Thoughts about Tennis Tradition...

[don_budge]

1984 Wimbledon...Monsieur Kyle LaCroix

"That's what I want to be. That's the sport I want to play, That's how I want to play"

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

I guarantee as the years season you, adding spice and peppers to the boyhood dreams that you will be forced to surrender...you will find the works of Ferdinand Celine consoling to your warm and fuzzy heart. A bit dark but not for the feint of heart...I admit. I see you growing your hair long into a hippie fashion of the 60's and holding up signs at ATP events screaming "Hell no, we won't go!" The USPTA moves quickly to suspend you and your license to teach tennis. You have the gift of discernment...I think. Knowing right from wrong is no easy task these days.

That may be a stretch, it may be a bit tongue in cheek...it always is. But there is something about your attitude that I definitely like and admire. You are like a spirit among the robots and the machines that govern the USPTA. A soul longing to be saved. A knight that longs to shine and fight for her honor...the game of tennis. A possible "Quixote" complex. Be most careful if you find yourself out trying to rescue "loose" maidens! Your comments are most welcome here in the Kingdom of Traditional Tennis Thoughts...your presence is an honor. Thank you.


1984 Wimbledon...Men’s Championships John McEnroe vs. Jimmy Connors

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89Ypdrb4nIw

At the beginning of the video the two players make their way onto hallowed grounds...the center court of Wimbledon escorted by a short stodgy fellow carrying their bags. The man looks like a guy that may be chewing on the stump of a cigar handing out towels after you wash your hands in the men’s john. His nickname is probably Stotty or something similar. He's a fixture at the grounds. He has seen them come and go...it's a thing that he knows.

Within those bags are the objects of this little story. The Dunlop bag of John McEnroe contains his relatively new piece of equipment, the new and state of the art graphite Dunlop 200G at 80 square inches. Jimmy Connors’ Wilson bag carries his antique of choice, the Wilson T2000 at either 68.5 or 70 square inches, depending on who you talk to. Depending upon which equipment guy. Anyways it's a full or nearly full 14% advantage to McEnroe. Advantage Mr. McEnroe.

At this point in time Jimmy Connors possesses the most wins at Wimbledon with a record 68 victories and John McEnroe is attempting to become the first American to repeat back to back championships at Wimbledon since Don Budge had accomplished that 46 years earlier. Both players are trying for their third championship overall at Wimbledon which would tie them for the American best with Bill Tilden at three.

Connors, who is 32 years old at the time in 1984, won the 1982 championship over McEnroe in a five set nail biter. John was three points away from victory at 4 to 3 in the fourth set tie-breaker. That match was four hours and sixteen minutes long which was a record for the longest men’s championship to that date...which is sort of hard to believe seeing as the tie-break rules must of shortened things up a pretty good deal. Connors had defeated Ivan Lendl in the semis 6-7, 6-3, 7-5, 6-1 in the semis. Connors had also dispatched a qualifier in the quarters by the name of Paul Annacone...a protege or a golfing buddy of our tennis_chiro. John McEnroe had on the other side of the draw defeated Pat Cash 6-3, 7-6, 6-4 in the semis.

In the announcers booth for NBC is Dick Enberg and the notorious tennis historian Bud Collins. Known for his garish trousers as much as his tennis knowledge, Collins is sporting a beard that would of made any Amish farmer proud. There is a brief shot of the lovely and revered Princess Diana...as nostalgia waves through the camera lens like a ghost. A spirit. The magic of television and video tape...bringing the past back into focus but shaped to specifications.

Collins at the beginning of the match is emphasizing the importance of the contestants relative strengths in the McEnroe serve and the Connors return...the irony of polar opposites on the stage at center court. As the match progresses it becomes apparent that this analogy was only half the story as the McEnroe return of the Connors serve turned the tables on the match as well as doing the most damage to the Connors psyche. He repeatedly hurts his feelings and makes him feel terrible. Collins is also prescribing use of the lob for Jimbo to keep the Terrible Johnny off of the net but any lobs that Connors will loft airborne this day are woefully weak and from the terribly defensive positions. McEnroe pounded all of these bunnies into next week.

