Comments on: Too Much Racket: Silencing the Noise-Makers

By: lapidus48

lapidus48 — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 21:31:04 +0000

anythingbutlove:” Should the men also play silently (I mean less grunts on the men’s side)?

I often hear the discussion of grunting framed in terms of the noise women make. Has any empirical conclusion or scientific study been done on the matter of the male v female noise levels? Common sense suggests women tend to have higher pitched voices than men. What if, after a study, it turns out that men grunt just as often as women do but that since women’s voices are higher pitched the sound is louder….”

To the above poster’s comments, a hearty “here, here (or, should that be “hear, hear?”)”.

By: rubye l. fobbs

rubye l. fobbs — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 01:53:40 +0000

If women tennis player’s grunting is all the world (in the state that it is in, today) had to concern ourselves about, then, I say, “grunt, blow bubbles, and do a mating dance, if it is going to keep future young girls interested in playing the sport. I did not hear our future female tennis stars complaining, or did I?

By: Peter Vandeburgt

Peter Vandeburgt — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 22:04:19 +0000

Grunting beyond the normal, such as practiced by Nadal and the female players mentioned above
is absolutely detrimental for the sport and has to be checked by the tennis Authorities and ultimately by the Audience.
I don’t watch most female players because of their screams. It borders on insanity.
News readers on TSN Sports made jokes about the practice during the last Wimbledon tourney
and then quickly switched to foot ball. No squealing there.

By: Brittany

Brittany — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 05:21:18 +0000

I LOVE IT!!!!
The grunting shows that the players are playing with emotion and every ounce of strength they have!!!!!!!
Serena Keep doing it!
Venus keep doing it!!!!
And Elena’s is the best!!!!!!!!!!

By: Aaress Lawless

Aaress Lawless — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 05:00:16 +0000

Anythingbutlove, my apologies, but we had to edit your comment that included the link to the YouTube video. Unfortunately, that YouTube video’s comments and title contained language that’s not consistent with OTB’s comment policy, and that were demeaning to Larcher de Brito, who after all is still a sixteen year-old girl.

However, in the interests of this discussion, here is another clip of the now-infamous shrieks during her match against Rezai in Paris.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7uLOa9hqsU

Thanks for your understanding.

By: Julie

Julie — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 04:11:45 +0000

Anythingbutlove, can you provide the link to the Youtube video?
Wow. Really, that is crazy regarding the fact that Michelle Larcher de Brito could be heard 4 court away. Amazing.

And really that noise-making has cross the line which therefore makes it unnecessary. I too believe it has become too much.

For this Janet to plainly say, “…deal with it” is your opinion, yes, but it doesn’t make it right either. This grunting(or something else) has become such a problem and it irritates people. If fans in attendance in another court can hear a tennis player’s noise, whether they recognize the player or not, shouldn’t that indicate that it is a problem?

And this is no complaining. Martina Navratilova is not complaining and she hasn’t been. There is a difference between complaining and offering an opinion. Now if a player on court has repeatedly told an umpire about the noise, because they are bothered, then that is a complaint. And would that still be cast that aside?

Tennis is not being hurt by calling out, discussing this noise-making problem and offering opinions about it. The last thing that tennis, or any sport in general, need is to lose fans.

Not music to everyone ears.

By: Ken

Ken — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 02:44:22 +0000

I second your editorial completely. As a frequent spectator, at live matches and at televised matches, I find the “screaming” (grunting does not begin to describe the sounds) highly offensive and demeaning to the game of tennis. Where in the world is this headed if not halted soon?

By: Joy Collins

Joy Collins — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:27:35 +0000

Surely if people can stop smoking, overeating, behaving inappropriately or many other habits which are unhealthy or not suiitable to the desired outcome, behavior modification or hynotism are possible solutions which help avoid pointless discussion about who does it, who does it disturb and is it a purposeful behavior or not. Makes it worth worthwhile to pursue this I believe.

By: Joyce Collins

Joyce Collins — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:15:26 +0000

If this issue continues to be so ‘hot’, perhaps a few sessions with a hynotherapist would be worth while. Or, some Behavior Modification techniques applied by a trained therapist. Both techniques have been useful for pain management, eating disorders and other ‘behaviors’ which interfere with lives, either the audience or the players lives. Some of the noises have indeed reached the sound levels and pitch which distract from where attention should be focussed, on the action not the person.

By: Judy Zimmer

Judy Zimmer — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 22:29:03 +0000

I think if the players are allowed to scream, shout, and grunt during play, the audience should be allowed to do the same. Turnaround is fair play, after all! There is such a big deal made about silence in the stands, and then the players hurt your ears with all their screeching!