Tennis Random, Random

[munchin]

Makes sense to you? With that tiny brain of yours!? Make me a sandwich! Someone give me a pay raise for no reason!!! Bark! Bark bark bark bark bark!

Simon brings up a good point, though, which is that it's often the non-masculine guy who's the biggest chauvinist.

To paraphrase Grace Adler:

Charlie is a man, and yet he can easily achieve multiple sarcasm

[MeganFernandez]

Not directly, but I can see the point of arguing it. Men's and women's tennis are independent entities. Each builds their brand and markets themselves on their own, and a few times a year they happen to split the revenue share at a few tournaments. When prize money gets pegged at equal, then whoever has the stronger brand is going to feel like they're running with a parachute on every time they go to the table for increased prize money. "Well, if we give you 20% more, we have to give THEM 20% more too, even though we couldn't get an increase in the tv rights for their matches"

I don't think the entities are marketed separately at the Slams, are they? That's why this discussion is limited to the Slams. I'm for equal pay at the Slams, but I wouldn't extend the reasoning to tour events because they are separate products.

It's assumed that the men subsidize the women at the Slams, but it's more accurate to say the stars subsidize the non-stars. So if it's fairness in prize money reflecting popularity we're concerned about, let's remove gender from the equation and set prize money by court assignment, the truest measurable reflection of popularity at any event. (And why stop at Slams? Why aren't fans who see the point in arguing that women are earning more than they deserve at Slams also arguing about any player earning more than he or she deserves at any tournament?)

[omess]

I don't think the entities are marketed separately at the Slams, are they? That's why this discussion is limited to the Slams. I'm for equal pay at the Slams, but I wouldn't extend the reasoning to tour events because they are separate products.

It's assumed that the men subsidize the women at the Slams, but it's more accurate to say the stars subsidize the non-stars. So if it's fairness in prize money reflecting popularity we're concerned about, let's remove gender from the equation and set prize money by court assignment, the truest measurable reflection of popularity at any event. (And why stop at Slams? Why aren't fans who see the point in arguing that women are earning more than they deserve at Slams also arguing about any player earning more than he or she deserves at any tournament?)

Some good points from tignor http://blogs.tennis.com/thewrap/2012...s-june-29.html

A few thoughts about that, with regards to the Slams in particular:

—It’s my feeling that, for most people, when they buy a ticket to the U.S. Open or Wimbledon, they’re buying a ticket to the event as a whole. Roger Federer may be the big draw for some people; Serena Williams may be for others. Mostly, fans want to be part of the spectacle, and women players have always been part of that spectacle. The Slams wouldn’t be what they are, and wouldn’t have as broad an appeal, if they weren’t dual-gender extravaganzas of tennis.

—Much of the money that a Grand Slam earns comes from television. Should we consider this when we divvy up the purse as well? Ratings for the men at Wimbledon have been higher in England, but the country has had two men, Andy Murray and Tim Henman, in contention in recent years. The nation also tuned in to see Virginia Wade when she was a contender in the 70s. A few years ago, in the heyday of the Williams sisters, Kournikova, and Capriati, it was the women who brought in higher TV ratings in the States.

—We need to make a distinction between the majors and the dual-gender tour events when it comes to prize money. At the latter—Indian Wells, Key Biscayne, Madrid, Rome, etc.—the tours provide the prize money, and the ATP, the richer organization, provides more of it than the WTA. That really is a hard economic fact. The Slams, which aren’t tour events, allot their prize money as they see fit.

[Woody]

I don't think the entities are marketed separately at the Slams, are they? That's why this discussion is limited to the Slams. I'm for equal pay at the Slams, but I wouldn't extend the reasoning to tour events because they are separate products.

It's assumed that the men subsidize the women at the Slams, but it's more accurate to say the stars subsidize the non-stars. So if it's fairness in prize money reflecting popularity we're concerned about, let's remove gender from the equation and set prize money by court assignment, the truest measurable reflection of popularity at any event. (And why stop at Slams? Why aren't fans who see the point in arguing that women are earning more than they deserve at Slams also arguing about any player earning more than he or she deserves at any tournament?)