The video, interestingly enough, contains all of the commercials that were aired that day. It gives us further insight how the corporations have been manipulating and meddling with the subliminal messaging that are vying for our almighty consumer dollars. The message is probing for that vulnerable area in your cranium where you just roll over and beg to have your belly scratched...while they separate you from your money.

First up in the gravy train of commercials is a little teaser from Cigna...an investment or insurance conglomerate that probably was one of the banks with their hands out for the bailout money while the rest of us were going belly up in our mortgages. But in 1984, Cigna is painting a rather rosy picture with this ad as one of their lucky customers is merely lounging poolside soaking up the ultra violet rays of the sun on his soft and tubby belly, while Cigna manages his portfolio. Why worry? “No one does more to solve problems than Cigna”...the message proclaims and everyone should sleep a little better knowing that. The subliminal messages...are so sublime.

Next up is Gatorade...it’s no ordinary thirst quencher! More fun in the sun. Everything is rosy. Don't have a concern...or a clue.

The first prize for the men's championship in 1984 is 131,000 dollars. Not a huge payday compared to today's kings ransoms that they play for. John McEnroe has lost only one tennis match all year and that was in the finals of the 1984 French Championships where he had Ivan Lendl on the ropes before he imploded and handed the match to Lendl. Perhaps one of the few times where he actually did self destruct. Normally...I love to use that word when describing the behavior of Johnny Bad Boy, he did not hurt himself with his outbursts. He was a terrific competitor that didn’t like to lose and was not in the habit of giving points away...let alone matches. You see the traditional wear and tear of the turf on the center court at Wimbledon as player after player made their way to their goal of traditional grass court play...to the net. The network treats us to a shot of the court before the tourney began...the lawn is pristine.

To be continued...but you knew that didn't you?

[klacr]

1984...George Orwell

"It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. Winston Smith, his chin nuzzled into his breast in an effort to escape the vile wind, slipped quickly through the glass doors of Victory Mansions, though not quickly enough to prevent a swirl of gritty dust from entering along with him."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89Ypdrb4nIw

What provokes us to want to share our thoughts? I suppose everyone is a bit different but in the end I think it boils down to one thing. Mainly one thing. We want to be understood. Everyone wants to feel that they are understood. It’s no easy task...especially these days. Modern days. There has been a lot of social engineering that has left the human race more confused than enlightened. An ex-girlfriend of mine and I were exchanging electronically generated messages last night and we were talking about relationships. Her mother advised her that the most important thing in a relationship is to compromise. I think that if that is the most important aspect of your relationship you have made a poor choice. Her mother also said that relationships take a lot of work. I agree that it requires some work but by no means should it be hard labor. It isn’t a gulag for God’s sake. Or is it?

Well I guess that I am one of the last to ask in this regard considering my luck...my track record. But I ventured to say that compatibility and chemistry were higher up on my priorities. But above all there is another thing...and that thing is understanding. Everyone desperately wants to be understood. That isn’t always what people need most, but everyone wants that...they want understanding. Many times what people really need is a good kick in the rear end...but that is only a personal feeling of mine.

I started this thread..."Thoughts about Tennis Tradition" not so much because I wanted to be understood, as I have pretty much given up on that little scenario, but also because I feel that people need to understand. There is too much myth and too much hysteria surrounding the modern game of tennis and if you are any coach worth your salt you need to be a true student of the game. You must know and understand the history of the game. Most coaches are too young to have first hand knowledge of the classic game as it stood for nearly a century. Wood racquets and white clothes. It isn’t their fault that they are largely unaware of the changes that have transpired in the last forty years.

