Bluntly I Don't Give A Dam!

On ITV this morning there was much hand wringing and French envy by Neil Harman, Mark Petchy and Sam Smith over the lack of high ranked British Players. Zzzzz... Who cares? Whatever nationality players are they don't give me a cut of their winnings so I'll chose to watch and support players based on how entertaining they are and not from what country they were born in or choose to adopt. My favorite players happen to have Swiss and Spanish nationality. It would make no difference to me if they chose to adopt a different nationality. Why should it?

I do feel strongly that LTA funding should go mainly towards grass roots tennis. Make it easier for more people to have access to this great game so that my fellow British citizens can have fun. That is a far more worthy aim. It would also be something to feel National pride in.

A lot of people care. A lot of British people want British players to be produced and reach the top of the game. You don't care and that's a stance you're entitled to.

I agree with about grass roots. I would like to see more efforts into getting really good tennis facilities and structured competitions into our schools. Tennis is an easy game to fall in love with as a kid, given the opportunity.

I'm with you 100% across that post, Hawkeye.

Yea I second it as well.

What if your country is playing another country in a team sport, maybe in the Olympics or the world cup final, where do you all stand then?

I also agree. Even with Murray I only supported him because I used to like his game and because I hated the treatment he got from the retarded media and the ignorant public believing the anti-english crap written about him. Now that he's got his slam, I couldn't really careless about his career anymore though I did want him to win the AO final to make some history of his own and unique to him.

Yes, I agree with you.

My favourite player is a Serb, my second favourite an Argenitine and I'm enjoying watching a Latvian at the moment too.

I think the discussion about the lack of British players has merit though. There is a lot of money sloshing around in British tennis but with no discernable result yet - neither at the top of the game nor at grass roots.

Henman Bill wrote:What if your country is playing another country in a team sport, maybe in the Olympics or the world cup final, where do you all stand then?

If it's football, I'm not behind England at all. I have such little respect for the players as sportsman and as people, that I don't wish them success.

In Rugby I get behind England but that's down to familiarity rather than patriotism. I tend to prefer individual players, whatever their nationality (Ireland's Brian O'Driscoll is one of my favourite sportsmen, for instance).

At the Olympics, I'm notionally behind 'Team GB' but to be honest, I'd rather see brilliant performances from anyone than a win for a specific nation.

Me too Murdoch. So people are born on the same island as me? Big deal.

It's a shame that tennis still has a somewhat elistist image. It's an amazing sport and I don't think I've had as much fun playing any other sport though I didn't grow up playing tennis. My school had 4 perfect tennis courts but they were always locked away except for during some PE lessons. I don't think that results at the very top of the game are so important as slam winners are generally phenomenons. It should definitely be made more widely available though.

bogbrush wrote:Me too Murdoch. So people are born on the same island as me? Big deal.

Yes, I think I agree with your view of nations generally i.e. that it is pretty much nonsensical. Arbitrary lines in the ground. In fact, not even in he ground, it only exists on a map!

Yeah count me in too. Jingoism isn't my thing.

HM Murdoch wrote:

bogbrush wrote:Me too Murdoch. So people are born on the same island as me? Big deal.

Yes, I think I agree with your view of nations generally i.e. that it is pretty much nonsensical. Arbitrary lines in the ground. In fact, not even in he ground, it only exists on a map!

Someone sitting in the pre-Shuttle Skylab had made the same point, saying he could not see any lines, but one beautiful Blue planet.

Politicians and tribalism, I tell you, will probably carve anything to suit personal aggrandisement agendas.

PS: I should tell the Minutemen in Arizona.

Yey Hey! Came back expecting to have to fight my corner and find I don't have to. Even Danny_1982 agrees with me about the grass roots bit.

Haha, it was a sensible point HE so of course I agreed.

hawkeye wrote:Yey Hey! Came back expecting to have to fight my corner and find I don't have to.

Is that what motivates your articles, HE?

hawkeye wrote:Even Danny_1982 agrees with me about the grass roots bit.

The 'grass roots' bit is easy on the tongue, but very hard on the back.

Tribalism based on which country you're from = bad, tribalism based on which tennis player you have a crush on = good.

Think I'm following this thread right.