| SW19 |
| Martin | It's that time of year again. Yes folks, Wimbledon has started and Henmania is about to take over us again, or is it?
Are you one of those wimbledon couch potatoes, who closes the curtains, takes the phone off the hook and sits in front of the box for two weeks?
Will we have a British champion at long last?
This year, Sampras will not be playing, the top seed Hewitt is out. It could be a very open mens championship, but will we have anything to shout about? |
| Hayleypink | yawn |
| LDunlop76 | My thoughts exactly, Hayley! I can't get worked up about tennis these days. Back in the 70's the players had some character - Nastase, Connors, Mackenroe. Borg was the start of the machine style of player and for me it's gone downhill ever since. |
| Martin | quote:
Originally posted by LDunlop76
My thoughts exactly, Hayley! I can't get worked up about tennis these days. Back in the 70's the players had some character - Nastase, Connors, Mackenroe. Borg was the start of the machine style of player and for me it's gone downhill ever since.
Actually Borg was around before Mackenroe and he was a skillfull player. Todays game is all about serving, that's why you don't see the long rallies of the 70's and 80's. I think the new carbon fibre rackets added to the serving speeds. One reason why Borg retired was because he could only play with a wooden racket. |
| Hayleypink | wow i learn something new about martin every day! he's a tennis expert! |
| William R | They used to make the tennis balls in Barnsley at Slazengers, who makes them now? Bill |
| William R | Where are the Gentlemen of tennis, after the outburst by Rusedski yesterday? Bringing the game into disrepute, fine him till he squeaks, I say. Bill. |
| Martin | I must have missed that Bill... Does that mean he's no longer British? |
| Martin | [url="http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/index.html"]The Official Wimbledon Web Site[/url]
For all the latest news on this years tournament. |
| Kath smith | I read about a woman who uses old tennis balls as houses for some mice that were about to become extinct but she's saving the species because she's doing this. Best use yet for old balls.......
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| LDunlop76 | quote:
Originally posted by Martin
Actually Borg was around before Mackenroe and he was a skillfull player.
Yes, I know (I'm older than you, remember [:p]), but what I meant was that he was the first of these players who seem to be a bit lacking in the personality department - they play like machines - skillfully, but no humour in their game. Since his time they all seem to be going that way. I don't watch any more. |
| Martin | The game is a lot more professional these days like most sports. Most pros from the seventies wouldn't stand a chance against todays players. Football has gone the same way. |
| noel | There are one or two players still with personality Linda. A new addition to the Oxford Dictionary " A Rusedski moment". |
| William R | Am I wrong to think it all begins with large prizes now on offer. Its not a game, it a business. Sponsors and all the entourage which they trail behind. I could never understand why a footballer need an Agent, a Manager, a Psychiatrist, s Physio etc, he needs to kick a ball in the right direction and hope nobody gets in the way. Am I being cynical again? Perhaps it goes back to the time when footballers wore "proper" boots instead of ballet pumps, and the ball was made of leather and hurt when headed wet. I give up. Cheers, Bill. |
| LDunlop76 | You are quite right, Bill. Sport used to be played for the fun of taking part - now it's win or fail. Sadly you can even see this attitude creeping into primary school sports days. I was horrified to see a lad being berated by his father for coming second last year - it was a primary school running race, for goodness sake, not the flippin' Olympics! Today's Guardian has an article on an 11 year old who's being courted by major football clubs offering all kinds of financial incentives - luckily he has a wise father who is keeping them at arms' length for now. |
| LDunlop76 | [url]http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,985842,00.html[/url] |
| Kath smith | My theory is that it's not the winning but the taking part.
Sadly it seems that a lot of people think there's no point taking part unless you want to win.
My daughter is very good at sport, it seems to come naturally to her to run fast and she's good at netball and rounders, my son plays tennis and is a good runner, but they go their own pace and if they want to further their aims then I will take them along and watch, but I will always cheer the winner and the other competitors, especially the last one back on a race. It really makes my blood boil when an exhausted youth is berated for coming no place by an over eager parent, probably the parent was no good at sport and is trying to live their own dreams through the child. |
| LDunlop76 | Gawd, aren't there some pushy parents around?