But here we are...in the world of “Thoughts about Tennis Tradition”. Keep in mind it is sort of a world of its own...I dreamed it up. Nobody else seems to give it much of a thought these days. Traditions. If it is in the past then it doesn’t count...it is better left alone. As in Orwell’s 1984 where society has divorced itself so far from it’s past that the present is easily manipulated by the powers that be and in Orwell’s case it was despotic governments. People are absolutely clueless about the past because it has been destroyed...purposely. In our case it just might be the corporations that have taken over our destiny. That and the computer or artificial knowledge. Have you ever heard the term “singularity”. But then again those ideas sound a bit far-fetched as well. That is, if you have nothing to compare it to. Those that are just coming of age in the year 2013 have no idea really what it was like back in 1984 so if they just accept everything that is being shoved down their pie hole, clearly they will be clueless...as to what the reality of the situation today really is.

So what is the point? Well...the point is this is just a little Tennis History 101 courtesy of don_budge. Here at the finals of the Wimbledon championships we have a situation that is sort of incongruous yet nobody wants to talk about the elephant in the living room. I am referring to the size of the racquets that the contestants are using. In 1984 John McEnroe has switched to a midsized Dunlop 200 graphite model while Jimmy Connors is still stuck in the past for reasons of his own with his antique model Wilson 2000. This is the crossroads. Tennis has veered off the course of traditional values and has embarked on a journey that is ruled by corporation and money. Read greed. The fundamental rule of tennis etiquette has been violated here...let no player seek unfair advantage over his opponent. There is a story in this match and behind this match. I am going to attempt to relate it to you...to decipher it for those who are perhaps too young to remember or for those that for reasons of their own choose to ignore the lesson. Just remember...I am only the messenger.

Beautiful Post. Thanks don_budge.

As impressive and athletic as tennis is in its modern form, it will always be richer and deeper in its traditional form. More intense flavors are evoked in my mind, like a pork shoulder being braised in herbs and its own juices all day in preparation for a dinner. As a young boy I was inspired by the Wimbledon battles of Edberg and Becker. For me, that was my awakening. For some who are on this forum, Edberg/Becker may seem to be more modern or at least not as traditional or classic as it was to me, but I'm only 30 years old so it's all relative. Those guys were my Laver's, Rosewall's, Hoad's and Emerson's. I remember staring at the TV and saying to myself...

"That's what I want to be. That's the sport I want to play, That's how I want to play"

Needless to say, the competitive swim meets I attended, although successful, took a back seat to my new sport and new love.

I'm grateful for don_budge's passion for our game, the old and new as well as every other contributor on here. I'm grateful for the evolution of tennis and all the subtleties. But I will always be grateful to the game it was. For showing me the class, the grace, the respect, the etiquette of which I still try to carry on the court to this day and pass onto my students for future generations.

Not sure if this post is in line with the others, or if it even deserves to follow up the previous post by don_budge, but I had to get that off my chest.

Carry on.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[don_budge]

The 1984 Wimbledon finals...John McEnroe vs. Jimmy Connors

1984...George Orwell

"It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. Winston Smith, his chin nuzzled into his breast in an effort to escape the vile wind, slipped quickly through the glass doors of Victory Mansions, though not quickly enough to prevent a swirl of gritty dust from entering along with him."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89Ypdrb4nIw

What provokes us to want to share our thoughts? I suppose everyone is a bit different but in the end I think it boils down to one thing. Mainly one thing. We want to be understood. Everyone wants to feel that they are understood. It’s no easy task...especially these days. Modern days. There has been a lot of social engineering that has left the human race more confused than enlightened. An ex-girlfriend of mine and I were exchanging electronically generated messages last night and we were talking about relationships. Her mother advised her that the most important thing in a relationship is to compromise. I think that if that is the most important aspect of your relationship you have made a poor choice. Her mother also said that relationships take a lot of work. I agree that it requires some work but by no means should it be hard labor. It isn’t a gulag for God’s sake. Or is it?

Well I guess that I am one of the last to ask in this regard considering my luck...my track record. But I ventured to say that compatibility and chemistry were higher up on my priorities. But above all there is another thing...and that thing is understanding. Everyone desperately wants to be understood. That isn’t always what people need most, but everyone wants that...they want understanding. Many times what people really need is a good kick in the rear end...but that is only a personal feeling of mine.