They're not marketed separately at the slams, but each tour rolls into town with an established brand, story lines, etc. And if the event feels one side is driving ticket/broadcast revenue more than the other, they could use that as the basis for prize money. I'm not saying I agree, but I can see the point.

I don't quite see the second point though. I mean, individuals who feel they deserve more than the merit-based prize money could theoretically hold out for appearance fees or bonuses I suppose? But the bottom line is, Rafael Nadal doesn't negotiate with the AELTC re: prize money. The ATP does, in one form or another. So that's who brings the product to the market and tries to get their best price.

[Woody]

Also, the top 12 get bonus pool money as a holdback from all the tourneys, no? Plus top 8 get a big bonus at the year-end tourney. So yeah, I feel like the top players are getting their share of extra money...

[omess]

Also, the top 12 get bonus pool money as a holdback from all the tourneys, no? Plus top 8 get a big bonus at the year-end tourney. So yeah, I feel like the top players are getting their share of extra money...

The bonus is for playing the ATP 1000 Masters( top 12) or for the women playing Premier Mandatory and Premier 5(top 10).

[Ti-Amie]

Chris Fowler teaching JMac about Twitter parody accounts

http://www.awfulannouncing.com/2012-...medium=twitter

[Woody]

Nadal claims tendonitis in cancelling charity exo with Novak: http://www.mccannericksonbarcelona.c...ALMA_NADAL.pdf
English on the second page.

Was he suffering at Wimbledon? Or does he just want to avoid distraction while trying to regroup for the Olympics?

[TennisBen21]

Nadal claims tendonitis in cancelling charity exo with Novak: http://www.mccannericksonbarcelona.c...ALMA_NADAL.pdf
English on the second page.

Was he suffering at Wimbledon? Or does he just want to avoid distraction while trying to regroup for the Olympics?

I wonder if he would've pulled out of this exho if Federer had agreed to do it. But really this event has gone through some serious changes, by the time it gets here it's going to be Rik De Voest vs. Marc Gicquel.

[TalkAboutTennis]

World TeamTennis sets TV and live streaming schedule


First national telecast features Mardy Fish on July 13;

League to live stream matches every night of the regular season

NEW YORK, N.Y. (July 5, 2012) – More than 200 hours of action from the WTT Pro League presented by GEICO, including 80 hours of live coverage, will air on a combination of national and regional television networks and online this July.

The 37th season of the WTT Pro League presented by GEICO runs July 9-28, with more the 60 of the world's best tennis players from 13 countries competing during the three-week regular season. The top teams from both the Western and Eastern Conference advance to the WTT Finals Weekend presented by GEICO at the Family Circle Tennis Center in Charleston, S.C., Sept. 14-16. Television and live streaming plans for the WTT Finals Weekend will be announced in the coming weeks.


Comcast Sports Net, Tennis Channel, and Madison Square Garden Network (MSG) will air three matches during July, starting with Mardy Fish leading his Sacramento Capitals at home on July 13 against the Orange County Breakers. Matches two and three will showcase New York Sportimes veterans John McEnroe and Martina Hingis visiting the Philadelphia Freedoms on July 20, and Serena Williams' final match before heading to the Olympics on July 22 as the defending WTT Champion Washington Kastles host the Kansas City Explorers in the nation’s capital.


Leif Shiras will be the host for all televised WTT matches. Former WTT coach Craig Kardon will join him in the booth for the July 13 match, with Luke Jensen taking over the analyst duties on July 20 and July 22.

In addition to the televised matches, the WTT Pro League presented by GEICO will live stream matches each day of the regular season beginning on opening night, July 9. The first match features the Washington Kastles on the road against Lindsay Davenport and the Orange County Breakers, which airs at 10 p.m. EDT.

