What’s So Bizarre About What McEnroe Says?

I am becoming increasingly annoyed at seeing John McEnroe knocked in your newspaper. Over the years, Jim Murray has taken obvious pleasure ripping McEnroe, as has Scott Ostler.

The former can be forgiven to some degree because he’ll rip anyone and anything. Scott Ostler, too, has repeatedly shown a remarkable ignorance toward athletes and professional sports in his columns, but I have attributed his ludicrous assertions and opinions to some pathetic attempt at comic relief. After reading Grahame L. Jones’ piece on McEnroe, however, I realize it is your paper that has taken an anti-McEnroe stance.

In Jones’ article, he labels McEnroe’s opinions as bizarre. McEnroe’s opinions are not bizarre; it is Jones’ opinion that they are that is bizarre.

John McEnroe is arguably one of the greatest grass-court tennis players who ever lived. He has won Wimbledon three times, including victories over Jimmy Connors and Bjorn Borg. Thus, it is not bizarre for him to say he could have won Wimbledon this year. He has never lost to Boris Becker, thus it is not bizarre for him to say that Becker “isn’t as good as people are making him out to be.” The treatment he has received in the British press is appalling, thus it is not bizarre for him to say he won’t return to England without better treatment from the press.

Finally, I doubt that any but the most pig-headed will disagree with the notion that John McEnroe’s absence from tournament tennis has created a hole that has not been filled. McEnroe brings a special excitement and flair to tennis, a spark that no other player can provide.

STEVE WASZAK

Solana Beach