Federer all class no matter what Djoko's father says...

First topic message reminder :

I saw this girls pictures on twitter with Federer but here's the full story...


http://twitter.com/bktinoco


@federering well, I had cancer in 2011/2012, and there's this foundation called the Make A Wish Foundation. They grant wishes to kids, teens and yound adults who have life-threatening diseases. I made my wish in 2012, and my wish was to meet Roger Federer. I waited for more than a year, and I didn't really know if they were gonna be able to grant me this wish (you have second and third options) since Roger has such a busy schedule and it was taking such a long time. In June I was told that ESPN was doing a piece on high school tennis and they were gonna film a bit of my school tennis team. So I went there and we had practice and in the end they told us we had a culminating activity that would kinda test our knowledge of tennis. They gave us an iPad to watch something, and it was the Wimbledon 2012 match point (that already got me like really excited) but then after Roger falls to the ground they cut the video and Roger shows up in a kind of home made video or something, and he says "Hi Beatriz, I heard you're a big fan of mine, so I'm inviting you with your family to come watch me play at Wimbledon. Go pack your bags, have a safe trip, and I'll see you there!" (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) I freaked out so so so badly. I couldn't believe it haha. All I could think was "OMG ROGER FEDERER KNOWS MY NAME!" Haha. So, yeah, this was on a Monday, and my flight to London was on that Thursday (I barely had any time to freak out) and I live in the US so... But yeah, then I found out ESPN was doing a piece on my wish and it's actually gonna air in August icon_smile.gif anyway, I got there and the very next day I met Roger! First I went to the nike house, where players get their gear and everything, and they actually gave me lots of stuff, all white since it was Wimbledon. Then we went to the All England Club where I was actually gonna meet him. We were waiting on the place where players eat and hang out. However, the guys from ESPN told me we might not see him that day because schedules change a lot. So I wasn't expecting anythint, just sitting watching some practices and someone calls my name. I turn and it's FREAKING ROGER FEDERER. He comes up, gives me a hug and a kiss and then sits down and starts talking to me very naturally. I was trying hard not to freak out haha. We talked for about 10-15 minutes (which I was told later he wasn't supposed to do. He was just supposed to come and say hi and then go to practice but he's a perfect human being and talked to me for a while!) oh my gosh this is getting very long haha I'm working so I have to stop now but I'll continue the story in about half an hour





@federering after that he went to practice, but he told me to go change, because I was gonna watch his practice from inside the court and maybe we could hit a little bit after he was done. He told me that he would send someone to take me to the court because like no one is allowed in the courts except the players and coaches. So I changed and went there, and I was waiting for someone to come take me to the actual court when I hear someone call my name and oh my god it's Paul Annacone. He sent PAUL ANNACONE to get me. So I go to the court and am introduced to Sev and Steph, and then sit there watching his practice with Hewitt (!!!!). After his practice he tells me we're gonna hit for a while and Sev says "but she doesn't have a racquet" and Roger is like "she can use one of mine" (!!!!!!!) so he reaches into his bag and gives me one of his racquets to hit with (!!!!!!). I was really scared because I'm not like amazing at tennis, I'm pretty good, but not out of the ordinary, and even if I was, it was freaking Roger Federer. But Paul and Roger told me not to be scared, it was so cute haha. So we hit for a bit, then he told me to come up and volley and he went up too. Paul told me not to be scared of Roger in the net 'cause it was all pressure, he wasn't even that good haha. Then he served and oh my gosh it's fast even though he wasn't even close to full speed. After that he went over the net, shook my hand and gave me a kiss on the cheek (!!!!!!). Then we walked (and talked) together to the other court where he was going to practice more with Hewitt. I watched this second practice and then after they were done Roger came up to me and said "well that's my day" and we talked for a bit more, and then he said "I'll see you on Sunday" (this was a Friday) and I freaked out because oh my gosh I was gonna see him again!!! So yeah that was it for this day. On Sunday the guys from ESPN told me I was gonna take a tour of the grounds, even though I had already taken one when I went to London for vacation. The more time at Wimbledon the better haha. But then when I'm waiting to take the tour I find out that the people who are giving me the tour are the Chairman of Wimbledon (!!!!!!) and Roger (!!!!!!!). Like, OH MY GOD. So yeah, they took me around, and to the walk the players take to get to Centre Court, and then to actual Centre Court, with everything being explained to me by Roger and the Chairman. After we got to Centre Court Roger had to leave earlier than us because he had his press conference (which I was going to), so he left us there to see a bit more of Centre Court. AND on his way out he talked to the main guy that gets Centre Court ready, to let me actually go there. Like, I stepped on the grass on Centre Court because of Roger. He's perfect oh my god. And then we took a while there so his manager called the girl from ESPN to ask her if we were going because Roger was waiting for me to start the press conference (!!!!!!!!!!). OMG HE IS PERFECT. So we went to the press conference and saw everything, and then on my wait out I passed Roger and he was like "So did you like it? Me getting grilled by the press?" He's always so dorky and funny haha. And then the people from ESPN took us to the players lounge because Roger was gonna sign some stuff for me after he had done all of his interviews (a lot of them) and gotten a award (you know, just usual stuff). I was sitting there waiting for him and it was amazing because I saw soooo many other players. Tsonga asked to get one of the chairs in our table actually haha. I saw Murray, Nadal, Haas, Ferrer, Benneteau, Tipsarevic, Serena, Wozniacki, Radwanska, Lisicki, like, so many of them from up close. It was like heaven for a tennis fan haha. But then Roger finished his interviews and sat at out table with us. I had so many things for him to sign but I knew he was busy so I just took 4 pictures (one for each one in my family) and then 4 blank papers and my tennis bag, and gave for him to sign. He actually addressed the blank papers to each one of us, it was so perfect. In mine he wrote a bit more, and even a happy birthday!! (Did I mention it was my 18th birthday??) And then he asked me "is that it?" and I said "yes" and he was like "are you sure? Don't be embarrassed about it." He's so amazing and kind. So I gave him the rest of the stuff to sign. And he was just sitting there signing and chatting with me, but his manager was telling the guys from ESPN that he needed to go eat lunch, and Roger probably knew he had to, but he would have stayed there the whole day, just talking to us. He stayed a lot more than he had to for sure. But then the people from ESPN tried kinda finishing things up so that he could leave before his manager freaked out. So he went around the table hugging my mom, my dad and my sister, and then it was my turn. He told me I had been through a lot and hugged me really hard and I just started crying so so so much in his shoulder (it was around that time that the picture from my avi was taken haha) He was like "awnn". Then when I let go of him I was still like sobbing and I turned to him and he was kinda tearing up :') I thanked him and then he went.

