Past or present: That is the question...

Recently, and somewhat reluctantly I might add, I found myself in the middle of a slightly heated, yet kind-spirited conversation slash debate about the comparative level of the professional tennis player, both past and present. Yes, there I was, trying to enjoy a nice tasty libation, avec alcohol, and a flavorful wheat cracker in combination with seemingly month old brie, when a group of hostile, mostly Indian, Concordia Tennis alumni, began to engage in a lowered-eyebrow type discussion.

Let me go ahead and elaborate a bit before I give you a chance to make up your mind and cast your vote in the poll just off in the sidebar area of this blog. The basic dispute here was whether
the tennis superstars of yesteryear performed better than the current champions of today. Specifically, such names as Ivan Lendl and Pete Sampras, and heck, there were even Goran Ivanisevic and Stan Smith mentions, were argued to be better than Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Andy Roddick.

So, in typical, hard-headed, fashion, my old cast of players, and other tennis aficionados attending this gathering, started to spew opinions, verbal jabs, and even some personal insults across the living room, and what was for me, much to my chagrin, my view of the television set.

Some support for those elite players from the past included, better volleys, more accurate serves, smarter and more thought out game plans, better competition and more elite players in the game.

Backing for the current pros included more power, better fitness, improved movement, less variability of the court surface and enhanced training methods including supplements, weight training, and video analysis.

Personally, I feel that there is little comparison between the two and that the current players are far superior due to some of the above reasons and also the equipment used. Simply watching a match broad casted on ESPN Classic or the Tennis Chanel clearly displays that the game has changed and the current athletes are superior, at least in my view anyway. The service is faster. Players are able to move better and change direction easier. Competitors are in much better physical condition and the list goes on and on...

What do you think? Cast your vote in the poll over to the right, in the sidebar, and post a comment in the reader remark section under this post to let your opinion be known.

Nuff said...