The live stream matches can be viewed on WTT.com, as well as other affiliated host sites, including Tennis.com. A full list of WTT matches being streamed can be found at www.WTT.com/liveschedule.

WTT.com will also air several matches that are headlined by multiple marquee players. On Thursday, July 19 at 7 p.m. EDT, New York hosts Boston with John McEnroe and Martina Hingis playing for the Sportimes and Andre Agassi competing for the Lobsters. Venus Williams makes her second appearance of the season two days later for the Kastles, as they play host to the Sportimes on July 21 at 7:30 p.m. EDT.

This summer, WTT will be even more accessible. WTT has introduced an iPhone app titled “World TeamTennis”, which is produced by Neulion Inc. Through the app, a user can access scores, schedules, player rosters, team information, photos, and tickets.

WTT has also launched a new mobile site which includes links to view the latest scores and schedules, or buy match tickets. Fans can keep track of the live stream schedule by entering #WTTLive on Twitter to receive daily updates about matchups and marquees, while also joining in the conversation with other World TeamTennis fans around the world.

GEICO is the presenting sponsor of the WTT Pro League. Other official WTT Pro League national and regional sponsors for the 2012 season include Cancer Treatment Centers of America, DecoTurf, Kraft, Mylan, Sims Recycling Solutions, UBS and Wilson Racquet Sports.

WTT TV SCHEDULE:

National Series TV Schedule - airing on Tennis Channel and Comcast SportsNet

Fri., July 13 - Orange County Breakers @ Sacramento Capitals (Mardy Fish) - 10:30 p.m. EDT

Fri., July 20 - New York Sportimes (John McEnroe/Martina Hingis) @ Philadelphia Freedoms - 7 p.m. EDT

Sun., July 22 - Kansas City Explorers @ Washington Kastles (Serena Williams) - 7 p.m. EDT


WTT LIVE STREAMING SCHEDULE - Regular Season:

Date Time Match / Marquee Players

Mon., July 9 10 p.m. (EDT) Washington @ Orange County (Lindsay Davenport)

Tues., July 10 7 p.m. (EDT) Sacramento @ Philadelphia (James Blake)

Wed., July 11 10 p.m. (EDT) Kansas City @ Orange County (Lindsay Davenport)

Thurs., July 12 10:30 p.m. (EDT) Kansas City @ Sacramento (Mardy Fish)

Fri., July 13 7 p.m. (EDT) Washington @ Boston (Robby Ginepri)

Fri., July 13 10:30 p.m. (EDT) Orange County @ Sacramento (Mardy Fish)

Sat., July 14 10 p.m. (EDT) Sacramento @ Orange County (Lindsay Davenport)

Sun., July 15 7 p.m. (EDT) Philadelphia @ Washington

Mon., July 16 7 p.m. (EDT) Kansas City (Bob & Mike Bryan) @ Philadelphia

Tues., July 17 7 p.m. (EDT) Orange County (Lindsay Davenport) @ Boston Lobsters

Wed., July 18 7 p.m. (EDT) Sacramento (Sam Querrey) @ Washington

Thurs., July 19 7 p.m. (EDT) Boston (Andre Agassi) @ New York (Martina Hingis/ John McEnroe)

Fri., July 20 7 p.m. (EDT) New York (Martina Hingis / John McEnroe) @ Philadelphia

Fri., July 20 7 p.m. (EDT) Orange County @ Washington

Sat., July 21 7:30 p.m. (EDT) Washington (Venus Williams) @ New York in Troy, N.Y.