Great post banbro, you more eloquently said exactly what is on my mind. I find it funny that people will and do criticize every other member of the big 4 for their conduct and we never see the type of backlash. One bad word about Federer and you become a biased hater. I don't like Federer but I know enough to know he is a credit to the sport. I just prefer a more balanced view where we don't have just plain gushing over the man and an inviolate halo surrounding him.

banbrotam wrote:It's as though you believe that we've really found a new God and any form of criticism deserves a fatwa

Is that why Truffin says "They are all human and they all make mistakes.. no one thinks Federer is a god, I certainly don't" and "every one of them including Federer shows bad judgement, poor sportsmanship at some point"?
Perhaps Truffin is trying to bring a fatwa upon himself.

TRuffin wrote:

JuliusHMarx wrote:I don't see anyone saying Fed is infallible, yet that strawman is also there, and came first, and can also be categorised as 'intellectually weak'

It is also easy, once you have an opinion of a player, to interpret actions in a way that supports that opinion (see hawkeye/Murray as a classic example), even when the players actions are not interpreted that way by most people (see cognitive dissonance and confirmation bias).

Given that the Edberg award is barely known outside the tennis world and barely mentioned in the tennis world, it seems unlikely that Nike would spend resources influencing it's outcome. Far more likely, given that all players show occasional bad behaviour on court, is that the rank and file players vote for who treats them with the most respect and sincerity off the court, and who works hardest for the benefit of them and of sport in general. Now, if you don't like Federer because he once said something less than pleasant about your player, or because he argued with the umpire in 0.5% of his matches, you may think you 'know' the 'real' Federer, but I suggest it's more likely that those who actually do know him, and who deal with him on a regular basis know him better.

Hang on, players on the tour know what Fed is like more than Djoko or Murray fans who watch him on TV - surely not??

Spot on Julius: It's comical how fans who take a few words or behavior out of thousands and thousands of words think they know an athlete better than those who actually do..  The players themselves know each and every one of them including Federer shows bad judgement, poor sportsmanship at some point, but they consistently applaud Federer for his overall sportsmanship. Roddick had some great thoughts on it-- the players know the immense pressure a legend like Federer is under from him sponsors, fans, etc, and yet he still day in and day out treats people well.. The fellow players "get it"

btw- I was at the MSG event Roddick speaks about, my grandson and I met Federer and spent some time in a private function with him. He was truly exceptional in the way he treated everyone. After the match- Roddick, Sharapova, and Wozniaki signed for a few minutes then headed out the tunnel. Federer stayed and walked around every side of the MSG court signing for fans for nearly an hour... That's what his fellow players see and why he gets the awards"

Andy Roddick after he beat Federer in their last match when asked what Federer had said to him
http://www.sonyericssonopen.com/News/Tennis/2012/Interview-Transcripts/Andy-Roddick-26-March.aspx


Q. Besides congratulations, did he say anything after the game?
ANDY RODDICK: Roger's great. He said, I'm happy for you. You deserved to win tonight. Good luck. Keep it going.
He said similar, something similar in the locker room before he left tonight. You know, he was really classy about it.  
And side story, I you know, you're around guys a lot, but The Garden event that we did three weeks ago was the first time Roger and I spent an entire day together doing stuff.
I'm amazed at the way he does every picture, every autograph. You know, I know what I deal with on a small scale, and it's not what he does.
So, you know, you start to have an understanding why people are so fanatical about him. You know, I think the crowd anywhere cheers for him.
And probably in the USA it would have peed me off not too long ago, but I fully get it now after seeing the way he is and was three weeks ago. You know, I didn't think I could be more impressed with him, but I was really impressed with the way he went about his business for those couple days up there.

