As we’ve been reminded this week, 1997 was not a good year
for Andre Agassi. This isn’t normally the case when someone gets married, as
Agassi did to Brooke Shields that April. But looking back, it doesn’t seem to
have been a relationship built on a rock-solid foundation. Or much of any foundation at all:
Agassi started doing crystal meth before the wedding, and when he filed for
divorce exactly two years later, he cited an incompatibility in “tastes,
natures, views, likes, and dislikes.” I’m not clear on the details of Nevada
law, but something tells me you don’t need to list quite that many reasons to go splitsville in Las Vegas.
Andre found no refuge on the tennis court. He lost seven
first-round matches, one of which came, in straight sets, at the hands of
Justin Gimelstob (not that Justin wasn’t a good tennis player or anything; just
sayin’), through the spring and summer. This was a also period in which Agassi now
says he was taking the drug. Still, he started to show signs of life in August,
just before the U.S. Open, when he reached the quarters in Indianapolis. At
Flushing, Agassi made his debut inside brand-new Arthur Ashe Stadium at night
against Steve Campbell. Above are five or so minutes from that match.
—These are the latter stages of the 4th set. Agassi
won the first two 6-1, 6-1, and dropped the third.
—Besides the drugs, the losses, and the marriage woes, this
was not a strong era for Agassi fashion-wise, either. As much as we’ve mocked
the spandex, the mullet, and the acid-wash of the 1980s over the years, at
least it was memorable and in some perverse way original. Agassi’s black-shoed,
goateed, grunge era look here makes me think of Johnny Rotten after he went
back to being John Lydon. The former Sex Pistols leader could never match the
bold and flashy outrageousness of his earliest years. What does a punk do when
he has to grow up? Did Lydon ever try crystal meth?
—I’d say Agassi is sweating more than normal here, but that
could be a combination of the shirt color and me looking for signs of drugs.
From what I’ve learned this week, crystal meth is mainly pseuodephrine, iodine,
and red phosphorus. It causes, as Agassi, said, a euphoric energy rush.
Unfortunately, it also destroys a lot of people’s lives (I guess Agassi’s
version of this was the loss to Gimel?). There’s no way I can imagine playing on
the stuff or using it as a performance enhancer.
—Agassi is visibly testier here than he will be in the
future. Look at the anger after a missed first serve. He’ll eventually lose in
the fourth-round to Pat Rafter in four very good sets. My main memory of that
match was how hyped-up Agassi was. He was over-hyped, in fact, and it was one
reason he lost.
—Could this tournament have been where he tested positive?
There are more tests done at Slams, and he was there for more than a week.
—Agassi’s serve is much weaker than it would become. Very
little back bend or kick. He can still belt a forehand, though, as he shows on
one point, but he had yet to develop the grinding consistency that he would use to
wear people down once he devoted himself to getting fit. And stopped, uh, using
crystal meth.
—He had also yet to develop his trademark post-victory kiss-blowing gesture. You can see that Agassi was an edgier and less
lovable figure in those days. We usually think of his transformation as going
from 1980s darkness—mullet, spandex, underachieving, cursing, image is
everything—straight into the golden late-career light of multiple Slams, beloved elder
status, ultra-fitness, fatherhood, and charity. But 1997 was a grim waystation
between those two stops. There was still a negativity about his on-court
persona at this point.
—This turned a lot of people off. For fans of the serene and
classy Pete Sampras, Agassi will always be defined by his punk image and the
nasty, blue-collar edge he inherited from his father. I went the other way; I liked Agassi’s raw humanity. He was surface rather than depth at the start, a
constant seeker—remember the early Bible-reading Andre?—and a
sucker for fads. He always talked about his desire to be “carried away” by
something, anything. What is his crazed devotion to fitness but the flip side
of his drug use? As Martin Amis said, we liked Andre because he always took it
too far. Like I said yesterday, there’s something extremely American about this,
and extremely American, for better and worse, about Agassi.
I don’t like knowing that he lied to cover it up. I don’t
like that he played on when he should have been suspended. And I want to know
who the heck “Slim” is. Those two first two things, rather than the drug use
itself, will likely bother me in the future. There have been stronger
reactions: Navratilova and Nadal have each said, in different words, that
Agassi has damaged the sport. Nadal also wonders why he had to come out with it at all. Agassi does have a lot of books he needs to sell—his pre-recession
advance was something like $4 million—though he still didn’t need to throw this fact
in. I have no idea why he did it. All I can do is echo Amis: Agassi's fans
loved him because he gave us so much. He's doing it again. He's still going too far.
I joyfully smirked at the two Gimel jabs (can't stand that guy) but other than that, I think Navratilova and Nadal are out of line. Especially considering Martina's recent private scandals, I have a hard time dealing with her harsh judgment. But I digress.
The reason we love and continue to love Agassi so much is because he's a champion who's human and willing to expose the good, bad and the ugly of his life. He makes mistakes -- and I for one appreciate the honesty. Why bother writing the book otherwise? What other tennis autobiography will ever capture the nation's attention like this? Sorry Serena and Venus, but you guys are way too guarded and closed off for us to ever relate to you the way we do with Andre. I don't often like to agree with Andy Roddick but Andre remains an icon and legend regardless.
