TENNIS EVERYONE!

     The 2016 US Open Tennis Tournament introduced a new convertible roof over the Arthur Ashe Court...in case it rains....and many more seats for a total of 23,000 sitting and millions watching on TV. The net profit for the US Open was 40 million dollars. And, believe it or not, the winner of the men's single and the women's single each received 3.5 million dollars! The all-silver trophy was HUGE and probably worth another million, if melted down.
     Today's tennis is a far cry from the 1940's when I observed Bill Tilden and Bobby Riggs courtside at Oberlin College. They played with wooden rackets, gut strings, skinny tennis balls and served at 50 mph. They were lucky if they got transportation money from their homes and sponsorship was unheard of. Everybody competing was pretty much on their own.
     Winning the trophy was a big deal then. No money changed hands. Anyone with a racket could enter the tournament, including bookmakers,  and wearing white outfits were suggested but not mandatory. You won for the sport of winning. I felt that inclination and played tennis throughout high school and college. But there were too many excellent players and so I veered towards a career in music.
     Fast forward to 2016 and we barely remember Roger Federer from Switzerland or Rafael from Spain.  Remember Martina Hingus? I didn't think you  did. She was a tennis champion at the young age of 16 two decades ago. Nowadays the tennis pro can expect no more than two decades for earning a small fortune. That includes tournaments and sponsors. As long as they stay in good condition and don't ever get sick.
     My opinion about today's sports....football, basketball and tennis primarily....is that the "stars" are overpaid. Lebron James, Steph Curry, Dwayne Wade all multi-millionaires playing basketball. To hear their coaches urge teams to "go out there and have fun." They might add, "you better win or you'll be traded to another losing team."
     We will never ever return to the truly good old days of sports heroes performing their best just to win, rather than for the money. The stadiums today have to fill thousands of seats; they can't just make a profit on hot dogs and beer. Oh well, such is life in the fast lane of enterprise.
     If  you want to know why I gave up tennis thirty years ago, read my  Questionable Commentary #18, "Tennis Anyone." It has a few more laughs than this one.