Justin Gimelstob interviews

[jhar26]

I always find these long Gimelstob interviews interesting. Here are those I could find.....

[video=youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEuROaKZLsc[/video]

[video=youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ykl3W6mHyvk[/video]

[video=youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ukr_Yvuhmjs[/video]

[video=youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuzGw2ORjhU[/video]

[video=youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17dDEOh8A4s[/video]

[video=youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FV4GUd60pjI[/video]

[video=youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUyPLe-u6ak[/video]

[video=youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRVA3fVYcLQ[/video]

 

[britbox]

Thanks jhar, Just been watching the first part of the Connors Interview. Look forward to going through the rest.

 

[Kieran]

Thanks Jhar!

I just watched the interview with Jimmy Connors. I think these old guys get a bit nostalgic, but when Connors spoke about how great the rewards are in the modern game, and then said "that's what I fought for", I almost spit my spuds onto the dawg. Jimmy was the most selfish guy there was. He was virtually ostracised by the rest of the tour because he supported himself, #1, and them Jimmy Connors #2, and #3. The idea that he "fought" for anyone else is absurd. This is why it was funny seeing him aw-shucks his way out of accepting Gimelstob's equally absurd suggestion that Jimmy Connors built Flushing Meadows and Jimmy Connors - and not those exceptional humanitarians Billie Jean King or Arthur Ashe - should have a stadium named for him.

But it was a great watch, I like old Jimmy, even if he likes to portray himself one-dimensionally. He was actually more cute than he lets on. And he played in some great matches against really great players. His record is immense. I'm glad he's still talking about the game and sharing his wisdom...

 

[jhar26]

Thanks Jhar!

I just watched the interview with Jimmy Connors. I think these old guys get a bit nostalgic, but when Connors spoke about how great the rewards are in the modern game, and then said "that's what I fought for", I almost spit my spuds onto the dawg. Jimmy was the most selfish guy there was. He was virtually ostracised by the rest of the tour because he supported himself, #1, and them Jimmy Connors #2, and #3. The idea that he "fought" for anyone else is absurd. This is why it was funny seeing him aw-shucks his way out of accepting Gimelstob's equally absurd suggestion that Jimmy Connors built Flushing Meadows and Jimmy Connors - and not those exceptional humanitarians Billie Jean King or Arthur Ashe - should have a stadium named for him.

But it was a great watch, I like old Jimmy, even if he likes to portray himself one-dimensionally. He was actually more cute than he lets on. And he played in some great matches against really great players. His record is immense. I'm glad he's still talking about the game and sharing his wisdom...

I love Connors. He was one of the heros of my youth, he really was. Although I'm now a big fan of Federer, a guy who's almost the exact opposite of Connors in any way imaginable, at that stage of my life Jimbo was definitely the right man at the right time. He's the guy that got me interested in the game to begin with and for that I'll be forever grateful to him. I actually like the idea of naming a USO court after him. It don't always have to be the wholesome characters that are picked for such an honour. So what if he was anti-establishment? Those suits mean nothing to me. But for me as a tennis fan Connors meant a lot.

 

[Kieran]

Absolutely, Jhar, I like Jimbo too, even more today than when he was a semi-terror to Bjorn (Mac was a complete terror to the unflappable Swede), and I think Jimmy talks reasonably and interestingly in this interview - although if you watch the final twenty seconds or so of the second vid, you'll see another moment when the dawg almost caught my din-dins on his head...

 

[jhar26]

Absolutely, Jhar, I like Jimbo too, even more today than when he was a semi-terror to Bjorn (Mac was a complete terror to the unflappable Swede), and I think Jimmy talks reasonably and interestingly in this interview - although if you watch the final twenty seconds or so of the second vid, you'll see another moment when the dawg almost caught my din-dins on his head...

Have you seen this? Don't know where I should post this, but since we're discussing Connors I may as well do it here.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/youthful-passion-left-chris-evert-pregnant-jimmy-connors-love-child-article-1.1332476

Pretty low of him to put a knife in the back of a former girlfriend even if it's true. I'm sure that he must have plenty of juicy stories to tell about his conflicts with the powers that were and his rivalries with McEnroe, Borg and Lendl, and that's ok. But this is deeply personal stuff and he should have considered Chrissie's feelings and resist putting that out there.

 

[Kieran]

Ah that's bad. Wouldn't he have to ask her before he could put that in a book? It isn't great from either perspective, but for Connors to use it to sell a book, it's sleazy. By the way, it's still a book I'd love to read, but I hate these kind of private things being used this way...

 

[jhar26]

Ah that's bad. Wouldn't he have to ask her before he could put that in a book? It isn't great from either perspective, but for Connors to use it to sell a book, it's sleazy. By the way, it's still a book I'd love to read, but I hate these kind of private things being used this way...

I will definitely read his book, but it's less than classy of him to put that in there. Unless she gave him her blessing to do it of course, but I have a hard time believing that she would. If she didn't it probably won't take long before we hear about it.

 

[Kieran]

Ah that's bad. Wouldn't he have to ask her before he could put that in a book? It isn't great from either perspective, but for Connors to use it to sell a book, it's sleazy. By the way, it's still a book I'd love to read, but I hate these kind of private things being used this way...

I will definitely read his book, but it's less than classy of him to put that in there. Unless she gave him her blessing to do it of course, but I have a hard time believing that she would. If she didn't it probably won't take long before we hear about it.

I looked at it on Amazon, to see if they had a look-inside version yet, but it's too soon. I hope it's a good read. Agassi's was excellent, but I enjoyed Pete's less so. I thought McEnroe's was a Serious disappointment too...

 

[jhar26]

I like the Agassi book, haven't read Sampras' and McEnroe's is standing on the bookshelf waiting it's turn. I'm currently reading Mandlikova's autobiography, but I've only just started.

 

[Kieran]

I like the Agassi book, haven't read Sampras' and McEnroe's is standing on the bookshelf waiting it's turn. I'm currently reading Mandlikova's autobiography, but I've only just started.

I had a crush on Hanka when I were a lad. In fact, she looked a bit like my first serious girlfriend... :blush:

I didn't know she had a book out, though. Always felt she was a magnificent talent, beautiful backhand, but lacked that killer thingy against the greatest - and let's face it, she faced them!

 

[jhar26]

I like the Agassi book, haven't read Sampras' and McEnroe's is standing on the bookshelf waiting it's turn. I'm currently reading Mandlikova's autobiography, but I've only just started.

I had a crush on Hanka when I were a lad. In fact, she looked a bit like my first serious girlfriend... :blush:

I didn't know she had a book out, though. Always felt she was a magnificent talent, beautiful backhand, but lacked that killer thingy against the greatest - and let's face it, she faced them!

Well, it's not a new book. It's from 1989. Found a cheap copy at Amazon and bought it.

Yeah, Hana was perhaps a bit like Goolagong in that both were amazing talents but always in danger of going walkabout at the most unexpected moments. But when they were on they were REALLY on.

 

[Kieran]

Ah, it's old. I always wondered what happened to her. I know she came from a lineage that began with Betty Stove and finally won Wimbledon with Jana Novotna. She was like Goolagong, a resemblance emphasised by their backhands. And the fact that I had a bit of a crush on Evonne too. I didn't know where to look when they played each other... :s :blush: