Erin+G’s+2018+OpEd+Article

John McEnroe John McEnroe was a left-handed glory, a master at the net, a true beauty to behold. He was advanced in both singles and doubles, amassing an impressive 77 singles and 78 doubles titles. He won Grand Slams, Wimbledon titles, as well as US Open titles. His unique one-handed backhand and paint stroke-like shots made him one of the greatest tennis players of all time. He understood the inner game of tennis, but he also knew the outer game. He was said to be a “volatile American renowned for his on-court tantrums”. His catchphrase came to be “You cannot be serious!” He intimidated lines judges, smashed his racquets until they no longer supported their iconic frying pan visage, and swore at umpires and referees and opponents alike. You may be shocked if I revealed to you that this unsportsmanly non-gentleman committed all three of these violations at the Australian Open in 1990, for which he was disqualified and fined 6,500 US dollars. For the king of tennis, this was tame, very tame as some of his worst offenses are actually quite comical. media type="youtube" key="C8Nyc9jzSDg" width="235" height="134" align="center"

How far does a man need to slump into his own greed and illusion of fame to be blinded to the fact that this is a game? The stress #|for money should not exist to him because he was already an established tennis player when he started whining and complaining. Not only should he enjoy tennis for what it is, but he should have understood that he was more than a tennis player. He was a public figure. Kids play tennis, kids watch tennis. I know I am not the only child who grew up with a tennis rooted idol (definitely not McEnroe). How could he have never noticed the frightened looks on the kids faces when they traveled far and wide to see their favorite tennis player get yelled at in a truly terrifying manner Because of the horrible way he treated others, and the overinflated way he carried himself, the Honorary Club Membership was withheld from him. His response was the textbook example of ‘petty’. He retaliated by ditching the traditional Champions Dinner and made a public statement saying “I wanted to spend the evening with my family and friends and the people who had supported me, not a bunch of stiffs who are 70-80 years old, telling you that you're acting like a jerk.” Just as there are stories of glorious and humble tennis players such as Stan Wawrinka, or the Bryan Brothers, or Rafael Nadal or countless others, there is a use for the life story of the sad John McEnroe. This is a cautionary tale. A plea to be grateful for the things that should give you pleasure, not stress. And if you are lucky enough to do the thing that gives you pleasure for a living, don’t let it be the thing that gives you stress. Never allow a fun pastime, or a fun career to ruin your relationships with your family, the world, or yourself. McEnroe really was a “jerk”. Never become McEnroe.