Being there…in the moment. Performing Arts.
Let's start with Pecci then. Waterboard, tar and feather, boiled in oil…then pickled in vinegar. He's such a loser (Trumpspeak for when you don't care for someone). But what you say absolutely resonates with me my good man. This is how far the whole sport of tennis has devolved into a rather dismal abyss of mediocre play and skills. Utter shit for commentary. It's tough to dress this one up in any other clothes. It's an imposter…an obvious imposter to anybody that knows any better.
"Commentatoes need to quit talking in superlatives about what are, or should be, bread and butter skills for a pro players."
Watching John McEnroe and Björn Borg perform with guys like Donald Dell and Barry Mackay is truly poetry in motion. The announcers just have to sit back and let the story unfold. And it is truly a story…a compelling three setter the equivalent of a spell binding three act play performed by brilliant actors. Just ask Dustin Hoffman.
Dustin just so happened to be in Tokyo at the time of this match and he was in the crowd. Barry Mackay is doing double duty now as an interviewer…he queries Dustin on the performing arts. What is it that tennis players do that actors do?
Interview with Barry Mackay and Dustin Hoffman at about 8:30 in this video:
BM...Well strangely enough i'm here with a fan of tennis who is a long way from home but…Dustin you've seen a lot of tennis, what did you think of that match that we just saw?
DH...Well it was interesting because Borg started tough but then he lost seven straight games…and then he got his composure back. It seems like it's timing…one player puts…McEnroe put his timing off and then Borg put McEnroe's timing off. What did you think?
BM...Well I though it was a pretty good match. I've seen them play a lot and it wasn't bad. How about acting and tennis Dustin…when you watch these two guys compete…any similarities between what you see them doing and what you do?
DH...I think in the sense that uh…the uh…the…the…what's the word? The uh…
BM...Concentration?
DH...The uh…uh…the line of being on and off is so thin. In other words…
BM...An on day…an off day?
DH...Well when you are told you are over acting as opposed to be on and real, it's the same here. That moment of hitting the ball is a very thin line. You can be playing great tennis but if you are off that much...
I'm not surt Barry knew what Dustin was getting at but I am pretty certain I do. I've been to acting school in a past life. Dustin is talking about being there. Just like the old Peter Sellers movie from a novel by Jerzy Kosinski. Being there as an actor…you are pretending but by means of the arts of the craft you can actually project yourself into a role and you are really there. You are able to manipulate reality to the extent that your "pretending" becomes an actual reality. For the actor and the audience.
Dustin talks about that fine line that the actor is trying to feel. Once he's there its autopilot. It isn't pretending any longer. I guess he is saying that the tennis player reaches that measurement as well and he struggles to maintain that fine sense of balance…balancing on the razor's edge.
Good stuff. Come to think of it they don't make movies like they used to either…do they?
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Wonderful observations from two great commentators. I couldn't have put it better myself. I have watched a couple of sections of the match and have to say I much prefer the down to earth commentary of yesteryear. A couple of today's commentatoes need waterboarding for a least half a day to bring them to their senses. Commentatoes need to quit talking in superlatives about what are, or should be, bread and butter skills for a pro players.
You have to shoot an admiral from time to time to encourage the others - Voltaire.
I say shoot Mark Pecci...Leave a comment:
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Donald Dell…at 8:00 in video #5 of 9
They aren't finished with Borg's greatness…they further discuss.
Donald Dell…
"But you mention the mental concentration…the mental toughness of Borg. I would have always talked in terms of physical talents…Barry. It was his quickness and his footwork. He was always in position. He has really a kind of disguised sense of anticipation and he is so fast on his feet he is always in position. Physically…his footwork is one of the understated elements of his greatness.
But you know Barry concentration and the mental toughness of Borg is really something.
I started to say that Borg's concentration and mental toughness…I don't know Barry…I think that you are born with that, I don't think you can learn that. I think that you can discipline yourself to get it more. But I think that you are born with that."
Barry Mackay…
"Well, it's an instinctive thing. Yet over the years he seems to have developed it to almost an absolute perfection out there. Because for years on end we have watched this guy for a long time…he just does not vary. He will smile a little bit on the rare occasion…but you just know that his mind is totally with the match at all times."