I started this thread..."Thoughts about Tennis Tradition" not so much because I wanted to be understood, as I have pretty much given up on that little scenario, but also because I feel that people need to understand. There is too much myth and too much hysteria surrounding the modern game of tennis and if you are any coach worth your salt you need to be a true student of the game. You must know and understand the history of the game. Most coaches are too young to have first hand knowledge of the classic game as it stood for nearly a century. Wood racquets and white clothes. It isn’t their fault that they are largely unaware of the changes that have transpired in the last forty years.

But here we are...in the world of “Thoughts about Tennis Tradition”. Keep in mind it is sort of a world of its own...I dreamed it up. Nobody else seems to give it much of a thought these days. Traditions. If it is in the past then it doesn’t count...it is better left alone. As in Orwell’s 1984 where society has divorced itself so far from it’s past that the present is easily manipulated by the powers that be and in Orwell’s case it was despotic governments. People are absolutely clueless about the past because it has been destroyed...purposely. In our case it just might be the corporations that have taken over our destiny. That and the computer or artificial knowledge. Have you ever heard the term “singularity”. But then again those ideas sound a bit far-fetched as well. That is, if you have nothing to compare it to. Those that are just coming of age in the year 2013 have no idea really what it was like back in 1984 so if they just accept everything that is being shoved down their pie hole, clearly they will be clueless...as to what the reality of the situation today really is.

So what is the point? Well...the point is this is just a little Tennis History 101 courtesy of don_budge. Here at the finals of the Wimbledon championships we have a situation that is sort of incongruous yet nobody wants to talk about the elephant in the living room. I am referring to the size of the racquets that the contestants are using. In 1984 John McEnroe has switched to a midsized Dunlop 200 graphite model while Jimmy Connors is still stuck in the past for reasons of his own with his antique model Wilson 2000. This is the crossroads. Tennis has veered off the course of traditional values and has embarked on a journey that is ruled by corporation and money. Read greed. The fundamental rule of tennis etiquette has been violated here...let no player seek unfair advantage over his opponent. There is a story in this match and behind this match. I am going to attempt to relate it to you...to decipher it for those who are perhaps too young to remember or for those that for reasons of their own choose to ignore the lesson. Just remember...I am only the messenger.

[bottle]

Re # 133, "Message in a Bottle"

So long as it's not "TP in a Bottle" by Nicholas Sparks, a novelist and even movie producer who makes me go "YECCCHHHH."

But the Police version is okay. So too "MS. in a Bottle" by Edgar Allan Poe, especially at the end of the story when the main character's ship goes down in a whirlpool (caused no doubt by a fissure in the earth's crust swallowing all ocean everywhere).

[don_budge]

1984 Wimbledon...Tennis at the Crossroads. The Grey Zone.

Here is the match. A story to follow. Please be patient. Patience is a virtue...good things comes to those who wait. So they say.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89Ypdrb4nIw

[don_budge]

Message in a Bottle...The Police

It can be lonely when you embark down the path of the continental gripped tennis game...go ask bottle. When he's ten feet tall.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbXWrmQW-OE

Message in a bottle...The Police

Just a castaway
An island lost at sea
Another lonely day
With no one here but me
More loneliness
Than any man could bear
Rescue me before I fall into despair

I'll send an SOS to the world
I'll send an SOS to the world
I hope that someone gets my
Message in a bottle
Message in a bottle
Message in a bottle, yeah

A year has passed since I wrote my note
But I should have known this right from the start
Only hope can keep me together
Love can mend your life
But love can break your heart

I'll send an SOS to the world
I'll send an SOS to the world
I hope that someone gets my
I hope that someone gets my
I hope that someone gets my
Message in a bottle
Message in a bottle

Walked out this morning
Don't believe what I saw
A hundred billion bottles
Washed up on the shore
Seems I'm not alone at being alone
A hundred billion castaways
Looking for a home

I'll send an SOS to the world
I'll send an SOS to the world
I hope that someone gets my
I hope that someone gets my
I hope that someone gets my
Message in a bottle
Message in a bottle

[don_budge]

John McEnroe vs. Björn Borg... 1981 Wimbledon Final

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

John McEnroe clad in Sergio Tachini with a Dunlop Maxply Fort. Björn Borg decked out in Fila with his beloved Donnay. The epitome of the evolution of the classic game of tennis. The climax of the whole shebang. Classic good guy vs. bad guy. The Iceberg Viking vs. the Volcanic American. What more could you want? Why would you "fix" this?