Posted by phillykat
10/30/2009 at 02:34 PM
Will it ever be disclosed which tourney the positive drug test came out in?
How will this play out in the ATP boardroom, are any of the people involved with throwing out the result still around in positions of like power today?
Andre being retired, becoming such a philanthropic person, I kinda wish he had kept this revelation quiet, but maybe it was that unseen monkey he had to get off his back. Hopefully he feels the better for baring his soul.
Posted by MJA
10/30/2009 at 02:37 PM
What a shame! It may never be the same picture of Agassi for most fans around the world.
Posted by Matt
10/30/2009 at 02:43 PM
You can mumble around all you want, but the only thing that matters here is that Agassi tasted positive and he got away with it, while others with less name and/or from smaller countries didn't.
I don't even blame Agassi for this, I'm pretty sure a lot of (if not all) other big-name players did/do the same and the ATP lets them get away with it.
Posted by Matt
10/30/2009 at 02:45 PM
"I kinda wish he had kept this revelation quiet,"
Why? do you like beign lied to?
Posted by ACS
10/30/2009 at 03:25 PM
The real disgrace and coverup is by the ATP. Apparently, they were willing to do whatever it took to keep their golden calf generating cash. I know that meth is not considered a performance enhancer, but to simply throw the thing away like it never occurred is unethical. And wasn't it not even a year later that Korda tested positive for a performance enhancer after winning a major? He was a top player and apparently not granted any leeway. Makes you wonder about what would have happened if that was Agassi as well.
Posted by Federeske
10/30/2009 at 03:31 PM
If he was comitted to speak about that,do not throw a book few days before...
As a tennis player,guess will never know how much did he use this drug or other,as a person,he is going down badly
In my opinion,those who want to admire the courage to said the truth,do not put in the scale the really truly moment when you have what it needs to say it.
I guees it would be a lot more admirable if he went out a few months,and come back,probably would do same as he acomplished,but with real pride...
What a shame,but more shame,when money is big shadow in the form of a book.
Enjoy your best seller...and of course,the money...
Posted by Papo (Got Nadal?)
10/30/2009 at 03:38 PM
"How will this play out in the ATP boardroom, are any of the people involved with throwing out the result still around in positions of like power today?"
This is the part I don't get. Why did Agassi screw over the people on the independent panel who gave him a break. I'm sure they were well aware Meth is not a performance enhancing drug so they decided it would be a shame if Agassi's career were ruined. Now that he turned around and exposed the whole episode. I'll bet they wish they could go back and not be so lenient now, LOL. Now there are people saying stuff like this:
Pounds, a senior Canadian member on the International Olympic Committee, doubts the validity of many of the panels that monitor drug offences in professional sports.
"I have heard about some of these panels. They are not serious panels. They are like the one USA track and field used to have," Pound said.
"The mere fact they have a panel doesn't make it independent or rigorous."
You can bet future panels will now think twice about leniency when reviewing cases like Agassi's or Gasquet's.
Also worth noting that just when players like the Bryans Brothers, Nadal and Murray were complaining about the severity of the testing, now the players are put in the position of defending the sport by saying things like that are not likely to happen today because of the that same rigirous testing, LOL.
Posted by Christopher
10/30/2009 at 04:03 PM
I read the excerpts in SI today and it was very interesting stuff. Well written (by whoever his co-author is) and revealing. The section where he describes the first time his father and Graf's met is truly hilarious (the end up shirtless, challenging each other to a boxing match).
Posted by phillykat
10/30/2009 at 04:11 PM
"I kinda wish he had kept this revelation quiet,"
Why? do you like beign lied to?
It's not that I like being lied to, it's that at this point what is the benefit of AA disclosing this some 12 years later? I mean is anybody going to come out the better for this?
- Can they go back and void his '97 matches?
- Can they retroactively fine him?
- Can they award victories to the opponents he may have beat during the time he possibly would have faced suspension?
- Can any ATP officials involved face disciplinary actions for the non-disclosure?
His disclosure opens up a BIG can of worms, more questions than answers IMO. He may have needed to do this for his personal, mental and moral health per se but now there are just so many lingering questions.
Posted by joe_can_bike
10/30/2009 at 04:37 PM
I think doing drugs, getting caught, lying your way out of it and getting NO punishment isn't exactly the best moral lesson to put out there. Aside from money and emptying his conscience, I'm not sure what is to be gained from telling the story. Fits in nicely with our voyeuristic, drive-by media, I suppose. All truths don't need to be known (hi, Mackenzie Phillips). A simple "I hit rock bottom" could have sufficed (with emphasis on the "rock" innuendo).
Posted by travis
10/30/2009 at 04:38 PM
This video makes it clear that Andre Agassi was the George Michael of the tennis court.
Posted by Corrie
10/30/2009 at 04:38 PM
I haven't heard anything about Martina Nav's "recent private scandals". What on earth does this mean?
