Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Tennis Rant

Following the US Open Tennis on tv is turning out to be an exercise in futility. Rain suspended most of last night's and today's matches. No, I'm not cursing the weather, although it reminded me of the delays at Wimbeldon. Of course, Wimbeldon had a retractable roof on its main stadium. A $125 million state of the art retractable roof at that, but which the Wimbeldon officials stubbornly refused to use, that is, until I personally phoned the Queen of England, and a few moments later the roof magically closed, and the matches resumed to the sheer delight of millions of irrate waiting fans worldwide. You simply cannot disappoint millions of viewers putting them on hold with delay after delay I don't care if it's a major. Thusly, the US Open should have a retractable roof as well on its main stadium. The amount of revenue the promotors reap in from the tv ads in many international languages is huge. It's not like we, okay not you, but people like me, are asking them to build a $14 billion levy just an umbrella, the cost of an umbrella comparative to the size of the general fund, they don't even have to fertilize the grass with a low maintainance hard court.  At this stage of the major tournament there are premier players matched up against each other. It's nothing like the early rounds. Sometimes I think that the broadcasters should be made to sit out in the rain to inspire them to speak out. Another thing that puzzles me about the US Open is the lines on the hard courts. The lines get slippery even after a slight drizzle. Is there no material known to mankind to make white lines non-slip when they get wet?

The only reason I still continue to watch, (later)

2 comments:

Cloudia said...

You could write a column for SI about tennis!

How are you, Ron? Been wondering, and meaning to swing by your blog and say "aloha."

Nice of you to beat me to it.

Have a great weekend, neighbor.


Aloha, Friend
from up da block
Comfort Spiral
=^..^=

> < } } ( ° >

RONW said...

Cloudia- didn't see your comment until now. I noticed you can't get enough of your new lanai, spectacular view. Hope they'll finish up with the Ala Wai road near your neighborhood. Seems like years already you know that bumpy section!