Davis Cup 2016 World Group Quarter Final - Serbia v GB - 15th to 17th July

philwrig · Hall of fame

RE: Davis Cup 2016 World Group Quarter Final - Serbia v GB - 15th to 17th July

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

philwrig wrote:
Bob in Spain wrote:
indiana wrote:
To be fair McIroy has rather revised his reasoning from Zika to essentially he couldn't care a stuff ( he really wasn't far off saying that ).

At least honest, but he really has mucked around on this whole thing ever since him taking his while before announcing who from GB or Ireland was going to have the pleasure of him ( ultimately not ) in their side.
Agreed. My Zika comment wasn't particularly aimed at McIlroy who (as you said) basically let the cat out with regard to his real feelings about the Olympics. But plenty of others have used Zika.
Interestingly, there is no interest whatsoever here in the Olympics (Yes. I am in Brazil at the moment). My colleague was here with me for 3 days and needed to take him some Olympic memorabilia for his grandson. After three hours searching the shopping centres and beach souvenir shops, we gave up. We finally found a badge at the airport as he left. Admittedly we are a three hour flights from Rio, but the lack of interest is staggering.
I think it's going to be a huge anti-climax after London 2012 for alot of us Brits, but if the home nation are not getting behind it, that's a massive blow. This Olympics maybe remembered more for the Russian situation, and not the athletes performances.

Not to mention the spinelessness of the IOC in passing the buck to individual sports' governing bodies to decide which competitors are clean & should therefore be allowed to take part. disbelief furious

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Golf and the Olympics are not a great fit as outside of the Tiger era it is unusual for the best player to win, ie. Rory goes with absolutely no guarantees, it is highly likely that he might not even be in the frame on the last day.

In contrast I feel tennis is a much better fit, the top players really value gold and if they play close to their regular form stand a good chance of winning through to battle out it out for medals. The fact that it is once every four years means realistically they are only going to get 2-3 chances of winning singles gold in their career.

indiana · Tennis legend

brendan wrote:
to be fair that's probably the case in any country - I live 200 miles from London so 2012 could have been in Timbuktu for all the difference it made to me other than the unusually large medal haul

To an extent although I think Brits in general were much more interested - there's a lot of general sports fans. Though I myself I'd admit would have been more at the extreme end of the scale being so all over the London Olympics moreso than others, which I still had big interest in.

And I'm in Edinburgh. I believe some folk think that we should be a separate nation

( though yes London 2012 Olympic souvenirs were no doubt in pretty short supply here )

-- Edited by indiana on Sunday 24th of July 2016 06:33:01 PM

indiana · Tennis legend

Oakland2002 wrote:
Golf and the Olympics are not a great fit as outside of the Tiger era it is unusual for the best player to win, ie. Rory goes with absolutely no guarantees, it is highly likely that he might not even be in the frame on the last day.

In contrast I feel tennis is a much better fit, the top players really value gold and if they play close to their regular form stand a good chance of winning through to battle out it out for medals. The fact that it is once every four years means realistically they are only going to get 2-3 chances of winning singles gold in their career.

It's 100% certain Rory won't be in the frame given that he's not going.

But yes I agree your general point if you say look at many of the major winners from well down the rankings that just have a tremendous week as can happen in golf.

Re tennis in the Olympics, I just wish they'ed leave out mixed doubles. If within tennis the Slams wish to have it fair enough, but it's a bit of a travesty as an Olympic sport in a number of respects.

-- Edited by indiana on Sunday 24th of July 2016 06:54:58 PM