Neither of our two is sporty (take after their parents there then! LOL!) but we've always encouraged them no matter if they came last. Fortunately they are able to show their talents in the classroom if not the playing field, so they easily laugh off coming last in the sack race, knowing they have skills elsewhere. |
| Martin | It's not looking for Tiger Tim! [:0]
I think he needs a boost. Tomorrow, I want you all to stand on your chairs and shout "Come on Tim!"
I've been watching the live scoreboard at work. it's quite a good feature of the wimbledon web site and gives you a live point by point update of every game.
Never mind, there's always next year [:(] |
| William R | Hey Linda, you and me are singing from the same song sheet here so I`ll leave it to you to keep stirring. I`ve got the kettle ready but not just yet, my place is a bit untidy and I`m decorating the bedrooms. Its lost the woman`s touch, I`ll have to get a housekeeper, which seems the thing nowadays. You never did say which was your favourite blend, even in this one horse town we have a good choice of tea, leaf or bag. Must get back to me ironing, from over the Pennines. Cheerio, William R.
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| noel | Competition is an important part of a child's development Linda, it's because of attititude's like the youngster's father berating him for finishing second that many do gooder heads of schools are abolishing sports, much to the detriment of all concerned. Parents have a duty to encourage and console their children. Some parents seem to have gone AWOL when the importance of effective parenting was being taught. |
| LDunlop76 | quote:
Originally posted by William R
You never did say which was your favourite blend, even in this one horse town we have a good choice of tea, leaf or bag.
Any tea so long as it's hot and wet, Bill! And, after years of working inthe NHS, even the hot part isn't critical! |
| LDunlop76 | quote:
Originally posted by noel
Competition is an important part of a child's development Linda, it's because of attititude's like the youngster's father berating him for finishing second that many do gooder heads of schools are abolishing sports, much to the detriment of all concerned. Parents have a duty to encourage and console their children. Some parents seem to have gone AWOL when the importance of effective parenting was being taught.
Oh I quite agree with you, Noel, but this lad's father was going way over the top - yelling at the top of his voice because his 8 year old had come second [V] Not saying, "Oh, well done for running so well!"
I remember my grandfather's wise words to me before I sat my 'O' levels: "Just do your best - no-one can ask you to do better than your best" |
| noel | Yes we seem to concur Linda. When my sons played Judo down in Wiltshire they were fortunate enough to be selected for area competitions, involving most the souith west and Wales. One competition I remember at Poole, one of the parents was "encouraging " his son with shouts of "Kill him." ( son aged 13 years.) |
| skitzy | We see a lot of parental abuse here in Oz, little athletics is a big thing over here, with weekly competition in the summer months, the aim really is to try & beat your own personal best & enjoy what you are doing.
One parent had her daughter in tears because she failed to win an 800m race at a pentathlon, she was swearing at her at the top of her voice, we ended up complaining to the club she belonged to only to find out she had already been warned & apparently banned from watching her son play football.
Eileen |
| Martin | Tim's blown it again! Let's forget about tennis for the next twelve months and concentrate on something else shall we? |
| Hayleypink | yeh! |
| LDunlop76 | Yes, please! |
| Lady Griffin | Well done LD on passing the 700 mark.
You're a star.
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LG |
| LDunlop76 | quote:
Originally posted by Lady Griffin
Well done LD on passing the 700 mark.
Flippin' 'eck! Once again I hadn't noticed![|)] For me it's the taking part which counts! [;)]
Thanks for the compliment, Lady G - you're not so bad yourself! [:X] |
| noel | You're both very nice people aren't they folks. I hadn't noticed either Linda, too busy keepin' me eye on that sneaky Martin with his 765 posts <bg> Congratulations Linda. |
| Martin | Now, there's a funny thing. Two men are top of the chatterbox table. I thought it was women who were supposed to have more to say then men![;)]
<~~~ should I lock this topic now? |
| Lady Griffin | Awwwwww!Noel,
What a nice thing to say to us Lindas.
See you are getting into retirement mode already.
LG |