Roger Federer- any CATS come close?

I’ll nominate Lindrum. Fairly comfortably.
Definitely a Champion. Technically a sport snce 1893, but ... Next we'll be getting the Darts hero Phil Taylor on here.
 
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Compared to what? It has a field of play, balls, scoring, and distinct opponents. Is motor racing? It’s not the driver who moves at 250kph, it’s the technology.
You are correct.
I have always thought of it as a game, a pastime, a misspent youth, but in reality, it is a professional sport.
I loved it for decades, until wrecked my neck from the stooped posture. So if you can get injured from it, it's technically a sport too.
 

Catters 070911

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Inspired by Sunday and by a thread on the Hawks Board:
RF has just won his 20th SLAM as we are all aware, and is widely regarded as the GOAT sportsman alive.
Even the great Rod Laver is in awe of him.
A coach of a team of a different code recently implored his charges to find a bit of Federer in their efforts.
Are there any Cats , past or present, who carry/carried themselves the way Roger does?
Totally cool, durable, resilient, super fit, near effortless perfection, great ambassador of the game, universally loved.
Squeaky clean too.
Tall ask.
I could name players who share partial characteristics, but the total package is unattainable imo.


What? You mean is there any player who is a Gary Stu (a male equivalent to a Mary Sue).

Gee, Federer is an example of someone where everything goes his way. He was like the people I went to school with who did a lot of extra-curricular activities, were part of many clubs, had a part-time job , captain of the sports teams and had a girlfriend, yet could rock up to an exam, having done little study, and ace it, while I studied my ass off to only get B's.

I would like to see a chink in Federer's armour, some scandal, acting up on court one time, something, where he has a setback, and not one of those where he comes back and gets back in front.Maybe losing in the first round of Wimbledon in straight sets to some no-name, where it blemishes his "aura" and win-loss record. But something where he is "tarnished", not terribly, but enough to stop everyone jerking off about him.

He is tennis's version of the "Get Smart" villian, Simon The Likeable.
 

Catters 070911

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I don't get why Fed is so humble.

I mean, hasn't he heard the song :-

"It's so hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way".
 

Catters 070911

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He was only "universally loved" if you discount significant numbers of team-mates, opponents, administrators and, later on, the players he administered.



Bradman was loved because there was no internet, and not internet trolls, who have to hate. He didn't have journos who overrate themselves and have to find flaws in sportspeople and report on that. He wasn't put up as a role model and only had to play well to be admired, and he played during the Depression, when people needed someone to believe in, and not in today's cynical society, where people don't like to see sportspeople be exalted.

Imagine if Bradman played today, and went out for a duck in his final innings. Twitter would go into meltdown, and people would abuse him and call him a hack, and forget what he had done for the rest of his career.
 

Catters 070911

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I don’t get this “universally loved” as its purely subjective and can change over night.
Lance Armstrong was universally loved.
Tiger Woods was universally loved.
That changed pretty quickly though....



See, this is what I have always thought.

Who cares how nice a person they are? I am paying to see them perform at the sport they are meant to be good at, not to see them walk little old ladies across the road or pull children from burning buildings.

If I was a sportsperson, I would rather be a prick who wins and is at the top of my sport than some boy scout who struggles to make an impact in my chosen sport.

A 100 years from now, when we are all gone, and a new generation of people inhabit the earth, the record books will show a sportsperson's sporting achievements, and no-one will care that they were a nice person.

No-one seems to care how musicians act, and still will go to concerts of a singer who is a known drug user, or who degrades women in their music videos.

Lance Armstrong was never universally loved. Many here saw him as a brash American loudmouth, and were quick to believe that he cheated, even though he never failed a drug test and USADA had no proof that he cheated, except through coercian of his teammates (who were drug users too, so I question their integrity and honesty) by USADA cutting deals and doing everything to bring him down. I don't remember anyone wishing Armstrong a safe recovery from his cancer when he had it, or people praying for his recovery. I don't remember people saying how "brave" he was to overcome a life-threatening illness and get back to the top of his game. He was never praised for "winning" those Tour De Frances (I think, even without the drugs, he still would have won three or four of them on a break regardless).

Interesting fact:- Lance Armstrong and Cadel Evans have failed the same number of drug tests (as in, zero). The difference is, Cadel has more people who have his back and more people willing to believe him, because he is some "nice guy".
 
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Catters 070911

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Depends on your viewpoint. He was offered a non-combat role (the “Joe Louis deal”) and still turned it down. Then he lost his absolute peak years when no boxer was close to taking his title from him. Draft dodger is way too simplistic.


It depends on whether you agree with the Vietnam War or not.

However, Ali broke the law of the land, so that tarnished his reputation (rightly or wrongly).
 
What? You mean is there any player who is a Gary Stu (a male equivalent to a Mary Sue).