These guys work this conversation into the match as to not disturb the viewer concentration on the play. It's an art. Instinctive…as Barry says.Last edited by don_budge; 04-21-2016, 11:53 PM.Leave a comment:
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Barry Mackay…at 5:40 video #5 of 9
Well…there are commentatoes (as bottle coined the word) and there are commentators. Donald Dell and Barry Mackay work together to put together enough of a verbal background to illustrate to the viewer what is actually going on in front of there very eyes. They are working with and against each other to best capture the essence of the play and the player' mentality.
It is what is going on beneath the surface that is tying the whole thing together and giving it historical context. When you listen to these two you are getting verbal lesson in tennis. This is how it used to be in classic tennis. There was a whole myriad of commentators that were able to deliver like these two aficionados.
Donald Dell...
"Hey…let's have some fun. What makes Björn Borg such a great player? We are not going to see him too much more. What's his mark of greatness?"
Barry Mackay...
"I've always felt his biggest asset was his tremendous concentration Donald. The fact that he just doesn't vary at all throughout the match and when you are playing against a guy…if all of a sudden he makes three or four errors…you gotta think he's…jeez…gonna be unhappy with that…he's going to be emotional. But he's had just such a great consistency that as a player playing against him…that's got to wear you down mentally because he never gets upset."
Donald Dell asks what makes Borg so great…Barry Mackay delivers without hesitation. True tennis minds. Students of the game…as well as great players.Leave a comment:
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Donald Dell…at 8:00 in video #3 of 9
"And it's just something different and electrifying when these two guys play…it's tennis at a different level. Different styles of play…different greatness."
Couldn't have said it better myself. Donald Dell and Barry Mackay. Two great commentators as well. Another aspect of the game in the past.Leave a comment:
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Björn Borg versus John McEnroe…Semifinals Suntory Cup 1983
It's Björn Borg's final professional tournament. He is retiring. It's 1983. Björn using his beloved Donnay wooden racquet and John McEnroe using a wooden racquet designed by Dunlop especially for him. The rest of the world is going to oversized graphite and McEnroe opts for an even smaller head…the iconic Dunlop Maxply. Who would believe that McEnroe was actually a saint defending one of the most sacred's of sacred? The traditional wooden racquet.
Look at the game as these two played it in 1983 and compare it to the modern game of 2016. Anyone that says that this game has evolved has drank some serious Kool-Aid. The game has devolved to a point where the most beautiful aspects are now extinct. Most are too young to actually know the difference. These can be forgiven. You don't believe me? I don't care.
John McEnroe on playing the net. It was an art. He had the backcourt game. He had the mid court game. He was the "decider" when he came to the net. Pushing the envelope. Pushing the agenda. Always pushing…pushing. Making it happen.
This was the end of the best of the best. The game had been evolving and this is what it had evolved to at this point. Borg versus McEnroe. This was the end of the classic era. It was the day that tennis died.Leave a comment:
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It's a Brave New World…Aldous Huxley to don_budge
It's interesting alright. It's another sign for don_budge. Connecting the dots. Discerning…separating the wheat from the chaff. Some might call it crazy…it's all in a day's effort.
Particularly noteworthy is the cryptic reference to Henry Ford. I hail from his hometown of Dearborn, Michigan. My own father is named Henry Ford…after the original. He eventually went to work as a professor at the Henry Ford Community College off of Ford Road. Ford Country.
The manager of the department is referred to as "Your Fordship". The model T is given a shot in the beginning as an object of worship. The members of this dystopian society make the sign of the "T" to each other.
I worked for the Ford Motor Company for some twenty five years. It's a culture. I understand of what he speaks. Ferdinand Celine wrote of this culture in the greatest book ever written…"Journey to the End of the Night". Your Fordship…God forbid.Leave a comment:
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Well that's an interesting little B movie if ever there was one. Not sure it would have been what Aldous had in mind for his wonderful novel. He might have felt decidedly shortchanged had he been alive to witness the 1984 movie Orwell's book inspired.Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World"
I think you're going to like this. But it is a brave new world…isn't it?