At times it appears that they are playing ping pong or badminton such is the artistry and the mastery of their craft. But in the end...lawn tennis at its very best. Like two great fencers wielding rapiers...probing for weaknesses and looking for the kill. Stab, parry, thrust. Each point an independent duel. On the whole...a finely woven tapestry of serving and volleying, of lobs and drop shots, of groundstroke exchanges, complete with passing shots that have a wonderful combination of touch and speed...of the likes we will never witness again. Just like the wear and tear in the grass...the path to the net. This was the last time a final at Wimbledon would be played with both players using wood racquets.

Nostalgia? No...it's something else. An appreciation for the truth of tennis as a true student of the game. Watch the continental gripped game of McEnroe dethrone the King of Lawn Tennis. I remember watching this in anticipation from the previous years final.

All of the original traditions and rituals were dutifully being observed. Even Johnny Boy was on his best behavior. He had to be...he knew somehow what was at stake. The game...and everything in it. Say what you want about him. On this day he paid proper homage to the sport of tennis.

[stotty]

Art Larsen RIP

Shame about Art Larsen. My father always talked very fondly about his tennis...and all his tap...tap...tapping. Handsome chap as well in his youth. I tried to find some clips of him but could find nothing...such as shame when players like that die and their games get lost forever...no digital age for players like Larsen. I guess you had to be there to see him at the time or you just missed out.

From what I have read and what my father told me, I would just loved to have seen Art play.

My father saw Art play and others like him such as: Kramer, Gonzales, Hoad and Rosewall. They all played at a tournament in Didsbury here in the UK.

[don_budge]

Ted Gärdestad...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs6UFYifZ2E

För Kärlekens Skull...Ted Gärdestad

Utanför fönstret slår våren ut,
Marken blir grön igen
Allt som var dött väcks till liv
Det kan också vi, så länge vi andas

Ute till havs styr en fiskebåt
Längs en fri horisont
Den gungar så tryggt in mot hamn
Som jag i din famn så länge vi älskar

Det är för oss solen går opp
Och lyser som guld för kärlekens skull
Solen går opp så oskuldsfull
Och lyser på oss för kärlekens skull

Högt på ett berg står en katedral
Och pekar upp mot skyn
Men det är för himlen i dig
Och jorden i mig, vi älskar varandra

Det är för oss solen går opp
Och lyser som guld för kärlekens skull
Solen går opp så oskuldsfull
Och lyser på oss för kärlekens skull

Lyser som guld för kärlekens skull
Lyser på oss för kärlekens skull

There is a tennis angle for the above...För Kärlekens Skull. Ted Gärdestad was
also a very promising tennis player. In 1970 he was the second best junior tennis player in Sweden...second to one Björn Borg.

His was a tragic figure...he ended up committing suicide. Dogged by mental illness much of his later life, he ended it at the age of 41. He chose...not to be. Hamlet posed whether to be or not to be. Very, very sad. A beautiful song he left us with...testimony to his sensitive nature. Life?...it isn't fair. Is it? Come to think of it...nobody ever said it would be.

[stotty]

Moe is not for Stotty

More golf on the run...take a couple of minutes out of your busy day and listen closely to this guy. Moe Norman.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rIq1aPKi1w

Sometimes when I was watching this he reminded me of the Dennis Hopper character in "Apocalypse Now". He is quite an astounding character. He is expounding on the mental side of golf...he is quite fascinating.

I liked Dennis Hopper's film character (an outstanding part...that part was made for Hopper) far more than Moe Norman. Overcoming self-doubt and the demons in your head is something all golfers and tennis players must do - unless you're blessed with a super sized ego. I found Moe a complete sceptic and irritating after about five minutes. I felt like I was being dressed down...and I don't play golf.

