C'mon ANDY

[woodrot]

well done Andy - you are now a BRITISH hero and not a greetin' sour faced SCOTTISH loser any more.

but seriously , he did rather well

[StraferJack]

Wasn't just a scot/brit winning today

It was a scot/brit who had been constantly told he wouldn't / couldn't win who won

Something in that

Last 2 years have been some of the best sports years I've been party to

2012 Olympics

Euro 2012

Ryder cup

Murray semifinal

Murray final

Lions

Something about cricket

But today felt bigger than any of them. Watched final with friends and friends of friends and strangers. Guts were wrenched

And he only went and won

With style

Speeches ( winner and loser) were small things of beauty

Made me feel world can be better place.

That's sport

[aquarius moon]

Excellent post SJ.

Totally agree with you.

[numbers]

What AQ said!

[maxxi]

He won. Marvellous. He has a big head tho' - kind of like a giant turnip. He gets it from his mum.

[Dopamine1979]

http://thumbs.newschoolers.com/index.php?src=http://fim.413chan.net/fic/src/132597704176-Clap.gif&size=400x1000

[Otta]

I've never supported individual British sportsmen/women just because they're British in things like Tennis or Boxing. There are British boxers who I've really wanted to see get knocked the fuck out by their non British opponent because they've come over so arrogant / cocky.

Athletics is a bit different, as they are paid sweet FA, and they tend to be all about winning for their country as well as themselves. Tennis players, boxers, F1 Drivers are in it for themselves and for the substantial money they earn, and all power to them for that, but I'm not going to support them just because they are British, I support the ones that appeal most to me and excite me most.

The other night after the semi final win the BBC showed some highlights of Murray, and I was thinking "my gosh he's really playing some awesome stuff, it's like watching Macenroe". Then they switched to the post match interview and his monotone voice, and I just thought "you bore me".

He's grown in to a wicked player, and I'd certainly cheer him against Federer any day. He'll probably go on and win a fair few grand slams now, and I wish him luck and will cheer his tennis, but at the end of the day he just doesn't have the personality to make me a big fan. With tennis I tend to like the slightly flawed and over emotional players.

But fair play, thoroughly deserved victory under the immense pressure a lot of the flag waving morons put him under.

[Annette Curtain]

First thing my youngest boy said this morning (whilst dressed in a bed sheet roman style)

"Andy Murray actually won Wimbledon, he's amazing "

[StraferJack]

The way things are going it?s going to seem like I?m picking fights with anything Otta posts ? I?m not really I?m broadly in agreement

Individual sports require the person to be driven to the exclusion of almost anything else ? it?s not even optional.

But it?s hard to look at Murray and see the people of Dunblan celebrating, and him talking about it and how it?s helped that town exorcise some ghosts and think ?he?s only in it for himself?

[Jeremy]

I quite like Andy... he's not some slick media personality, he's a normal person. He obviously doesn't like being interviewed, but he shows plenty of emotion on the court - probably too much - and is a hell of a fighter. It's good to see him realise his dreams and reach the peak of his sport (US Open, Wimbledon, Olympic Gold)... not something you see every day.

[the-e-dealer]

Has it finished yet ?#

[Jeremy]

I see what Otta's saying though, I don't really see Andy Murray as representing Britain as such (that's what the Davis Cup is for). Although of course the support of the country will have helped motivate him, and obviously it's fantastic for Dunblane to be associated with something positive.

[Otta]

Totally agree about Dunblane. I wasn't suggesting that he's sone selfish bastard, I just mean that he's not out there representing his country, so I won't cheer him just because he's British. I'll cheer him fir playing well. It's just the fkag waving which annoys ne basically.

Andy Murray is probably a nicer bloke than any of the English football team, but they are a team sent out to represent England, so I'm more likely to supoort that team for patriotic reasons than any individual sports person.

[Salsaboy]

C'mon Tim.

[Help-Ma-Boab]

"I'll cheer him fir playing well"

You see Otta, the Murray effect is taking grip - said like a true Scotsman.

