[TeeRexx]

John MacEnroe, during his USA network U.S. Open commentary, excoriated the USTA for not having constructed a moveable dome, similar to the one at the Aussie Open, at either Ashe or Armstrong stadiums, in order to be able to continue play if bad weather should prevail, as it has done so far.

Mac inferred that more than enough money is collected during the Open to pay for this construction and to not have one basically borders negligence and straddles incompetence.

I was amazed when the dome was not placed on one of the stadiums when they were first constructed because the USTA knows full well that the weather can go bad during the time of the year that the Open is played.

Good call Johnny Mac.

TR

 

[banana]

ur a fuck head

 

[Dava]

I think they should at least have court covers.

 

[sunnysideup]

The US Open officials just needs to get rid of McEnroe and the weather will become better.:lol:

 

[Doris Loeffel]

I think they should at least have court covers.

Maybe they can borrow the ones from Wimby?

 

[TeeRexx]

banana - I would pay real good money to have you say that to my face, buddy.

Anyway, Johnny Mac had a a real good point and it was very well stated under the circumstances.

 

[1jackson2001]

I just don't get it. Doesn't it rain less frequently at the Aussie Open in Melbourne? And they STILL have retractable roofs?

And it rains much more often in Flushing Meadows and yet they don't have the roofs....

They're obviously missing something here.

 

[TeeRexx]

Jackson - I believe you are correct about the amount of rain in Oz as compared to that of NY.

I guess it is difficult to think logically if one is counting very large amounts of easily earned cash.

 

[switz]

i think the big difference is planning. the australian open officials chose to suffer the initial financial losses of building the roofs with the knowledge that in the long run they would get their money back while also providing much more security to both ticket-holders and scheduling.

 

[goshka]

Anyway, Johnny Mac had a a real good point and it was very well stated under the circumstances.

It was really bad point - for last 11 years it was rain only last year (one day?) and previous 10 it was no rain. So, I don't think there is a need for the cover. Somebody should tell JM to stop "crying a river" over nothing. This goes to TR as well, even no surprise here.

 

[RAA]

I think the retractable roof is VERY expensive and since it usually doesn't rain during the open, I think its quite a waste of money.

now TARPS.. that is an inexpensive solution.

 

[TeeRexx]

From Yahoo.com:
=================

No plans for a roof at U.S. Open

By HAL BOCK, AP Sports Writer
September 2, 2003
NEW YORK (AP) -- After two days of rain at the U.S. Open, some players were asking a question that also occurred to thousands of rather damp fans.

How come there's no roof?

``We've been talking about covers since the '80s,'' Martina Navratilova said. ``Yesterday, they spent more time drying the courts than it rained. It's like, when are they going to learn? We have no say on it. Yesterday, it was two hours of play, six hours of drying.''

The Australian Open has a retractible roof over two of its courts. Wimbledon has a tent to cover its center court during rain delays. There is no cover over any court at the National Tennis Center and the drying operation includes youngsters wiping the courts with towels.

Arlen Kantarian, the USTA's chief executive for professional tennis, said a roof is not in the stadium's immediate future. ``It is not in the plans today,'' he said. ``But we would never say never.''

Kantarian said the USTA had talked to a stadium consulting company.

``One of the many, many reasons is to take a more in-depth look at whether or not it's feasible both structurally and financially to put a roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium,'' he said.

=====================================

Nuff said? :lol:

 

[Knizzle]

I just don't get it. Doesn't it rain less frequently at the Aussie Open in Melbourne? And they STILL have retractable roofs?

And it rains much more often in Flushing Meadows and yet they don't have the roofs....

They're obviously missing something here.

Melbourne has retractable roofs because of the heat.

 

[TeeRexx]

True, the main reason for the Oz covers is for the heat, but the real point of the topic is ways to avoid weather related issues at Grand Slam events.
And I have not forgotten those inbred sponsors at Wimbledon either. :lol:

 

[Dawn Marie]

First of all John didn't say anything until the rain came down. He wasn't this verbal before, so he might as well shut up about it now. He had his chances to cry about this to the media so many times. So I find him a big nasty and still a fake.

Now from speaking from a fan's perspective the US Open has always been a unprepared set up of a grandslam. I can't believe that they have no indoor place for the players to hit on?!?! That is just pathetic. Why don't they get some covers? Haven't they learned anything from the Mary Jo Fernandez crap? Remember when she slipped on that wet court while playing Venus because of the wetness? I think they shoudl get a retractable roof because frankly the United States and the USTA cannot predict the weather? It could rain for the next ten years during this time? Global Warming.. lol

Really with all the money the slams make they can put a roof in.

 

[TeeRexx]

Mac has mentioned this topic on previous Open rain days, but never as voiciferous as this last tiraid.

Since a good part of the USTA revenue is from TV broadcast, it would have been in their best interest to have made provisions for extreme weather during the design phase of the new tennis site.

I believe that some changes will be made before the 2004 Open. :lol:

 

[gweeny]

Well if they built a roof, they would not be able to pay the winner, 1 million dollars. I think, the players, if they want a roof, should take a pay cut.

 

[goshka]

FYI there are indoor courts at Tennis Center.

 

[TeeRexx]

goshka - Those are indoor PRACTICE courts and they are being used to serve food and drinks to corporate big shots at this time.
Also, they are not capable of seating for a few thousand fans.

=============================
from msnbc.com
=============================

“THIS IS GETTING ridiculous, where’s the roof?” he howled, sick of, in his words, “twiddling his thumbs.”


Tedium, frustration and boredom have replaced tennis during the second week of the U.S. Open as drizzle and rain has all-but obliterated play.
Just three matches have been completed in the last two days and the specter of spilling into a third week is looming large.
McEnroe, four times a champion here in the 1970s and “80s, is in no doubt who is to blame for the mess here — and it isn’t Mother Nature.
“Whoever spent $250 million for the biggest tennis court in the world, and to me it is too big, should have made it smaller and built a roof,” he said of the 23,000-seater Arthur Ashe stadium court.
“I didn’t graduate (from) Stanford... only went for a year, but I know that.
“All these delays hurt our sport. Australia has retractable roofs for its Open, the fans get their money’s worth. I really feel our sport is losing out.”
Forget the installation of a roof, the U.S. Open does not even employ covers or tarpaulins as used at the French Open and Wimbledon to protect the courts from rain.
McEnroe’s co-commentator Ted Robinson was also wondering why the USTA is against their use.
“It’s beyond my ability to comprehend why there are no tarps here,” he said on USA Network.





USTA chief executive Arlen Kantarian says tarpaulins would only create a “three to four minute pick-up in terms of time.”
That statistic is hard to swallow for anyone who has witnessed the teams of workers, on their hands and knees, frantically scrubbing the court with hand towels to dry it out after each shower.
Kantarian did say the Open is considering installing a retractable roof on one of its show courts.
“We have just hired some master planners, who have worked on venues in this country, to look at (the Open),” he said.
“One of the many reasons for the study is to take a more in depth look at whether or not (a roof is) feasible.
“(We will consider) whether or not it’s feasible, structurally and financially, to put a roof over Arthur Ashe stadium.”
There are tens of thousands of fans, let alone players, who are hoping they come to the right conclusion.

=============================================

TR

 

[tennisvideos]

The roof at the Aussie Open was initially installed to cater for the wet weather, but it has also proven useful when the extreme heat policy is invoked. Anyway, a second roof was installed a few years ago and it is BRILLIANT as a fan knowing you are going to be guaranteed to see tennis no matter what the weather.

At last it's great to be able to snub my nose at Tee Rex who loves throwing abuse at those down under. Looks like we got it right this time buddy!