[irma]

as I keep saying I will not judge if Steffi should have said something or not, but the fact stays that she was not the only player who made a speech that day and that person said nothing either. It's ridiculous that Steffi gets slack while her opponent gets nothing and that other player is very close to Monica anyway!
and I don't take the Steffi won and was indirect involved. First a speech is a speech and when somebody had asked who would be in the final on 29 april 93 then definitely Steffi would have been mentioned more then Mary Joe so a final for Mary Joe was not a lesser achievement then the title for Steffi.
And second the indirect involvement. Steffi didn't have to feel guilty (she said she did anyway and that's logic but she shouldn't have). Some idiot trew her name into it and that was it. So from that point of few Steffi didn't have to do something for sure. For sure not more then her opponents.

and I have nothing against Mary Joe. She was the player I always liked most after Steffi. It's just the double standards that are here too

Martina of course comes from a country were a part speaks french so I am sure she got intensive french on school too (but considering she also had to learn german and swiss german after she was 7. it's still impressive)

It's my mission to learn french too after at high school verbal exam I could only say oui en Je ne sais pas

[Kart]

French isn't that hard to learn the basics of, it gets very complicated though after that.

Steffi has nothing to be ashamed of for not mentioning Monica in her French open speech though.

You have to draw a line somewhere between trying to please the masses and being open in a way you're comfortable with (Steffi never really came across as the most open of people) - only the most hard hearted person would think Steffi didn't feel for Monica or not know what her absence meant - and if you asked her I'm sure she would have told you.

She was basically forced into saying something at the US open which was kind but frankly she didn't need to say anything then either.

[louloubelle]

Originally Posted by Kart

She was basically forced into saying something at the US open which was kind but frankly she didn't need to say anything then either.

I think that's where I am coming from. Really if she felt compelled to say something it should've been at the French... but as you may infer??, the US speech just seemed a bit forced to me.

Either way she was between a rock and a hard place and in the end either action would've been up for scrutiny

[louloubelle]

Originally Posted by irma

as I keep saying I will not judge if Steffi should have said something or not, but the fact stays that she was not the only player who made a speech that day and that person said nothing either. It's ridiculous that Steffi gets slack while her opponent gets nothing and that other player is very close to Monica anyway!
and I don't take the Steffi won and was indirect involved. First a speech is a speech and when somebody had asked who would be in the final on 29 april 93 then definitely Steffi would have been mentioned more then Mary Joe so a final for Mary Joe was not a lesser achievement then the title for Steffi.
And second the indirect involvement. Steffi didn't have to feel guilty (she said she did anyway and that's logic but she shouldn't have). Some idiot trew her name into it and that was it. So from that point of few Steffi didn't have to do something for sure. For sure not more then her opponents.

and I have nothing against Mary Joe. She was the player I always liked most after Steffi. It's just the double standards that are here too

Martina of course comes from a country were a part speaks french so I am sure she got intensive french on school too (but considering she also had to learn german and swiss german after she was 7. it's still impressive)

It's my mission to learn french too after at high school verbal exam I could only say oui en Je ne sais pas

You’re exactly right there is a double standard and that’s what happens when you’re in the limelight like Steffi was. It’s down side of being a star – the likes of Martina, BJK, Court have been down that road in which if they do something then it’s bad, but if they don’t do something then it’s also bad.



No one cares if Mary Jo says anything (even if she won that final or lost) because who’s going to listen, no cared when ASV said she cried when she heard Seles’s stabbing news, no cared about Maggie Maleeva who was playing Seles at the time. No they only wanted hear what Steffi had to say, because she’s Steffi, the tennis icon at the time, and like you say, because some idiot threw her name in the situation. It was a TOUGH situation for her to be in and despite it all, in the end I do feel she handled herself well.

[louloubelle]

Originally Posted by alfajeffster

Also as an aside- the U.S. Open acceptance speech was for years the only major acceptance speech televised internationally, and for years was the only one the players really prepared well for. .