I have to say, getting rid of monogamy is an interesting idea. In the 1960's when a leading politician here was caught out and exposed for cheating on his wife by using prostitutes for sex, he was some years later interviewed in a documentary. It was a riveting interview. When asked repeatedly why he had done it - shamed himself and cheated on his beautiful wife - he said, "to have variety"...and despite the fact his wife was beautiful, he craved variety.Leave a comment:
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Stotty…Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World"
Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World"
I think you're going to like this. But it is a brave new world…isn't it?Leave a comment:
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Great clip...
Another great video.
It's interesting because Orantes just strokes and pokes the ball around and isn't trying to win the rallies as such. His aim isn't to find a why through Connors but more to soak him up. He only goes for winners when he is forced to. It's a very skilful game Orantes is playing. It's only a short clip but it looks like Orantes was executing this game plan from start to finish.Leave a comment:
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Jimmy Connors versus Manuel Orantes 1975 U. S. Open Finals
Here's a sweet walk down memory lane. Arthur Ashe got so many kudos' for "soft balling" James Scott into submission in the 1975 Wimbledon final. What about Manuel Orantes doing the very same thing on the hartru clay in the very same year. Take a look at this match and admire the tactics of the Spanish clay courter versus the American hard baller. A beautiful contrast of styles. Traditionally speaking of course.Leave a comment:
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sherlock_holmes…on Borg's case
This video is just a teaser. Just tangentially broaching the sacred subject.
Not so much embarrassing but perplexing nonetheless. Why the wood racquet? I won't quit until I get to the bottom of this one. I think I have an idea about how to get close enough to Bjorn to ask him the 60,000 dollar question. His son is playing tournaments here in Sweden. He showed up at one that wasn't so far away and a couple of my kids got things autographed by him. On the case…sherlock_holmes.Leave a comment:
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The Swedish Psyche…The Iconic Björn Borg
Thanks for your very fine post and it truly is a great story! You might substitute "Swedishness" for "stubbornness" in Borg's case. For most of the tennis world Björn Borg is an enigma. One of the keys to understanding Borg is understanding the "Swedish Psyche" which is truly a unique cultural pearl. Swedish people ask me all the time…do you find Swedish people odd?What's that old saying? You have to learn the rules before you can break them...
Inexplicable...why Borg chose to make a comeback, inexplicable how he chose to do it with wood.
I'll tell you a true story: Back in the mid eighties when working in a tourist resort in the Algarve, Portugal, I coached a former executive from Donnay. Donnay just had recently gone bust.
He told me Donnay had put all their eggs in one basket with Borg. Borg was making them a fortune and so they gave him whatever he wanted. When they made suggestions to Borg that he might try newer technology, he wasn't interested. As a result, Donnay didn't bother to invest as heavily as other racket companies in newer technology because the world's most bankable player showed no interest in its benefits, none.
The Donnay executive told me that Borg was similar in other areas of the bandwagon. Borg always insisted on wearing his pinstripe FILA shirt at Wimbledon. He liked to wear the same shorts and disliked changing his style of Diadora shoes too often either. Borg liked things to always remain the same.
Borg's stubbornness stopped the companies associated with him from progressing. Donnay went bust when Borg suddenly walked out of the game, leaving them stranded with their antiquated rackets. Donnay had counted on Borg being around another five years. The executive lost his job and didn't have too many good things to say of Borg, nor Donnay's "eggs in one basket" decision making.
I did find it understandable why Borg eight years later returned to the game saying he "needed to play tennis". I kind of got that. What I couldn't understand is why he insisted on using a wooden racket. Wooden rackets had ceased to be manufactured by then so he had to commission a company in England to make him 500 rackets made from ash...Donnay rackets were made from ash.
I found Borg's comeback embarrassing to watch. Not only was he a shadow of the player he once was, he was also using an antique racket that left him with no chance whatsoever of beating anyone. It broke my heart. Borg seemed totally unperturbed. He didn't seem to care less.
