Can we get a photo of Bert Sugar? I vaguely the remember the name from my childhood, but I can't *quite* see the face in my mind's eye.

D-Wiz: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_Randolph_Sugar

G'oh boy! Thanks, Sam...um, sorta. ;) (not your fault...I asked for it)

Aww man. Thoughts later. But Pete, that made me a bit emotional. At work.

"Caring isn't doing." Andre Agassi is such a complete human being.

I really enjoyed this post, Pete. It left me with a real sense that all is very well with Andre. Very good. :)

Yeah, I guess he's not gonna win any hott contests. :-)

Thanks for this post, Pete. Andre looks happy, and I'm glad he gets to spend more time with his kids now (who, by the way, are absolutely *adorable*). Go Andre!

Is it just me, or has Andre put on a smidge of weight since September? His face looks fuller (although it could be the shirt-collar; I'm not accustomed to seeing him in one).

Anyhow, the MoD is important. My Dad had polio as a child -- a light case. Even then, he still occasionally suffers from the aftereffects. It's good that athletes are supporting such a solid, worthy organization; one that did (and continues to do) something.

wow, Pete, that was great. It's funny, your observation that he seems so much more himself now that he's not playing tennis doesn't seem odd to me. I sometimes think (and thought) that he didn't really WANT to be playing tennis, and that is what all his angst-filled early years were about. It was not until he embraced that THIS was what he was, for good or ill, and somehow found a way to embrace that and define it in his own way, that he found a measure of peace. I think he realized early on that he could use his stardom to accomplish far loftier goals than winning tennis tournaments, and that's what drove him in the last, oh, decade. Did he like winning? Of course. But I don't think it was EVER what he was all about, and THIS is what contributed to his genre-crossing popularity.

BTW, I would have preferred to hear that Andre would find his way into a commentator's booth sometime REALLY soon, but maybe he'll change his mind someday. I really think the game would benefit from his trenchant analysis, but then I'm a completely over-the-top AA KAD... :D

Random thoughts.

Without meaning to get all "Cats in the Cradle", one of the things I love about retired athletes is that they seem so chuffed about getting to spend all that time with their kids. I think that's one of the reasons Agassi seems so fulfilled. That and the stellar career already behind him and the devotion to greater causes. Pat Rafter's the same, he's talked about how lucky he feels getting to be a hands-on dad, when so few men get to spend as much time with their families as they would like.

On that note, Pat Rafter isn't lazy sack of Vegemite!

It's nice that Andre was thoughtful enough to point out how unsung these people are. I just looked up the polio posters Pete mentioned - I'd never heard of them. (I can't believe that, considering they were an FDR initiative. I mean, I'm not American, but still.) Problems that the world will never see, indeed.

"Agassi" IS a pretty good crossword name.

It's nice, and fitting, that Andre still watches tennis. He did seem like that type.

Great post, Pete. It's wonderful to see Agassi and others supporting such a good cause. It's also nice to see that he understands what is truly important in life.

"Become the change you want to see" - love this quote.

I'm a veteran crossworder, and I can attest to the ubiquity of Agassi, which never fails to bring a smile to my lips...

Plus, Pete's right about his flat little bald head. With that, and his big eyes, he always reminded me a LOT of ET...

Pat Cash ALWAYS pops up in our cryptic crosswords. Compilers just can't get enough of the dual meaning of his surname.

I have a mental block about cryptic crosswords. I can do any other kind of word puzzle or word game, but give me a cryptic and I quake before it...it's kinda like my kryptonite.

Pete, that post was beautiful, and I think you captured the true essence of Andre - and why he has resonated with me for so many years.

Thanks, AmyLu, and good-nite all.

Rosia - forgive me for not returning you 'allo,'allo earlier. . .

I guess Bert isn't making D-Wiz's revised Hott-Hott list. . .

