Yes, tennis players grunt, but would you not watch them?

Hunchback · 20-01-2013 08:39PM #1

I ask this question outside of the Racquet Sports forum so as to get a broader perspective.

The thing is, I love watching tennis on telly. But outside of Wimbledon and the French Open, there is a paucity of airtime given to tennis - the season is almost year long!

I know telly channels will only schedule for programming for which there is a demand, but does tennis have that little of a demand?

I am a fan of both mens and womens tennis. Sometimes I wonder are people turned off by the noise of players like Sharapova or the Williams sisters. But, I don't know, maybe people just think tennis is a crap spectator sport. Do they?

Would you watch the Australian Open (ongoing at the moment) if it was on the terrestrial channels? (BTW, I dont have Eurosport or Sky Sports).

Bad Santa · 20-01-2013 08:41PM

CKonetheonlyone wrote: »

Sometimes I wonder are people turned off by the noise of players like Sharapova or the Williams sisters.

Au contraire mon ami, au contraire.

Cavehill Red · 20-01-2013 08:42PM

No doubt there are plenty of red-blooded males who watch women's tennis BECAUSE of the grunting!
Though they are training young tennis players not to grunt now, because it is such a distracting practice.
I think tennis is simply a minority interest, and one in which Ireland especially has never had any historical success, hence it won't attract much interest here.
I love tennis, and find matches can be really exciting. But I know it's not to everyone's interest. My attitude is, it's their loss really.

Praetorian Saighdiuir · 20-01-2013 08:43PM

Nah, tennis is a load of balls!

Sooooooooo boring to watch. I'd rather watch Hollyoaks, which is saying something because I'd rather dip my balls in in a molten furnace than watch Hollyoaks.

Unique User Name · 20-01-2013 08:43PM

I quite like the grunts. If only the commentators would stay quiet I might be able to crack one off! I think that's what puts people off tennis on the telly, the commentators ruining masturbation sessions. It's like when David Hasselhoff used to pop up on baywatch.

COYVB · 20-01-2013 08:47PM

I don't really like men's tennis unless it's a match between 2 of the top 3. Otherwise it tends to be all about how quickly the big guys can finish it off. Women's tennis was always a better spectator sport for me because barring the William's sisters, it seemed to be more about finesse than hitting the ball really really really hard as few times as possible.

I haven't seen a match in a long while though, so it might have changed

Lawrence1895 · 20-01-2013 08:49PM

Let them grunt, I don't like tennis anyway

kfallon · 20-01-2013 08:53PM

Monica Seles has a lot to answer for......

Truncheon Rouge · 20-01-2013 08:56PM

all things tennis yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn. zzzzzzzzzzz wha!...himeh reh zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz spoons on fire zzzzzzzzzzz

PhlegmyMoses · 20-01-2013 08:59PM

Stealth Recce wrote: »

Nah, tennis is a load of balls!

Sooooooooo boring to watch. I'd rather watch Hollyoaks, which is saying something because I'd rather dip my balls in in a molten furnace than watch Hollyoaks.

Should have gone for the balls in the molten furnace thing first. Watching Hollyoaks is beyond the Pale.

castletownman · 20-01-2013 09:05PM

I follow the WTA tour.

They all have lovely bottoms

landsleaving · 20-01-2013 09:10PM

Ah tennis, like pong without the atmosphere. I can't get behind any sport that makes the crowd be quiet. Come to Wimbledon, cheer your hero. Now stop cheering. Ok now go again. Now be quiet.

Rain break!

Hunchback · 20-01-2013 09:11PM

Cavehill Red wrote: »

No doubt there are plenty of red-blooded males who watch women's tennis BECAUSE of the grunting!
Though they are training young tennis players not to grunt now, because it is such a distracting practice.
I think tennis is simply a minority interest, and one in which Ireland especially has never had any historical success, hence it won't attract much interest here.
I love tennis, and find matches can be really exciting. But I know it's not to everyone's interest. My attitude is, it's their loss really.

Interesting point. But on the other hand, how come golf is an elitist sport (more than any other) and yet Ireland has massive success (and hence interest)?

Hunchback · 20-01-2013 09:14PM

landsleaving wrote: »

Ah tennis, like pong without the atmosphere. I can't get behind any sport that makes the crowd be quiet. Come to Wimbledon, cheer your hero. Now stop cheering. Ok now go again. Now be quiet.

Rain break!

Pong=table tennis?

Anyways, table tennis has its' own forum on Boards whilst tennis doesn't. :pac:

Autosport · 20-01-2013 09:15PM

Novak played a blinder today. I love tennis and I also follow the ATP Tour

Hunchback · 20-01-2013 09:16PM

Rory MacIlroy wins a point against Maria Sharapova
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-yyyVcZvug

landsleaving · 20-01-2013 09:17PM

CKonetheonlyone wrote: »

Pong=table tennis?

