Re: Andy Murray
This comparative business riddles discussion on sport over the ages.
I think it is fair enough to compare Borg era tennis with McEnroe era, thanks to some overlap. Likewise Sampras with Federer. The sport had not evolved significantly between these players peaks.
I personally think McEnroe is the best guitarist out of all mentioned, and he was, for me, the most entertaining tennis player. Still is. I trawl YouTube for any appearance he makes on chat shows or whatever, and love anything he writes. His stories of partying on the tour, indulging in the odd spliff and such, are a great counterpoint to the (assumed) staleness of the less colourful players' tour regime. Let's not forget they are on tour for the majority of each year.
Boris Becker is another of my favourites, certainly no stranger to a good time. My ex used to live round the corner from his home in Germany, and would wait at his gates to get autographs. He always graciously gave his personal time to put a smile on their faces. He is a great pundit too.
I don't think Federer is my kind of guy, but you cannot argue with his playing. When on song, he makes the rest look pedestrian. He dances, glides, floats when he hits form. No one is more graceful, in the men's game.
Federer v (young) Sampras? Borg v Murray? Nadal v Lendl?
All the different combinations would be thrilling. I think Sampras was outright 'better' than Federer on grass, (and I don't really give a fook about the other surfaces), looking at both at their peak. Likewise Agassi. For me, better means more entertaining, more thrilling. Federer is too graceful to make it look like a huge challenge; so the thrill is somewhat muted when he comes into form to dominate after going two sets down. Never looks like an underdog once he starts flowing.
Then again, I was always a Higgins/White sort of guy.
Is this whole thing about past sports people more to do with the money?
Once real money came into sport the physicality/training side of things became more of a focus. The level of professionality climbed up the scale.
I am sure a lot of the pipe smoking, pint at half time, footballers of the 50s would still do well in the modern game. They would adapt to the training regimes of the modern game.
Same for all sports, and tennis of course.
If an eighteen year old Back To The Future McEnroe had wanted to become a champion in the modern game I am sure he would put the work in. Murray did. He did not sprout that physique overnight.
To my mind, what a lot of people are describing as 'better' is merely an increase in the physical aspect.
Sport is about more than that. Even 100M sprinters realise they are also entertainers.