"It's nice, and fitting, that Andre still watches tennis. He did seem like that type."

you're right, Lucy. i have this feeling that tennis players, when they retire often want to get tennis out of their system (like I think Sampras and Rafter not picking up rackets for quite some time), taking a complete break from it before getting back in the loop of things. but you're right about Agassi, he does seem like the type who will always be involved even right after retirement.

Thanks for the post, Pete.

Picture it: Pete, working the room. Sidles up to Danica Patrick, strikes up a convo, and she has nothing interesting to say. Gah! Doesn't it always work out that way! I'm disappointed in Danica Patrick. Actually, not really, but it really would've been cool if she *had* an opinion on 'Our Andre.' I mean, I guess I just think it would've been cool because she's an American (sorry to the non-Americans) sports figure who's gotten a LOT of attention and it would've been great if she'd noticed a tennis player (an iconic American one, at that). Oh well.

I was never an Andre KAD. I've said this before. But Andre & I grew up together, we're EXACTLY the same generation, and when we were teens we were at at opposite ends of the cultural landscape. Regardless, we both grew up. And I used to look down on him (all that neon, mullet & 'image'). I'm ashamed of that. We both grew up and he's a better person than I am. I know that we don't really 'know' these sports figures. I'm sure Andre is altogether human (read: imperfect). But this guy is truly truly special. Tennis is lucky that he represents tennis and the world is lucky he represents humanity.

Thanks, Pete, for the Andre reminder.

Um....pretty much...NO. No Bert Sugar on this gal's HOTT HOTT list. Not. Gonna. Happen. (sorry, Bert)

I thought Julio Bedoya from the photo credits sounded pretty hott.

Pete, tremendous piece. It's such a joy to be able to read your great writing day in, day out.

Lucy, loved the "Cats in the Cradle" reference. Makes me feel not so old. :) Reading Pete's story, I was turning to jello like I do every time I hear that song. How do you know that song, though?

D-Wiz, beautiful post on growing up with Andre. Although, I have my doubts about "he's a better person than I am", but I understand what you're saying.

Maybe because I'm not a resident of another planet?

Also, Ugly Kid Joe covered it in the 90s.

Ok, point taken. :) But I would venture to say there are quite a number of folks in their early twenties who would look at me cross-eyed if I asked them about something called "Cats in the Cradle".

Ugly Kid Joe? Now I do feel old. :)

How Billie Jean King to be talking WTT, and how Andre to bring it all back to the main topic at hand -- the March of Dimes and doing one's part to make a difference (not just talk about about it). I can't imagine anyone who could live with Steffi Graf, not being direct and to the point.

Steggy, I agree that Andre looks a tad heavier in these photos.

I was happy to read a first hand description of Danica Patrick (she looks sooo very petite on TV). I've followed her career a bit, and look forward to her starting to win on the Indy circuit (I think she stayed with Indy cars last I heard...).

I'm still looking for that Connors Frank DeFord article, and was glad of the mention of him (I bought a SI book featuring some of their best articles ever published, and while DeFord's Connors article is not included, several others by him are -- he was and is fantastic).

You have a dream job, Pete!!!!

Well, it has been a while, but this is a nice enough occasion.

*waves hello to the TW gang, all of whom have been missed*

The Petite Shoe Thrower wrote this earlier: "But speaking of the Internet, if you get a chance, read Pete’s most recent piece. It’s on Andre and very beautifully written.". Since she's usually right on about almost everything, I followed her advice, and I'd have to concur with her asessment. Really, really nice piece, Pete.

Argh, I too join the many who already miss Andre. I sure hope that the guys create enough fireworks in 2007 so that the nostalgia doesn't get heavier.

Take care everyone, enjoy the Davis Cup final. Down here, you can hardly tell they're about to play in the friggin' final; almost everyone believes they're doomed. Everyone except Luli Mancini, who with each day that passes seems like one of the most reasonable people wearing those colors.

Pete - I enjoyed very much reading your post today. You can wax lyrical about Andre Agassi's sports prowess, his achievements in education, his happy home life (and that's no small achievement!), his contribution to tennis but, even more importantly in my book, he comes across as a helluva nice guy. I wanted to say it's not a bad epitaph but I'm sure for Andre, the best is yet to come.

