What a racket
By Tony Watts - Editor - 07/07/2008
If, like me, you spent a large part of Sunday spellbound by the Wimbledon Men’s Final, you’ll have witnessed one of the great games – taking me back to the epic battles between Borg, Connors and McEnroe. And, before that, to the halcyon days of Rod Laver slugging it out with Ken Rosewall.
Terrific stuff.
But I am increasingly finding it difficult to watch Wimbledon. Not because of the quality of the tennis, which is often superb. It’s the noise, the animal grunts, oofs, whines and whinnies that seem to accompany every shot from some players (not Federer, it has to be said, neither “our” new champion Laura Robson – both of whom say they feel no need to ape the apes when they hit the ball).
Some of these noises are hugely loud. Sharapova, for instance, has been recorded at 100 decibels. That’s the level that an aircraft makes.
Surely it puts other players off, and surely it reduces the experience of the crowd and TV audiences. And were will it end? Will footballers start grunting and bellowing when they kick the ball? Can we expect our cricket players to let off a volley of guttural bellows when they hit a four (if so, goodness only knows how much noise Petersen will make).
The players say it helps them in some way. If that’s the case, why stop at sport? Why can’t we all join in? Finding it an effort to pick up a shopping bag? Why not give voice to your efforts – supermarkets will be ringing to the rafters. Pushing the grandchildren on the garden swing is no lightweight matter either. Get it off your chest. The poor child might be traumatised for life, but that’s a small price to pay.
I know we Brits are meant to be a bit buttoned up, and are constantly encouraged to loosen up and express ourselves more, but this is one trend where I think a stiff upper lip – preferably closed – has its merits.
YOUR FEEDBACK
All I can say is: "Get a Life". Individuality is what makes life interesting. Grunts and groans give expression and freedom of expression. You of all people should be encouraging it. There is too much stifling as it is...
Get a Life and let others lead their's. If you don't like it, switch off...
Max Sherman
Tony was quite right to comment about the awful noises which now disrupt many tennis matches at Wimbledon. However,this is not the only irritant we now have to suffer.
Why on earth is it necessary to interview participants in sport at every opportunity,especially when they have just finished a game? One can predict all the inane questions and answers most of the time - usually including "fantastic". Presumably this is a result of all those new graduates in "media studies" trying to gain "meaningful employment".
Sport on TV nowadays seems to consist of less and less action and more and more chat.Interestingly the more "pundits" we have the fewer top British sportsmen or teams we seem to produce!
John Beadle
Always pungent stuff, Tony, but I simply had to say how much I agree with your editorial on the tennis noises front. I was glad to see the back of Sharapova for that reason only. It was driving me mad. The thought of her in a drawn-out final was - well - unthinkable!
David Alston
Perhaps the remedy could be imposed by the umpires calling a let every time a service is delivered with a grunt. Isn't there a rule about losing the point after delivering three lets?
An alternative would be for a band of fans determined to exterminate the grunt to sit in different parts of the crowd and emulate the grunt. The umpire might call "quiet please" but surely that should apply also to the apes.
James Nelson, Victoria, Australia
I don't agree with your comments about tennis players grunting. How can it put the other player off, when the grunter is the one who hits the ball? By the time it reaches the other grunter, grunt one will have been dissipated. Let us see and hear them enjoying themselves.
Joe Fajerman
I couldn't agree more with your last editorial. Sharapova seemed to me to be deliberately trying to put her opponent off - although it didn't work this time. It seems to me that the authorities were induced to allow fairly quiet grunts but now find it difficult to draw the line.
Ray Stewart