Thought all of our readers would enjoy reading this article. Probably the joke of the century!
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2014/06/22/john_mcenroe_suggests_getting_rid_of_officials_making_players_umpire.html
John McEnroe—to put it mildly—never quite saw eye-to-eye with the umpire during his tennis-playing days. If the image of him berating officials and smashing rackets has dimmed in your head, here’s a quick refresher on his pretty epic bad boy ways. McEnroe has since given up the baseline for the broadcasting booth on tennis' biggest stage and has refashioned himself as an outspoken reformist ambassador of the game. Now, in what is part mission statement and perhaps part wishful thinking, McEnroe has a plan to boost tennis’ sagging popularity: “Do away with the umpires and linesmen completely,” he says.
While that may sound anarchic—and it is, really—McEnroe thinks it could inject some new energy into the game. Sort of like a reality TV version of Gladiator meets Wimbledon. Here’s what Johnny Mac has in mind, via the Guardian:
“You’d have a system where the players would call their own lines. All of a sudden things would get a whole lot edgier. But you could challenge it. Say the guy was, like, blatantly cheating and you challenge, people would be, like: ‘Boo!’ People would get way more into it. And then you’d be, like: ‘See this guy? This guy is such a cheater!’ It would be unbelievable for tennis, I promise you. The problem is, there’s no way in hell they’ll do it. But I guarantee you that tennis would be like 30% more interesting.”
“You can’t just stand on your heels and do nothing,” McEnroe said. “We’ve got to keep trying to do things, in my opinion, to grab fans."
16 comments:
I actually like Johnie Mac's idea. Just think of all those primadona chair and line officials out of work. No more cavorting around officials meetings wearing their free shirt and cap handouts from working 'elite' events. May be good to bring them back to reality and make them start to think about the benefits of working for years below minimum wage.
Lol @ Joe....so you don't like when people wear their hats from "elite" events? What about the people who wear ITA hats all the time? Too bad you can't get into the "elite" events....it takes some work, not just deluding yourself that your great.
But thanks for trying to diminish anyone else's experience, just because you don't think it's valuable, or you it's not the same as yours.
BTW no ITA official has ever told me I do a terrible chair, just the opposite.
It almost sounds like ITA tennis!
FOR YEARS I have preached that the USTA needs to go to the ITA format - IN EVERYTHING!!! This is the players game NOT OURS! We should only be asked by appeal!
Getting more people to come would be a lot easier if we did not offer such high prize money - 60% increase in prize money over the last four years for Wimbledon! That is SICK!!! Share this money with the average guy/gal and his/her family - allow them have cheaper tickets and hot dogs - THAT will get the fans into the seats!
Mac has a good idea - ITA rules for ALL and cheaper tickets!!!
Thanks for your time -
BACO!
Just because you get a free cap while doing lines in lower Africa doesn't make you much of an official. Its really good when you go to an officials meeting and you have linespeople wearing free caps and jackets from all over the earth and acting like studs.
@ Anonoymous 11:14
Jealous much?
Nice opinion, too bad I don't believe you came up with that yourself....but again as I said, thanks for falling in line (pun intended) and discounting anyone with pro experience....I've never done that to an umpire that only works ITA, but hey, your better than me right?
Right
I've never seen an ITA official wearing their caps on a casual basis. The Anonymous poster is definitely delusional and worthy beyond a shadow of a doubt highly qualified to work below minimum wage on Women's matches, hopefully on a regular basis.
Anonymous 5:27
And you think anyone is jealous of someone making less than $100 a day to stand a call a line? You're kidding I hope. They are only "tennis officials" in their minds and their's alone.
Ump in Texas:
WOW! Who cares about free hats!
Get people to come to the matches that is the goal!
Make it fun - interesting!
Most of the time there are almost as many officials as fans in some tour events.
It is NOT because the officials get paid too much - its because we have too many officials.
I feel like the BACO blogger - lets just have the ITA rules for the smaller pro events - what is the problem with that?
We would have stronger (and more) chairs if we changed to this type of format.
