Oliver Holt, Lets Get Married

Every once in a while a writer comes along and puts something so brilliantly, in a novel, an article, a story, anything. Fiction or not. And it puts exactly feelings or thoughts you’ve had before into the most concise, to the point, and perfect way. And you remember why writers write. Cause they find a way. I’m kind of exaggerating the thoughts I felt when I read this article (though not with other things), but seriously, this dude just puts all the angers and problems us tennis freaks (who aren’t Fed fans) have with The Mighty One. Especially when other not-so-tennis-smart sports writers babble on about how Fed is such a great and noble champion.

“It felt uncomfortable seeing him like that, seeing a great champion who has become so intoxicated with his own image that he is making himself a laughing stock. A man who was once the epitome of modesty and humility but is now tarnishing his genius with increasingly graceless arrogance.

Someone needs to tell him that there was a reason the crowd was cheering for Roddick, and it wasn’t because the American was the underdog. Someone needs to point out we’re getting deep into The Emperor’s New Clothes territory now.

I mean, how on earth did he allow himself to be persuaded to rush to put on that tracksuit top with the No.15 etched on his back a couple of minutes after he had outlasted Roddick on Sunday? What a pathetic, smartass, gloating, selfregarding stunt that was.

Nor, in his acceptance speech, was there any real recognition of how desperately close Roddick had come to winning the final. There was no hint that Roddick had outplayed him – which he did – or that the American had pushed him to his very limit.

Instead, Federer chose to draw attention to the fact that he had had a tough loss against Rafael Nadal last year.

It was, a former Wimbledon star told me yesterday, “the most graceless acceptance speech I have ever heard”.

He’s the best there’s ever been but if he doesn’t want to be remembered as a genius who became bloated with self-importance and pomposity, he needs to get a grip.”

I think the real brilliance in this, is that he combines the brutal honesty and frustration many of us (bloggers) often have about Fed and his image and attitude, and as a head represntitive of the sport, with a real to the point statement, and a real argument. There was something incredibly wrong, seeing the two dudes waiting to come on court, one with his… well, I don’t even know… and the other looking like a dude who plays tennis. Hell, it got me pumped up before the match had even begun. It kind of reminded me of the movie Dodge Ball, I’m not gonna lie. Globo Gym, or whatever, with their expensive co-ordinated outfits, super stylized, nose-turned-up attitudes, against the Average Joe’s, the normal dudes, who just threw on whatever, but were there to play. When you think about it, its creepily similar, no?

I tried, I really did, to accept Fed’s “15″ jacket and his speech. The Super Bowl champs get shirts and hats for the whole team right after they win, right? But they also get a trophy, and so would have Fed. The “15″ jacket, which would have been fine if it wasn’t RIGHT after the match, was the preperation that Fed was predicting a win, got it, and was ready to hop on his GOAT and ride it into the sunset without even a moment’s glance at Dick, who was but a few points away from beating him only moments ago. And there’s something wrong with that. And Andy, was angry, and he actually gained respect from me for that. I’m often quick to criticize his super competitive and sometimes whiny and needless heat of the moments statements. But Andy is great with fans, great with the media, and gives credit when credit is due.

And I guess at the end of the day, I don’t necessarily think of Rafa, but I think of the begining of the year, and the finish of the Australian Open. FedKADs will be quick to call that Fed cried, sure, but he showed sympathy for Dick at Wimbledon. But did he really? I can still easily picture Rafa being particularily careful about what he said and did, with the sobbing Fed to his side, it clearly meant a lot to him, and Rafa the champion, didn’t want to cross the line. Never for a second was that attitude or attempt there on Sunday, which is why Fed’s attempt at sympathy, even if it was meant, was completely overridden by the rest of what was going on.

Perhaps some will argue that this was the slam that set the record, “15″ indeed, and that it wasn’t about necessarily what had happened, but celebrating a milestone. Fine. But what this article touches on is that something was wrong before the match even began: a complete lack of humility. And that’s not right.

Thanks to C Note from Forty Deuce for allowing me to steal this from her Twitter without her knowledge.