Tennis Random, Random

[Scotty]

yay!

Though I fully expect Comcast to appeal/drag its feet as long as possible before actually changing this.

[Ti-Amie]

First Comcast, next Tennis Channel returns to Cablevision as a non premium channel?

[patrick]

First Comcast, next Tennis Channel returns to Cablevision as a non premium channel?

Hope Charter will follow suit in my part of USA.

[Ti-Amie]

Some very interesting comments by Dr Walter Bartoli especially regarding American coaches.

During points, Marion Bartoli is noticeable for her unorthodox strokes -- double-fisted shots off both sides and an elaborate and fluctuating service motion. Between points, she is even more noticeable for bouncing up and down, doing squats, taking imaginary swings and exhorting herself.

Courtside, it's easy to see where she gets it from. Somewhere on the sidelines, her father and coach, Walter Bartoli, resides. He will gesture, gesticulate and change seats. During on-court coaching breaks, he imparts a flow of information and instructions in rapid-fire French. During practice sessions, he directs his daughter through a series of complex drills and has been known to use various self-designed contraptions as training aids.

It has all earned him a reputation as a bit of a crank, but when he speaks, there appears to be a method behind what can look like madness.

"My approach is quite different, because I'm not a tennis player," Walter Bartoli told ESPN.com in an interview last year. "A lot of the coaches are former tennis players, so they try to improve the game using the wrist, the arm. But I am not seeing those things the same way. And especially with Marion, because she plays double-handed, the physical training and the speed on the court from the feet and the legs are very important."

A doctor who gave up his profession to work with his daughter full time, his medical training continues to inform the way he carries out his role as coach.

"The shoulder, I view in a mechanic way," he said. "The shoulder of each athlete is completely different, so you need to take care of every specific thing, purely mechanically, for each athlete."

Then there is taking theory and research and applying it in practice.

As just a recreational player, he has had to learn the technical side of the game in more detail.

"In France, every part of the tennis has got a big theory," Walter Bartoli said. "In United States, the coaches are just working on the fight spirit of the players but not too much on the technique. In France, every part of the game, every technique; you can learn everything, you have a lot of books about that."

He also supplements his familiarity with the workings of the human body with more specific sports knowledge.

"I buy a lot of books from the university; I read them, and then I make my mix," he said. "OK, I think, if this drill is good for Marion, I will take it. Sometimes I take some drills also from Australia, because in Australia also they work a lot on physical training."

Whatever else, his technique has certainly earned the loyalty of his otherwise independent and strong-willed daughter, who is hardly cowed by her father like some other players have been.

"He's very funny because he's acting like a 3-year-old kid sometimes, honestly," she begins with affectionate exasperation, but she notes that in some ways "he's extremely focused and extremely adult" as well.

http://espn.go.com/tennis/story/_/id...-play-olympics

[mmmm8]

Ya think maybe in France the coaches aren't working enough on the fight spirit, though?

[Drop-shot]

Ya think maybe in France the coaches aren't working enough on the fight spirit, though?

LOL!

[Charlie02123]

Ya think maybe in France the coaches aren't working enough on the fight spirit, though?

Boom roasted.

[Ti-Amie]

Ya think maybe in France the coaches aren't working enough on the fight spirit, though?

Oh yeah.

[Moose]

That is great news, if it stands up in court. Bhar will be quite disappointed with his favorite -the NFL network - disappearing with the premium sports package, if this decision stands.

TA

First Comcast, next Tennis Channel returns to Cablevision as a non premium channel?

Hope Charter will follow suit in my part of USA.

I'm not sure what cable systems everyone is on, but from my reading of the information (our Philly Inquirer had a huge article about it today, since Comcast's world HQ is here in our city), the ruling only affects Comcast - the reason is Comcast owns The Golf Channel, and Versus (now NBC Sports). The FCC ruling was based on a determination that Comcast discriminated against channels it did not own, by carrying Golf and Versus on its basic tier, but carrying TTC on its Sports Premium tier.

[Ti-Amie]

I'm not sure what cable systems everyone is on, but from my reading of the information (our Philly Inquirer had a huge article about it today, since Comcast's world HQ is here in our city), the ruling only affects Comcast - the reason is Comcast owns The Golf Channel, and Versus (now NBC Sports). The FCC ruling was based on a determination that Comcast discriminated against channels it did not own, by carrying Golf and Versus on its basic tier, but carrying TTC on its Sports Premium tier.

This is the exact same situation with Cablevision. The Dolan family owns MSG and its affiliated networks. Cablevision features Golf Channel and the NBC Sports Network as part of basic cable but Tennis Channel was part of a premium package. Now it's not even available as part of a package.

I may whine about some of the comms on Tennis Channel but there are times it's the only game in town.

[Miles]

This is the exact same situation with Cablevision. The Dolan family owns MSG and its affiliated networks. Cablevision features Golf Channel and the NBC Sports Network as part of basic cable but Tennis Channel was part of a premium package. Now it's not even available as part of a package.

I may whine about some of the comms on Tennis Channel but there are times it's the only game in town.

Fios is now available in Manhattan and it does offer TC. Have considered it as an alternative to Cablevision?

[Ti-Amie]

Unfortunately my complex has a contract with Cablevision so Fios isn't an option. Cablevision has our CCTV.

[mmmm8]

Unfortunately my complex has a contract with Cablevision so Fios isn't an option. Cablevision has our CCTV.

Similarly, I can only get Time Warner and nothing else in my building. They also carry Tennis Channel in a sports package.

[TennisAnyone74]

I'm not sure what cable systems everyone is on, but from my reading of the information (our Philly Inquirer had a huge article about it today, since Comcast's world HQ is here in our city), the ruling only affects Comcast - the reason is Comcast owns The Golf Channel, and Versus (now NBC Sports). The FCC ruling was based on a determination that Comcast discriminated against channels it did not own, by carrying Golf and Versus on its basic tier, but carrying TTC on its Sports Premium tier.

I have comcast, so (hopefully soon) goodbye to the premium sports tier!

TA

[Scotty]

nice tribute by a fellow Arnaud fan, on Clement's retirement:
http://edwardpolsen.wordpress.com/20...revoir-arnaud/