[ttaM]

I found out Pam Shriver is a *cough* Republican. And that Chris Evert is friends w/Kathrine Harris *barf*. So, does anyone else know where the players stand politically? I assume Martina N. is more Liberal then Conservative.

 

[Adrian]

I believe it was a private Joke between Martina and Pam, Their political views were so different off-court that is why they got on so well on court, one was very left, the other very far-right <img src="wink.gif" border="0">

 

[Rollo]

Pammy can't be too far right to have Martina as a good friend. She's a fiscal conservative(think Bush senior) not a social one((like Reagen). There are many shades of Republicans and Democrats.

I read somewhere that Katerina Maleeva was an anti-communist protester before communism fell in Bulgaria.

 

[Adrian]

I would like to think Rollo, that cemented friendships will always over ride personal political views, which I think is the case here <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0">

<img src="biggrin.gif" border="0"> <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0"> <img src="graemlins/bounce.gif" border="0" alt="[Bounce]" /> <img src="graemlins/bounce.gif" border="0" alt="[Bounce]" />

 

[ttaM]

Zvereva spoke out against her government as well, right?

 

[Rollo]

She certainly spoke out against the Soviet tennis association, which wanted to keep most of her prize money!

I remember Monica Seles getting a lot of Yugoslav questions in the early 90's. Being born in Serbia, some of the Croatians like Goran Ivanesevic were critical because she refused to discuss the whole mess. This was probably wise on her part, because her family were ethnic Hungarians, not Serbs. She got death threats over this issue.

 

[Halardfan]

Within reason a players political opinions wouldn't matter to me...but I admit if I found out Julie held hard right wing views, I would feel disappointed.

But Im sure she's too nice. <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

 

[irma]

Is it realy true that Ivanisevic said that if he had won wimbledon 92 and Monica would have too. That he had refused to go the wimbledonball because she was born in Serbia ? I think that`s awfull.

 

[thefreedesigner]

Er, I know this isn't WTA-related, but Tim Henman did say he didn't really agree with a Labour Government... and I think he's 'sympathetic' to Conservative views.

[ December 13, 2001: Message edited by: thefreedesigner ]</p>

 

[Volcana]

I never saw even a statement against apartheid by Amanda Coetzer, which has always disappointed me. OTOH, when Nelson Mandela thanks tennis starts for refusing to play in SOuth Africa despite being offered "huge sums of money", one of the players in attendance whom he thanked was none other than Amanda Coezer. And as a South African and white, she no doubt took more sh*t for this than other players on the tour.

We'd all like our favorites to be Muhammed Ali going to jail for his beliefs. Or Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the Mexico City Olympics. Or Arthur Ashe, dingin with presidents and kings and making his piints inporivate with a quiet word in their ear. Well, most of us would like that. Sometimes its not so easy.

But if Nelson Mandela says Amnda's cool on this, then she's cool with me.

 

[Kart]

Ivanisevic said that if he won Wimbledon and Monica did in 1992 that he would not dance with her at the ball as I believe the champions normally do.

Of course, he never got the opportunity to refuse her ...

 

[VSFan1 aka Joshua L.]

Venus and Serena are non-political. They are, however fiscally conservative (as most rich folks are) and socially moderate.

 

[Aloysius]

(Add to this his homophobic and sexist comments) And for some reason, this Ivanisevic fancies himself a religious fellow. Git.

I wonder if many or any of the players actually have time to vote, let alone have time to sit down and think about which particular political party to support. I'm thinking more about the players who come from countries where there has been little or no history of severe political unrest.

 

[Gandalf]

I read that Natalie Tauziat concurred to the local elections in France with the conservative party. Anyone also heard about this?.

 

[Halardfan]

Sounds about right about Tauziat. <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

Henman is a muppet! <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

 

[ys]

Goran has always been pretty nationalistic. It didn't prevent him from skipping Davis Cup sometimes though..

Amanda Coetzer became a Top 100 player when the apartheid was already going or gone. Isolation has ended by then.

 

[Kart]

Henman is a joke, but unfortunately the majority of the British public see him as a hero. <img src="rolleyes.gif" border="0">

Ditto for their opinion of Goran, I can't believe they voted him 'overseas personality of the year.' <img src="rolleyes.gif" border="0"> <img src="frown.gif" border="0"> <img src="frown.gif" border="0">

 

[aliceb]

It seems to me as though about 95% of Tennis players are Conservative, yet, some Rock Stars and actors earn mega bucks and hold Liberal or Left wing views. Must be the old jock mentality! I heard that Martina N and John McEnroe both endorsed the campaign of the Guy that lost the Democratic nomination to Al Gore (was his name Bill Bradley??), but I don't know much about him. <br />Perhaps an American fan could tell me if that's true and also a little about the Guy e.g. - is he more left wing than Gore?

 

[tfannis]

I've heard that Agassi <img src="graemlins/hearts.gif" border="0" alt="[Hearts]" /> supported the campaign of Al Gore and the Democrates in general. Andre is a very rich man, but he isn't conservative at all; he's an open minded, great guy. I also believe he absolutly didn't want Bush <img src="mad.gif" border="0"> <img src="rolleyes.gif" border="0"> <img src="mad.gif" border="0"> to win the elections. Unfortunatily, luck wasn't on his side. <img src="graemlins/firey.gif" border="0" alt="[Fiery]" />

I've always had a bad feeling about Henman. Now I have a reason not to like him.

 

[Rollo]

I would say Bradley was a bit more liberal than Gore, which made him less electable, but unlike Gore, he wasn't associated with Clinton, which made him more electable. For a Democrat to be elected President these days, he needs to come from the South( like Clinton, Gore, Carter, and LB Johnson). Kennedy was the last northern Democrat, and by today's standards he would be a moderate.<br />Bradley comes from New Jersey or New York, a northern state.

As a former basketball star, Bradley also had a bit of a celebrity factor.

[ December 13, 2001: Message edited by: Rollo ]</p>