Comments on: Open Forum Friday: Do You Agree With Martina Navratilova About Andre Agassi?

By: Marine

Marine — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:33:27 +0000

I think she is right on. I was really dismayed about his actions. And that he’s using this dirt to help boost sales of his book is beyond words… He’s no champion in my eyes anymore.

By: openreader

openreader — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:17:31 +0000

If he had done enhancement drugs to improve his game then absolutely. HOWEVER, he did not and obviously was hurting himself and he had no game nor did he play while on the drugs. I believe that it is possible that she has a point about the lying part but what would anyone do? he did what he did, the past is the past. Drug testing wasnt the same as it is today. Again not enhancement drugs. I think he had a lot more to lose than to gain and as of right now… he doesnt need to gain anything. He was closing the book on an old chapter of his life and IF it helps one person he believes he did the right thing. Can’t we all just look at this as that? I believe that all sports groups need to take care of their players good, bad, or otherwise. If they are using enhancement drugs then appropriate penalties. If they are using harmful drugs, then help them… just like you would if it were alcohol!

By: pat

pat — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:38:57 +0000

It’s a shame Andre couldn’t fess up when the time was ripe, but he didn’t, and in fact I remember when Magnus Norman reported this episode in his bio and everybody gave him **** including Andre, who pouted and put on his best poor-little-me pose. Well guess what? Turns out Norman was right after all haha, vindication comes finally.

I don’t think players should be slammed for recreational drugs, but the rules are what they are, until we change them. Andre must have a really huge mortgage he’s fretting over, so I will grit my teeth through the media blitz and the Oprahs etcetera, and hold my breath in anticipation of his next….um….confession….

Now say five hail marys and go run up a desert hill, guy

By: Wil

Wil — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:41:04 +0000

Why do all the people who think it’s okay what Agassi did and love him so much alway have to down Martina with these strange comments like if the majority had their standards she would not be a tennisstar, you mean her being gay or worse.And then she did not do enough outside of the courts, if she had earned 100 or 150 million dollars like some who deserved less but earned more she could do the same as Agassi she did something more important was honest about her sexual orientation and gave courage to a lot of youngsters when there were no other rolemodels in the eighties. She even saved them from suicide as they wrote to her. She does not speak about that only on very few occasions. When Agassi was young I thought he was phoney and now he showing off his depression do not you think more people who are down all call it a depression, Robert Enke the german goalkeeper he was depressed so you can say. The last thing the sinner is innocent after all image is everything if it would have been known that he used drugs and escaped a ban would he had so many endorsements, ofcourse taking drugs is okay being gay is so bad you do not get endorsements.

By: hush

hush — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:53:29 +0000

I agree. Totally lost my admiration and respect for him.Was a fan of his,but I feel like he not only cheated himself but everyone else who love the sport. Totally disgusted. I dont see any bravery in what he did now,confessing, he should have done it before.Now there are doubts as to what he has achieved even if some or more of those achievements were fairly won. Who knows now?

By: Marie West

Marie West — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:48:48 +0000

It always seems that people judge others by harsher standards than they place on themselves. Yes, Andre should not have abused his body in that way; however, it did not enhance his performance and thus, does not discredit his accomplishments. Had it been average use of alcohol, this would not be a subject of discussion.

There are two topics here — use of drugs and tennis performance. In his case, one had nothing to do with the other.

As for Martina Naratoliva, she should be the last person to be judgmental, since she was the beneficiary of the reverse of judgement. Had she been judged according to the standards of the majority, she would never have been recognized as a tennis star. I won’t go any further on that subject; it’s self-explanatory.

By: Gary

Gary — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:04:07 +0000

I understand how some people feel upset, or betrayed, or that it has given a black mark for the sport of tennis…I get that.
Andre is human and we all make mistakes, but he should have owned up to it at the beginning. As much as I like Andre and enjoyed the years of great tennis he has given me, I will look at him differently, not for doing the drugs but taking 11 years to say I screwed up and passing blame onto someone else. I would like to think as a parent, that his Armenian parents taught him better than that.

By: Leon M. Kelly

Leon M. Kelly — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:33:19 +0000

First, I have to say that I love Andre Agassi. He’s such a great human being, as he has devoted his life to making others’ dreams come true. I totally disagree with Martin, whose accomplishments off the court are less than stellar. She needs to keep her mouth closed when it comes to Andre. When she has put forth as much effort in giving back as Andre has, then, and only then will she be qualified to say anything about the legend we know and love as Andre Agassi.

Andre may have been wrong for not admitting then what he is bold enough to do today, but he is admitting his wrong-doing now. He didn’t even have to do that. I can understand why Agassi felt the need to deny the truth back then. Society is so hypocritical and so very unforgiving–ungodly is a much more deserving term–that people who are otherwise honest feel the need to lie. Still, Agassi is a great person. His love for people is evident in his undying and unselfish acts of kindness. He is the ultimate role model, having saved the lives of many of the world’s less fortunate.

I take offense to anyone who has the audacity to open his mouth and say anything negative about my all-time favorite tennis player one of my all-time favorite human beings. So, to Andre, keep your head up. You’re a beautiful individual, and you deserve the best the world has to offer. What these hypocrites say about you doesn’t matter. They can’t hold a candle to you. Keep doing the great things you’re doing. We, your true fans, will always love and support you.

By: Diane

Diane — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:12:22 +0000

“Even if it were performance-enhancing drugs, it should be okay, because it’s only his own body that’s at risk even if it does give him an advantage.”

Do other people support the use of performance-enhancing drugs? That’s new to me.

By the way, Agassi also revealed that he tanked a match, which means he probably tanked more than one.

By: Andrew Broad

Andrew Broad — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:47:35 +0000

Remorse? I highly doubt that Agassi understands the true meaning of the word. All he wants to do is to maximise sales of his book, and it is disgraceful that he is allowed to do that.

If Agassi were truly remorseful, he would start by giving back all of his titles and prize-money. Then he would take his case to a court of law, and insist on a long, long jail-sentence for taking illegal drugs and perjury.