Hey JJ, we've missed you - glad you've found some time to come back. Hope you're going to post your thoughts as the DC weekend unfolds. More importantly, do you think they are doomed?

Pete, any thoughts on what's going on with the Williams sisters and Richard in the court room?

Hi, JJ. I was about to email you that you must read this piece…

I think I can say with certainty that Agassi is one of the most eloquent, intelligent speakers I have ever heard. Not only compared to other athletes, but compared to everybody. He could have made a great commentator, but as he has always done, he will choose his own path, in his own time.

Hey Pete
Thanks for the post.It made me very emotional.

There is only one thing I can say. Andre is HOT, SUPER HOT and totally HOT.

Pete: Wow! You now know my "real" nickname. Though I'm entirely happy with my TW nickname as well. I really enjoyed this piece. The fact that I'm not American makes no difference to how I view the great American icon that is Andre Agassi: he is truly a big human being, and I'm grateful that you have shared these close observations of him. The world of tennis is truly lucky to have been graced for so long by him. One of the many things that has stuck in my mind about him is that in spite of all the adulation that has surrounded him, he has kept his personal relationships remarkably real. He did not take advantage of his fame and good looks to have a string of meaningless relationships; that kind of thing genuinely seems to have meant nothing to him; he wanted to fall in love, for good or bad, and really has lived by that, as far as I can tell. Quality over quantity. He didn't seem to care what people said about his friendship with Barbra Streisand, either (his Dad said in his book that as far as he knows, that's all it was). For all that Andre has been through, he now seems serene, from your description.

I can't wait for someone to write an up to date biography of Andre. Remarkable that no-one has. All the books I have about him are out of date to some extent (some very). The most interesting (and I think the most recent) of them was Mike Agassi's book, which is also partly about his own life. He, incidentally, raves about his daughter-in-law, Steffi. One of the lovely things about watching some of Andre's matches in recent years, especially at the last US Open, has been those shots of Steffi in the crowd, her inner glow shining out, whatever the score may be.

JJ: sorry to have missed you, but nice to see you dropping by. Hope you are keeping well. See you after your busy period is over!

D-Wiz: Enjoyed your post on growing up with Andre. I was never a KAD of his either, and didn't think much of him at first, but really admire how he has matured and what he is doing to help children now. I also like that despite how rough his father was on him (SI.com had a good piece on that a while back, I'll have to find the link), he seems to be a good father who really enjoys being with his children.

JJ - Good to see you back

Nice to hear from you, JJ, and Tim as well (saw a post of his somewhere in the mix). Hopefully, we can have the whole Tribe at some point during the holidays. Sort of a TW Holiday Party. :)

On the topic of Andre, and specifically Stefanie, it's now easy to see exactly why Andre fell for her. It seems like her whole outward expression lately says it all: strong partner, lover, friend, amazing mother to their children.

"'Andre, I've got to go pick up my kid at school, can we catch up some time soon, maybe out in Vegas or something?'

'Sure, call me anytime. We'll knock a few down. Hey, what am I doing?'"

I've gassed up my Jeep and am waiting up by 96th Street, Pete. I think we could be in Vegas inside three days. I've got two sleeping bags, some Mountain Dew, and four bags of Cool Ranch Doritos.

Pete? Pete?

Pete?

PS Thanks so much for this. It made me feel surprisingly satisfied to hear about Andre's satisfaction, the general sense of groundedness. Makes sense he isn't going to jump into commentary - the philanthropy always seems to comes first to him. I hope so much he stays in the public view at least a little though, to continue to remind us of what I think he stands for: the possibility of transformation and and keeping faith in a better tomorrow.

Good morning, all.

Pete:

Thank you for paying attention to where the devil hides.
It's always nuance, that brings truth home. Good post.

Keep Smiling

anonymous=me, again.

Wonderful post Pete.

I was not a Andre fan initially when he jumped onto the scene, but in his second "Avatar" I became one. What a great pair, Andre and Steffi!

