One Thing the Tennis Channel Plus Does Better than ESPN
ESPN has the broadcast rights for Wimbledon coverage in 2022. The rest of the year is dominated by the Tennis Channel. Each carrier has oneRead More
2 responsesOne Thing ESPN does Better than the Tennis Channel
As the 2022 Championships at Wimbledon hits the midpoint, it is the perfect opportunity for a quick “compare and contrast” between viewer experience between streamingRead More
3 responsesThe Gift of Subscribing to Tennis Content
Neuroplasticity is the medical term for how the human brain changes and adapts as a result of experience. You can positively influence your mental development byRead More
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1 responseStrawberries and Cream: It’s Time
The strawberries and cream of Wimbledon is arguably the most iconic concession associated with any of the Grand Slam tournaments. Noshing on that dish is the perfect way to get into the tennis spirit as the fortnight gets underway tomorrow morning.
2 responsesVoluntary Consolation… If You Insist
One of the primary arguments that people make in support of voluntary consolation is that it prevents players from having to wait around a day (or more) before back draw play begins. That line of reasoning conveniently neglects to consider that a traditional voluntary consolation draw requires ALL the players to wait even longer than the worst case scenario from the traditional First Match Loser’s Consolation (FMLC) back draw. You cannot make a voluntary consolation draw without knowing the exact number of players that will elect to participate.
1 responseVoluntary Consolation and Mosquito Bites
Voluntary consolation is a variation of the First Match Loser’s Consolation (FMLC) draw. In that format, players that lose their first match have the option of signing up to participate in a back draw. Participation is not mandatory and the player has to explicitly opt-in. A significant number of players and organizers believe that voluntary consolation would be a good thing for tournament tennis. They’re wrong. Voluntary consolation is like scratching a mosquito bite. It feels like the right thing to do in the moment, but ultimately it only makes the problem worse.
1 responseHappy Father’s Day / The Trophy Husband
Happy Father’s Day! To commemorate the annual celebration of fatherhood this year, I am sharing the story of the Trophy Husband. I hope that the Trophy Husband and all the other tennis playing dads out there enjoy their special day. By that I mean, please grill something for us before you head to the courts today.
2 responsesThe Ranking System Survey
Yesterday I took a cut at creating a survey to collect data on player sentiment and preferences associated with the USTA tournament ranking system. The questions were designed in an attempt to collect useful data that might help as the USTA considers potential updates to the regulations. This post introduces that survey and shares my thought process. If you follow this site for the tennis related musings of an overthinking engineer… this content will resonate with you.
Survey Says…
The email from the USTA contains a link and the following text: “Thank you for playing in the USTA National Women’s 35, 45, 55, 65, 75, 85 & 90 Clay Court Championships in March. Would you please take a moment and share your experience?” I didn’t complete my survey until this week because I actually got tripped up by one of the questions.
USTA Local League Restrictions
From my perspective, it is a pretty shortsighted argument that preventing a subset of players from participating creates opportunities for others. Fostering and encouraging participation should maximize the number of players that are engaged in tennis. Period.