I think Roddick about summed it up.





Some nice words from Lindsay Vonn as well"


"You know, I’ve met a lot of athletes over the years, and plenty of arrogant athletes who either don’t care to meet you or have any interest in what you have to say. But of all the athletes I’ve ever met, Roger is the kindest and most genuine. He really cares about people and what he’s done with his foundation and his humanitarian efforts has been incredible. He’s hard-working and extremely humble, but the thing I respect most about him is he’s the same person every day whether he wins or loses. You just don’t find many people like that in sports. The truth is, the greatest athletes in the world are just not that nice. I really feel he’s in a league of his own there. He cares about being a role model and that kids can look up to him. I consider him a hero because I want to be like him. I want to be a good role model for kids, too.

I’m a Youth Olympics Games ambassador so I was at Wimbledon this summer when he beat Juan Martin del Potro in that incredible Olympic semifinal match. I talked to Roger after that match and I remember how he was just so tired. But he was the same as he always is. He asked me how my skiing was going and I was like, ‘Don’t talk about my skiing. Let’s talk about how awesome you are.’ He just smiled and laughed."

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/magazine/sportsman/12/02/roger-federer-lindsey-vonn/index.html#ixzz2E7Hci3Wq

It's fantastic that the multi beaten Roddick thinks the Roger's classy when he gives him a few warm words. If you think this acts as proof that he's a good guy then fine - by the way no one is saying he isn't.

Some of us might argue that it's very easy to be nice about someone you always beat. Liverpool fans once had a reputation as been the best in the country - significantly they were winning everything at the time. Others might argue that it would be great if Roger was as warm when he's getting pasted by Novak or Andy - then we really would believe that he is like Mother Teresa

It's also really really great that Tigers new girlfriend thinks that Roger is really really great. I'm now 100% convinced that Roger is a God

Anyone daring to say that actually, as Tiger is big friends with Roger, it would be more surprising if Lindsey Vohn said she was indifferent to Roger are just been cynical  

Sorry but I actually think that most players in the sporting world have a lot of good and a bit of bad - a bit like all of us. Hence, I immediately have an issue when fans put players on a pedestal

socal1976 wrote:Great post banbro, you more eloquently said exactly what is on my mind. I find it funny that people will and do criticize every other member of the big 4 for their conduct and we never see the type of backlash.

 
No-one ever defends Murray or Rafa against criticism? Or is it that because you're not keen on Fed fans, you accuse them of backlash, whereas Murray and Rafa fans are OK it's simply justifiable defense?
 

socal1976 wrote:One bad word about Federer and you become a biased hater.

 
You've only ever said one bad word against him?
 

socal1976 wrote:I don't like Federer but I know enough to know he is a credit to the sport. I just prefer a more balanced view where we don't have just plain gushing over the man and an inviolate halo surrounding him.

 
What's unbalanced about saying "They are all human and they all make mistakes.. no one thinks Federer is a god, I certainly don't" and "The players themselves know each and every one of them including Federer shows bad judgement, poor sportsmanship at some point, but they consistently applaud Federer for his overall sportsmanship."

JuliusHMarx wrote:

banbrotam wrote:It's as though you believe that we've really found a new God and any form of criticism deserves a fatwa

Is that why Truffin says "They are all human and they all make mistakes.. no one thinks Federer is a god, I certainly don't" and "every one of them including Federer shows bad judgement, poor sportsmanship at some point"?
Perhaps Truffin is trying to bring a fatwa upon himself.

Yes we agree with the sentiment but criticizing Federer is treated worse than giving the pope a wedgie. I can attest to that, if you don't gush and fawn over Federer you will face a huge backlash online. And the media well they basically ignore all the stories that I have highlighted, any other player would never, ever get away uncriticized for some of these actions. The double standard is apparent. Go back to AO 2011 when Roger in violation of the rules in the change over in a rude and condescending tone starts telling Novak that he is bouncing the ball too much, frankly I have rarely in pro tennis seen a player address his opponent in the changeover in that manner. Novak sarcastically said Sorry, and then proceeded to beat him. The next day online you would think that Djokovic was the one who did something wrong. People were talking about how immature it was and newspapers were writing about how dare Novak address the Swiss Yahweh in that manner when in actuality Novak handled that situation like a gentleman. If it was me I would have told him to Smeg off and address the umpire like the rules dictated.

socal1976 wrote:

JuliusHMarx wrote:

banbrotam wrote:It's as though you believe that we've really found a new God and any form of criticism deserves a fatwa

Is that why Truffin says "They are all human and they all make mistakes.. no one thinks Federer is a god, I certainly don't" and "every one of them including Federer shows bad judgement, poor sportsmanship at some point"?
Perhaps Truffin is trying to bring a fatwa upon himself.

