Nov
11
First Scandal in Agassi Book — Jeff Tarango Cheated Him at Age 10, by Charles Pennington
November 11, 2009 |
I got the new Agassi book and have now read the first chapter.
The first chapter tells of his match at age 10 with Jeff Tarango (who also later became a touring pro, controversial for his bad temper). With the score tied 4-4 in the third set tiebreaker, Agassi hits a backhand winner that's three feet inside the lines. Tarango "bows his head and seems to cry…" [Tennis Week story]. "Now he stops. All of a sudden, he looks back at where the ball hit. He smiles. 'Out,' he says," writes Agassi. "I stop. 'The ball was out!' Tarango yells. This is the rule in the juniors. Players act as their own linesman… Tarango has decided he'd rather do this than lose and he knows there's nothing anyone can do about it. He raises his hand in victory. Now I start to cry."
Overall, you definitely get your money's worth if you want dirt dished. Again, writing of his childhood, page 39: "My father's mother lives with us. She's a nasty old lady from Tehran with a wart the size of a walnut on the edge of her nose…" I also once read the Tatum O'Neal autobiography, which is tangentially connected to tennis because of her marriage to John McEnroe. Agassi is scoring high on the scandal-meter, but he won't be able to touch that one.
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There seems to be a proliferation of autobiographies hitting the bookstores recently. I wonder if it is a sign of the economy or the time of the year what with the Christmas shopping season starting in a few weeks.
Hulk Hogan: My Life Outside the Ring;
McKenzie Phillips: High on Arrival;
Valerie Bertinelli: Finding It;
Victoria Gotti: This Family of Mine.
It seems that the publishers are using a tried and true maxim that a guaranteed way to promote and sell books is to lace the book with scandal, s_xual abuse, drug abuse and whatever else one needs to include to insure the success of the book. What I find interesting about the Agassi story is that if he feels so empathetic as to the relevance to share the fact that he abused methamphetamines in the late 90s why did he wait 12 years to do so.
I have not heard much about George W Bush planning on releasing his memoirs but I am sure when he does so it will be a record price paid for them. I recall that Bill Clinton commanded an amazingly high fee for his. There always seems to be a ready market for this genre. It looks like Larry King the "King of Promotions" will be ready to interview each and every one of them. As will Oprah, Matt Lauer. Jay Leno and every other host of every daytime talk show when the authors decide to go on the circuit.
Andre will spout off just about anything to get his book sales higher. Transparent.
Andre seems to be leaving out pertinent information, since due to its being the finals there was an USTA chair umpire watching over play. The chair overruled Andre. He started to cry because he was losing — period. If Andre wants to talk about his life and how horrible he seems to think it was, fine. But that's where it should stop, not telling half stories about other players — especially matches that happened over 30 years ago. He must still have a great memory after all that drug use.
James, it’s obvious that you didn’t even read the paragraph. It begins with “The first chapter tells of his match at age 10 with Jeff Tarango.” At age 10, I’m quite sure there were no USTA chair umpires there. Furthermore, he explains that “This is the rule in the juniors. Players act as their own linesman.”
Manuel, I’m quite certain Agassi doesn’t need to tarnish his or anyone else’s image to sell more books. I have a feeling he and his family — which also includes one of the greatest female players ever to pick up a tennis racket — is set for life.
Agassi rips a lot of people, but none more so than himself. His dad might be a close second. The point is if you look at motivation, he has none to write the things that he did unless he was telling the truth. As far as his memory goes, some people have absolutely fantastic memories; others, not so good. Read the book before you criticize.
I think it is a fascinating book — offering insights not only into Agassi's life, but into the mental and physical preparation and skills needed to be a professional tennis player. Early on Agassi says tennis is the loneliest sport. Now he has taken on another lonely career: writing. Loads of people love to criticize both — but very few can do either one well.
Great story, great writing, great book. Don't miss reading this book.
[…] I was struck by the connections to Agassi’s memoir Open that this match afforded. Agassi’s first scene focuses on his win over Baghdatis in the 2006 U.S. Open, and reports that later they held hands in the training room while watching replays. Soon after, he writes about an early junior tournament when at the age of 10 he was cheated out of the match by none other than Jeff Tarango. Later, in the pros, when Agassi would beat Tarango, he never forget the match, thinking to himself, F-U Jeff, F-U. […]