CAMELOT FANTASIES

Quote from: thetruth on May 20, 2014, 12:26:29 am

Quote from: Clay Death on May 19, 2014, 08:44:10 am

hate is just a wasted emotion that serves no constructive purpose.

we just happen to like some players more for various reasons.

Exactly. I don't know why people waste so much energy with it. I find it easier to stew for a minute, get over it, and put it behind me. I need to laugh and enjoy life, I don't have time for that kind of stuff.

I concur.  I expect people to celebrate their own player's victories, accomplishments, commiserate about their losses, etc. , what I would call normal fans. 

But there are so many that can't just do that.   I'm not sure what causes people to "dislike or hate" other players.  One may not like a player's particular style of play, or maybe certain mannerisms, or even actions on the court, but it so often goes beyond that.  They probably don't know them personally, and only see exterior glimpses, and don't know the context of what has been said or done in relation to their statements and actions.   For some, they must be derogatory or hateful toward another player or players, and fans of those players, sometimes in an apparent effort to elevate their own, or sometimes just to knock down the other.   It usually happens in the comparison type of threads, or in a match thread. 

It's probably unavoidable that fans of one might elevate or emphasize some accomplishments of their players to an extent, while diminishing the other player or players to an extent, but then it usually unfortunately becomes a slippery slope towards the ugly comments.   As time has passed, I have found it best not to attempt to discuss things with those types of people, as those discussions inevitably lead toward ill will, attacks and counter attacks.   I do feel I have to call out people sometimes when they make factual errors or draw "questionable" conclusions based on a selection of either dubious or selective facts.  But once I've done that, I don't argue about it. It's not worth it.  And many times I just don't bother.

I prefer to make my comments, concentrate on the relevant facts in a match or discussion, point out the good things the players have done, perhaps criticize what I see as some deficiencies of each player and try to do it in a manner that is productive rather than negative.   I generally prefer to post in analysis threads.

Sometimes I have fun with prediction threads, realizing that those are by their nature the most uncertain of all; nobody is going to predict correctly all of the time.  If you can do better than 50% than that is good.  And I've found that some can predict almost equally well, whether based on a feeling or on interpretation of historical events.  What I don't like is the people who have the nerve to deride various predictions and make fun of the people that make them either before or after (especially annoying), when they often lack the courage to predict themselves and put their opinions on the line.

Occasionally, I will start a "joke" thread, which may intentionally poke fun at  certain players, but it's meant to be all in good fun, not hateful by any means, though some people invariably will read into it otherwise.  So I tend not to start many threads of that type and I try not to focus only on one player, though admittedly the top players are most often the subjects.

Respectfully,
masterclass

I couldn't agree more. My mother used to say that if I loved someone, I was 100% in, but if I don't I'm indifferent to them, meaning I can still be happy for them, but I definitely won't hate them for pursuing their dream.

As it relates to tennis, it's no secret that Rafa is my absolute favorite, but then there are others that I like a lot, Andy, Berdych, Kei, Monaco, and Haas to name a few.

Still, there is no reason to denigrate other players, and although other players may have traits that I don't like as much, that doesn't translate into me hating them. Because, that's silly. No one is perfect, especially not me.

We are in a great period in tennis viewing, and it has gone on for a complete decade, with amazing consistency. You have to give credit to all of these players who play their hearts out and give us so much entertainment in the process.

What's so amazing is the distinct personalities of the Big 4. They have carried the game with class.