Sun., July 22 7 p.m. (EDT) Kansas City @ Washington (Serena Williams)

Sun., July 22 10:30 p.m. (EDT) Springfield Lasers @ Sacramento (Sam Querrey)

Mon., July 23 6 p.m. (EDT) Philadelphia @ Boston (John Isner)

Tues., July 24 7:30 p.m. (EDT) Boston @ New York in Troy, N.Y. (Martina Hingis/John McEnroe)

Wed., July 25 7 p.m. (EDT) Boston @ Philadelphia (Mark Philippoussis)

Friday, July 27 10 p.m. (EDT) Boston @ Orange County (Lindsay Davenport)

Saturday, July 28 10 p.m. (EDT) Philadelphia (Mark Philippoussis) @ Orange County (Lindsay Davenport)

[Jason11E]

I was reading on cnnsi about Radwanska leaving her father as coach and much of her recent success is due to the Polish Davis Cup captain who she hired full time. I didn't know all about him being so difficult.

Does anyone here know if he still coaches the sister? Also maybe Caro should take a cue and finally fire Piotr. Just saying....

[omess]

I was reading on cnnsi about Radwanska leaving her father as coach and much of her recent success is due to the Polish Davis Cup captain who she hired full time. I didn't know all about him being so difficult.

Does anyone here know if he still coaches the sister? Also maybe Caro should take a cue and finally fire Piotr. Just saying....

Form what I understand he is no longer the "primary " coach and doesn't travel full time anymore with them.

[TalkAboutTennis]

July 6, 2012

The New Wimbledon a Winner for ESPN and Fans
ESPN Sets Wimbledon Records, Young Male Audience Grows, Digital Usage Soars
Live Championships This Weekend Have History Calling

The all-new, all-ESPN, all live Wimbledon is reaching more people, has brought ESPN its largest audiences in 10 years at the All England Lawn Tennis Club and a much younger audience to the television while driving a surge in consumption across digital platforms.

· Through Wednesday, July 4, the audience for this year’s ESPN/ESPN2 presentation was 24 percent larger than ESPN2’s audience in 2011, 727,000 viewers (P2+), up from 588,000. The average rating is up 20 percent, from 0.5 to 0.6 (U.S. ratings), according to Nielsen.

· The ESPN/ESPN2 rating is equal to last year’s NBC/ESPN2 coverage, but the key male demographic groups are enjoying strong double-digit increases in impressions: Men 18-34 up 28 percent, Men 18-49 up 30 percent, and Men 25-54 up 21 percent.

· Two ESPN telecasts during the fortnight stand as ESPN’s most-watched ever from Wimbledon – 979,000 homes on Saturday, June 30 and 978,000 on Wednesday, July 4. Each earned a 1.0 coverage rating, tying ESPN’s best ever at Wimbledon. Two of the three previous 1.0 ratings also came on a July 4: ESPN2 on July 4, 2007, for the Ladies’ Quarterfinals; ESPN on July 4, 2003, for a Gentlemen’s Semifinal; and ESPN on July 1, 2004, for a Ladies’ Semifinal. Saturday’s 10-hour, 10-minute ESPN telecast (the third longest Wimbledon telecast ever, behind only an ESPN2 telecast in 2010 and Day One this year) – earned a 0.9 U.S. rating, the best for the “middle Saturday” since 2007 (1.0).

· Through Saturday, June 30, 19.2 million people had watched Wimbledon on ESPN or ESPN2, an increase of 32 percent compared to the same point a year ago (14.5 million).

· On Wednesday, July 4, the value of the ESPN / ESPN2 “Cross Court Coverage” was on display as both networks aired live matches, with ESPN2 airing nine hours and ESPN on the air for seven of those hours. The ESPN/ESPN2 combined rating was 1.0, up 43 percent from 0.7 for ESPN2/NBC last year. The audience was up 51 percent, to 1,354,000 viewers from 895,000. The key male demographic groups all more than doubled: Men 18-34 up 134 percent, Men 18-49 up 123 percent, and Men 25-54 up 122 percent.

Digital Usage Nearly Doubled
· Through July 4, ESPN3/WatchESPN has registered 72.1 million live minutes of viewing across all platforms, up 86 percent compared to the same point in 2011.