I can attest to that, if you don't gush and fawn over Federer you will face a huge backlash online.

What site was that on? You should stick to 606v2 where nothing is huge (except the criticism you get if you praise Federer)

JuliusHMarx wrote:

socal1976 wrote:

JuliusHMarx wrote:

banbrotam wrote:It's as though you believe that we've really found a new God and any form of criticism deserves a fatwa

Is that why Truffin says "They are all human and they all make mistakes.. no one thinks Federer is a god, I certainly don't" and "every one of them including Federer shows bad judgement, poor sportsmanship at some point"?
Perhaps Truffin is trying to bring a fatwa upon himself.

I can attest to that, if you don't gush and fawn over Federer you will face a huge backlash online.

What site was that on? You should stick to 606v2 where nothing is huge (except the criticism you get if you praise Federer)

In fairness Julius, these boards are less 'gushing' about Fed than some others. Most Fed fans are if anything a little too harsh about his relative slump. They were also pretty gracious when Andy lost Wimby 12'

My issue, as ever, is this "isn't he lovely" nonsense. He's a great guy, but no better of worse than Novak who I think deserves the most praise for becoming an all round gracious guy, given his background as I'm not certain a Bosnian war is the best background for an upbringing

I don't know why you would have an 'issue' with people posting positive things banbro - I thought it was repetitive negativity that we were all meant to be frowning upon!

I think we Fed fans should have the right to gush ever so slightly if we want, and as you say, we are a pretty civilised lot here so perhaps enough with the tribalism for a bit eh?

Fair enough banbro.
 
When Murray donated his winning from Queen's to charity it was mostly applauded and whoever posted the news (can't remember who) didn't get dissed as a "Murray fawner who thinks Murray is God"
 
Equally, when people have posted about Djoko's good work outside tennis, the poster doesn't get criticised and people tend not say "oh, but he smashes his rackets and shouts at spectators" and then grudgingly say "but I suppose he's a decent guy really".
 
But post about Fed being nice to a girl with cancer and you (and Fed) get hit with a ton of bricks

Incidentally socal, may I just ask how one might expected to be treated if they gave the Pope a wedgie?   

Could I request that our mods create a sticky thread to collect some of socal's incomparable metaphors - I don't think many forums can boast such intemperate and hyperbolic musings!

BTW Julius it was me, a knickers in a twist, foaming at the mouth Fed fan, that posted that Murray had donated his Queens winnings to the Royal Marsden

time please wrote:Incidentally socal, may I just ask how one might expected to be treated if they gave the Pope a wedgie?   

Don't ask - those Cardinals are tougher than they look!

time please wrote:Could I request that our mods create a sticky thread to collect some of socal's incomparable metaphors - I don't think many forums can boast such intemperate and hyperbolic musings!

In all seriousness, I second this! There's have been enough down the years to merit it. It could be the place where future generations discover the brilliance of the Liquored Up 50s Executive metaphor.

JuliusHMarx wrote:Fair enough banbro.
 
When Murray donated his winning from Queen's to charity it was mostly applauded and whoever posted the news (can't remember who) didn't get dissed as a "Murray fawner who thinks Murray is God"
 
Equally, when people have posted about Djoko's good work outside tennis, the poster doesn't get criticised and people tend not say "oh, but he smashes his rackets and shouts at spectators" and then grudgingly say "but I suppose he's a decent guy really".
 
But post about Fed being nice to a girl with cancer and you (and Fed) get hit with a ton of bricks

However, I have been labelled a 'fanboy' on here a number of times because I dare to have a positive outlook on Murray. Pretty wrong when you consider I have often criticised his spells of passiveness, lack of self-belief in big matches and his serve stats so I can be critical yet because I have positive thoughts on Murray I am a fanboy?

Good point CC, although I think some of the posters who may have said that are no longer here.

JuliusHMarx wrote:Good point CC, although I think some of the posters who may have said that are no longer here.

I know one of them has definitely gone and know two are still here.

HM Murdoch wrote:

time please wrote:Could I request that our mods create a sticky thread to collect some of socal's incomparable metaphors - I don't think many forums can boast such intemperate and hyperbolic musings!

In all seriousness, I second this! There's have been enough down the years to merit it. It could be the place where future generations discover the brilliance of the Liquored Up 50s Executive metaphor.

It would seem very selfish of us to deprive posterity of that wot has highly entertained us all at times!  

time please wrote:Incidentally socal, may I just ask how one might expected to be treated if they gave the Pope a wedgie?   

