Bad Boys in Tennis
When you mention the word “tennis” you arguably think of pristine or high-class sport. Tennis is a sport that is often associated with class and good etiquette. However, it is a sport where we’ve seen some of the nastiest athletes compete.
Make no mistake, if you are considered a bad boy in any sport, some people will look up to you. In football for example, bad boy Joey Barton has had his fair share of altercations with opposition players and even his own teammates. Former boxer Mike Tyson is arguably most known for biting an opponents ear clean off. Both of these men have the reputation of Bad Boys in their sports.
What about tennis? There have been more and more controversial things happening in the world of tennis. Whether it’s someone throwing their racket, arguing a call, swearing on live TV, wearing a controversial shirt – we simply can’t get enough of these guys.
Now that the tennis season has ended for another year, why not look at the top five bad boys of tennis.
Here are the five most controversial players tennis has ever seen:
5. ANDY RODDICK
Embed from Getty ImagesA prime example of how being controversial automatically classifies you as a bad boy. Despite being number 1 for a couple of years, Andy Roddick came along after Agassi, and his prickly personality often showed itself during combative press conferences with reporters and on the court against officials. When he found himself losing or in a bad position, he would make sure he had someone to blame, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere around him.
4. ANDRE AGASSI
Embed from Getty ImagesProbably the most surprising of the top 5, however Andre Agassi didn’t enjoy the typical tennis meltdowns like most of our bad boys. He was more of a rock and roll rebel who lived by the slogan of his famous line “image is everything”. Agassi was known for his wild haircut and of course his tennis skills but he wasn’t always Mr. Nice guy on the court. He’d tend to scream at his opponents for taking too long to serve or just telling his opponents to get on with it if they were contesting an umpires decision.
3. JIMMY CONNORS
Embed from Getty ImagesIf you weren’t born before the 80s you’ve probably never seen or heard of Jimmy Connors. As much as a champion he was, when the game wasn’t going his way he tended to moan and grumble for every point. He was tough, animated and certainly unpredictable.
2. NICK KYRGIOS
Embed from Getty ImagesHe is only 21 and there’s already so much to write about him that you could fill a book. Nick Kyrgios can be described as the modern bad boy of tennis. During games Kyrgios cannot keep his mouth shut. He has been involved in as many controversial acts on the court as the previous three put together. Whether it is abusing the officials, clashing verbally with a spectator or just giving up on a game altogether. With such a young career, all these actions could affect him long term, already receiving several bans for “conduct contrary to the integrity of the game”. Hopefully he will settle down and mature with age.
1. JOHN McENROE
Embed from Getty ImagesThe CHAMPION! Even if you are not the biggest fan of tennis you’ve heard his name. The most famous of all tennis bad boys, nobody in the history of the game can argue like him. He wasn’t scared of swearing at himself or officials (he has even hit a ball at an umpire.) It’s fair to say he wasn’t scared of anything. Later in life, he admitted he took heavy drugs in his younger age – maybe that explains his high-risk behaviour.
Can Leicester City top previous English clubs European competition debuts?
Whilst Leicester City’s Premier League form this season may leave something to be desired, they’ve had an impressive start to their debut European campaign. How do the champions fare against other English clubs when they first dipped their toes into the waters of Europe’s premier competition? We took a look back at some of those debut attempts starting with the foxes.
Leicester City
Embed from Getty ImagesLeicester City, the unlikely champions of England last season, have continued their fairy tale with a remarkable Champions League debut with four convincing group stage wins. They share a group with Belgian champions Club Brugge KV, Danish champions FC København and FC Porto who finished 3rd in Portugal last season. It has been the perfect start for them. With their victory against København they became the first English team to win their first three games in the competition. Now, after beating Club Brugge on their return fixture at The King Power Stadium, they have secured their place in the last 16. A historic achievement for the club.
Manchester United
Embed from Getty ImagesManchester United, the most successful English team in the country with 20 titles in total, have been playing in the Champions League for many years now. They were one of the teams that were part of the first ever European Cup in 1956. At the time – unlike now, there was no group stage. There was the first round, the last 16, quarter finals, semi-finals and the final. Manchester United beat RSC Anderlecht in the first round to go through to the last 16. They ended up losing 2-0 to future winners Real Madrid in the semi-final.
Nottingham Forest
Embed from Getty ImagesNottingham Forest, now playing in the championship, used to be considered as one of the biggest clubs in the world in the late 70s – winning the European cup twice in a row in 1978 and 1979. In their first year in Europe, they faced Liverpool, who won the European Cup the year before. Against the odds they beat them 2-0 in the first round. They went all the way to the final and beat Swedish side Malmo to win the European Cup.
Liverpool
Embed from Getty ImagesLiverpool have won the European Cup more than any other English club – winning it five times. They are the second most successful team in the country with 18 titles. Liverpool first entry in this competition was in 1964. Similar to rivals Manchester United, they had a good campaign in their first appearance in the competition reaching the semi-final. They faced Icelandic team KR Reykjavik in the first round and then beat Anderlecht in the last 16, before beating FC Köln in the quarter finals. Their run was stopped by eventual winners Inter Milan in the semi-finals where they lost 4-3 on aggregate.
Arsenal
Embed from Getty ImagesDespite being short of European trophies, Arsenal are still considered by many as a successful club. They have won 40 domestic trophies and two European trophies, which include 13 First Division Premier League titles and a record 12 FA Cups. Arsenal hold the record of longest unbeaten streak of 49 matches in the Premier League. Arsenal’s first entry came in 1971. They faced Norwegian champions Strømsgodset in the first round. They managed to qualify for the quarter finals after beating Swiss team Grasshoppers but lost in the quarters to future champions Ajax.
Should championship managers be given more time?
Another day, another manager sacked. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was in charge at QPR for just over a year, until he was sacked after a draw at Nottingham Forest last month. He became the seventh manager to be sacked this season already.
Embed from Getty ImagesManagers can get fired for a series of reasons. Even if they are well-suited to a job, the growing pains of adjusting to a new club and performing at a higher level are mitigated by managerial acumen.
Embed from Getty ImagesThis season we have seen managers sacked after being at a club for only a few months: Walter Zenga (Wolves) – 87 days, Roberto Di Matteo (Aston Villa) – 124 days, Nigel Pearson (Derby) – 4 months.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe average life of a championship manager is only 11 months – the lowest of the top four divisions in the country.
The League Managers Association is becoming concerned, naturally, that the career of a championship manager, and of those in the leagues below, is becoming too precarious. It is not necessarily the fear of the sack, which has always been a factor, but more the fear that you never get another chance elsewhere. There are 38 managers who were sacked across all four divisions last season in England who have not found new jobs. It is not just the manager who pays the price, but also the backroom staff, who often have to move away from family to work on much lower salaries and have less job security than the man in charge. In addition there were 39 managerial sackings in the Championship in the two seasons previous to that, which equates to a lot of assistants and coaches facing an uncertain future.
One of the temptations for club owners is that there is always an alternative in their mind. LMA chief executive Richard Bevan has accused owners of playing “stick or twist” as if they were at a casino. The LMA has 375 members, about 140 of whom are looking for work, and there are only 92 positions to fill in the top four divisions.
A statement from the LMA said: “With the hire-and-fire culture engrained within football, it’s so difficult to survive for any meaningful length of time in order to learn your trade, learn from mistakes and experiences. Managers must cope with instant judgements and, often, success and failure are rarely that far apart. If the trend continues, we are on course to exceed the highest number of dismissals in one season over the past 10 years.”
It has been proven that if you stick with your manager even after a poor run of results, things can be turned around. Nigel Person for example, had several difficult spells at Leicester before he managed to lead his team to the Premier League. Mick McCarthy was appointed in 2012 when Ipswich were lying near the bottom of the championship. After only a year he managed to make them a team challenging for promotion. These examples prove that if you trust and have patience in your manager, results can go your way.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe question now is if the word ‘patience’ has gone from all the club’s boards these days?
The concept sounds so simple, and yet rarely seems to be put into practice. The message should be to remain patient, loyal and consistent.
Premier League Legends that have never won the Premier League
Last week, the world heard that one of the best ever players retired – Steven Gerrard.
He retires after a successful career. He won; 2 FA Cups, 2 Community Shields, 2 Carling Cups, 1 UEFA Cup, 2 Super Cups and 1 Champions League.
However, he never won the Premier League. Gerrard is not alone when it comes to great players hanging up their boots having not won this particular trophy.