Now that I understand the "Swedish Psyche" I truly understand the inner workings of Björn Borg much better. It wasn't so much that he was such a great sport or that he was calm. He was just being Swedish. A Swede doesn't want to draw too much attention to himself and God forbid…be involved in anything remotely controversial. But there is also the paradoxical complement to the "Swedish Psyche" and that is the inner Viking. Obviously Borg had this connection in his DNA as well as his culturally engineered social personna. He blended the two to perfection and came up with the perfect tennis personality. An iconic version all of himself. The Borg Version.
Borg's fixation with the wooden racquets is perfectly understandable. Swede's have this fixated idea about tradition and there isn't any wavering or waffling in their adherence to certain fixed fundamentals. I believe that Borg began working his way up the ladder basically at the very same time that tennis went "Open". His foundation was in the Classic Game even though he certainly gave it his own artistic interpretation. The two handed backhand and the strong gripped forehand…the forerunner of the modern game. His foundation was deeply entrenched in the white clothes, white balls and wooden racquets and that is precisely the manner in which he ate his way up the food chain in the professional game of tennis.
His exit coincidentally came at a time when the dyke burst in tennis and the whole game went to the new equipment. The leaking started sometime in the mid 70's and gradually it was leaking like a sieve until it burst wide open. He left just before the burst. His timing proved that he was somewhat ahead of the game and knew what was coming. All of the top players felt this reverence for the traditional and classic game and the equipment was a huge part of this. The new equipment was a blasphemy to those that were on the top of the mountain and they were defending the integrity of the sport against the hordes trying to take their spot at the top. There was John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl and Björn Borg at the top waving their little wands at the intruders howitzers. Much as you see in this video of Thomas Högstedt and Björn practicing. A combination of some rust and the artificial advantage that Hogstedt has on account of his equipment renders the once god-like Borg to look somewhat amateurish. As you yourself noted in the Connors clip…there was no place Connors could go to get the invincible Swede off balance.
Surely it was a combination of things that led Björn to quit the game prematurely. But paramount was his feeling that he had been gyped out of his legacy by the engineering and the money that equated too.
Thanks for your invaluable insight into the workings of Donnay and Borg. Obviously the two fates went hand in hand and shame on Donnay for not knowing Björn better than that. But on the other hand the cool arctic Swedish psyche is virtually impenetrable from the outside. I am on the inside just a bit…the Swedes here cut me the "McEnroe Pass" as it is. I continue to amuse them but must maintain caution to not upset their Swedish sensibility. It is important to know the difference between a VIP and being a guest.Leave a comment:
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Donnay and Borg
What's that old saying? You have to learn the rules before you can break them...
Inexplicable...why Borg chose to make a comeback, inexplicable how he chose to do it with wood.
I'll tell you a true story: Back in the mid eighties when working in a tourist resort in the Algarve, Portugal, I coached a former executive from Donnay. Donnay just had recently gone bust.
He told me Donnay had put all their eggs in one basket with Borg. Borg was making them a fortune and so they gave him whatever he wanted. When they made suggestions to Borg that he might try newer technology, he wasn't interested. As a result, Donnay didn't bother to invest as heavily as other racket companies in newer technology because the world's most bankable player showed no interest in its benefits, none.
The Donnay executive told me that Borg was similar in other areas of the bandwagon. Borg always insisted on wearing his pinstripe FILA shirt at Wimbledon. He liked to wear the same shorts and disliked changing his style of Diadora shoes too often either. Borg liked things to always remain the same.
Borg's stubbornness stopped the companies associated with him from progressing. Donnay went bust when Borg suddenly walked out of the game, leaving them stranded with their antiquated rackets. Donnay had counted on Borg being around another five years. The executive lost his job and didn't have too many good things to say of Borg, nor Donnay's "eggs in one basket" decision making.
I did find it understandable why Borg eight years later returned to the game saying he "needed to play tennis". I kind of got that. What I couldn't understand is why he insisted on using a wooden racket. Wooden rackets had ceased to be manufactured by then so he had to commission a company in England to make him 500 rackets made from ash...Donnay rackets were made from ash.
I found Borg's comeback embarrassing to watch. Not only was he a shadow of the player he once was, he was also using an antique racket that left him with no chance whatsoever of beating anyone. It broke my heart. Borg seemed totally unperturbed. He didn't seem to care less.Last edited by stotty; 03-22-2016, 06:11 AM.Leave a comment:
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