The Tennis Channel, part 2.

Some people were a little angry about my remarks about the Tennis Channel, so I'd like to write a little rant about it and about Tennis magazine and all the other channels of information in the sport.

The problem with the entire sport is that it is one of the most elite sports in the world. Spare me the bullshit about poor marketing and bad television scheduling. The reason people don't follow tennis or why it is declining in America (and I'll speak for my country because it's the only system I know) is because the oppurtunity for major success is buried in country clubs and expensive academies.

In preparation to write this, I spent an entire day asking people about their experience with tennis. And without expectation, people will say that they enjoy the sport, they love to play. And also they will say that they don't really follow to sport, maybe able to name a few pros here or there. A Harris Poll this year shows that tennis has fallen in popularity since 1986. men's tennis ranks right above track & field and horse racing; women's tennis is above bowling. TERRIBLE results for an accessible sport played year-round, televised often, possessing lots of money, with numerous stars.

Knowing all this, I have just switched on the Tennis Channel, and a show called Destination: Tennis is on. Right now, I'm being told about a vacation in a beautiful place I can't afford, about packages I can't afford, about hits with pros I can't afford. I wouldn't afford to sleep on the roof at any of the places they're telling me about. I don't feel like a part of this sport. It's the same feeling I got between showings of the French Open on that channel, when I saw Murphy Jensen stay in hotels I couldn't afford. He even stayed in hostels I couldn't afford!

I feel a little bit the same about Tennis magazine. First off, it's incredibly dull. The jokes are cheesy, the articles are boring, the advertisements are in the millions. but it assumes that we want to know about academies and vacations that are well out of our budget. I always laugh when they write about tennis getaways that are $300 dollars a night, as if they're steals! maybe if you steal your neighbor's wallet, but not in any other way.

I know there are some changes being made, particularly in the form of free clinics by pros or in schools and community centers. That's why I'm disdainful of the players at tournaments that refuse to sign autographs or take pictures. And that's why I'm such a fan of players like Fernando Verdasco and the Bryan brothers, who are so willing to embrace the crowds of people that paid to see them and enjoyed their show and supported them. We don't need to be a big show like Djokovic or Roddick or Sharapova; we don't just want to be a necessary platitude in victory speeches.

I'm not some poor bum on the side of the road. I'm not even homeless. I'm not even hungry. I'm just pretty normal. And the people I took tennis lessons with were normal. The people in my high school, the people in my college, the people in my town: all normal.

We can't afford to watch thousands of dollars in vacations on tv. we just want to watch tennis. we just want to know about the players. we aren't members of the sports or the system or the tour. we want an escape. and everytime we watch the outlets that are supposed to help us, we're reminded of how distinctly we're not really part of this world. Sport is a river, and we all need to be in it. The problem in tennis is that most people are just sitting on the banks, watching it go by.


thirty.love1@gmail.com