Friday, June 05, 2020

This is US


For good reason, this space takes a brief pause this week to reflect on the past two weeks of events that have immersed the United States, from coast to coast, in anger, discussion and (maybe, eventually) hope when it comes to dealing with the many social inadequacies that have long infected the nation.

Thus, the second "Month of Lenglen" will commence soon, as will what had been today's originally scheduled attempt to consider what the tennis tour might look like when it returns, in whatever form it ultimately takes.

So, for a moment, I'll slip back on my old high school/college essayist hat and attempt to put together a piece about the place the U.S. finds itself in.

(Forgive my fish-wiggling-its-way-through-the-ocean-deep essay style, as I was never one to produce something of the fist-slamming variety.)




So here we are. Precisely *where* has sometimes been the question, though, hasn't it?




Actually, for the past two weeks the United States has closely resembled what it has *always* been -- for some good and much bad -- when its held a mirror up to itself, for how we've generally seen and portrayed ourselves as a nation has always been more than a bit in contrast with the with unvarnished reality of the light of day.

But we usually shield our eyes from *that* nation, looking away as we publicly strive for an ideal that, usually due to our own inadequacies, seems to forever remain out of reach.

Clearly, there's a lot of work to be done.

Everyone in the U.S. -- well, except maybe for certain GOP politicians who've perfected that whole "looking away" thing for the past four years -- has had a front row view, or on-site experience, as we've witnessed the explosion of protest that has roiled our major cities and beyond since George Floyd was murdered on the street by a Minneapolis police officer last week. With the nation seemingly cleaving by force of will, a virtually rudderless ship actively aimed by its so-called "leader" toward the rocks in hopes of being praised for having "reached solid ground", we find ourselves caught in a continual loop of current events that stretches back decades, generations and, in fact, centuries.

In recent days, as much talking has taken place as all the combined peaceful protests, unnecessary moments of escalation masquerading as law enforcement, callous opportunism leading to criminal activity, outside agitation purposely stirring the pot, and politicians seeking to play "tough guy" in an election year. Much of it has been authored and/or relayed by individuals who likely aren't truly "qualified" to speak on such issues with the utmost authority, as no one is all-seeing and capable of analyzing every angle of any troubling issue that plagues a nation. Even the individuals who shout the loudest, or those who seek to critique social media posts of those who actually show support for the cause, don't have all the answers.

But as Meghan Markle noted in her unexpected address on Thursday to the graduates of her former high school, "the only wrong thing to say is to say nothing."



Just growing up or living in the United States, or simply being an observer of the human condition around the world, should be enough to prevent such occurrences as those we've been watching from being filtered through one's life without notice and/or acknowledgement. So I suppose, at a basic level, it's sometimes necessary to place upon the table what it would seem we *do* (or should) know, and what we don't.

Myself and others who aren't black or brown skinned don't know and can never really fully understand, for example, what it feels like to, on just a "routine" day, see the lights of a police car flash in their rear view mirror as they drive down the street and instantly wonder if their life could be in jeopardy in a matter of minutes just because they, well... *just because* it might be.

I know that's flatly wrong, not what this country is *supposed* to be, and that a path must be carved to change that reality.

I also know that doing so isn't as simple as flipping a switch, as such conditions and internal reactions don't become so deep-seated because they take place within a short-term bubble, but instead take root due to generational and institutional patterns that have existed and persisted in varying degrees for as long (and longer) as anyone alive today.

I don't know precisely how important and useful change for the good would be *best* achieved through the enacting of new laws, reforms, procedures and actions; but I do know that the first step for any individual seeking to wrap their minds and emotions around such issues begins with personal empathy with and for the situations faced both specifically and systemically by the overwhelming majority of African Americans in the nation. I also know that far too many politicians and others in positions of power and authority have been unwilling to or, in the case of the current occupant of the White House, psychologically incapable of such an act of compassion.



So here we stand. There is a lot of work to be done.

The U.S has a long history of both civil and uncivil disobedience, from the Boston Tea Party to John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry to the Montgomery bus boycott to 1968 to St.John's Church, and all points in between. The nation was conceived, built and transformed by protests and unrest. Spasms that lead to change. Some incremental, some more (relatively) immediate. There was war vs. England. War against each other. Civil rights battles that originated with the nation's "original sin" of slavery. Demonstrations protesting both wars on foreign soil as well as the oppression of women and other minorities.

