Monday Milestone: Dummy Spits
Monday Milestone: Dummy Spits
“You cannot be serious?!!?”
– John McEnroe loses his cool on countless occasions.
This Week in History:
1990, January 21
John McEnroe is defaulted during the fourth round contest of the Australian Open.
I love a good dummy spit. Any of my friends will attest to my short fuse, especially when it comes to sport. My philosophy is that if I can drive the ball up the middle of the fairway once, I should be able to do it every time, surely? Little wonder I crack the shits.
Having said that, I admit I also get perverse amusement out of watching someone that isn’t me lose their shit. And this happens a lot on tennis courts. With the Australian Open beginning this week, this week the Milestone takes a look at the source of some of the most famous tantrums in tennis history: John McEnroe.
In the early 1980s, McEnroe was a wild American left-hander with an incredible range of shots. Betwen 1979 to 1984, he won three Wimbledon titles and four U.S. Opens. But the man dubbed the “Superbrat” is remembered for a whole lot more.
McEnroe could unleash a verbal tirade like few others. His on-court outbursts were classic. At Wimbledon he noted ‘you guys are the pits of the world!’, and at Queens he bemoaned that ‘over a thousand officials to choose from and I get a moron like you!’
Time and again, McEnroe pushed the limits, abusing and questioning any remotely debatable call, until one Sunday afternoon, in the Australian Open, the Superbrat pushed his luck just a little too far.
During his fourth round match with Swedish champion Mikael Pernfors, the Brat would later admit he’d forgotten about the recent tightening of code violation policy to ‘three strikes you’re out’.
At one set all, the first code violation was fairly typical McEnroe. A perceived bad call and the Brat gave a lineswoman, some seriously intimidating stink eye. The chair umpire Gerry Armstrong took exception and ordered a conduct code violation for poor sportsmanship. So far, pretty vanilla.
But during the fourth set, it all went pear-shaped. As McEnroe skewed another forehand wide, he threw his racquet in disgust, cracking the head, producing a second code violation for racquet abuse. This only poked the bear. McEnroe erupted, launching into a tirade of remarkably colourful language, demanding to speak to Ken Farrar, the Grand Slam Chief of Supervisors. Farrar appeared, and the Brat continued pleading his expletive-laden diatribe, loud enough to be audible on TV. When his language did not abate, Farrar simply authorized Armstrong to calmly announce to the parochial crowd supporting the Brat, ‘Default Mr. McEnroe. Game, set, match’.
McEnroe himself later admitted he probably went too far. But the entertainment for the rest of us was priceless.
It amused me back in 1990, and still does today when I reflect on that irrationally ridiculous outburst. And so I try to take the lesson of just how important temperament is, and how there is no need to behave in such a manner.
All very noble sentiments – but I bet the next time I tee off and miss the fairway, I won’t have learned a thing.
The Milestone Five: Amusing tennis dummy spits
5. Juan Ignacio Chela – 2005 Australian Open
There was no love lost with his on Lleyton Hewitt and in his third round match after famously overt celebrations and a snide muttering apparently made by Hewitt, Chela brought new meaning to the phrase ‘spit’ as he literally spat at Hewitt as they changed ends, in an act described by commentator Jim Courier as ‘disgusting’
4. Marc Rosset – 1996 Hopman Cup
During a heated match in the mixed doubles playing for Switzerland in Perth, Rosset lost it, punching an advertising board. The result – a broken hand, the Swiss lost the Hopman Cup and withdrawal from the Australian Open. Teammate Martina Hingis noted ‘I wish he had broken both hands’
3. Serena Williams – 2011 US Open
There are so many to choose from when it comes to Serena including her threat to shove a ball down the throat of a line judge, but the her spit in the most recent Grand Slam final against Australian Sam Stosur is still fresh in the memory, and will be remembered long after Stosur’s victory is.
2. Jeff Tarango – 1995 Wimbledon
Behind in his third round match, Tarango protested to the match referee for the umpire to be removed. When this was denied, Tarango called the umpire corrupt and picked up his racquets and stormed off the court. If that wasn’t amusing enough, Tarango’s wife then slapped the umpire.
1. John McEnroe – 1981 Wimbledon
One of the most famous quotes in tennis was born during Wimbledon when the Brat uttered his immortal phrase time and again en route to winning his first ever Gentlemen’s Championship. It’s great stuff – watch it here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekQ_Ja02gTY
With thanks to Jan Kruger/Getty Images Europe for the photo