Posted by KDBUG
10/30/2009 at 04:39 PM
I'm with phillykat - didn't really need to know about Andre's drug use. I once met the real Maria Von Trap late in her life. She was not a happy woman and I found myself wishing I could have simply been left with the Julie Andrews version.
Posted by Federeske
10/30/2009 at 04:49 PM
The lesson is simple
"CHEAT"
He will be remebered as a cheater,period.
And the real GOOD THING TO DO,knowing that you have a family AND KIDS,is shut the f.. to your grave.
I know is not correct,but Agassi is telling kids,cheat.
R.I.P.
I am hoping Graff,reminds quite,the would be a good example to his kids.
It's unfortunate that Andre had to confess, but does anyone remember Boris Becker's words 10 or so years ago that tennis has to clean up it's drug problem? Many fans believe that the problem is just as bad today as then and that this "testing" is inadequate.
Posted by David Johnson
10/30/2009 at 05:51 PM
Speaking of hyped up, I had the distinct impression that Roddick was a little too "hyped up" in his 2007 U.S. Open quarterfinal against Roger Federer. It certainly made me wonder.
Posted by Anwar
10/30/2009 at 05:56 PM
"Agassi’s serve is much weaker than it would become."
Are you doing Crystal Meth as well? :)
Thanks otherwise for a great blog!
Posted by Heidi
10/30/2009 at 06:14 PM
Excellent analysis, Steve. I'm glad people are talking about this seriously -- regardless of whether crystal meth is performance-enhancing or not (and all seem agreed that it's not), with all the scrutiny tennis and other sports have been under, this is yet another Image Is Everything dilemma.
Posted by David
10/30/2009 at 06:15 PM
What is admirable about Agassi, apart from his stark honesty, is that after all his personal turmoil, and the dissolution of his tennis game, Andre was able to persevere, to pull himself together and find that love for life and sport that was missing when he was adrift. It's like John Lennon's so called Lost Weekend-- yes, he behaved poorly, but he emerged a wiser, stronger man who was finally comfortable with himself.
That Nadal and Navratilova have reacted the way they have is too bad. They both completely miss the point. Nadal's stance is more understandable, because we know that Nadal values sportsmanship and honesty above all else. In Martina's case, her comparison to Roger Clemens is simply misguided.
And if anyone thinks Andre cheated, that is, gained an unfair advantage on the court, you're mistaken.
Posted by sally
10/30/2009 at 06:49 PM
martina's recent scandals include being with a woman for a few years, said woman gives up her life and career to cavort with martina, then martina dumps woman and throws her stuff out on the
street, and wants nothing to do with said woman ever again.it has happened to numerous woman who have been unlucky enough to get
involved with her.
Posted by Dunlop Maxply
10/30/2009 at 06:54 PM
If athletes want to use recreational, non-performance enhancing drugs, I say its a matter between the athlete and the civil and criminal authorities in whatever country they are in.
If the tennis authorities, players and fans can't figure out that crystal meth, alcohol, and cocaine do not enhance performance, then, well, I mean, to quote South Park "how stupid are you people?"
I may be too much of a libertarian on this, but what is the difference, exactly, between cocaine use and a messy divorce where you may owe an ex money? How about a dispute with your landlord? Speeding tickets? Drunk driving?
When you are not playing you are a citizen like anyone else. Players should be treated accordingly.
Posted by Fangorina
10/30/2009 at 07:26 PM
These revelations don't suprise me. The 1990's were rife with this drug. It also doesn't surprise me that Andre chose to disclose it, and sadly, doesn't surprise me that the ATP took him at his word when he lied about the positive test. He was a true power player in the politics of tennis in the 1990's, and had more pull because of his popularity than he should have had. That said, I didn't much care for him during this period of his career, and only learned to appreciate him in his later incarnation. The whole thing makes me admire Pete Sampras all the more not just for what he did in the game, but what it seems he did not do: ignore the rules. But I won't crucify Andre either for coming out with it now. He will have to face the court of public opinion with a slightly tarnished halo, and pay the piper a little now since he avoided that payment when it was legally due.
Posted by Federeske
10/30/2009 at 08:25 PM
About the 2007 QF MATCH
Yes...Roddick look very suspicious,and I hardly doubt it was the spank he recieve in A.O. semis(He would broke down after the first set of the US OPEN)
Curious thing is that he is Agassi Lawyer now...
We all know the drugs are out there,and for some people,it´s easy to notice changes in the behaviors of some players.
Who doesen´t remeber Diego Maradona look to the camera in the soccer world cup 1994,he got suspended later on,was it not similar to the Djoker look in A.O. 08.....
I think,that a lot of players in a lot of sports use them in the off season to get stroger,leaner,faster,harder,huge,depend of the needs of the sport.
I suspect that some suplements that in tha past where forbbiden,because they simply are enhancers,are being used by a lot of guys in a regular basis.
Or do you not remeber who was the first one who start yelling when the ATP said every player has to report 365.....
It is up to the Tennis Federetations with good controls,it´s over,the real problem may be the staff that is in charge of such difficult and honorable job,hope all are telling tha truth and that they do not like color green only because of wimbledon....
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