One of the things I appreciate about America is how deeply philanthropy is embedded in its culture.

Given that it can be said that sport, in and of itself, is meaningless, it might be interesting to have a discussion in TW sometime about the rich cultural meaning of sport, and also whether the off-court philanthropic activities of someone like Andre, enabled by the living that he has gained from his sport, make sport more meaningful than it otherwise would be. We certainly like to see our stars involving themselves in charitable causes; even more so in Andre's case where it's clear that what he is doing is living it.

I'm struggling to think of a comparable example in the UK, and that's not meant to belittle anyone's charitable activities.

By the way, the Davis Cup final draw is out:

Friday - Juan Ignacio Chela (ARG) vs. Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)
David Nalbandian (ARG) vs. Marat Safin (RUS)

Saturday - Agustin Calleri and David Nalbandian (ARG)
vs.
Dmitry Tursunov and Mikhail Youzhny (RUS)

Sunday - David Nalbandian (ARG) vs. Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)
Juan Ignacio Chela (ARG) vs. Marat Safin (RUS)

Here is a link to the SI.com article on Agassi that I mentioned. You need to have an SI subscription however, which I no longer have.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/preview/siexclusive/2006/pr/subs/siexclusive/07/11/agassi0717/index.html

Ahh, Rosia, from a sociological point of view, I would argue that Sport, in and of itself, is very meaningful -- and that's a discussion I would love to have will all of you (once I finish my papers and can actually focus upon crafting arguments and thoughts).

*waves hello to Rosia*

If anyone wants to read the Andre article, I do have a subscription to SI and would be happy to pass it along to anyone who desires to read it.

Hi AmyLu: it "can be said", but that's not necessarily what I'd say either - just a "devil's advocate" question.

An article and press release about the LTA's new appointments:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/6159483.stm

http://www.lta.org.uk/Newsroom/GeneralNews/061130Leadership.htm?BSMGuid=0d89b606-8e0f-4990-a6eb-24614b8bba1f

No tears in tennis, No tears in tennis!

Pete, you made my eyes well up.

Next time you see your buddy Frank. Tell him I'm a big fan!

Ray - I'm not invited? Geez.

AmyLu - you are the sweetest!

I first heard of the March of Dimes from reading Tennis magazine, and from both my professional and personal experience (as someone who wore those type of callipers that you describe for the first twenty seven years of my life), the significance of its work is not lost on me.

I think that Younes El Aynaoui is probably the best tennis name for a crossword, especially if it's vowels that interest you.

It's great to hear that Agassi is enjoying life after tennis. Long may this continue.

Rosia, I figured that wasn't your view -- I can just provide theoretical arguments and have the weight of my discipline behind me to aruge that Sport is very meaningful for both society and culture. There's even a subfield within Sociology now called Sociology of Sport!

*blushes at Sanja's compliment*

Sam, perhaps is it because Mike Agassi was so tough on Andre that has made Andre a great parent. I can't imagine Andre tearing either of his children away from their mother and friends to send them miles away to live with strangers just to play tennis.

Thanks Pete. I was almost in tears reading that. Best blog you've had, ever, in my opinion. Of course, I love Andre and love reading nice things about him. I truly believe that Andre will eventually be known for his charitable work and tennis will just be a footnote in his biography!!!

pete, glad to see you made it with andre !
well, i'm sure the guy is going to amaze us in the future with the new goals he has set down for himself...
now he can commit 100% to it, and he's lucky to have a great woman by his side...
if you happen to meet him again soon, i'd like to know how steffy did get involved in his charity, and how she back him up with his new goals...
i wouldn't be surprise if one day he embraces some politics to go further and deeper with the changes he wants to achieve...
agassi for governor sounds good ! did he ever though about it ? go and ask, pete !
we need more mans of good will like him... our worst enemy is i can't do something worth to make a difference, agassi just says the opposite... he goes one step at the time, i don't think he knows where this new road will take him, but i'm sure he'll go the further he can.
you don't get such kind of human beings with his charisma and commitment to his beliefs so often, if he can bring more men and women to his cause, then becoming the change will succed far more than anyone would expect, and if i had to bet some money on someone to get things change, it would be him...
but i'm only speculating, but when i see how agassi has changed, it impresses me...
i don't care if he never turns back to tennis, because he has more important things to do, and that's ok with me.
but if he wants to be involved, i'm sure he would be terrific as davis cup captain ! he has plenty of time to do so many things, i really hope we get some interview from agassi and his new life or just the life he has allways looked for...