The Championships Conclude with History Beckoning
ESPN’s exclusive presentation of Wimbledon will culminate with a live national telecast of the Ladies’ Championship on Saturday, July 7, and the Gentlemen’s Championship on Sunday, July 8, both at 9 a.m. ET. Both will be preceded at 8 a.m. by the one-hour Breakfast at Wimbledon, hosted by Hannah Storm. ABC will reair the finals on the day they take place at 3 p.m.

All the action on ESPN is also available through WatchESPN online at WatchESPN.com and on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app. ESPN3 and ESPN 3D will televise both Championships live. In addition, ESPN3 will stream all matches on Centre Court (starting at 9 a.m.) and No. 1 Court (starting at 8 a.m.), including the Gentlemen’s and Ladies’ Doubles Championships live and in their entirety following the Ladies’ Championship.

Both matches will offer potential historic outcomes:

· In the Ladies Championship, either a tennis legend will further elevate her legacy, or an emerging star will win her first Major and will become the top-ranked woman in the world. Serena Williams, the No. 6 seed, will be vying for her 14th Major title and fifth at Wimbledon, but her first since Wimbledon two years ago. Since then, a series of health issues derailed her career. On the other side of the net, No. 3 Agnieszka Radwanska is playing in her first Major final but will be the top-ranked player in the world with a win. She is the first Pole to play for the Wimbledon Championship since Jadwiga Jedrzejowska in 1937.

· In the Gentlemen’s Championship, either Roger Federer will gain his record-tying seventh crown at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, or a kingdom will celebrate the end of a 76-year drought. Andy Murray of Scotland carries the athletic hopes and dreams of Great Britain on his shoulders in his quest to be the first man from Great Britain to win the local tennis Major since Fred Perry in 1936. It has been almost as long since a British man has played in the final – Bunny Austin in 1938.

ESPN and Wimbledon
The new schedule for ESPN’s 10th Wimbledon – exclusive and all-live – is the result of a 12-year agreement between ESPN and the All England Lawn Tennis Club announced just after the conclusion of the 2011 Championships. The remaining schedule:

Date
Time (ET)
Event
Network

Sat, July 7
8 a.m. – 9 a.m.
Breakfast at Wimbledon
ESPN / ESPN3
Live

9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Ladies’ Championship
No. 3 Radwanska vs. No. 6 Williams
ESPN / ESPN3D / ESPN3
Live

3 – 6 p.m.
Ladies’ Championship
ABC
Tape
Sun, July 8
8 a.m. – 9 a.m.
Breakfast at Wimbledon
ESPN / ESPN3
Live

9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Gentlemen’s Championship
No. 3 Federer vs. No. 4 Murray
ESPN / ESPN3D / ESPN3
Live

3 – 6 p.m.
Gentlemen’s Championship
ABC
Tape

ESPN – All Four Slams, All In One Place
Tennis has been part of ESPN since its first week on the air and provided many memorable moments, but it has never been as important as today, with the US Open joining the lineup in 2009, giving ESPN all four Grand Slam events, something no other U.S. network has ever done, let alone in one year. ESPN has presented the Australian Open since 1984, the French Open since 2002 (plus 1986 – 1993), and Wimbledon since 2003, with exclusivity for live television with all other rights extended in a 12-year agreement starting in 2012.

ESPN debuted September 7, 1979, and the first tennis telecast was exactly one week later, September 14, a Davis Cup tie, Argentina at U.S. from Memphis with Cliff Drysdale on the call and John McEnroe playing.

In addition, broadband network ESPN3, now in nearly 72 million homes, carries thousands of hours of tennis annually, including all four Grand Slam events, plus ATP 1000 and 500 tournaments and WTA Premier Events, and season-ending championships for both tours. Also, ESPN Classic shows great matches from the past and the sport receives extensive coverage on SportsCenter, ESPNEWS, Spanish-language ESPN Deportes, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine. ESPN 3D aired its first tennis at Wimbledon in 2011.


-30-

[Moose]

Hall of Fame tennis player Bob Hewitt probed on rape allegations
July 6, 2012 4:03 PM CBSSports.com

(AP) JOHANNESBURG - Investigators on two continents are at last probing accusations a Hall of Fame tennis player was a serial pedophile, three decades after the alleged rapes.