While discrimination is virtually ingrained in the sometimes-seedy fabric of this nation as tightly as its (sometimes chest-thumping) desire for freedom, so is the inclination to oppose what is not right or just. Some battles take a lifetime, usually many more than one, to be won. Unfortunately, there's also often a tendency to backslide that calls for much maintenance, follow-up and diligence to avoid a growing sense of complacency that *any* progress is a *lasting* solution, or that unpleasant realities inherent in the U.S. system doesn't need to be continually checked. Just because *you* aren't affected by some sinister aspect of "the American experience" doesn't mean it no longer exists.



The fights are never over. They just change venues and tactics.



I don't know how or even if the changes necessary to dependably lead the U.S. through its latest troubling (and long vexing) chapter regarding racial inequality are within our grasp, but I do know that the ballot box has historically been the time-honored and (eventually) evolutionary way toward a new reality.

One need only look at how one political party steadfastly fights *against* as many individuals as possible exercising their right to vote to know just how important it still is. If such a political organization is on the run from the traditional "power of the people" then it's clearly even more important for the people to exercise it, as it is the one longstanding template for peacefully fostering a change in which the *employees* (the political class) truly serve the *bosses* (the citizens) they represent as well as the nation's embedded ideals that they all supposedly pledge to uphold.

Though they can be a harbinger of it, protests, marches, scuffles and/or energized-and-altered public opinion don't immediately lead to change, and sometimes don't foster lasting progress at all (see the series of mass shootings, or the Rodney King riots). Sometimes, even voting leads to unintended consequences. Remember the laughable attempt to declare a "post-racial society" after Barack Obama's election, which led in part to the Supreme Court eradicating key parts of the Voting Rights Act, opening the door for voter suppression?

But, while not a definitive answer, voting isn't just symbolic, either. It alters the course of history, and then helps to preserve the change. It isn't exciting, or loud, or destructive or rage-filled. It's just the one Constitutional right guaranteed to citizens which in and of itself announces the desire for *and* proactively makes change happen (or at the very least makes it more possible).



Voters blinked in 2016 (including likely many of those who've taken part in recent protests, considering the low young voter turnout four years ago), and look what happened.

No matter what happens next, if people don't heed such history we'll all be right back here in the blink of an eye. If the Floyd murder is the latest match to light a flame, then that flame must be nursed, minded, preserved and groomed to last longer than just a single moment in time.

Personally, I know I worry what new undiscovered and/or unrealized horrors the next five months could bring before the November elections (and the two months after it, for that matter). We've already learned in 2020 how much can happen in five months. In early February, after all, this space was talking about Sofia Kenin basking in the glow of winning the Australian Open and the kickoff of the new Fed Cup, while Elena Rybakina had only yet played in HALF of the season finals she'd appear in before the WTA tour was shut down a month later.

Seems more like five years ago.

We've *seen" how easy it is for things to slip over the edge, and we may not even be there yet. No matter the outcome of things on November 3, a glance at the personal history of at least one narcissist with a nihilistic mentality and autocratic tendencies who is involved in the equation should be enough for everyone to remain on guard. If anyone thinks they can imagine whatever the "bottom" is below which that individual would not sink, well, they just haven't been paying attention. The band of cowardly Republican enablers aren't coming to anyone's rescue, either. That's for sure. It's up to the remaining collective soul of the nation to right the course.



(Sigh.) There's a lot of work to be done.



Still, something at least *feels* a bit different about these protests over longstanding police brutality and "fed up" calls for overdue racial equality. Maybe it's the perfect storm of the Floyd death, COVID-19, a cratering economy in a presidential election year, and the jagged, ragged weariness produced by the intellectually exhausting drumbeat of the last four years specifically, and the inherent cynicism and frustration produced in the black community over a far, far longer period than that when it comes to the issues that could one day makes these two weeks historic ones.

Any desire to unite in order to strive for a worthwhile common goal would be an overwhelmingly good sign for the future.



If only it were that simple, though, huh?

Who knows, unfortunately, it could be that nothing important really changes when all is said and done. But *maybe* the past week and a half of once more dragging many of this country's lingering toxic issues back out into the hot sun and onto the burning pavement *will* -- this time -- serve to not only be a flashpoint, but a starting point.

We can only hope.




Remember?



















