Clash of the (Tennis) Titans
- Thread starter Dylan
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Yeah, see, that pisses me off when people say that Henman has no talent. Kinda suggests to me that they know nothing about the game. Ok he wasn't good enough to win a slam but to suggest someone who's been in the top 10 as long as he has had no talent is just ignorant of what talent is.
monty
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Bruce tennis is one of the few sports I can't stand, I hate it with a passion, to me Wimbledon fortnight is purgatory. That said only a biased moron (yes you Rob being a wind-up merchant) could possibly say that Henman had no talent, I just hope that Murray manages to do better than he has because it is incredible how a sport with so much support in this country has failed to produce so few winners.
Dylan, Greg is more British than Martina was American mate
I think that's the problem with British perception of Henman. It does seem that many people in this country only watch the game for two weeks of the year, see all the Henmania rubbish and middle aged women going googoo over him and think he's either the best or the worst tennis player to ever play the game.
As with most things the truth lies in between. He's been the best British male player for an awfully long time. He's been ranked in the top 10 for an awfully long time. He's beaten most of the top players during his career. He's played a serve and volley game that few could match. What he's lacked is that one really penetrative weapon, be it a serve or groundstroke, that allows the best to boss games.
So no, he certainly hasn't been a great player but he has been a very good one indeed and doesn't deserve the stick he gets.
As with most things the truth lies in between. He's been the best British male player for an awfully long time. He's been ranked in the top 10 for an awfully long time. He's beaten most of the top players during his career. He's played a serve and volley game that few could match. What he's lacked is that one really penetrative weapon, be it a serve or groundstroke, that allows the best to boss games.
So no, he certainly hasn't been a great player but he has been a very good one indeed and doesn't deserve the stick he gets.
SuitsBlue
Player Valuation: £50m
greg is as british as the next man, so long as the next man is lennox lewis.
being fair, tim being the best of british wasnt difficult after the jeremy bates era of sporting excellence.
tennis in britain suffers the same as golf, it is perceived as elitist because it is elitist, cricket is doing its damnedest to appeal more broadly and has succeeded in shrugging off some of its flat cap and glasses, bitter drinking, appearance.
as for 'tiger' tim, the top ten ranking system has always been a bit suspect, there were always 10 better players that 'tiger' yet he got as high as fourth with no grand slam victories at about the right times to get a very kind seeding at wimbledon.
i recall the match against a south african in the quarter or the semi, and having asked for an over rule, which was wrongly given in henmans favour, he then did the same things again a few points later - the umpire didnt fall for it and henman rightly crashed out.
sport is about desire, and commitment, henman was rich before he became a star, and became much wealthier with sponsorships with mercedes, persil, robinsons fruit cordial, and all that [Poor language removed].
compare to the williams sisters, that played against each other on horrible courts in the ghetto, it is desire and commitment that has seen them compete and succeed.
british sport is too easy a ride for its reprasentatives, michael johnson said of the breakthrough athletics stars that they have it too easy when they havnt achieved anything - they are recognised as talent and are famous - whereas in america talent isnt enough - the sportsmen and women have to continue to work and then achieve to become recognised and celebrities.
being fair, tim being the best of british wasnt difficult after the jeremy bates era of sporting excellence.
tennis in britain suffers the same as golf, it is perceived as elitist because it is elitist, cricket is doing its damnedest to appeal more broadly and has succeeded in shrugging off some of its flat cap and glasses, bitter drinking, appearance.
as for 'tiger' tim, the top ten ranking system has always been a bit suspect, there were always 10 better players that 'tiger' yet he got as high as fourth with no grand slam victories at about the right times to get a very kind seeding at wimbledon.
i recall the match against a south african in the quarter or the semi, and having asked for an over rule, which was wrongly given in henmans favour, he then did the same things again a few points later - the umpire didnt fall for it and henman rightly crashed out.
sport is about desire, and commitment, henman was rich before he became a star, and became much wealthier with sponsorships with mercedes, persil, robinsons fruit cordial, and all that [Poor language removed].
compare to the williams sisters, that played against each other on horrible courts in the ghetto, it is desire and commitment that has seen them compete and succeed.
british sport is too easy a ride for its reprasentatives, michael johnson said of the breakthrough athletics stars that they have it too easy when they havnt achieved anything - they are recognised as talent and are famous - whereas in america talent isnt enough - the sportsmen and women have to continue to work and then achieve to become recognised and celebrities.
monty
Sack Sky and donate to GOT...donations are needed
Its incredible to believe that Michael Johnson is better known and admired here then in the States because track and field is less popular. He is the best short haul runner I have ever seen, he is brilliant. How would he have been idolised if he had been a Brit and he did it clean as well?
SuitsBlue
Player Valuation: £50m
thats the thing about all sport and specifically athletics, doping.
now, stories from people linford christie [Poor language removed] over in real life lead me to believe he is a real stone cold business man with no scruples, but why would a 42 year old man well past competative athletics take drugs?
the best soap in the world cant clean up track and field now, it is beyond redemption.
did like his gold boots as well.
now, stories from people linford christie [Poor language removed] over in real life lead me to believe he is a real stone cold business man with no scruples, but why would a 42 year old man well past competative athletics take drugs?
the best soap in the world cant clean up track and field now, it is beyond redemption.
did like his gold boots as well.
SuitsBlue
Player Valuation: £50m
david millar - shouldnt be allowed to disgrace le tour
roy jones jnr - failed drugs tests and was still allowed to box on
rio ferdinand didnt take a drugs test - banned for 9 months
the process of testing seems too hit and miss, or there is another angle whereby only certain athletes are tested and others just slip through the net.
roy jones jnr - failed drugs tests and was still allowed to box on
rio ferdinand didnt take a drugs test - banned for 9 months
the process of testing seems too hit and miss, or there is another angle whereby only certain athletes are tested and others just slip through the net.
Cycling is far more rigorous than other sports I believe and is undergoing a real purge of leading riders at the moment. Operation Puerto was said to have dozens of athletes from other sports involved, yet it has only been cycling that has done anything about it.
monty
Sack Sky and donate to GOT...donations are needed
There is sufficient evidence to suggest that friend Christie was popping enhancing drugs when he was completing, always got energy surges for the big occasions, did test positive for elements of substances now traceable and banned, claimed it was ginseng tea. One other side effect of those drugs was penal growth, Christie was guilty
Seriously he is never mentioned by athletes, has never been given the fully civic acknowledgements his achievements warranted and some athletes he was involved with have since been banned.
Track and field is corrupt to the point that entire nations have been involved in doping programes thus making the Olympic oath one of the most abused vows ever created:angry:
On the Christie issue, Bjarn Riis recently announced that he'd been taking EPO for most of the mid-late 90's, during which time he won the Tour de France in 1996. Never failed a drugs test though did he.
I really think that a great many sports are happy to brush this under the carpet and it wouldn't surprise me one bit if football wasn't one of them.
I really think that a great many sports are happy to brush this under the carpet and it wouldn't surprise me one bit if football wasn't one of them.
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