Osaka. (8 Viewers)
- Thread starter wingy
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Sky Blue Pete
Well-Known Member
Yep it’s bloody outrageous isn’t it!!! Money talks though doesn’t it
Sky_Blue_Dreamer
Well-Known Member
It is outrageous. If she found it easier for her wellbeing wonder if she could do her own game assessment in private without a journo and send it in to the organisers to distribute as a halfway house?
Sky_Blue_Dreamer
Well-Known Member
Grendel totally at odds with everyone as per.
Sky Blue Pete
Well-Known Member
That’s cause she’s one of the best players
Grendel
Well-Known Member
She is in breach of contract and every one is 4 people
This is the problem with the media. They seem to think that their right to publish supersedes the rights of the individual. These 'people' don't care about anyone.
Even if she was 'playing the mental health game', I'd rather give people the benefit of the doubt than to risk putting people in a dark place.
Even if she was 'playing the mental health game', I'd rather give people the benefit of the doubt than to risk putting people in a dark place.
shmmeee
Well-Known Member
Joke of a decision not to have one of the best players in the sport in a tournament for non sport related reasons.
Out of 4 (5 now).
Out of 4 (5 now).
Grendel
Well-Known Member
Do actual tennis players count?
shmmeee
Well-Known Member
You know full well numerous tennis players have said they understand too.
End of the day if you’ve got a rule about media that’s stopping you having the best players you change the rule because yeah the media helps the sport but the players are the sport.
Grendel
Well-Known Member
The sponsors feed the player at her level and the sponsor wants her to contribute back
By her own admission, she could have handled this better, but to expel her from the tournament would have been madness. I think by withdrawing in this fashion she's handled it with dignity and raised some important questions. While most of her peers don't seem to share her anxieties, props to her for trying to change things for those that do (or might do in the future).
Grendel
Well-Known Member
I dont disagree with much of that but tennis players do have huge sponsor deals which rely on them having a media presence. She’s been very badly advised and the tennis environment is such that she can’t be allowed to carry this stance on in future tournaments as players will fear a huge loss of sponsorship going forward
Sky_Blue_Dreamer
Well-Known Member
She does. By playing fucking tennis! Or do you think people are tuning in saying "I wish this hitting the ball back and forth nonsense would stop so I can watch them talking."
I only watch the footy in anticipation of the post-match interviews. As for MotD, I turn over when they've got those men running around. Don't know why they bother with it when I can watch three blokes in a studio talk about it.
I'd think there are many ways she can satisfy sponsors,it would be TV and organisers where I'd consider the bulk of issues lies.
Can't really imagine sponsors wishing to tarnish their brand by enforcing some rule when mental health is in question.
Grendel
Well-Known Member
Not how the contracts work and it’s as much the interviews with corootaed branding - this is a circus like motor racing - you haven’t a clue and if it stopped wealth would drop like a stone - also lower level players couldn’t like she arrogantly said can pay the fines as it would bust them - a compromise needs funding
David O'Day
Well-Known Member
Grendel
Well-Known Member
I guess you are more of a Buster Mottram type of guy?
Sky_Blue_Dreamer
Well-Known Member
She spends much longer actually playing tennis than doing interviews. She plays tennis because she enjoys playing tennis, not because she enjoys having tv cameras and microphones shoved in her face. If that's what she enjoyed she wouldn't bother with the tennis bit.
There's loads of opportunities for making money there or to rearrange it to be a more forgiving chore to the players. Branding on the clothing/rackets/balls/trainers are prominent in the matches. Advertising around the court. Sponsor hawkeye decisions. They sit down every five minutes for a break - fill it with adverts if necessary. As I said, she could do her post-match analysis in private within the next 24 hours or so rather than with the press immediately after a physically and emotionally draining match. That'd give her sponsors the same airtime and tournament sponsors could be in the background.
You talk about lower level players can't afford the fines. Lower levels players are rarely asked to do the interviews. So maybe that's the compromise. Interviews are paid separately. If the big players are making enough to not need the money from doing interviews or would be willing to accept a lower income in order to avoid them then that is their choice. If the lack of being in the media spotlight reduces their fanbase and thus sponsorship then that should be their decision to make. Let the lower level players do them for the extra money if they want/need it or want the exposure. Give them the choice. If towards the end of the tournament and all the better players aren't doing them then that should be a big clue that the media and tournament organisers need to drastically rethink how they do things. How about having a junior reporter hassle the press people straight after an interview demanded to know if they thought the interview went well, what they think they could have improved on and how are they going to approach the next interview. They'd soon realise how much of a monumental pain in the arse it is. Even many of those who simply want to be famous for the sake of being famous soon tire of the intrusion into their life and we've seen too many occasions where it has ended up having tragic consequences.
Once again it's you only being able to see the way things are and not have the imagination to think how it could be done differently.