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Thank you @australianopen for the amazing post and for the most incredible memories. Here are a few points from my 3 hour,4th rd win against Alisa Kleybanova at the @australianopen in 2009. Whole match available now on the @australianopen YouTube channel or at the link in my bio. Hope you all like it. ?????????????????????????? Posted @withregram • @australianopen One of the most ??-warming stories of #AusOpen 2009. Watch how @dokic_jelena reached her first Grand Slam QF since Roland Garros in 2002. #tennis #tennis?? #?? #tennisplayer #australianopen #melbournepark #rodlaverarena #melbourne #australia #aussie #australian #tenniscourt #tennislove #tennismatch #grandslam #tennisaustralia #wta #inspiration #memories #walkdownmemorylane #amazing #ausopen #instatennis #tennislife #womenstennis #motivation #tb #sport

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All for now.

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 5:56 PM 

8 Comments:

Blogger colt13 said...

*Todd, if you need to edit me, I understand*

I have hope. Ironically, it is because of watching the news from other countries. Even though Trump has offended every ally, and our own news seems to have agendas, others have seen that America is in crisis. They have marched for us, and themselves, looking for a better way.

And this seems like it will last. With college students having two more months off, and the police unifying protesters of all races, we will see change.

Obviously, it should not take Twitter to shame businesses and cities to do the right thing but it is a start.

Not so fun fact- As of 2017, funding the police was normally about 30% of a city's budget. Some are as high as 55%. That's insane.

Now on to tennis- Proud of Coco Gauff, but also conflicted. Just 16, I don't want her to be thrown in front of Black Lives Matter questions for tennis as a default, the way Venus always gets the equal pay question.

Will the US Open make me think of the 1944 St. Louis Browns? Maybe. The Browns were a sorry MLB franchise that made their only World Series that season, mainly because the better teams lost more players to the war.

I think it is possible that we lose 20 direct entrants for various reasons.

5- Decide to pull a Fognini, and have surgery, so they non't have to play until 2021.
5- COVID-19. It was over a decade ago, but the fact that Stosur had Lyme Disease means she might pass. Halep passed on the Olympics, and might here also, among others.
5- Mothers- T.Maria is pregnant, but will any mothers, or ones that spend time with nieces and nephews find it worth the risk?
5- America- Will players find America safe? Or will the fact that we may not have fans, like some Davis Cup matches, be a selling point?

My point? We will have good tennis, but we may see a field leveled less by injury, but by an America unlike any in my lifetime.

Stat of the Week- 131- The number of matches won by Margaret Court in her 24 slam wins.

That includes walkovers, but 7 x 24 is 168. How did Court end up short 37 matches?

That is worth looking at, and the reasons are why Graf's 22 slams are seen as the standard by some.

Court's first slam in 1960(AO) had a packed field, having all of 1959's slam winners in Mary Carter Reitano-AO, Christine Truman-F, and Maria Bueno- W/US, in the field. Though the statement is true, it is a false representation of the field, as Truman(UK), and Bueno(Brazil), were the only 2 foreigners in the 32 player field.

1964 represented the low water mark, as Court only needed to win 4 matches, getting a bye as they did not even have 32 that year, limping in at 27.

The amount of entrants for her 7 consecutive AO titles? 32, 44, 48, 39, 27, 52, 48.

The other thing to notice? She never won 7 matches at a slam. The largest field she played was 96, which she did 4 times, and had byes for all 4.

You are probably wondering if Graf ever won a slam with less than a 128 player draw? Well, the first slam she ever played was the 1983 French Open, which was the first with 128 player draw. Her first time in Australia, they had a 64 player draw, but her first win there in 1988 was the first 128 player field.

Fri Jun 05, 07:37:00 PM EDT  
Blogger colt13 said...

Quiz Time!

True or false-Did Margaret Court and Steffi Graf ever beat the same player in a slam final?

Hmmm, it might be more likely that they beat family members. But that didn't happen. Graf beat Helena Sukova for 2 slam titles, but Court's win over Vera Sukova in 1964 at the French was only the QF. Court and Sukova missed each other by a year, as Sukova was Wimbledon RU in 1962, while Court won in 1963.

What about Martina? Hingis wasn't born when Court retired, but her thread is what we are looking for. In her case, Hingis was Graf's last slam title, and Serena's first.

What about the other Martina? Close, but not a match. Graf won her first slam vs Navratilova, but Court never did, though her next to last title was against her in Chicago-1975.

Like Hingis, there is one that links from one era to another. Chris Evert. Her first slam final was a loss to Court at the French way back in 1973. Her 34th and final slam? Australian Open 1988 loss vs Graf.