Here is a look at 5 Premier League legend that have never won it.
1. Steven Gerrard
Embed from Getty ImagesHe proved himself to be one of the finest midfielders and leaders in world football, who excelled in every area. He guided the Reds to numerous trophy triumphs, most notably that historic night against A.C. Milan in the Champions League. He never got his hands on the premier league trophy though. He’s been on the front line of Liverpool’s attempts to win the Premier League for the last 17 years, but in the end, even the efforts of the great Steven Gerrard didn’t prove to be enough. He came close 3 times. The most recent one coming in 2013/ 2014. Cruelly, he slipped in the game against Chelsea that cost them the title that year. This is sure to haunt Gerrard, but it does not overshadow an illustrious and astonishing Premier League career.
A true English legend, Premier League medal or not.
2. Jamie Carragher
Embed from Getty ImagesAnother Liverpool player, another Liverpool great. Like Gerrard, Carragher spent an incredible 17 seasons at Liverpool, and most of this as vice-captain. The Liverpool native played an impressive 737 games in all competitions for Liverpool. He was the heart and soul of the club for many years. Having had such a lengthy career at a big club like Liverpool, Carragher will be left frustrated not to have lifted the Premier League trophy.
3. Matt Le Tissier
Embed from Getty ImagesHis dedication and loyalty to Southampton is honourable but a man capable of scoring goal of the season contenders virtually every game deserved to finish his career with at least one major honour. In addition to his astonishing technical ability and finding the back of the net, he is also one of the best penalty takers the game has seen with an incredible 47 from 48 record. In 1990, a moved to Tottenham nearly materialised, who he supported as a kid, and had the chance to help Tottenham to win a Premier League trophy but his love for Southampton and to the fans was too much. Furthermore, he became the first midfielder to reach a 100 premier league goals.
4. Gianfranco Zola
Embed from Getty ImagesA true Chelsea legend. The Italian was Chelsea’s best attacking midfielder for years. We are fortunate enough to witness some impressive creative midfield these days in the Premier League such as
Coutinho, Hazard, David Silva… but many might say that Zola was the first one to play that style of football. He left Chelsea with six major trophies under his belt, but never the premier league. The closest he came to winning the Premier League was in the 1998/99 season. Chelsea topped the table throughout the whole first half of the season, but could not prevent Manchester United completing the first leg of a historic Treble.
Zola truly brought a lot to the Premier League with his style of touching the ball.
5. Jermain Defoe
Embed from Getty ImagesYes Defoe! Most would consider Jermain Defoe a Premier League legend. Maybe not as big as the previous mentioned above, but still important. A truly underrated forward and still probably England’s most natural finisher. In his prime he was good enough to play for anyone. Unlike the other players, he is still playing and at 34 he is still scoring goals for fun. He is a one of few to have scored 150 goals in the Premier League. With the amount of goals he’s scored it is astonishing that he only has the one trophy to his name, a 2008 Carling Cup triumph with Tottenham.
Chapecoense and Manchester United – same story?
The Chapecoense Football Club was one of the greatest storylines in Brazilian sport this year. Just seven years ago the small Santa Catarina, based team played in Brazil’s lowest division. In 2016, it became a solid member of the national Serie A Brazilian League and on track to becoming the country’s most successful team at international level.
However, last week the world heard the tragic news that a plane carrying the Chapecoense team crashed, killing 71 people and now the very existence of Chapecoense is in jeopardy.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe accident has brought back heartbreaking memories of previous air crashes such as the Manchester United crash in Munich in the late 1950s, a tragedy which rocked English football. Eight Manchester United players were among 23 people killed, when their British European Airways flight 609 crashed on its third attempt to take off from a slush-covered runway at Munich-Riem Airport, West Germany.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe flight was taking the Manchester United team back home from a European Cup match in Belgrade, Serbia. A host of United greats, including Duncan Edwards, Tommy Taylor and Roger Byrne, died following the disaster. The 21 survivors included Sir Bobby Charlton, who was 20 at the time and went on to become one of England’s finest players, winning the 1966 World Cup.
