Bodo

[lindseywagners]

People seem to either love or hate the guy. I like a lot of his writings, and I noticed something he wrote today about Federer was identical in theme to something he wrote 4 years ago. I appreciate this type of philosophical literary writing re: sports, and so just wanted to post here for anyone else who is interested.

Kyrgios d. Federer

"For reasons that perhaps only a 33-year-old, 17-time Grand Slam champions can fully understand, or at least sympathize with, Federer seemed to lose interest at just about the time he had his foot firmly planted on Kyrgios' neck. His transformation was subtle but real, beginning right about the time Kyrgios broke back in the second set to 2-3.

"This is just the kind of thing that happens to veteran champs. Heck, it happened barely two hours earlier on the same Manolo Santana Court to Williams. There comes a point, it seems, when that absolute determination to win, or perhaps it's the acute mental clarity and excitement that a player on his way to winning experiences, is unexpectedly misplaced. It's as hard to say how it happens as why it happens, but it happens. The champ is ahead. He has made his point. It's another tennis match. Doesn't that cloud way up there look like an elephant?"

http://espn.go.com/tennis/story/_/id/12836324/madrid-open-roger-federer-lack-focus-seals-fate-nick-kyrgios

Djokovic d. Federer

"The nagging feeling I had about midway through the third set of the match was that history had offered up its gift, and at the very last moment Federer turned his back on it and walked away. I have a better idea of the how in that process than the why, about which I can only speculate that after seizing so many opportunities and chances, an aging champion eventually just plain loses interest. It's probably a subconscious thing.

"As for the how, it was all about the second game of the third set. Up to that point, Federer had his foot planted firmly on Djokovic's throat. It took all Djokovic could do to hold the first game of the third set, stabbing looks at the crew in his guest box and berating himself freely and often. But Federer immediately took his foot off the gas and played a truly awful, 16-point game to be broken for the first time in the match."

http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2011/09/dancing-kong/41462/#.VUq_h9pViko

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Repeating the same idea in articles is not all that bad. It happens, especially when you keep writing for a long time.

But, Bodo is guilty of various other things, the prime one being simply talking off the hat without
researching into themes.

Sometime ago, there was even a campaign to get Bodo fired.

See this thread for details.

 

[Kieran]

The campaign failed, but for some reason he's been relegated below Tignor on the page. I often get the impression that he files copy sometimes because he has to, not because he has something to say, and he went AWOL for a while there, maybe writing a book, but like I said in the thread GSM linked, I don't mind him.

I was sorely disappointed in his book with Sampras, though. That was an opportunity missed, I reckon...

 

[nehmeth]

The guy is harmless enough. Every so often he comes up with a really good article. After 40 years of writing about the same thing, it is inevitable that he will repeat himself dozens of times.

 

[lacatch]

When Djokovic announced he was skipping Madrid, Bodo wrote this ridiculous, speculative article wondering aloud whether he was suffering from some undisclosed injury, how this could hurt him and empower Rafa if the latter won in Madrid, etc. He must have had a deadline and needed to write something, because it was just drivel!

 

[lindseywagners]

The guy is harmless enough. Every so often he comes up with a really good article. After 40 years of writing about the same thing, it is inevitable that he will repeat himself dozens of times.

Have you ever read "The Death of Wanting" about the 2008 Wimby final? That's my favorite.

http://tennisworld.typepad.com/tennisworld/2008/07/nadal.html

Also: I wasn't suggesting that the repetition I pointed out was a bad thing. I liked getting to basically see an unintentional "re-write" (similar to how if you read the personal notes from authors, you can see the same story/theme written multiple ways).

 

[Kieran]

The guy is harmless enough. Every so often he comes up with a really good article. After 40 years of writing about the same thing, it is inevitable that he will repeat himself dozens of times.

Have you ever read "The Death of Wanting" about the 2008 Wimby final? That's my favorite.

http://tennisworld.typepad.com/tennisworld/2008/07/nadal.html

Also: I wasn't suggesting that the repetition I pointed out was a bad thing. I liked getting to basically see an unintentional "re-write" (similar to how if you read the personal notes from authors, you can see the same story/theme written multiple ways).

Yeah, The Death of Wanting was one of them pieces that captured the spirit of the battle. And repeating himself only shows that his observation in the matter is consistent, not contradictory...

 

[lindseywagners]

The guy is harmless enough. Every so often he comes up with a really good article. After 40 years of writing about the same thing, it is inevitable that he will repeat himself dozens of times.

Have you ever read "The Death of Wanting" about the 2008 Wimby final? That's my favorite.

http://tennisworld.typepad.com/tennisworld/2008/07/nadal.html

Also: I wasn't suggesting that the repetition I pointed out was a bad thing. I liked getting to basically see an unintentional "re-write" (similar to how if you read the personal notes from authors, you can see the same story/theme written multiple ways).

Yeah, The Death of Wanting was one of them pieces that captured the spirit of the battle. And repeating himself only shows that his observation in the matter is consistent, not contradictory...

Exactly!