[don_budge]

Moe Norman...on the 5 1/2 inches between your ears

More golf on the run...take a couple of minutes out of your busy day and listen closely to this guy. Moe Norman.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rIq1aPKi1w

Sometimes when I was watching this he reminded me of the Dennis Hopper character in "Apocalypse Now". He is quite an astounding character. He is expounding on the mental side of golf...he is quite fascinating. He's like the "Rain Man" of golf.

[don_budge]

A Winter's Night...turns into a Winter's Day

Last night a heavy snow fell here in Sweden. The snow is softly falling...like a blanket of virgin white the countryside is covered. There is no more beauty than this. Peace and quiet. Pure loneliness. The morning light steals across the window pane of my bedroom window. Where webs of snow are drifting.

I can look forward to a day of shoveling snow...while contemplating the McEnroe forehand and...well for once, I cannot find the words. But that is only because...there are none. There are no words for what I feel on this winter's day. There's just that song that plays over and over in my head...I read again between the lines upon each page...on this winter night with you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVG2eF40hzE

Song for a Winter's Night...Gordon Lightfoot

The lamp is burnin' low upon my table top
The snow is softly falling
The air is still in the silence of my room
I hear your voice softly calling

If I could only have you near
To breathe a sigh or two
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love
On this winter night with you

The smoke is rising in the shadows overhead
My glass is almost empty
I read again between the lines upon each page
The words of love you sent me

If I could know within my heart
That you were lonely too
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love
On this winter night with you

The fire is dying now, my lamp is growing dim
The shades of night are lifting
The morning light steals across my window pane
Where webs of snow are drifting

If I could only have you near
To breathe a sigh or two
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love
On this winter night with you
And to be once again with you

[don_budge]

Calibrate! For meaningful measurements and results.

If you keep equipment static, things can hit a peak.

I spent many years in quality control. If you want to measure something first of all...you must calibrate your equipment.

In any experiment of any significance you must keep some things constant in order to observe results that are meaningful.

Thank you Stotty for your observations. This forum seems to be making some headway into perceiving reality. Read the first pages of this thread. I cannot believe we have come this far.

Comparing players of today with those of the past is the respectable and honorable thing to do. Tennis has made a mockery of this aspect of the sport.

[stotty]

Boxing doesn't move forward

Sport always moves forward...someone always comes along and takes things to another level...equipment aids the process...then...comparisons with past athletes becomes impossible. Athletes from all sports get faster, bigger, stronger, better, better, better, and better than ever before...or do they?

I just watched a replay of the 1971 Ali versus Frazier fight on ESPN. That sport can't move on in terms of equipment...same gloves...shorts...that's it. No one boxes as well as Ali and Frazier anymore...not even close. Boxing has gone backwards. The past was better in that sport, far better.

If you keep equipment static, things can hit a peak.

[stotty]

Great post...

“Television is by nature the dominator drug par excellence. Control of content, uniformity of content, repeatability of content make it inevitably a tool of coersion, brainwashing, and manipulation.” -Terrance McKenna

Money and television. These are your modern day gods. Both gave their blessing to Howard Head when he "created" the Prince racquet. There is your "evolution" geoffwilliams...it's not evolution at all. It's cheating...what you pretend to abhor. But you are the "equipment guy"...so that makes it alright. In your eyes. But it's all good...simple statements of fact. No emotions...no accusations.

It was cheating when they "bent" the rules in the first place...by pretending that they did not exist. It is still cheating today but nobody cares. This is why the performance enhancing drugs are ignored. Is that cheating? Of course it is, but nobody cares. To care would upset the status quo which would mean rewriting the financial statements not to mention take some titles away...ala Lance Armstrong. There are no rules except those that the ruling class make and the rest must follow. Tennis has become much like life...where the object of the game is to learn the rules. Tennis is a corporation. It doesn't care about the legacy of Lew Hoad, Richard Gonzales or Ken Rosewall.