Could I request that our mods create a sticky thread to collect some of socal's incomparable metaphors - I don't think many forums can boast such intemperate and hyperbolic musings!

BTW Julius it was me, a knickers in a twist, foaming at the mouth Fed fan, that posted that Murray had donated his Queens winnings to the Royal Marsden

Why thank you TP, I always appreciate a catchy metaphor and bit of humor. No one would accuse you of being the foaming at the mouth Federer fan, I actually think the posters on this site are more objective than the coverage we see from paid journalists who cover the game who I have yet to hear a single negative view of anything that Federer has ever done. Including some of his juicy little post match interviews. But I can't say that I am the most objective critic of Federer, I mean I don't know the man personally but I just enjoy rooting against him and tweeking his fans, it really is an addiction at this point and I have yet to find my methadone, I don't know what I will do when he retires and there is no one worthy of my animosity.

HM Murdoch wrote:

time please wrote:Could I request that our mods create a sticky thread to collect some of socal's incomparable metaphors - I don't think many forums can boast such intemperate and hyperbolic musings!

In all seriousness, I second this! There's have been enough down the years to merit it. It could be the place where future generations discover the brilliance of the Liquored Up 50s Executive metaphor.

Lol! Murdoch you have been the author of quite a few laughs yourself deserving of sticky or more. When can I learn to deal with my addiction of goosing the voluptuous backside of Federer's legion of online fans.

JuliusHMarx wrote:Fair enough banbro.
 
When Murray donated his winning from Queen's to charity it was mostly applauded and whoever posted the news (can't remember who) didn't get dissed as a "Murray fawner who thinks Murray is God"
 
Equally, when people have posted about Djoko's good work outside tennis, the poster doesn't get criticised and people tend not say "oh, but he smashes his rackets and shouts at spectators" and then grudgingly say "but I suppose he's a decent guy really".
 
But post about Fed being nice to a girl with cancer and you (and Fed) get hit with a ton of bricks

That is the thing Julius nobody, myself included ever posts these things about Novak's sizeable charitable involvements. These gushing stroke festivals seem to be the trademark of Federer fans and after reading the 100th or so thread on the tennis playing Ghandi in the cream colored leisure suit it gets a bit tiresome.

I've read a couple of posts on here about Djoko's charity work.
There's a bit of action-reaction to posts about Fed - a fair amount of heavy criticism and a fair amount of total positivism. What comes first is a bit of chicken/egg.
With Djoko there's less of both - maybe that's to do with the terminal blandness of his on-court warm-up attire

I don't know I have never mentioned anything like that about Djokovic, I mean it is nice to hear but it just gets rather dull after awhile. These guys should give back and give back generously, the fact that they do is commendable but I bet 10 to 1 these types of gushy threads are the domain of Federer.

But...but...that's 'cos he's 10 times more popular than the other players. It's not his fault

socal1976 wrote:I don't know I have never mentioned anything like that about Djokovic, I mean it is nice to hear but it just gets rather dull after awhile. These guys should give back and give back generously, the fact that they do is commendable but I bet 10 to 1 these types of gushy threads are the domain of Federer.

That is probably true socal but what must be remembered is that Djokovic fans are probably out-numbered ten to one by Federer fans (or probably more) on this forum.

Yes that is a valid point Craig and Julius, but it still is tiresome to read for my part, that is just my opinion. You guys are free to open up your threads stroking Federer, and I should be free to sit there and make farting noises in the back of the auditorium while you speak.

Didnt Roger and Rafa once raise $3 million in two days for Africa? I never saw the money (I started assuming they meant for "Poverty in Africa") but that was pretty nice, I thought.

The reality is that no one HAS to give back, they dont owe the world a cent. Whether players do it for an ego boost, or befause they genuinely care, I couldnt be bothered. Last I checked, $3 million carries the exact same monetary value whether it came with love or not.

kingraf wrote:Didnt Roger and Rafa once raise $3 million in two days for Africa? I never saw the money (I started assuming they meant for "Poverty in Africa") but that was pretty nice, I thought.

The reality is that no one HAS to give back, they dont owe the world a cent.   Whether players do it for an ego boost, or befause they genuinely care, I couldnt be bothered. Last I checked, $3 million carries the exact same monetary value whether it came with love or not.

Yes they do Kingraf or us peasants will unite and give them a French haircut.

kingraf wrote:Didnt Roger and Rafa once raise $3 million in two days for Africa? I never saw the money (I started assuming they meant for "Poverty in Africa") but that was pretty nice, I thought.

The reality is that no one HAS to give back, they dont owe the world a cent.   Whether players do it for an ego boost, or befause they genuinely care, I couldnt be bothered. Last I checked, $3 million carries the exact same monetary value whether it came with love or not.

It was a nice thing for them to do, but it was rather spoiled by a fan in the stadium who kept farting loudly.