AmyLu: let's have that discussion when we both have some time. And I would love to read the SI article. What a kind offer!

Diego Maradona is on his way to Moscow to support Argentina in the Davis Cup final!

I will have to avoid TW tomorrow until after watching the matches on recording. Can't be at home, unfortunately.

I actually saved the SI article on Andre as a Word document (altho' it's got some funky coding going on that i'm afraid to delete in case it deletes everything else!).

I'd be happy to e-mail it to anyone who was interested.

lorraine,
thanks very much for the offer. can i get a copy please?

Rosia, I just e-mailed the article to you! And looking forward to the discussion.

And ptenisnet, I will do so as well for you - I just formatted it for Rosia. You may get lucky and have two copies of it! :)

morning all

I would like a copy too, please.

tennisfan, I just sent you a copy as well. :)

I'm off to campus and class, but I'm happy to send more copies whenever I return - or I'm sure Lorraine will send copies too.

Have a very Happy Thursday everyone!

thanks amy. got it.

Thank you AmyLu. You have a great Thursday as well and good luck with your papers.

Thanks Amy. I will pick it up when I get home.

AmyLu - I'd like a copy as well. I thought I saved it when I red it over the summer, but I can't find it ...

"Sam, perhaps is it because Mike Agassi was so tough on Andre that has made Andre a great parent. "

Essie - I believe those experiences have given him a different perspective on parenting, which he has applied as a parent to the benefit of his children. I also feel that his experiences are at least part of what has driven him to help children.

Hi Sam!

I'm actually surprised that he said he was watching tennis. I would think that that would be too much of an emotional experience, that one would want to put a little space.

The fact that he is doing that is IMO the biggest indication that he is at peace with himself.

OK so the LTA now has on its coaching staff:

Brad Gilbert
Paul Annacone
Nigel Sears (ex-coach to Hantuchova and considered a top women's coach)
Carl Maes (ex-coach to Kim Clijsters and to Belgian Fed Cup team)
Peter Lundgren
Paul Hutchins (who he, Ed?)
and a soon to be opened £40m national tennis centre

and I read recently that there are only 8,500 under 18 yr olds playing competitive tennis in the UK (compares with 250,000 in France).

What is going to get better results for the UK? More top coaches or more kids at the grass roots playing?

For sure, the LTA have not taken any of the lessons of Mike Agassi to heart. You may be interested to see what advice they are giving to parents of potential champions...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2006/11/29/soinve29.xml&sSheet=/sport/2006/11/29/ixothspt.html

Hi Sanja!

It is nice to see someone at peace with himself as he is. I have come around on Andre quite a bit the past few years. I was never a big fan of him or his game (still not a fan of the latter), but after reading a few articles about his maturation and what he has done philanthropically, I developed a tremendous amount of respect for him. I think that what he has done off the court is much more impressive than what he has done on the court.

Sam, I just sent you the SI article on Andre. AmyLu's probably still buried in stats hell...

I liked Andre in the early years because he made my dad mad (with the outfits, hair and earrings on of all things a TENNIS COURT! Heaven forbid).

I will forever love him for that mullet. It was extraordinary.

Owise I feel similar to you.

Thanks Lorraine. I'll check it out when I get home (can't access that e-mail account from work ...)

LOL about the mullet comment, Sanja.

Oops, that 12:10 post was me.