AGAIN - who cares about the clothes?
Ump in Texas
As a long time tennis player, official and all round sports fan, I find today's professional tennis to be boring as hell to watch. That opinion didn't happen overnight, it's one that's been developing over the past few years. Regardless of whether, or not, you agree with that opinion I would imagine that a lot of us have opinions on how the game could be made "better". So Randy, how about spinning this discussion into a serious one about how to change the game/matches to make them more appealing to a dwindling fan base. Adopting ITA formats and rules is a good conversation starter. What other ideas could evolve the game?
So delusional huh?
And please tell me who is doing any of this for the money? $125 to $150 for a few hours time is hardly worth it for an ITA match....I do if because I enjoy it. I love this game. Pretty much the same reasons I suspect most umpires share.
Now I will admit, I don't understand the "Texas ITA/Big 12 Umpires" staunch stance against umpires who work in the professional side. As if anyone cares who is better, but should only care that they are the best they can be,
I don't understand the "us verses them" attitude.
I have also never encountered a similar attitude while working a professional event.
I have seen many a "Texas ITA/Big 12 official" openly criticize and make fun of other officials.
My big question is what in your minds makes you so great?
Why aren't you being snatched up by other conferences if your so good? Why aren't any of you at the USTA/ITA indoor event in NYC? At the NCAA finals? Oh yeah, because maybe your not as good as you imagine....
So whose delusional now?
Here are a few reasons why the ITA folks in Texas avoid the pro folks:
1. They constantly cancel out on their commitments.
2. They show up for their matches with an arrogance that is hard to overcome.
3. They just aren't good enough to do a match where there is personal confrontation with players and coaches.
4. They don't know to do chairs since they spend their time calling lines.
5. That Pro Chair habit of pointing "out" after every "out" ball.
@ June 30, 2014.
Let me address each point you made.
1. They constantly cancel out on their commitments.
Answer, I have never done this, but I do know its been done. Perhaps it has more to do with the timing the assignments come out. It's July 1st, and the college availabilities are due in a couple of weeks, doesn't that strike anyone as way ahead of the curve? The ITA season doesn't start until the end of January, and in 2013 commitments were due by as early as August.
2. They show up for their matches with an arrogance that is hard to overcome.
Reply...well that is human nature, I've seen a near tantrum from a Texas ITA official because they were going to chair a doubles match....they considered it beneath them.
3. They just aren't good enough to do a match where there is personal confrontation with players and coaches.
Reply, first of all why any umpire would take anything a player or coach says personally is beyond me. Secondly, dealing with a charged situation does take experience, and a lot of failure, but of course some here give the impression that they walked on the court were instantly a good umpire...that's just not how it works.
4. They don't know to do chairs since they spend their time calling lines.
Reply, I can't speak for everyone, but I do both. Granted calling lines, and chairing matches isn't for everyone. Some are better at one than the other.
It all comes down to abilities, using a wide brush to call all umpires who call lines as weak chairs is inaccurate and not very smart.
I'm sure you know most of the college coordinators in Texas at one time, actively pursued the professional route in umpiring. Including the owner of this blog.
The owner of this blog worked the US Open one time and after that was sure I wanted no more of that. ITA is much more fun and challenging than standing on a line all day long for very little pay and having to put up with all of the politics and manipulations.
Cancelling out on matches is a common occurrence with pro officials and that is the reason that many of them are never asked to work ITA events. The ones I have seen have way too many bad habits to make good collegiate chairs.
"The ones I have seen have way too many bad habits to make good collegiate chairs."
Such as?
Let me see...
1. Their self-importance shines everywhere.
2. They can't handle confrontation with coaches and players.
3. They are way too quick with overrules.
4. They use hand signals on out calls before anyone asks and that's forbidden in collegiate tennis.
5. They don't ever want to rove and make it well known.
6. They gripe and complain if they don't always get the #1 match.
7. They are always asking when they are going to get paid as soon as a match is over.
8. They complain that we don't pay enough with its substantially more than they can make calling lines on the pro circuit.
Is that enough or do I need to continue?
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