Grendel
Well-Known Member
The sponsorship contracts have stipulations to provide interviews. Not one player other than Djokovic once hasn’t abided by these rules
I believe she’s the highest paid woman on sport based off sponsorship which requires personal engagement and that’s that
Its how it works - technically the contract states you have to give interviews within 30 minutes but the stadium organisers bend over backwards and let players have far more time.
You don’t understand how it works so there’s no point in continuing the discussion
D
Deleted member 11652
Guest
Can’t wait to tell work I am no longer sending letters as it damages my mental health. I’m sure they’ll be okay with it
Brighton Sky Blue
Well-Known Member
I think they will cope at the alphabet soup factory
Ccfcisparks
Well-Known Member
He’s a budding lawyer actually, don’t ya know
Brighton Sky Blue
Well-Known Member
I guess Heinz have to be strict on the 57 varieties
fatso
Well-Known Member
If she has mental health issues and cant cope with the media circus that surrounds big tournaments, then she did the right thing in pulling out.
But I dont think anything should be done to change the way tournaments are run.
Part of being a top player is learning to deal with the pressure of being at the top of the sport, some can handle it, some can't if one player drops out, another has an opportunity to make a name for themselves.
The players have time to prepare Mentally as well as physically between tournaments, and winners are those who can cope with all the pressures thrown at them.
But I dont think anything should be done to change the way tournaments are run.
Part of being a top player is learning to deal with the pressure of being at the top of the sport, some can handle it, some can't if one player drops out, another has an opportunity to make a name for themselves.
The players have time to prepare Mentally as well as physically between tournaments, and winners are those who can cope with all the pressures thrown at them.
shmmeee
Well-Known Member
Should we have forced Paul Scholes to give an interview every match or hounded him out of Man Utd?
There’s loads of top sportsmen who don’t engage with the media to that level.
fatso
Well-Known Member
Agreed, but when your a solo sports person, it's far more difficult to avoid the limelight, especially if your potentially capable of winning a major event.
Event organisers, sponsors, paying fans, and journalists demand their pound of flesh, that's part of the game (unfortunate maybe but it's not going to change) so players need to be able to handle it. Champions thrive on it, they love the adulation and the fame and the attention AND the pay checks that come with it.
Osaka cant hide behind another team member, or a n experienced skipper like Scholes did, and if it's bad for her health she did the right thing in pulling out, I'm not going to knock her for withdrawing, but she will have to learn to deal with it, or face not playing in the biggest tournaments.
We have often spoken about big players freezing at big occasions or big venues, pressure is part of top sport, winners can handle it, it's what makes champions different from other just as talented players.
chiefdave
Well-Known Member
I don't watch a huge amount of tennis but did catch a bit on Sunday when they were talking about this. The presenter (no idea who it was, female presenter on ITV, didn't recognise her) was saying the issue is with grand slam events in particular.
Essentially when they're on the circuit the relationship with the press is fine as there is a two way relationship. The tennis press aren't going to piss off the players as they have to deal with them week in week out, similar to Clive Eakin and why he's not going to start saying particular players are shit when he will likely be speaking to them in the next few days.
The problem seems to be when the mainstream media turn up to the grand slam events. The presenter was giving examples of female players being quizzed on their choice of underwear and weight. I have no idea what context that was in but on the face of it that seems unacceptable.
Would it not have been better to just let her skip press conferences for this tournament and have a dialogue with the players about the issues and how they can be resolved rather than start throwing out fines and threatening expulsion? Or has this already been an ongoing issue that hasn't been properly resolved? If not seems they've gone for the nuclear option straight away.
Essentially when they're on the circuit the relationship with the press is fine as there is a two way relationship. The tennis press aren't going to piss off the players as they have to deal with them week in week out, similar to Clive Eakin and why he's not going to start saying particular players are shit when he will likely be speaking to them in the next few days.
The problem seems to be when the mainstream media turn up to the grand slam events. The presenter was giving examples of female players being quizzed on their choice of underwear and weight. I have no idea what context that was in but on the face of it that seems unacceptable.
Would it not have been better to just let her skip press conferences for this tournament and have a dialogue with the players about the issues and how they can be resolved rather than start throwing out fines and threatening expulsion? Or has this already been an ongoing issue that hasn't been properly resolved? If not seems they've gone for the nuclear option straight away.
Ian1779
Well-Known Member
I’d be interested to see what people said at the time when Trescothick and Trott missed sporting occasions when struggling with mental health.
Grendel
Well-Known Member
They just missed the competitions and weren’t taking millions from sponsors which had contracts including media participation
fatso
Well-Known Member
I recall people being quite sympathetic at the time, (especially to Trescothick) but ultimately someone else stepped up and took his place.
The sport didn't change, other than maybe having more sports psychologists involved.
But Trescothick's international career was ended early as a result.
Ian1779
Well-Known Member
So fine her or reduce her prize money if they are that desperate to ensure she adheres to their ‘rules’ at an appropriate time (after the tournament) don’t force her to quit mid tournament - it’s stupid.
Ian1779
Well-Known Member
So why does she appear to be receiving a lack of sympathy then?