Sam - can't help myself:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1375000/images/_1378153_agassi_mullet1989_150.jpg

OMG, that was hilarious Sanja!

andre must have sensed he'd someday have no hair whatsoever (or just "side hair"), otherwise there's no explanation for a coif that violates every known standard of human decency...

Same sentiments on Andre's mullet from me too Sam. :-)

tennisfan: Great minds think alike. :-)

A few years ago - Jim Courier was interviewing Agassi at Wimbledon (more like a montage) and they showed old pictures of the both of them when Andre was sporting the mullet. Jim asked something like: What do you think of that? and Andre said sometimes not having hair can be a good thing.

Sanja: no pic of you bawling for MNP, okay toots?

Sanja caved?
very cool.

We are on a heatt wave.

Ptenisnet, Yeah Sanja has agreed to send her pic to be posted on Monday.

Did anyone see Andy Murray's recent remarks about the new National Tennis Centre the LTA is opening next February in Roehampton? On Bloomberg news he said "We don't really have the players to fill it right now, and we don't really have the players that deserve to have the best facility to train in. It's so much money to spend when it could all be spent on lower-level tennis." The new centre will have six indoor courts, 16 outdoors, and accommodation for promising juniors. Andy says; "I think it's a great facility but I don't think it's worth having a tennis facility worth £40 million". He backs the idea of more public courts, pointing out that there are hardly any kids playing. Less than 8,500 under-18s playing competitively, according to The Times.

I think I agree with Andy. I have no idea what I would have done if I hadn't (a) learned at school, where we had courts and could use them after school in the summer when it was light (b) had a nearby public park with courts for hire and a best friend to practice against and (c) had courts available on site when at university. With my eyesight I was always a bit handicapped, but even to be able to play somewhat competitively is one of the best things that ever happened to me. I can't see where all these hoped-for promising kids to develop are going to come from if there aren't enough public or school-based facilities in the first place.

Incidentally, I hear that Andy Murray has finally had his hair cut, but so far have not seen a photo.

Whoa Whoa Whoa! Who said I caved? I said I was still changing my mind like the breeze. Here and there. Who knows what Monday will bring.

Who cares about monday as long as late sunday brings a masterpiece that rivals the mona lisa :-P ? ( we can call it La Sanjaconde)

Ros,

I too agree. Tennis needs grass roots level infrastructure for it to prosper.

Sanja, but the breeze is on our side, right? :)

Ptenisnet! Being that I know you know what I think about the MonaLisa - that is NOT a compliment! grrrrrrrrrrrrr That's it no pic. It's ptenisnet fault. You will all have to settle for a pic of him on MNP.

That's a very mature outlook from Murray.

Oh come on, if you know that, you know I am teasing you.
Just quit stalling and pony up.
otherwise i might have to get steggs to put this picture up as yours.

http://svetpohladnic.sk/pohladnice/obrazky/mona-lisa-ate021.jpg

I think that is actually an improvement on the original.

Well we'll see what Monday brings.

Anyhow I prefer to see you in my minds eye as a dark debonair handsome gentlemen stroking his moustache. I don't want this image shattered.

Your insistence on referencing yourself to Bob La Punge suggests that you are subtely trying to tell us that you had a bad adolescence.

JEEEZ

hi, pete. since you've done andre, i would love to read a piece on steffi. *keeping fingers crossed*

Thanks abbey... I second that. A piece on steffi is much deserved for all steffi fans.

Sanja - I agree on the Mona Lisa. She looks like one of those oppressed Italian mamas who wears black and still has to shake her preening, narcissitic son's willie after every time he pees. . .

Philistine

MRI, Abbey - I have nothing new on Steffi; she would be the catch of the decade for any press pariah. My history with her goes way, way back but it doesn't seem like a rehash at this point would be called for. . .

nevertheless funny pete.
Sanja feels(and I tend to agree) that it is highly overrated and nearly not big enough

Now way, Ptenisnet, I've never even been to Gaza!!!

Yeah, Sanja and D-Wiz, our two "Go Big!" girls, right?

:-)

Pete - LOL at your 3:27 post.