What's With All This Buddie Stuff?

Rafa didn't smile at me nicely, Roger likes someones forehand better than mine and my Dad thinks you've not been playing nicely. Pfft! Is it pro sport or a playground? Connors didn't demand a big hug from McEnroe after McEnroe beat him. Becker didn't get in a huff if Lendle refused to gush about his play to the media... and even Serena doesn't expect to be on Sharapova's christmas card list. What's with all this buddie stuff?

I completely agree HE, it's top level sport and there's nothing wrong with a bit of needle. These lot are too nice to each other. Fair play to Novak's old man for trying to add a bit of spice.

Sport in general has gotten a lot more buddy buddy. LeBron James spends his off-season practising with Kevin Durant (the equivalent of Nadal and Federer having a training camp every off-season). Kevin Pietersen was texting the South African team during the Test series. Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake are practically bosom buddies. Nothing wrong with a little bromance, its hardly destroyed the product.

It has got more friendly kingraf. Rooney and Gerrard are good mates, unheard of a decade or so ago for a Liverpool player to be good mates with a Man United player.

I personally like matches with a bit of edge, so I would like to see a bit of trash talking or dislike amongst the top players. Don't you agree that it would be fun to watch a Mac v Conners style rivalry right at the top?

Tbh, the product is always better when the "combatants" have a relationship, whether frosty or cordial. It adds to the pantomime. Two random guys duking it out is never quite as engaging

Maybe if there is a genuine dislike between two players it's interesting but people like Gulbis who say something controversial for the sake of being controversial are pointless. I think a lot of it is to do with sponsorship these days. Sponsors don't want to be associated with "bad eggs".

As long as it's not as fake and farcical rivalries like boxing we'll be ok.

Very valid point re Gulbis, although I would add that as far as his situation is concerned, it also comes down to one's 'status' in the sport. Gulbis is undoubtedly a talented guy, but until such time as he has achieved anything of real note he would do better to raise his profile via the quality of his tennis rather than by controversial off-court comment.

Johnny Mac was a big mouth virtually from day one, but his overall legacy is of course much more about his stellar CV than any bad boy behaviour. You gotta back it up with results, and Mac had the game to do that.

Danny - specifically on your 'Mac v Connors' type rivalry, yes I think it WOULD be good to see that kind of needle again today, although rivalries can come in different forms. Mac and Borg never once exchanged any words or aggressive tactics mid-match in the way that Mac and Jimbo did, but their rivalry was always box office simply because the respective personalities and backgrounds were poles apart : Mac, the brash, full of himself New Yorker and Bjorn, the introvert from Sweden where quiet confidence and calm efficiency are an inherent part of the culture and qualities to be admired. (oh and yes ...... they just happened to be two of the most accomplished players the sport has ever known, which kinda helped ..... )

hawkeye wrote:Rafa didn't smile at me nicely, Roger likes someones forehand better than mine and my Dad thinks you've not been playing nicely. Pfft! Is it pro sport or a playground? Connors didn't demand a big hug from McEnroe after McEnroe beat him. Becker didn't get in a huff if Lendle refused to gush about his play to the media... and even Serena doesn't expect to be on Sharapova's christmas card list. What's with all this buddie stuff?

It has a lot to do with being politically correct and polishing your image for corporate sponsors frankly. I don't care if the players are friends or not but Kingraf touches on a point that in an individual contest some sort of history between the players positive or negative does add spice to the match up.