2016 Australian Open Final: Djokovic v. Murray

[Front242]

The ATP campaigning now in a city near you! No CVAC for tennis. He's called NO-Vak not VAC!

 

[nehmeth]

No, I got the point. Novak earned a lot of money before he used the egg and so he could afford it. Any player who is as successful as Novak was before he used the egg could easily afford it too. Less successful players can't afford it. That's not unfair, that's competition. He was already wealthy and successful before he purchased a seat in the pod.

As for the legality or whatnot of the egg, it's clearly legal. So therefore he's doing nothing wrong. Should it be illegal? That's a different thread and not related to novak specifically. There's obviously advanced science involved. It kinda reminds me of the spaghetti stringed rackets of the seventies. The old guard tutted and expressed similar sentiments as the ones above - that it's not in the spirit of the game - and then banned it. "The spirit of the game" is difficult to define, however. It's a corporate sport, massive amounts of prestige and money are involved. These are rampantly ambitious young men. What "spirit" is in the sport for this to be "against it?" They no longer play by the amateur code.

And as you yourself said above, they're probably all doing something dodgy. Or as someone else might say, maybe they're not. They're just using the resources legally available - until they're no longer available...

Gulbis should be able to have one he can take anywhere on his fathers plane, but it can't cure his dodgy forehand, it doesn't fit hookers and I'm not sure he could smoke in it either...

 

[kskate2]

^ Nor would it vacuum that space between his ears

 

[nehmeth]

Wait, are we really upset that Novak used/uses an oxygen tent? Oxygen?!

What's next, players who do yoga being accused of mystical voodoo?

That'd be Novak again! :snicker

Brat! :snicker

 

[Puppet Master]

Yeah, this oxygen thing is really getting out of hand, especially that part that it's two times more efficient than blood doping. It's a crazy coincidence that it works only on him. What, he has special lungs and a special circulatory system so it only works for him, give me a break. I mean sure, every member of the big four got accused of juicing many many times, but to be THAT much above anyone on tour fitness wise, since 2010, I'd definitely look into it if I were one of the governing bodies of the ATP. I honestly didn't know you can dislike a person so much.

 

[kskate2]

In light of Serena's loss today, Novak will come out more focused than ever tomorrow (if that's possible). Andy will have his hands full for sure.

 

[isabelle]

In light of Serena's loss today, Novak will come out more focused than ever tomorrow (if that's possible). Andy will have his hands full for sure.

If Angie did it, Andy can do it too for sure...C'mon Andy !!

 

[kskate2]

In light of Serena's loss today, Novak will come out more focused than ever tomorrow (if that's possible). Andy will have his hands full for sure.

If Angie did it, Andy can do it too for sure...C'mon Andy !!

I don't think so Izzy. If Simon can't win when Novak commits 100 UE's, it's not happening in this tournament. No way will he play that bad again. :nono

 

[Front242]

Andy will not win. 100% guaranteed. No chance both favourites lose and Andy and Rafa are Novak's whipping boys these days.

 

[El Dude]

Wait, are we really upset that Novak used/uses an oxygen tent? Oxygen?!

What's next, players who do yoga being accused of mystical voodoo?

That'd be Novak again! :snicker

So basically Novak is an oxygen-huffing mystic yogi...ban him for life!

 

[Tennisman12345]

Vince Spadea talking about Novak here: "He was looking to improve some of the challenges he was having—breathing capacity, allergies—and definitely something clicked there." So it wasn't all the gluten free diet after all that turned him from a cardio wreck to Superman from the end of 2010 to 2011 :dodgy:

.[/b]

Gluten free diet could never help him improve like what people have claimed , although I don't think he ever really said that gluten free diet was the only reason why he improved. Gluten free diet is really only needed for people who have Coeliac disease , a auto immune condition that attacks and damages the lining of the gut . All this gluten free diet helping athletes is BS. I know because I have Coeliac disease and have lived on a gluten free diet since 2003 and believe me it makes you more tired if anything , and because of nutrients you miss out on the restricted diet and depending on how much damage was done to the gut before dignosis you can end up with lots of other health problems

I have read part of Djokovic book online , and he should not be writing books about gluten free diet because he does not fully understand gluten free , as he has recommended food that is not gluten free , which is very dangerous for people who have Coeliac disease For example he has recipe's which use oats now oats are not suitable for many people who have Coleiac disease , also he has a recipe with worcester sauce now worcester sauce is not gluten free as it contains Barley which contains Gluten ..... Also after the 2011 USO final he ate gluten , this is not something someone with a geniune gluten related illness would ever do :dodgy:

Anyway that's just some basic information from personal experience on why I don't think a gluten free diet would change anyone to a superman However my doctor has said placebo may help a little and it may give an athlete a few extra % if they did have a non Coeliac gluten realted issue like Djokovic.