After their tragic crash it was rebuilding time for the Manchester club. The FA exempted the team from relegation for a year in order for them to recruit and rebuild. The signings after the crash of Albert Quixall, Maurice Setters, Denis Law, Pat Crerand, and Noel Cantwell helped the club to get back on its feet. Although they were short-term investments, the arrival of fresh blood failed to give the club an immediate leg-up in the league. Munich survivors Harry Gregg, Bill Foulkes and Bobby Charlton were nevertheless all with the club for many years afterwards.
However, the crash did not destroy the club’s ambitions as only ten years later, after several years of rebuilding the team and making it strong again, Manchester United managed to lift their first ever European Cup in 1968 against Benfica, one of the greatest stories in sport at the time.
Embed from Getty Images“But could the same thing happen for Chapecoense?” Brazil’s top football clubs have promised a full year of free player loans to rebuild the Chapecoense team. They have also called for a three-year grace period without relegation. This means that if Chapecoense finishes in the last four of the 20 teams in the national league, the Brazilian FA would instead relegate the fifth-to-last team to Serie B.
Also in solidarity, the Colombian Copa Sudamericana finalists Atlético Nacional requested that CONMEBOL give the Copa Sudamerica title to Chapecoense. The title comes with a $2 million award and a spot at Copa Libertadores (the equivalent of the Champions League in Europe) South America’s most prestigious and profitable competition.
Like the Manchester United team of the 1950s, Chapecoense were growing as a team and had become one of the teams to beat in the competition. Next season the Brazilian club will be playing in the Copa Libertadores. It would be unlikely for them to win it, the season following the crash but having recruited wisely over the past few years it would be unreasonable to rules them out for the following years.
Even if it doesn’t happen right away, could Chapeconense, like United, win a major title only a few years after the tragedy? What a remarkable story it would be it they did.
MLS CUP FINAL PREVIEW
Last Wednesday saw the play-off final in Canada where Toronto faced Canadian rivals Montreal Impact, and Toronto came out on top, winning 5-2 on aggregate.
Embed from Getty ImagesTheir 5-2 win over Montreal wasn’t just perhaps one of the most entertaining playoff games in the MLS history but also ended up as the highest scoring series in the playoff’s history. Now, Toronto will go and face Seattle Sounders in the MLS Cup final on the December 10th.
On the other hand, the Sounders knocked off the Colorado Rapids in the Western Conference Championship on Sunday, earning their ticket to the league title final game.
Embed from Getty ImagesA lot has been said about the potential of both teams and those wildly divergent paths, but what about the final itself? What can we expect? And what shape might that game take?
Both teams have big payrolls, big stars, a huge fan base but most notably no MLS trophies. Therefore, on December 10th one of the team will lift the MLS trophy for the first time and will make history for the club.
TORONTO
Embed from Getty ImagesSo much of what Toronto FC’s done in an attacking sense revolves around their 3-5-2 formation. Spreading central defenders across the back and allowing their fullbacks to go forward and create chances. Toronto’s big three: Sebastian Giovinco, Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley have simply been impossible to stop this season – scoring 32 goals between them. Those three will undoubtedly be Toronto’s key men to ensure they get the win. Manager, Greg Vaney, has this side playing an exciting brand of football and although star Giovinco has been held scoreless the past two games his presence on the field improves his side greatly. In addition, the improved play of the two Americans, Bradley and Altidore have been a big part of this playoff run and on Saturday it should help complete a dream season and make sure Toronto FC lift the MLS Cup.
SEATTLE SOUNDERS
Embed from Getty ImagesSome say that the Sounders have been the best team in MLS over the past three months – winning 8 of their last 12 games. Jordan Morris and Nicolas Lodeiro are in top form, but it has been their defence that have impressed, conceding very little recently. They handed Colorado Rapids their first defeat at home in 19 games in their playoff game which will give Seattle a real boost for the final. This will be Sounders first ever final, they will surely want to make the most of it and the opposition side will not affect to way they are going to approach this critical game. The story of the back third of the Sounders’ season has more or less been wedded to Lodeiro’s performances. If he has a good day on Saturday it might be just enough to beat Toronto on the road.
MLS is a notoriously difficult road league, and both Toronto’s home record and Seattle’s away record bear that out this season. Last time these 2 teams meet was back in July. The game ended in a 1-1 draw. Regardless of who lifts the trophy, we know one thing for certain: It’ll be one serious spectacle.
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