But years ago tennis was ruled by "tennis etiquette" and one rule governed all. Thou shall not seek unfair advantage over your opponent. What you have today is the result. Seek that advantage at all costs...leave no stone unturned. For those too young to remember...study this example in modern day ethics and then take a good hard look at what is going on around you. Look at your school, your place of work, your family...then finally look at your country. Listen to the doublespeak of the politicians. Forget the past...it's a New World Order. Trust them? Tennis is a microcosm of life and therefore a worthy example...at least metaphorically speaking.

"Make boats go slower...planes without wings." Your use of the word evolution makes me want to gag. Björn Borg and John McEnroe...now that was evolution. Tennis was a living thing and the use of the wood was the Golden Rule...the wood gave the game life. Sadly "they" killed it...there is no other way to put it. Sampras, Edberg and Becker...television icons at best. Pure and simple...they were engineered for television. We will never know how they compared with Hoad, Gonzales and Laver. They were playing an altered version of the sport. Why is it important? Why would someone cling to the past? Why would someone cling to the way that it used to be? Go and ask the Indians and talk about traditions lost...or the only other option is to stick around and see what happens next...and look around.

In 1984...John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert all used oversized equipment at the U. S. Open for the first time. I was there and on the scene with a coaches pass...I was spellbound by the tennis. I could hardly believe my eyes. Neither could Ivan Lendl as he barely eked by Pat Cash by saving a handful of match points. Cash...was using a Prince Magnesium which was being touted on TV by one Eric Korita in a commercial. Remember that name? Of course not. He was merely a shill...a mouthpiece for the corporation. Lendl should have an asterisk by his name in the Hall of Fame for having the biggest cajones of them all and being the last to cave in to the equipment. That is testimony as to just how good he was.

Arthur Ashe was hawking a new mid-size Head racquet. It was amazing how everyone rolled over. All it took was a little grease...a little cash money. I could see the disparity in the Lendl/Cash match up in the stands...the disparity in the equipment. Cash was not nearly the player that Lendl was but the equipment made up the difference. Tennis was at the crossroads and even the best players in the world had to submit...they were forced to admit that the game had crossed the line. That line of demarcation where tradition ends and the new age begins. John Newcombe in the semifinals against Stan Smith of the veteran's singles was also using a Prince racquet. It was almost sacrilegious.

Bud Collins called it the greatest day of tennis ever without batting an eyelash. He never mentioned the equipment. He merely gushed and regurgitated what the smart money was selling. The commercials on television during that first "Super Saturday" in tennis were awash with Apple computers...they were mere dinosaurs to what we carry around in our pocket today. Orwell had it pegged. It was 1984...what an amazing call, George, if only symbolically...if only you had lived to see it. Progress? To where? To what? We shall see. Connect the dots...come on, give it a try.

Nobody ever said anything about going back to wood racquets strung with gut. You jump the gun with your fervent speech. Another diversionary tactic. I want to state clearly so that there is no misunderstanding. Tennis is in wanton need of standards for the equipment. Frames and strings included. The court specifications also need to be addressed. Don't tamper with the dimensions unless you want to create a parallel universe. tennis_chiro had it right with his screenplay. Maybe the script should call for some revolution where the people win back what was theirs. Make it an epic!

The parallels drawn should give you reason to wonder...reason enough to ask yourself the question "Why?". But it won't. Such is the nature of the brainwashed. Today's fervent mind. You don’t really miss Lew Hoad, Laver or Rosewall nor do you respect them. You have ridiculed them in the past saying that they wouldn’t make the top one hundred in today’s wonder world of modern tennis. But as Stotty suggests...you win. But trust me...it is no victory for you or the rest of the herd. This is one that I am proud to lose. At least I stood up for the one I loved...true to the very end. But that is just the kind of guy that I am.

Now that was one hell of a post! Thanks for sharing that one with the forum.

The key thing for me is "comparison". I want to compare Mac with Federer...Hoad with Murray...Nadal with Borg. We can never do that now. Such comparisons can only be a games played out in our minds...riddled with the bias and prejudice that we all suffer from.

A truly great post, don_budge...well played.