I'm not sure how exactly your writing came to be shown to me on Substack, I'm not particularly interested in Tennis, but every time I come across something you write, I'm compelled to read it. You provide a view to the world that's so foreign to me as climbing a tree would be to a fish.
One of your articles got me to listen to Pink Pony Club on the offhand suggestion that you liked it but didn't want to ruin the experience by hearing it again. Anyway, I know I can't remove the hate but I think you've done a great job bringing life to your commentary and I appreciate your perspective. Thanks for all that you do.
The question I have is - why does the tennis establishment play along with, and in a sense give credence to, gambling on tennis?
If you watch Tennis Channel, they have a segment where they prominently discuss what the gambling odds are for big matches, how much you will win or lose on a certain size bet, and what the betting line is according to Las Vegas (or whoever it is that fixes such things).
Why do they do this? I guess I’m naive, and I don’t bet on sports (except for the occasional $5.00 bet with my nephew), but they are just encouraging and feeding the monster by doing this!
In some cases at least, these online gambling providers (plus traditional bookies) sponsor events. It's a spiralling problem: We have bigger prize money, better trained athletes, better venues, more events etc than ever before, so sports bodies need to accept money from ever more questionable sources. I don't see how we can squash that genie back in its bottle.
Is hate mail ever written with great wit and elegance, or even grammar-as-we-understand-it? Can’t help but feel that a decent standard of education might go a long way to eliminating the boiling hate that surrounds us… old thinking, I guess…
Just remember Andrea what ever they say doesn't define you it just defines them a person who feels a need to judge and say such things. Forgive them for they know not what they do and move on as you have been doing. Thanks for another wonderful post.
It makes me so sad to think that you or any other players have to trudge through hate mail of any kind . Tennis is my passion and I support the efforts of all the players . Your well written Substack entries are a highlight for me . Thank you for your insightful and candid writings . ❤️
I used to run a Fan Facebook page for a former Romanian pro doubles player and I could not believe the messages i got on that page too, and as you said it was not a page of the athlete himself. The betters make responsable the athlete. for the money they lose like the athlete would force them to bet.
Its astonishingly sad that sports betting has first off, infiltrated tennis, and second off, has managed to merge with social media to where its something athletes deal with on a regular basis.
I suppose, the only bright side, as you noted, is that after a while you realize the source of these jabs and it makes it routine to simply delete them.
Uf, sorry about those experiences, Andrea. Naively, I'd never even thought of how hate might come a players way regardless of winning or losing. Strange times...
It’s terrible that you received messages like. I sometimes wonder if social media gives the impression that if people who are well known are somehow owned by those of us who aren’t. Even people I know would be outraged if they posted something like this on a group that didn’t get either a response and would send comments of a unsavoury nature. Please keep writing about everything I do enjoy your posts and lucky for me YouTube has plenty of videos of yourself dancing 💃
I wish The Tennis Channel would stop promoting betting on the odds of matches. Gambling is a very real problem. I am sorry tennis players get so much hate from the gambling sector.
I’m sorry you and others get those kinds of messages. I don’t understand how being on social media is a net positive for most people, especially professional athletes. I’m not blaming the victims, but I do wish more athletes would just quit social media.
Think of it like this. Some gamblers lose a bet and want to blame someone else for it. Some tennis players dump an easy forehand into the net and immediately yell at their coach. It's easier to blame someone else for the thing you just did that sucked rather than blame yourself for it. The vile stuff is unacceptable obviously and there should be zero tolerance for that at all times but I suspect there are more similarities between the mindset of certain gamblers and certain tennis players than many would like to admit.
But Andrea, you must understand that when these men lose money on a bet it means they can’t fund their desperately needed penis enlargement operations.
I'm not sure how exactly your writing came to be shown to me on Substack, I'm not particularly interested in Tennis, but every time I come across something you write, I'm compelled to read it. You provide a view to the world that's so foreign to me as climbing a tree would be to a fish.
One of your articles got me to listen to Pink Pony Club on the offhand suggestion that you liked it but didn't want to ruin the experience by hearing it again. Anyway, I know I can't remove the hate but I think you've done a great job bringing life to your commentary and I appreciate your perspective. Thanks for all that you do.
Things that make me happy: when you forget what day it is and another witty/somber/thought-provoking Finite Jest post appears in your inbox. 😊
The question I have is - why does the tennis establishment play along with, and in a sense give credence to, gambling on tennis?
If you watch Tennis Channel, they have a segment where they prominently discuss what the gambling odds are for big matches, how much you will win or lose on a certain size bet, and what the betting line is according to Las Vegas (or whoever it is that fixes such things).
Why do they do this? I guess I’m naive, and I don’t bet on sports (except for the occasional $5.00 bet with my nephew), but they are just encouraging and feeding the monster by doing this!
In some cases at least, these online gambling providers (plus traditional bookies) sponsor events. It's a spiralling problem: We have bigger prize money, better trained athletes, better venues, more events etc than ever before, so sports bodies need to accept money from ever more questionable sources. I don't see how we can squash that genie back in its bottle.
FYI Sinclair Broadcast Group owns The Tennis Channel. As for the mostly male hate texts, "homo homini lupus".
Is hate mail ever written with great wit and elegance, or even grammar-as-we-understand-it? Can’t help but feel that a decent standard of education might go a long way to eliminating the boiling hate that surrounds us… old thinking, I guess…
Just remember Andrea what ever they say doesn't define you it just defines them a person who feels a need to judge and say such things. Forgive them for they know not what they do and move on as you have been doing. Thanks for another wonderful post.
You’re an excellent writer. Keep putting beauty out into this world.
It makes me so sad to think that you or any other players have to trudge through hate mail of any kind . Tennis is my passion and I support the efforts of all the players . Your well written Substack entries are a highlight for me . Thank you for your insightful and candid writings . ❤️
I used to run a Fan Facebook page for a former Romanian pro doubles player and I could not believe the messages i got on that page too, and as you said it was not a page of the athlete himself. The betters make responsable the athlete. for the money they lose like the athlete would force them to bet.
Its astonishingly sad that sports betting has first off, infiltrated tennis, and second off, has managed to merge with social media to where its something athletes deal with on a regular basis.
I suppose, the only bright side, as you noted, is that after a while you realize the source of these jabs and it makes it routine to simply delete them.
Uf, sorry about those experiences, Andrea. Naively, I'd never even thought of how hate might come a players way regardless of winning or losing. Strange times...
It’s terrible that you received messages like. I sometimes wonder if social media gives the impression that if people who are well known are somehow owned by those of us who aren’t. Even people I know would be outraged if they posted something like this on a group that didn’t get either a response and would send comments of a unsavoury nature. Please keep writing about everything I do enjoy your posts and lucky for me YouTube has plenty of videos of yourself dancing 💃
I’m surprised you haven’t heard from the New Jersey people yet 🤣 ! Guess the truth hurts (having been to Newark).
I wish The Tennis Channel would stop promoting betting on the odds of matches. Gambling is a very real problem. I am sorry tennis players get so much hate from the gambling sector.
I’m sorry you and others get those kinds of messages. I don’t understand how being on social media is a net positive for most people, especially professional athletes. I’m not blaming the victims, but I do wish more athletes would just quit social media.
Think of it like this. Some gamblers lose a bet and want to blame someone else for it. Some tennis players dump an easy forehand into the net and immediately yell at their coach. It's easier to blame someone else for the thing you just did that sucked rather than blame yourself for it. The vile stuff is unacceptable obviously and there should be zero tolerance for that at all times but I suspect there are more similarities between the mindset of certain gamblers and certain tennis players than many would like to admit.
Your writing is invariably a joy btw.
But Andrea, you must understand that when these men lose money on a bet it means they can’t fund their desperately needed penis enlargement operations.