JuliusHMarx wrote:

kingraf wrote:Didnt Roger and Rafa once raise $3 million in two days for Africa? I never saw the money (I started assuming they meant for "Poverty in Africa") but that was pretty nice, I thought.

The reality is that no one HAS to give back, they dont owe the world a cent.   Whether players do it for an ego boost, or befause they genuinely care, I couldnt be bothered. Last I checked, $3 million carries the exact same monetary value whether it came with love or not.

It was a nice thing for them to do, but it was rather spoiled by a fan in the stadium who kept farting loudly.

Indian food does that to me, I love that Masala but it can be very hard on the ozone layer

Of course you could also interpret it as two self-involved egomaniacs sneakily getting two days worth of practise (with a top 5 all time great no less) under the guise of helping the kids... It makes me angry just thinking about how pretentious they are!

"from paid journalists who cover the game who I have yet to hear a single negative view of anything that Federer has ever done."

this is the type of statement from you that destroy any shred of objective credibility for me... Weren't you the one who within minutes of me asking you to show me derogatory statements by Fed towards Djokovic  was able to post a link from an article by a paid journalist detailing Federers transgressions?    But you've never seen 1 single negative view by a journalist.....lol..smh.

then again- you admit you are not objective so fair enough.

I wouldn't take the whole thing about the endorsement of people like Vonn seriously. Not to say Roger isn't a nice guy but he's one of those sporting names who transcend the sport and are held on a pedestal by fellow pros whose admiration of him is almost fanlike in a fawny, gushing way. He has had a good many public diva moments when things aren't going well and I'm sure there are many out of the public eye too. If Nadal wasn't as self-deprecating as he is in his near reverence of Federer, Federer would have had a frosty relationship with his 3 biggest career rivals.

A million players, fans and journos could sing about how humble he is but it's easier to exhibit it towards fans and players like Roddick and pros that look up to him, rather than his main rivals. He's made comments on losing in the past that I just can't imagine from any of the other top 4. And with all he's achieved, he's entitled to pretty much do anything. I just think his image is somewhat embellished.

I hardly hear people talk about how nice Nole is. I guess he just doesn;t quite have the same aura as Federer. His fellow pros would probably see him as a peer rather than the messianic aura Fed has in the eyes of others. I believe it's the simple reason Fed rarely gets bad press or keeps winning the Edberg award rather than him being the most amazing sportsman on tour.

TRuffin wrote:"from paid journalists who cover the game who I have yet to hear a single negative view of anything that Federer has ever done."

this is the type of statement from you that destroy any shred of objective credibility for me... Weren't you the one who within minutes of me asking you to show me derogatory statements by Fed towards Djokovic  was able to post a link from an article by a paid journalist detailing Federers transgressions?    But you've never seen 1 single negative view by a journalist.....lol..smh.

then again- you admit you are not objective so fair enough.

Yes and that article was so judgemental and critical of said conduct by Federer, if anything the article I posted was another textual stroke fest of Roger in the league of Anthony Weiner.

mthierry wrote:I wouldn't take the whole thing about the endorsement of people like Vonn seriously. Not to say Roger isn't a nice guy but he's one of those sporting names who transcend the sport and are held on a pedestal by fellow pros whose admiration of him is almost fanlike in a fawny, gushing way. He has had a good many public diva moments when things aren't going well and I'm sure there are many out of the public eye too. If Nadal wasn't as self-deprecating as he is in his near reverence of Federer, Federer would have had a frosty relationship with his 3 biggest career rivals.

A million players, fans and journos could sing about how humble he is but it's easier to exhibit it towards fans and players like Roddick and pros that look up to him, rather than his main rivals. He's made comments on losing in the past that I just can't imagine from any of the other top 4. And with all he's achieved, he's entitled to pretty much do anything. I just think his image is somewhat embellished.

Excellent post that aura is annoying to fans of his rivals and me in particular, and if not for Rafa's hugely self deprecating deferrals to his excellency then Fed would have a very frosty history with all of his greatest rivals. And a lot of the guys on tour, especially those who are in the middle ranks pretty much treat him as fanboys fawning all over him grotesquely.

JuliusHMarx wrote:I don't see anyone saying Fed is infallible, yet that strawman is also there, and came first, and can also be categorised as 'intellectually weak'

It is also easy, once you have an opinion of a player, to interpret actions in a way that supports that opinion (see hawkeye/Murray as a classic example), even when the players actions are not interpreted that way by most people (see cognitive dissonance and confirmation bias).

Given that the Edberg award is barely known outside the tennis world and barely mentioned in the tennis world, it seems unlikely that Nike would spend resources influencing it's outcome. Far more likely, given that all players show occasional bad behaviour on court, is that the rank and file players vote for who treats them with the most respect and sincerity off the court, and who works hardest for the benefit of them and of sport in general. Now, if you don't like Federer because he once said something less than pleasant about your player, or because he argued with the umpire in 0.5% of his matches, you may think you 'know' the 'real' Federer, but I suggest it's more likely that those who actually do know him, and who deal with him on a regular basis know him better.