Gee, Federer is an example of someone where everything goes his way. He was like the people I went to school with who did a lot of extra-curricular activities, were part of many clubs, had a part-time job , captain of the sports teams and had a girlfriend, yet could rock up to an exam, having done little study, and ace it, while I studied my ass off to only get B's.

I would like to see a chink in Federer's armour, some scandal, acting up on court one time, something, where he has a setback, and not one of those where he comes back and gets back in front.Maybe losing in the first round of Wimbledon in straight sets to some no-name, where it blemishes his "aura" and win-loss record. But something where he is "tarnished", not terribly, but enough to stop everyone jerking off about him.

He is tennis's version of the "Get Smart" villian, Simon The Likeable.

But
*he was brash as a youngster; he had to learn to pull his head in;
*he did spend 4 years playing without a GS win, being written off by all of us
*he has lost in early rounds in tournaments , albeit rarely

And moreover, he has overcome all that to evolve into Mr. Perfect. That's why he is so perfect
 
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Lance Armstrong was never universally loved. Many here saw him as a brash American loudmouth, and were quick to believe that he cheated, even though he never failed a drug test and USADA had no proof that he cheated, except through coercian of his teammates (who were drug users too, so I question their integrity and honesty) by USADA cutting deals and doing everything to bring him down. I don't remember anyone wishing Armstrong a safe recovery from his cancer when he had it, or people praying for his recovery. I don't remember people saying how "brave" he was to overcome a life-threatening illness and get back to the top of his game. He was never praised for "winning" those Tour De Frances (I think, even without the drugs, he still would have won three or four of them on a break regardless).

Interesting fact:- Lance Armstrong and Cadel Evans have failed the same number of drug tests (as in, zero). The difference is, Cadel has more people who have his back and more people willing to believe him, because he is some "nice guy".

I remember all those things for Lance. The support he got for overcoming cancer and winning those tours was immense. He brought cycling to a whole new generation of fans.

He was absolutely loved, except by those who knew he was a cheat, and a ******* terrible bloke.

Then when we knew he cheated, ruined countless lives and forever tarnished the sport of cycling, people rightfully turned on him.
 
For a war that nearly everyone now agrees was one that the USA lost and should not ever have been in. Well done Ali

Yes...the statement .."It all depends on whether you agree with the Vietnam War or not" bemused me ... to put it lightly..
 
I remember all those things for Lance. The support he got for overcoming cancer and winning those tours was immense. He brought cycling to a whole new generation of fans.

He was absolutely loved, except by those who knew he was a cheat, and a ******* terrible bloke.

Then when we knew he cheated, ruined countless lives and forever tarnished the sport of cycling, people rightfully turned on him.
I recall reading his first book, and the intimate knowledge of all the cancer meds was a flag for me; was very skeptical then and the rest is history.
 
tonya-harding-2-7c082627-bc99-4870-9909-3a7e62fb2be6.jpg
 
I still can't find it in me to care about tennis. I tried, I really did, but ultimately I care more about the Zac Dawson's of this world than the Roger Federer's.

I will pray for you.
 
As far as Cats players go, Jimmy Bartel might be our closest - universally liked, won nearly all there is to win (except Carji!), good looking, nice guy, speaks (reasonably) well, humble....the list goes on.
Jimmy has never been the best Cat, let alone universally recognised the best in the comp, unless you refer to the 07 Charlie, and many of us believe that should have been GAJ's.
 
Its just so boring - tennis that is :D
About 750000 people attended this year and they quote 7% annual growth at the AO each year since 1987. That suggests phenomenal interest; let alone the worldwide TV interest. The Mens AO final is the most watched event in Australia.
If you've ever played tennis, it is not difficult to marvel at the skill and brilliance of the elite players.
And then the Fed interest; could he possibly win again?
Each to his own though- I find Basketball, Gplf, Horse Racing boring. Miliions don't
 

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About 750000 people attended this year and they quote 7% annual growth at the AO each year since 1987. That suggests phenomenal interest; let alone the worldwide TV interest. The Mens AO final is the most watched event in Australia.
If you've ever played tennis, it is not difficult to marvel at the skill and brilliance of the elite players.
And then the Fed interest; could he possibly win again?
Each to his own though- I find Basketball, Gplf, Horse Racing boring. Miliions don't
I don't think there's any individual sport I care about, tbh. I've never been able to feel an affinity with a single athlete when compared to an enduring institution with heritage and meaning - although that practically approaches my political views.

Then tennis on top of that is a very basic sport on the conceptual level. Sure, there's a lot going on when you dig deeper but the whole thing is incredibly basic and stripped bare - like chess for athletes.

And while I can appreciate chess I'm not going to spend my day watching it. Not when it actually requires focused attention over a long period of time (vs say the cricket which instead is realised in brief moments and is basically perfect background while doing something else).
 
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