Amazing day yesterday. Just wish it was Saturday, after the Lions Game. Dont think i would have been allowed out again for the rest of the year though!

[Mick Mac]

Jeremy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I quite like Andy... he's not some slick media

> personality, he's a normal person. He obviously

> doesn't like being interviewed, but he shows

> plenty of emotion on the court - probably too much

> - and is a hell of a fighter. It's good to see him

> realise his dreams and reach the peak of his sport

> (US Open, Wimbledon, Olympic Gold)... not

> something you see every day.

All the good things have been said, which I agree with but "normal" - I don't think so really.

Loved the journey and watching him win, but it perhaps demonstrates that the winning personality that has helped him get there doesn't always come across very well.

He reminds me of Faldo, focussed to the point of being unaware of what's going on around him.

Yesterday BBC - How does it feel to win - "better than last year"

Today BBC - how does it feel to wake up a Wimbledon champion Andy - "It feels ok"

I think that off the court it takes an awful lot to get AM excited.

[*Bob*]

The last time I felt much of anything for a winner was when Ivanisevic won. Still no change.

The quality of the tennis has got better and better, but my interest has declined. The level of uberprofessionalism required to reach the top seems to have been at the expense of those indefinable bits and pieces of stuff that seemed to add up to something more.

So I guess I agree with Otta.

Anyway everybody else in the known universe is cock-a-hoop .. so whatevs.

[El Pibe]

Having been an Andy detractor I was actually pretty chuffed for him, if only because of how tense that final game was.

If he'd been broken you just had a sense of this script whereby he loses the tie-break and then the momentum goes with Djokovic.

It would have been Jana Novotna all over again and that would have been a horrible thing to witness, and he did play the match of his life to cruise past the world number one in straight sets so well done that man.

Having said all that I'm pretty much with the points made by otta and bob, plus I tend to find tennis pretty boring.

Wimbledon in nice weather has this nostalgic quality, a hazy sense of golden summers and soft breezes and playing in the garden and surrounding woods and generally being happy, but you have to miss Connors, McEnroe and those lovely wooden rackets. In fact was Lendl the beginning of the end?

[Mick Mac]

Its the dominance of the baseliners (Murray Djokovic and Nadal) v the class of a more diverse game of eg Federer.

Baseline games can take a bit of time to get going and sometimes can be long and dull encounters despite what the commentators try to tell us - but can have some great passing shots.

Baseliner v serve and vollyer used to give the best matches at Wimbledon but they are a rare combo now.

[Jeremy]

Mick Mac Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> He reminds me of Faldo, focussed to the point of

> being unaware of what's going on around him.

I dunno... my interpretation is just of an introverted personality who loves the sport but has no interest in the limelight. More of a Paul Scholes or Kimi Raikkonen.

[Otta]

"Baseliner v serve and vollyer used to give the best matches at Wimbledon but they are a rare combo now."

I think it was the 1992 final, Agassi Vs Ivanisevic. One of my favourite matches ever.

"Wimbledon in nice weather has this nostalgic quality, a hazy sense of golden summers and soft breezes and playing in the garden and surrounding woods and generally being happy, but you have to miss Connors, McEnroe and those lovely wooden rackets. In fact was Lendl the beginning of the end?"

I still miss Steffi Graf's legs!

But seriously, the women's game used to be far more entertaining back then, before the power game started creeping in. Don't get me wrong, nuff respect to the Williams sisters, but the young Hingis was the last female tennis player that I used to really enjoy watching (for the tennis!!!!).

[El Pibe]

Oh yeah, Hingis, a grown up Heidi with nice pins, to do something odd to your insides.

What's that, tennis? No idea what you're talking about?.

[Sue]

StraferJack Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

> Speeches ( winner and loser) were small things of

> beauty

>

> Made me feel world can be better place.

>

> That's sport

xxxxxxx

Totally agree.

Great match and lovely speeches.

I do miss the serve and volley thing a bit though.

[Jeremy]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I do miss the serve and volley thing a bit though.

I know what you mean. But in the 90s I seem to remember people complaining that there were no rallies any more!

[MrBen]

Bring back wooden rackets and head sweat bands.