 

[nehmeth]

Prices: $50 per 20 minutes session (half the price of a decent pair of sneakers). You can buy packages and probably save some money. How do I know? I called one of the places listed on the link. It's not secretive, you don't need to have connections and the prices are not exorbitant. I actually thought it would be $200.00 per session, so I was surprised.

http://cvacsystems.com

 

[GameSetAndMath]

In fairness, stretch limos and five star hotels and a gigantic entourage of back scratchers, food tasters, naughty masseuses, hair stylists, hitting partners, physics etc isn't within the price range of the less successful. That's not "unfair", it's part of the fruits of success...

The difference none of the items in your list from stretch limos to naughty masseuses is considered to be "not in the spirit of sports". The primary point is not about affordability. ATP/ITF does not want to intervene as they don't want to upset their top players. The top players indulge in it as they can afford it and as it gives them the advantage.

This is somewhat by industries with powerful lobby groups getting legislation done to suit their convenience.

 

[El Dude]

How are oxygen pods "not in the spirit of sports?"

In my view, there's a perhaps sometimes fine but still distinct line between using the latest technologies, modalities and regimes to optimize performance, and actually altering yourself physical chemistry or structure with drugs, injectibles, or--if we're talking about the future--cybernetic modifications. To me such things as oxygen pods and diets are safely away from the line; where it gets tricky are supplements that may or may not have hormones and performance-enhancing properties.

In the end, though, maybe the bottom line should be what is legal and what is not. Or maybe, what any athlete can access legally and over-the-counter. Creatine in your smoothies is one thing, HGH another.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

In the end, though, maybe the bottom line should be what is legal and what is not.

Agreed. But, what is legal and what is not should not be decided by the governing authority of the sport who have vested interests and should instead by decided by independent and neutral authorities.
ATP/ITF did not even bother to follow up on alleged match fixings by top players and we are to expect that they will ban things which are not in the spirit of sport. They did not even have the guts to stick with Bernard and throw him off once Rafa wanted.

 

[Kieran]

In fairness, stretch limos and five star hotels and a gigantic entourage of back scratchers, food tasters, naughty masseuses, hair stylists, hitting partners, physics etc isn't within the price range of the less successful. That's not "unfair", it's part of the fruits of success...

The difference none of the items in your list from stretch limos to naughty masseuses is considered to be "not in the spirit of sports". The primary point is not about affordability. ATP/ITF does not want to intervene as they don't want to upset their top players. The top players indulge in it as they can afford it and as it gives them the advantage.

This is somewhat by industries with powerful lobby groups getting legislation done to suit their convenience.

But what is this "spirit of the sports"? The spirit of sports now is fat sums of money and great prizes. Competitiveness. Most players observe courtesy and sportsmanship in the heat of battle, but we love to see them fight hard to win. That's the spirit of it all, and to manage all this, the tour has rules. If anything is touching up against rule-breaking, then they should act urgently and decide. I agree with that, but bear in mind they've had time to examine things and they haven't banned the egg.

And I agree that the ATP have often been weak and ineffectual in acting in the best interests of the sport, and that includes the ATP Players Council. But otherwise, it's sentimental and trite of them to be looking beyond their own rules to criticise a player for not acting within an invisible "Spirit..."

 

[Kieran]

In the end, though, maybe the bottom line should be what is legal and what is not.

Agreed. But, what is legal and what is not should not be decided by the governing authority of the sport who have vested interests and should instead by decided by independent and neutral authorities.
ATP/ITF did not even bother to follow up on alleged match fixings by top players and we are to expect that they will ban things which are not in the spirit of sport.

This.

I said it above, tennis has seen so many records not just broken but demolished in the last 10 years that most other sports would be contacting the Feebs, if only to have an outside agency ratify it all and give the sport a clean bill of health...

 

[AnonymousFan]

Back on topic, I'll go Novak in 5 in a match lasting 4 hours.

 

[nehmeth]

In fairness, stretch limos and five star hotels and a gigantic entourage of back scratchers, food tasters, naughty masseuses, hair stylists, hitting partners, physics etc isn't within the price range of the less successful. That's not "unfair", it's part of the fruits of success...

The difference none of the items in your list from stretch limos to naughty masseuses is considered to be "not in the spirit of sports". The primary point is not about affordability. ATP/ITF does not want to intervene as they don't want to upset their top players. The top players indulge in it as they can afford it and as it gives them the advantage.

Again GSM, it was WADA that uses one of the three premises "not in the spirit of sport" to determine if something is to be banned. I have not found where the ITF/ATP has stated it. Also again, it's 50 dollars for a 20 minute session, so anyone in the top 100 should be able to afford it.

 

[tented]

How are oxygen pods "not in the spirit of sports?"

In my view, there's a perhaps sometimes fine but still distinct line between using the latest technologies, modalities and regimes to optimize performance, and actually altering yourself physical chemistry or structure with drugs, injectibles, or--if we're talking about the future--cybernetic modifications. To me such things as oxygen pods and diets are safely away from the line; where it gets tricky are supplements that may or may not have hormones and performance-enhancing properties.

How can supplements with performance-enhancing properties be tricky, but not a technology which "may be twice as effective at helping the body absorb oxygen as blood doping—a banned form of performance enhancement"?