Fri Jun 05, 07:47:00 PM EDT  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

Yeah, I always find it kind of remarkable how things that happen here end up spreading across the world, as we've seen here lately with the protests. I guess it isn't a great surprise, as some things are universal, but it also shows the continuing influence of the U.S. abroad even when its leader's actions blunt our standing and influence with other nations, peoples and leaders.

It's been written that in the post-Trump era (whenever that comes) it might take a while for other nations to learn to trust us again, but there's no reason to think that time won't come. They're not stupid, they can see and understand the oft-obscene things going on here and know that they don't represent the views of the vast majority of U.S. citizens. It's really just up to *us* to make it *possible* to trust us again.

As far the tennis -- and I'll talk more about it next week -- I've seen talk from some players about not wanting to play in a slam for various reasons. I can see if it's for health or safety reasons (Nadal, essentially, and Barty have said as much), but if it's for reasons other than that (no crowds, not being able to go into Manhattan during an Open, hotel accommodations, taking COVID tests during competition, or not being able to bring an army... err, I mean their *whole* team along -- some of which have been noted by the likes of Federer, Kvitova and Djokovic, then I say then *you* don't play and let others who want to do it.

As Pliskova noted about Federer's comments about not having fans, *most* other players know what it's like to play in mostly empty arenas or in front of sparse crowds on outer courts -- just because *he* doesn't doesn't mean others should not be given a chance (or the option) to compete in a major if it's decided that it *can* be played.

Someone as young as Gauff shouldn't have to be put into such a position, but if she chooses to take that route then it'll be her decision, I guess. It's a lot to commit to taking on at that age. Even now, Venus has been criticized for not saying *enough* or much this past week, and that's after, what, *20* years of being out front of so many things.

It's possible any to-be-played 2020 slams' winners could look, in retrospect, as odd as the days when Chris O'Neil was winning the AO because of the sparse fields.

Of course, no one ever talks about how Laver played 14 of 17 major finals on grass since the U.S. and AO joined WI on the surface during his career. Can you imagine how many more slams RF would have won if *three* major titles were decided on grass?

Quiz: stupidly first thought Original Martina over Evert. :(

Sat Jun 06, 06:16:00 PM EDT  
Blogger Hoergren said...

It's a wierd time we live in, and we can hope for the better later this year or in 2021. If you're watching You Tube from time to time different TV channels are leaving whole matches there in good quality. SO is AO TV now - finally - giving us the AO 2018 final, which was a very good final - not because of the WOzniacki win, but because of the excitement through the match. So how about watching matches like this and leave a comment? Hope you all are well and staying safe.

Mon Jun 08, 11:09:00 AM EDT  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

Ah, nice to hear from you Hoergren. It seems like forever. Of course, it's really only been a few months, but it feels like a long time. ;)

Mon Jun 08, 11:14:00 AM EDT  
Blogger Hoergren said...

Well Todd it's been a while because tennis has NOT been a while. I'm just an amateur that likes to watch tennis. I'll be back commenting my resent favorite Andreescu from Canada and Osaka the Haitian Japanese and other nice players. I haven't been all passive as I've a couple of threads in Tennisfrontier: Tennisplayers in isolation mode and Memorable tennis matches. It's really fun to watch these old matches. Angry birds or drama queens and Mattek Sands Tennis United. Hope you've seen the nice You Tube video someone has made with the top 10 WTA rankings week in and week out since 1987 to end 2018 fascinating to watch. Passive no but I would really like to see some live tennis again.

Mon Jun 08, 05:30:00 PM EDT  
Blogger Todd.Spiker said...

Haha, I know. I was just talking about how it seems like a lifetime ago that there was actually any *real* tennis being played. At this point, it feels like Caro must have retired about *two* years ago or something. But it actually *was* in 2020. :)

Ah, nice to hear you like Andreescu. She's the one player I really have missed seeing play... probably partly because, with her, it's been since *October*. :/

I've got some interest in the Charleston team event this month because she's supposed to participate.

Here's the 1987-2018 video, as well as one for 1990-2019. It's funny how Andreescu's name just blasts in there all of a sudden after winning the US Open. ;)

Mon Jun 08, 09:30:00 PM EDT  
Blogger Diane said...

I think the field for the Charleston event is really great--everyone from Bianca to Leylah Fernandez. Great captains--Madi and BMS. Looking forward to it.

Tue Jun 09, 05:55:00 PM EDT  

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