Anyways, table tennis has its' own forum on Boards whilst tennis doesn't. :pac:

Pong = a dot going back and forth. It could be air hockey for all we know!

Hunchback · 20-01-2013 09:19PM

landsleaving wrote: »

Pong = a dot going back and forth. It could be air hockey for all we know!

Ah yes, I remember it fondly, on the 'punch proof' 1980's atari we had

landsleaving · 20-01-2013 09:25PM

To answer your actual question btw, I wouldn't be put off by the grunting at all, but could never get into it for other reasons. Love playing it though, used to be really into it, but that never translated to an interest in watching.

Hande hoche! · 20-01-2013 09:32PM

Woeful quality

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=px7C8kHzWmE

goose2005 · 20-01-2013 10:38PM

EUUUNNNNNNNNGGHHHHHHHH!

Would you still read boards if all posts were punctuated with grunts?

AAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHH!

Cavehill Red · 20-01-2013 10:41PM

CKonetheonlyone wrote: »

Interesting point. But on the other hand, how come golf is an elitist sport (more than any other) and yet Ireland has massive success (and hence interest)?

I didn't say tennis was an elitist sport (it's not). I said it was a minority interest in Ireland.

ElvisChrist6 · 20-01-2013 10:46PM

Was at a friend of mines apartment last year, having a couple of cans, ended up watching womens tennis. That Azarenka one was playing and her "grunt" had me in bits! It sounded like a laser gun in an 80's film!

Hunchback · 20-01-2013 10:49PM

Cavehill Red wrote: »

I didn't say tennis was an elitist sport (it's not). I said it was a minority interest in Ireland.

Apologies, I didn't mean to put words in your mouth

But, why is tennis a minority interest? As you said, historically we have had no success in tennis, BUT, we have had success in golf. Golf should be a prima facie less accessible sport due to cost. Tennis is more high energy and you would think would appeal to kids more.... and yet we have an incredibly strong historical representation in golf?

why no love for tennis? a rafa/djokovoc/federer match is a serious sprectacle!

keith16 · 20-01-2013 10:58PM

Tennis is a fantastic sport. If the Australian Open was on terrestrial TV, I absolutely would watch it. It's a pity it's not, it might encourage more Irish people to pick up a racquet.

It's also a pity there are no Irish playing at the top level. Maybe we don't have the aptitude for it or something.

It's a sport that produces some brilliant characters like John McEnroe, Goran Ivanišević and Kim Clijsters.

Cavehill Red · 20-01-2013 11:01PM

CKonetheonlyone wrote: »

Apologies, I didn't mean to put words in your mouth
But, why is tennis a minority interest? As you said, historically we have had no success in tennis, BUT, we have had success in golf. Golf should be a prima facie less accessible sport due to cost. Tennis is more high energy and you would think would appeal to kids more.... and yet we have an incredibly strong historical representation in golf?
why no love for tennis? a rafa/djokovoc/federer match is a serious sprectacle!

Success breeds success. We've had golf success for a long time. It didn't suddenly come along with McIlroy. Ireland, along with Scotland, is considered the home of golf, especially links golf. That leads to interest.
Tennis would appeal to kids more, and does in many other countries. The fact that there are few facilities (and many powerful sporting organisations like the GAA competing for players) limits the number taking part also.
There are lots of great sports which Ireland shows little interest in. Some, like tennis to a degree, are warm weather sports, and hence not suited to our climate. Others simply get lost as they cannot compete with the GAA, FAI and the like.

Lando Griffin · 20-01-2013 11:07PM

Cavehill Red wrote: »

Others simply get lost as they cannot compete with the GAA, FAI and the like.

FFS the League if Ireland has to compete with the FAI .

jupiterjack · 20-01-2013 11:08PM

ahh man there is nothing better than a good tennis match,end to end head turning stuff.as for been on telly, there is loads of it on and rightly so...

Miss Lockhart · 20-01-2013 11:12PM

CKonetheonlyone wrote: »

Interesting point. But on the other hand, how come golf is an elitist sport (more than any other) and yet Ireland has massive success (and hence interest)?

I hate both tennis and golf equally and think they are the most boring things I've ever had to sit through. I totally understand how people enjoy playing them, but I have no idea how people watch them. The grunting has no bearing on my opinion though.

Just on the point above about golf being elitist, I would naturally think that too, but I teach in one of the most socially and economically disadvantaged areas in Ireland and many of the lads play golf, but none play tennis.

Yes, tennis players grunt, but would you not watch them?

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