Australian Open thread

[Coxy]

Wow. You bag a bloke for being passionate about what he does and thus devastated for losing.

You're probably one of the guys that bags Broncos players for looking fine and happy after a loss too.

 

[Bucking Beads]

emotion is fine but no need to cry he is a man after all. He probably realized he had to go him to his pig dog with a msall trophy and less money..

 

[Flutterby]

I don't think he has any worries about the money or his trophy cabinet.

You probably used to bag him for showing no emotion and therefore being boring as well.

 

[Coxy]

Or his woman who beads so kindly refers to as a "pig dog".

 

[Bucking Beads]

I understand he would be upset but I really don't think there is any need to cry. It makes him look extremely weak.. Fed might be in for a sponsorship deal with Kleenex

 

[Bucking Beads]

I don't think he has any worries about the money or his trophy cabinet.

You probably used to bag him for showing no emotion and therefore being boring as well.

That I did..... Emotion yes crying NO!

 

[Flutterby]

Well given the common western opinion that a male is 'girly' if he cries, the I think crying so publicly is actually a strength.

 

[Ari Gold]

I don't think any less of Federer for crying. In fact, I don't blame him, as I reckon everything he truly wanted to achieve in tennis (being recognized as the best ever, slams record, the grand slam etc.) he realised he would probably never achieve (and yes, I don't believe he will achieve those things). IMO he had his dreams shattered last night, so you can hardly blame him.

As for mental fortitude, I don't really think he has much of it. Certainly not to the level that champions in other sports possess. Even when he comes back to win (like vs Berdych) I think it often has less to do with his mental toughness and more to do with his opponent's weakness. If Federer had Nadal's strength, he would already have 20+ slams by now IMO.

Oh, and on the equal prize money thing. Business side of things = $$$ from TV Ratings, and IMO men's TV ratings would definitely trumpet Women's. And even if it didn't, the idea that Williams and Safina would get the same as Nadal and Federer just doesn't strike me as being right.

 

[Flutterby]

I was just stating the reasons behind the equal prizemoney (I checked with the Tennis Australia guys - I work in sports events, so I am able to do these things) and it's based on sponsorship. I asked about the TV money and that goes towards overall event costs along with the Kia money. Ch 7 pays an amount of money based on the overall ratings, it is not split as mens vs womens. But given how late the mens matches are on - I would actually think they wouldn't be too far ahead in the ratings compared to the womens, not because people don't prefer to watch the mens, but simply because it is often starting to get late when the men come on court so they may only watch the first set of that match.

 

[mick]

I don't think he has any worries about the money or his trophy cabinet.

You probably used to bag him for showing no emotion and therefore being boring as well.

That I did..... Emotion yes crying NO!

Dude, it's the same as Lockyer crying...or pretty much every sportsperson you see who shows disappointment after a big loss. IMO it's not a bad thing at all - it would've been a really overwhelming experience and he was just showing how much it meant to him.

 

[Coxy]

Exactly! My god. If he'd just stood there with a sour look on his face people would've said he was sooking.
If he stood there with no expression, they'd say he doesn't show emotion.
If he stood there and smiled etc, they'd say he didn't care.

How the **** are you supposed to handle defeat and not be criticised by numbskulls like Beads?

 

[Bucking Beads]

ok ok I give in I cry after every Bronco lose, I also get teary when I see another man cry I guess it is just the Homo inside me...

 

[ronnyd]

He was crying because he knows its over for him, he'll never be able to reclaim that number one mantle and certainly not the title of greatest player ever, that he so craves. He played aswell as he can and it still wasn't good enough, whereas Nadals just warming up. So many other good young players coming through aswell, I reckon Verdasco would have beaten Fed!!

 

[The Brizz]

As Ari suggested the difference is mental toughness. Nadal has bucketloads of it Federer when playing Nadal has very little (who can blame him when the guy seems to get everything you throw at him back with interest). I don't think Federer is finished in the sense I think he will get to 15 slams before he finishes being 27 and still clearly the world's second best player. I do however think unless Nadal loses the plot or has a very long injury layoff his days as number 1 are over. Federer is the best tennis player I have ever seen from a purists point of view and Nadal is equal to Woods as the best mentally strong sportsman I have ever seen. I do think Nadal could end up with 20 slams with his age and development to this point, he has a will to win like no tennis player I have ever seen.

 

[ningnangnong]

emotion is fine but no need to cry he is a man after all. He probably realized he had to go him to his pig dog with a msall trophy and less money..

You talk some shit alright.

 

[mick]

ok ok I give in I cry after every Bronco lose, I also get teary when I see another man cry I guess it is just the Homo inside me...

Ah sweet, thanks for clearing that up. The typical Ozzie man's man here, boys and girls. Bottles it up, and it f*cks him when he turns 50, as it comes in the form of severe depression, prostate cancer or a complete mental breakdown.

But, of course, crying isn't the thing for a big tough bloke like this one we have here :roll:

 

[Bucking Beads]

I cry all the time in sad movies.. I just didn't think Federer needed to cry when he did that is all he can cry when he retires and breaks the record but why cry?

 

[Flutterby]

Because he is probably thinking that his goal of achieving the record is now out of reach, so he's devastated. I don't for 1 second think he was crying just over losing that 1 match