But an advocate for child abuse victims in South Africa, one of the places where tennis star Bob Hewitt is accused of preying on young girls he coached, says the sporting world has yet to face the challenge of protecting children.


Also this week, South African police said they had completed an initial investigation into a rape case a South African woman filed against Hewitt in December. Police say they are awaiting guidance from prosecutors on how to proceed with a case involving allegations dating to the 1980s.


Hewitt has not commented on the allegations or investigations.


Luke Lamprecht, spokesman for the South African group Woman and Men Against Child Abuse, said athletes, their parents and coaches must recognize that pedophiles seek opportunities in sports, just as they do in church, school and other organizations where children can be found.


Lamprecht said sport officials may shy away from acknowledging that because they think it reflects badly on them, but "they have a special responsibility in the same respect that the Catholic Church does.


"They absolutely do need to acknowledge that they are a haven."


Lamprecht said he has helped church and scouting groups write rules so that adults know what to do when a child says he or she has been abused. Squarely acknowledging the possibility makes it harder for pedophiles to hide, but Lamprecht said sporting authorities in South Africa lack such protocols.


"It empowers parents and children, to say, `I know this happens, and this is what we do."'


Officials from the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee, which is the country's umbrella sports authority, and from the South African Tennis Association did not respond to requests for comment for this article.


The South African Tennis Association, like many sports authorities in the country, underwent a management change after apartheid ended in 1994. Terry Rosenberg, who helped oversee the transition for a brief period as president of the tennis association in the mid-1990s, said he was unaware of what information his predecessors had about Hewitt.


"Obviously if you're in charge and you had relevant information, you had to act on it," he said.


Lamprecht, who once managed Johannesburg's Teddy Bear Clinic, a center for sexually abused children, is familiar with the Hewitt case and has spoken to some of the accusers.


Lamprecht said a "coach predator" often starts by working to gain the trust of the parents.


"You have a person who can realize the dreams and aspirations of the child," Lamprecht said. "And those dreams and aspirations of the child are also often the dreams and aspirations of the parent."


In a memoir published last year, boxing champion Sugar Ray Leonard revealed publicly for the first time that he was sexually abused by a "prominent Olympic boxing coach" when he was a teenager. Last year in Canada, former junior hockey coach Graham James pleaded guilty to sexually abusing former NHL star Theoren Fleury and another player. In a statement prepared for the court, Fleury said James "skillfully manipulated us all, and eventually my parents entrusted my care and well-being to him in order to allow me to move to other towns and cities to advance my hockey dream."


In the United States, former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was recently convicted of 45 criminal charges stemming from the abuse of 10 boys he met through a charity he established.


The South African woman who filed a rape case against tennis star Hewitt, Suellen Sheehan, and another South African woman who accuses Hewitt of raping her when she was a girl, say allegations about Hewitt were the subject of speculation in the 1980s. Sheehan said she told her mother at the time, and her mother "dismissed it."


Sheehan said it took her decades to overcome shame and guilt and go public with her allegations, which she and others first took to the Hall of Fame. When the Hall initially refused to expel Hewitt, she filed the police case. The Hall investigation could result in Hewitt's expulsion or suspension.


Twiggy Tolken, who now lives in New Zealand, said her family went to South African police with allegations against Hewitt when she was 13, but dropped the case because her parents did not want her to have to face Hewitt or his lawyer in court. She said her father told South African tennis officials about the allegations, and then was shocked to see Hewitt being asked to escort young players on an international trip.


"They all knew, and not one of them did anything," Tolken said. "There was absolutely nothing done to stop this man."


Sheehan and Tolken have spoken with the Hall of Fame's attorney and helped put him in touch with several others who say they were abused by Hewitt.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-400_162-...e-allegations/

[Ti-Amie]

They had to be shamed into doing this though. Still, better late than never.