Its funny that you mention this because Ive always found the US presentations to be the worst of all the slams. Trabert usually tries to do a question/answer speech with the players and many times Ive seen has never give them the platform to give a proper speech. I can remember Pat Rafter after his 2nd US win taking the microphone off Trabert and saying audibly that he was going to give a speech and that he never gave him the opportunity to do it during his first win. I can remember Helena Sukova in her US final vs. Graf in the early 90's being practically cutoff and bearly given the chance to say anything!! Maybe they are just trying to stop the players from waffling or maybe Trabert likes the sound of his own voice

[alfajeffster]

Originally Posted by louloubelle

Its funny that you mention this because Ive always found the US presentations to be the worst of all the slams. Trabert usually tries to do a question/answer speech with the players and many times Ive seen has never give them the platform to give a proper speech. I can remember Pat Rafter after his 2nd US win taking the microphone off Trabert and saying audibly that he was going to give a speech and that he never gave him the opportunity to do it during his first win. I can remember Helena Sukova in her US final vs. Graf in the early 90's being practically cutoff and bearly given the chance to say anything!! Maybe they are just trying to stop the players from waffling or maybe Trabert likes the sound of his own voice

The U.S. Open is more about the corporate dollar than any other tennis event on the planet. Tony Trabert's job is to keep it quick and get through as narrowly as possible, because football is being played nearly every time. I missed the entire first game of the Edberg/Courier final because a football game had gone into overtime! I have a copy of the 1973 U.S. Open between Margaret Court and Evonne Goolagong, and it was no different then- Bill Talbert was Tony's predecessor, quickly ushering the players off the court- Evonne didn't even get a chance to speak- Margaret was great and gracious (as always) in acceptance, but she had to do it quickly! It's fair to say that during the "open era", the U.S. Open has the best track record at doing the least to promote actual tennis players and the tennis game of greats as compared with the other big 4 Majors.

[HanaFanGA]

Originally Posted by louloubelle

Its funny that you mention this because Ive always found the US presentations to be the worst of all the slams. Trabert usually tries to do a question/answer speech with the players and many times Ive seen has never give them the platform to give a proper speech. I can remember Pat Rafter after his 2nd US win taking the microphone off Trabert and saying audibly that he was going to give a speech and that he never gave him the opportunity to do it during his first win. I can remember Helena Sukova in her US final vs. Graf in the early 90's being practically cutoff and bearly given the chance to say anything!! Maybe they are just trying to stop the players from waffling or maybe Trabert likes the sound of his own voice

Don't even get me started on how poorly the US Open does certain things. That final with Sukova was interesting. If I remember correctly she was crying during the ceremony. Perhaps she knew that would be her last chance at a singles GS title. I'm not sure if that's why they pulled away from her. I also remember BJK doing the awards ceremony in the 90 doubles final and Sukova's time was cut short again!

Tony's time in this particular role has had its moments. I remember the 94 awards ceremony where Tony asked Steffi about her back injury as if to give her an excuse for losing to Aranxta. The crowd booed Tony and to Steffi's credit, she was quick to dismiss the notion (even if it might have been a little true) credit Aranxta's play.

[louloubelle]

Originally Posted by HanaFanGA

Don't even get me started on how poorly the US Open does certain things. That final with Sukova was interesting. If I remember correctly she was crying during the ceremony. Perhaps she knew that would be her last chance at a singles GS title. I'm not sure if that's why they pulled away from her. I also remember BJK doing the awards ceremony in the 90 doubles final and Sukova's time was cut short again!

Tony's time in this particular role has had its moments. I remember the 94 awards ceremony where Tony asked Steffi about her back injury as if to give her an excuse for losing to Aranxta. The crowd booed Tony and to Steffi's credit, she was quick to dismiss the notion (even if it might have been a little true) credit Aranxta's play.

Straight after ASV won that match she was hugging someone (maybe her agent) who repeatedly said to her (picked up by the courtside microphones) don't forget to ask about Steffi's back. It's funny that they were seeing this as an public relations opportunity for ASV.

Yes that was the first thing Trabert asked too, which didn't go on well with the crowd.

[Deestruction]

I am so glad i found this thread. I was gonna say why the hell does Monica not have her own appreciation thread.