Hang on, players on the tour know what Fed is like more than Djoko or Murray fans who watch him on TV - surely not??

+1  

I see it as pathetic and childish to complain about a player on threads like this , may be sometimes all will grow up, lemme dream about it. 

falzy21 wrote:Ic i sincerely hope you are kidding... Nothing i said suggested I hated him, nor do i feel it is an unfair comment. I CERTAINLY dont feel it is unfair to discuss how Federer acts on a thread like this, without someone dictating to me what people are and are not allowed to say. Hes human hes had his moments, hes clearly a nice guy outside of the court, but in tennis he's certainly not averse to "playing the game" soo to speak.

I wasn't kidding, lemme see what criminal acts Fed has done to this community?  , post some then I will honorably agree to it and understand more about humanity cause.

The worst Fed would have done is arguing with an umpire in like 0.05% of his career and you in contrast he does social work in like 20 different countries and you compare the 0.05% of his career arguing with this huge social works he is doing, OMG I really have to appreciate your intellectuals.  

socal1976 wrote:Yes, yes TRuffin, signing autographs and doing charity we are all aware of that about Federer other players do it as well. But nobody gets the pass for his interview comments and on court actions like Roger. I can look up online and give you lots of instances of Djokovic, Murray, and Nadal doing things for charity etc. Roger is even building schools in Africa. Nobody is indicting the man as a war criminal or anything like that but he is simply not a good sport, not if you beat him.

    

Truffin , I will say this I am happy for you that you had a great chance to meet not only the greatest player of all time, but a great human being and the greatest sportsmanship the Tennis has seen, however I have gone a step ahead and met both the legends and great sport acts Fed and Rafa. 

To all those cry babies who waste countless time in bringing down a player keep it on, coz it explains your jealosly and how you could never succeed in life. Nobody discussed Djoko is not a sporting act in this thread, the author just discussed how good a sporting act Federer is, something very easy to understand for a human mind, NO?

JuliusHMarx wrote:So someone who knows Fed quite well says something about him, but you, who don't actually know him, only see him on TV, and have taken to disliking him, know Federer better.
You can understand my scepticism on that point, I'm sure.

Perhaps what Vomm means is that win or lose he tells it as he sees it i.e. gives an honest opinion, not the air-brushed stuff we get from most players who are perhaps scared to upset the ATP or their sponsors, and so say the politically correct thing - not because they are better losers, but because they would rather tow the corporate line and offer insincere platitudes.

You are coming up with some amazing nail hammering stuffs today  

banbrotam wrote:

invisiblecoolers wrote:

falzy21 wrote:He has had a few arrogance and classless moments but noones crucifying him for that, hes human...

Its really shame people like you hate somebody for he doing nothing wrong to you, Roger is a great human being like the poster mentioned, if you don't like him just stay away from his threads, but its really shameful to come and post comments like this on a wonderful life experience thread.

Do you even understand how much it means to person like this [i,.e author]?

Federer and Rafa are like 99.9% saints to 0.01 percent of criminals, try to increase your level to their heights before you can comment negativity on them.

@The Thread and the Author

I am sorry you had to fight this dreaded disease, I hope you win it, and I am delighted from people like ESPN, "Make a Wish" and stars like Roger Federer to keep you guys happy atleast for a day, GOD bless them all.

:laugh:Wonderful dry humour. The makers of Alan Partridge would be proud

Not bigger than some of your fellow posters comment    

yea Federer is War Criminal coz he beat Andy Murray in Wim 2012 , coz he argued with umpire in 1 of his 1000 matches, and yes his countless charitable works, organisation in countless countries count just as show act , so Federer be prisoned behind bars for next 20 years    

banbrotam wrote:

My issue, as ever, is this "isn't he lovely" nonsense. He's a great guy, but no better of worse than Novak who I think deserves the most praise for becoming an all round gracious guy, given his background as I'm not certain a Bosnian war is the best background for an upbringing

Thats your baised view, well none of Fed fans or general tennis fans went and criticized Murray or Nole on their charitable act threads , unless and until the person really hates the player or jealous I don't see any meaningful person go and criticize a player on a thread like a charitable or Noble act.

time please wrote:Incidentally socal, may I just ask how one might expected to be treated if they gave the Pope a wedgie?   

Could I request that our mods create a sticky thread to collect some of socal's incomparable metaphors - I don't think many forums can boast such intemperate and hyperbolic musings!

BTW Julius it was me, a knickers in a twist, foaming at the mouth Fed fan, that posted that Murray had donated his Queens winnings to the Royal Marsden

TP great post bro   

invisiblecoolers wrote:

banbrotam wrote:

invisiblecoolers wrote:

falzy21 wrote:He has had a few arrogance and classless moments but noones crucifying him for that, hes human...

