Fair point. I can't say whether he was joking or not, but I know that he's said and done some unsavory things from my perspective. We all choose what does, or doesn't sit well with us; that's human nature, but no way would I lie on someone to prove a useless point on an internet board. I'm probably anal when it comes to the words that people use because I think words are the windows to our souls.
a lot of these are admittedly also OUR personal tastes and interpretations...no differently than our own discussions about this or that player we like.
but the main point is that -- stan WAS for mch of his career ONE of the players perceived by some (speaking for myself only - at least it includes me)
that seemed to ''play and behave around roger -- as if they want to bed him"
as NBA star charles barkley had quipped many years ago .
and it's not as if HE was the only one...veterans of the older generation also made the similar observation about how there seemed to be many players who acted LESS as serious rivals rather than ''groupies" around roger...while being very ''competitive" when against roger's main rivals like nadal, nole, etc...
there was the the 2 time FO player or finalist? sergei bruguera from the 90's that once said"
"it's really disgusting -- these players that play against federer...they act as if they already held up the white flag even before they come out on court...do they have ANY fight in them?"
NONE OTHER than JIMMY CONNORS -- legendary for his 'fight to the death" --
said at some point : "the players around roger federer have no fight in them - and that's why i like RAFAEL NADAL -- HE STEPS UP TO THE PLATE against roger".
'GUSTAVO KUERTEN once remarked : the reason roger has so many majors is because pete sampras left a hole for him to fill but few challenge him for real -- it is like in Formula One...shumacher gained so many titles after the death of SIENA".
Tommy Haas once said: ''it makes me want to puke -- how so many players have their noses so far up roger's ass -- it's disgusting".
WHO were some of these players? whether in words or in their behavior as ''rivals" in matches?
stan is one of them - TOUGH against most others but once he met roger -- conveniently - almost on cue -- full of errors, soft shots...double faults...whatever...
JONAS BJORKMAN -- practice partner of roger in some of those years...VETERAN of the 90's - mainly as doubles player and somehow got a second wind in in his 30's as a SINGLES player (when he was never all THAT high in the 1990's as a singles player) during the early 2000's.
and after having a nice resurgent and even briefly celebrated singles run in tournaments - i think even reaching the top 10 in the roger era -- was beating opponents quite easily in wimbledon -- and when reaching roger --
goes so far as to say - after a defeat : |"it is such an HONOR TO LOSE TO ROGER -- my dear friend"...I mean IT IS ONE THING to say it is an honor losing or playing against a famed rival especially when you are younger - another thing when you are among the TOP players and saying something like THAT...c
JULIAN benneteau - i once saw his live match on tv - in dubai , i believe - where after some ''mishit" by roger on the wood of his racket that somehow landed IN -- julian literally GROVELS on the cement - on hi sknees, bowing up and down several times - arms outstretched in abject IDOL WORSHIP...is that being ''sporty" or being WORTHLESS as an opponent worth his pride and self-respect as a combatant?
RICHARD GASQUET -- enjoying in some of those years ONE of his pretty good seasons -- BEFORE wimbledon says about DRAWS:
"I don;t really want to be drawn against roger federer" -- is that something one of the mos ttalented is supposed to be saying -- PREDICTING practically his own SELF=-REALIZED failure to STEP UP to the plate like nadal or nole did?
ivan ljubici was another who seemed to like to insert in his remarks "my friend , roger" as if it were some magic phrase ...like :"i am the BEST player ....behind my friend -- Roger" - during a time when people were talking about how NADAL was already making amazing results against roger...or would say:
"the reason nadal wins over roger is because he's a leftie" (as if that's ALL the talent nadal has -- some kind of unfair advantage of playing LEFT)..BUT There was that question in one's mind -- IN HIS BEST YEARS -- rising to number 2 ''behind my friend roger" before nadal got his own top spot later - and was KNOWN in those years of ivan for being a TOUGH rival AGAINST nadal -- and considered one of the big threats TO nadal -- how come ivan COULD BEAT NADAL THE LEFTIE but roger had a difficulty? and YET IVAN NEVER WON against roger? OR IF he did - once/ or whatever? as SECOND 'BEST IN THE WORLD?"
another one -- at times considered as a player that 'really was a threat to NADAL"
JAMES BLAKE -- who --to THIS DAY even as commentator would swear by the statements like "it is such an honor to be playing in the era of roger federer" -- i mean is THAT the thinking of an ACTIVE RIVAL or a COURT SINGER ? was that out of trying to present himself as a gentlemantly, ''classy" professional by being NICE?
WHO actually later ADMITTED "THE REASON hardly anybody beats roger is because HE IS SO NICE".
really? LIKEABILITY -- being diplomatic among his peers and rivals in matches was NOW A CULTURE in the sport AMong players who DARE NOT fight because he IS SO NICE?"
in the days of sampras -- AGASSI would issue remarks --
like when HE was defending his USO and won his semis to meet PETE in the finals of 1994 -- with agassi at the very top of his game - beating up players left and right --
GOES TO CAMERA after that match and LITERALLY goes "did you see that pete? I'M GONNA GET YA!!!".
or PATRICK RAFTER -- after handing pete a few consecutive beatings -- GLOATED about it to the press "i REALLY enjoy making pete SQUIRM"!!
in other words -- players who had REAL self-respect -- and even if they KNEW - THAT PETE was BETTER -- THEY FOUGHT and EARNED their wins -- rather than just BOW and abject ''admiration" because the press and commentators go ga-ga over roger's ''BEAUTIFUL GAME - NO? -- BUT I HAVE TO FIGHT TOO NO?
you almost think players like THAT were either subconsciously or consciously trying to TELL THE WORLD and other players:
|"join us in our appreciation of roger -- LET HIM PASS, LET HIM PASS for tennis has never been blessed as with his divine presence" ....
"|these players who arrived with roger - act as if they are in his coronation -- WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THEM?"
========
contrast what CERTAIN players who HAD superb success against roger -- at least whenever they were actually healthy, in good match form , etc...--
DAVID NALBANDIAN -- asked why HE COULD beat roger (not just prior in their early careers before his many bouts of injuries just kept interfering with his continuity , not to mention of course his ''head-case" lack of commitment at times -- but when he had a comeback of sorts and started beating roger in the mid-2000's consecutive times including when he won voer nadal and roger in his lone ATP finals championship)
his answer was : '' it's because i' was never afraid of him -- and i don't think of him the same way others do"
guillermo canas -- had a brief return from injuries and that long ban -- said:
|it's ""because i am not mesmerized by his shots"...
WHEN NOLE WON HIS FIRST TORONTO MASTERS early in his career over - consecutively andre agassi, roddick and roger -- nole said after being asked how HE did it:
"after the first games i realized the way to beat him was to NOT be out there ADMIRING his beautiful shots...and instead concentrate on MINE".
and the most dominant of them against Roger - RAFAEL NADAL:
|''everyone likes to watch roger , no? because he plays so beautifully no? but i have to FIGHT , NO?"
so there you are -- players who COULD AND DID beat roger persuasively -- who - by contrast -- according to experts were not supposed to have the 'COMPLETE GAME" THAT roger had...
IN CONTRAST to players who would fight HARD against THESE same nole, nadal, david nalbandian, canas, etc....
BUT in front of 'or around roger -- play and behave like they want to bed him" ...
and things start happening that seem mysterious. :sith:
:lulz2:
