Wednesday, June 22, 2011

COMPETITIVE GRUNTING

Have you heard the grunting that women do at Wimbledon, on those internationally renowned tennis courts?

My God. I heard, on NPR of course, various women screaming and grunting and wailing as they hit the ball. They sound like they're killing pigs with baseball bats.

If I were in charge, I'd disqualify them at first grunt.

That isn't tennis, it's competitive grunting.

When I first started playing tennis, in about 1955 or '56, one thing I loved about the sport was the quiet. It was extremely civilized. You labored in extreme competition, giving it your all, without any noise whatsoever. No drama. No hysteria. No yelling. No obnoxious sounds.

You spoke quietly. Let. Out. Fifteen-love. Deuce. Add-in. 

It was wonderful. No yelling. Now it has become barbaric.

Maria Sharapova wails the loudest, apparently. So unladylike.

Monica Seles started it all, as I recall. So it has been going on for some years.

I say, stop it, for God's sake.

These women are ruining the sport. And men. Some men do it, too. How crude. If they want to grunt, they should ride bulls, or fight in the UFC, or take up boxing. The women should play squash, or racquetball, or take up mud wrestling.

Anything but tennis.

Bring back the quiet. Please.

-- Roger

© Copyright 2011, Roger R. Angle

Grunts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nSehJDh8F4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbYxcbpeXZE&feature=related

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