a race (after knocking on the door of the NFL and NBA 15 years ago).
Not gonna mention Murray since no one outside the UK cares about him
.I realize I kinda rambled here and not all of this might make sense but while I’m still sick and have nothing to do I figured I’d chime in on this.
