Monday, July 06, 2009

Tennis anyone?

... Theodore Dalrymple on the Ugliness of Andrew Murray - or why we should all become more self-controlled. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

One summer, when I was in high school, Philly's late, lamented classical musical station, WFLN, broadcast a tennis tournament (which was held, I think, in Merion). It was some of the quietest radio I have ever heard. The steady back-and-forth of the ball for the most part, punctuated every now and then by polite applause.
But I think Dalrymple has missed the point somewhat. Loud expressions of enthusiasm and naked aggression have long since replaced sportsmanship as values among most of those who play and watch athletic events these days. These are the prescribed manners of the day.

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