Why is Tennis NOT Popular in America??? (golf, hockey, professional)

[BucFan]

Originally Posted by stan4

Who says tennis isn't popular?

I know tons of people who play tennis and who watch tennis.

Can you explain why the courts are empty around the nation except in your neighborhood?

[Trackwatch]

One could say; like soccer it is seen as a child's sport.

[NJ2MDdude]

The racket technology far exceeded the casual player's ability to trade groundstrokes. The game became too fast and powerful.

[stan4]

Originally Posted by BucFan

Can you explain why the courts are empty around the nation except in your neighborhood?

I lived here, in Austin, in El Paso, in Atlanta, in Southern California, in Hawaii - I have always had to fight for court times.

Maybe it's because I always (except for Austin) lived in the wealthy part of town?

[stan4]

Originally Posted by NJ2MDdude

The racket technology far exceeded the casual player's ability to trade groundstrokes. The game became too fast and powerful.

Top spin changes things, too. It's a different game when you're playing with a flat stroke. You're right - the speed is astounding now.

I also think that unlike baseball or football or soccer or basketball, you can't just throw a bunch of people on a court and make a game out of it regardless of people's ability.

The individual sports actually count on everyone being involved having a certain level of proficiency. You can't really fake it on a tennis court like you can in all those other sports. Can't put someone out in right field or whatever.

[CouponJack]

Originally Posted by BlueDay1

What about Andy Roddick few years ago?

Nope.....Like the other poster said, he never won or beat the big guys.....kind of like that girl who dated enrique iglesias....

American wants a winner who beats top talent consistently...Roddick was not that guy.

[CouponJack]

Originally Posted by BucFan

I've given you my reasons why Americans aren't playing or watching tennis like they did 2-3 decades ago.

What's your theory?

BTW, Tennis was very popular to play in Germany about 2-3 decades ago, and now I think the sport has declined there as well. They had Becket, Stich, and Graf to follow. I lived there for awhile a couple of years ago and used to pass tennis courts/clay courts all the time and rarely see them being used like years ago when they were always being used.

I think the sport started declining in the 1990s.

I have to agree w/that.

I vividly remember the Kevin Curran/Boris becker wimbledon match...and how about all those good matches in the 80's w/ivan lendl? Martina was dominant.....

to me it faded after the Jimmy Connors revival of the early 90's.....(his match vs. Krickstein at Flushing Meadows was unbelievable)

Agassi was fun to watch vs. Sampras also.....you had a spell there in the mid-90's....but you need Americans w/personalities who win against top talent consistently...

[irish_bob]

Originally Posted by BlueDay1

Well, how was he going to win if the last past decade was dominated by Federer and Nadal and recent year or two by Djokovic.

andy roddick was in a tier lower than any of those guys

tennis is relativly speaking a minority sport in most countries , i doubt its much smaller in the usa than anywhere else , its certainly no bigger in the uk despite being the home of its biggest prize , the uk hasnt produced a grand slam winner in decades , its hayday was the seventies and early eighties with mc enroe v borg and martina navratilova v chris everet and then steffi graf , the womens game has been crap for over a decade , without the williams sisters who divide opinion , it would be an eastern european dominated game of clones

i quite like tennis on occasion myself

[irish_bob]

Originally Posted by CouponJack

I have to agree w/that.

I vividly remember the Kevin Curran/Boris becker wimbledon match...and how about all those good matches in the 80's w/ivan lendl? Martina was dominant.....

to me it faded after the Jimmy Connors revival of the early 90's.....(his match vs. Krickstein at Flushing Meadows was unbelievable)

Agassi was fun to watch vs. Sampras also.....you had a spell there in the mid-90's....but you need Americans w/personalities who win against top talent consistently...

i loved agassi , sampras however was the most boring guy to ever swing a racket

[Mr. GE]

Originally Posted by stan4

Who says tennis isn't popular?

I know tons of people who play tennis and who watch tennis.

All the statistics taken show the sport is not relatively popular.

So just because YOU know people who play recreationally does not mean the sport is popular.

Tennis in the US: Association and Industry May Overstate Sport's Popularity | Bleacher Report