Its really shame people like you hate somebody for he doing nothing wrong to you, Roger is a great human being like the poster mentioned, if you don't like him just stay away from his threads, but its really shameful to come and post comments like this on a wonderful life experience thread.

Do you even understand how much it means to person like this [i,.e author]?

Federer and Rafa are like 99.9% saints to 0.01 percent of criminals, try to increase your level to their heights before you can comment negativity on them.

@The Thread and the Author

I am sorry you had to fight this dreaded disease, I hope you win it, and I am delighted from people like ESPN, "Make a Wish" and stars like Roger Federer to keep you guys happy atleast for a day, GOD bless them all.

:laugh:Wonderful dry humour. The makers of Alan Partridge would be proud

Not bigger than some of your fellow posters comment    

yea Federer is  War Criminal coz he beat Andy Murray in Wim 2012 , coz he argued with umpire in 1 of his 1000 matches, and yes his countless charitable works, organisation in countless countries count just as show act , so Federer be prisoned behind bars for next 20 years    

Ah ok, I see you are having a fun time arguing against positions that you have created because I know I did not say any of the things you are claiming to disagree with. Unfortunately, that is par for the course with you.

He's a good man, they all are but he's not a perfect saint on the court , I wouldn't expect him to be given how competitive he is. Stick to fighting with Socal, I'm not interested

CaledonianCraig wrote:
However, I have been labelled a 'fanboy' on here a number of times because I dare to have a positive outlook on Murray. Pretty wrong when you consider I have often criticised his spells of passiveness, lack of self-belief in big matches and his serve stats so I can be critical yet because I have positive thoughts on Murray I am a fanboy?

But you have never critized about his behavior , his family and other Poopie personal things either ? NO? that shows you love the player but get irritated when he doesn't perform to your expectation, so its completely different thing, you are confusing yourself with the theme of the thread.

The theme of the thread by some notable posters is that 0.05% of arguing with umpire is considered as unholy act compared to countless charitable acts and good forbid we don't focus on how a player perform on court with his Tennis skills in this thread. 

kingraf wrote:Didnt Roger and Rafa once raise $3 million in two days for Africa? I never saw the money (I started assuming they meant for "Poverty in Africa") but that was pretty nice, I thought.

The reality is that no one HAS to give back, they dont owe the world a cent.   Whether players do it for an ego boost, or befause they genuinely care, I couldnt be bothered. Last I checked, $3 million carries the exact same monetary value whether it came with love or not.

Exactly KingRaf   , but guess what those things count nothing among these posters cause these posters daily donate 1 billion dollar each for social cause in Africa, Asia and South America, so you have to agree Fed and Rafa are war criminals coz they just donate in millions and not in billions.  

mthierry wrote:I hardly hear people talk about how nice Nole is. I guess he just doesn;t quite have the same aura as Federer. His fellow pros would probably see him as a peer rather than the messianic aura Fed has in the eyes of others. I believe it's the simple reason Fed rarely gets bad press or keeps winning the Edberg award rather than him being the most amazing sportsman on tour.

Agree with you here, there might be players like Chang, Robredo who might have done more social cause but they are less known to sporting worlds than Fed is and sometimes rightly go un-noticed.

What we have to see is, who all did the charity work and not who did the biggest, atleast for GOD sake lets not have GOAT Contest on my player is the biggest charity act, at the same time try to compliment every players charity act if not atleast stay away from criticizing players on their charity or noble act threads. 

falzy21 wrote:He's a good man, they all are but he's not a perfect saint on the court , I wouldn't expect him to be given how competitive he is. Stick to fighting with Socal, I'm not interested

That is the best response you could have falzy to IC's recent posts that are a descent into fantasy, nobody criticized Federer for his charity work or any of the other nonsense we have seen in recent posts. Despite your best attempts he wants to be disagreeable just let him.

falzy21 wrote:He's a good man, they all are but he's not a perfect saint on the court , I wouldn't expect him to be given how competitive he is. Stick to fighting with Socal, I'm not interested

I atleast fight on positivity not on negativity . 

As explained above, its unmature act and kiddish act to critize a player on his noble act threads when we on personal life would have done less than 0.01% of what these players do, so my answer is either you out beat them in the chairty acts by that way there is a good world created or just STFU. 

socal1976 wrote:

falzy21 wrote:He's a good man, they all are but he's not a perfect saint on the court , I wouldn't expect him to be given how competitive he is. Stick to fighting with Socal, I'm not interested

That is the best response you could have falzy to IC's recent posts that are a descent into fantasy, nobody criticized Federer for his charity work or any of the other nonsense we have seen in recent posts. Despite your best attempts he wants to be disagreeable just let him.

Oh yea what the hell otherwise you doing on this thread all the while ? whinning and mourning on his popularity ?  

You should be ashamed of criticizing a player on a thread like this.

It's just lack of context the thread was a direct response to the djokos dads one questioning Feds character as a person my first response was to assure truff that it didn't need defending. Just making it clear that I'm not interested in Arguing about it