The 'Mental Health' of Athletes...

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The 'Mental Health' of Athletes...

#1

Post by Deuce »

Rebecca Marino (who just beat Madison Keys last night) quit tennis for 6 years because of comments on ‘social media’ - and gambling wasn’t even a particularly big thing then.
As more focus is placed on the ‘mental health’ of athletes, one has to wonder how much responsibility ‘social media’ has in today's players seemingly being more psychologically fragile than ever before. Sure, the mainstream media have their faults - sensationalism, putting undo pressure on players, invasions of privacy, etc... but ‘social media’ is, for all intents and purposes, a completely chaotic free-for-all, where absolutely anything goes.
Is ‘social media’ then mostly responsible for the increased psychological sensitivity and fragility of players today?

This (below) is the result of the combination of ‘social media’ and gambling. As the popularity of gambling increases, and unfortunately enters more into the mainstream, it was, and is, predictable and inevitable that people who lose money betting on players would take their anger out on the players.
But it’s permitted because there is money to be made.

These are comments written to Leylah Fernandez’s instagram after her loss in Montreal on Monday night. I left the usernames there because I feel they should all be exposed - as much as is possible - for what they are.
I’ve put asterisks where there were none to ‘disguise’ the words that wouldn’t get past the filter here. Other than the inserted asterisks, I’ve left the comments as they were written. They are vile and disgusting - but I feel it’s necessary to leave them as they are to demonstrate what is happening in the world today.
I remind you that Leylah is 18 years old. She just lost a tough 1st round match in a big tournament in her home city - where she desperately wanted to do well. And then she sees this.
I hope you all find the following difficult to read:

li.udmilaivanova98
I f**k your dead mother, fu**ing daughter of wh*re

li.udmilaivanova98
Always garbage, always top300 dog. Your maximum itf and chalanger

salvatorecarusosucksdic
Way to choke on your home turf

johnnyhiking_cypres_kruger
Embarassing performance

lvh2603
@leylahannietennis wow u are one pathetic sorry ass loser.... cant even beat a bad itf player... bum

ryantschmit
Down a set and instantly down a break 2nd set!!!! She quit in her home country, no fight and so fkn weak as a -310 favorite!! Fk you and fk match fixing!!!!!

je_rry2247
Trash like a dead mouse.ugly face

efeyagzr
F*** you

efeyagzr
Quit playing tennis

darlanrosamedii
Horrible ! You dont know how play to tennis. Change of sport

trev.onangel
Remove the WTA PLAYER FROM YOUR BIO. You’re not a WTA Player. You’re just an idiot and a big disgrace. You lost at home to Harriet Dart and ITF player who had an Ankle Injury. You don’t deserve to be top 70. Harriet Dart Deserves that Ranking. You’re an ITF level player. Sucker!

lamiairpinia
@leylahannietennis FU**ING BASTARD

nonbus
Keep rolling your eyes, maybe you'll .....play tennis

lamiairpinia
@leylahannietennis @itftennis SEE THE MATCH OF THIS SON OF A B*TCH
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Re: The 'Mental Health' of Athletes...

#2

Post by ptmcmahon »

I won't click "like" on that post and make it sound like I like the comments of the anonymous internet commenters ... but I 100% agree.

Another similar thing I see now is from fantasy sports - some of the apps have "player discussions" when you are reading about the player stats. And the discussion there is similarly revolting at times. Have to assume it's largely from the "Daily" Fantasy sites where you can gamble and pick a lineup daily. Babe Ruth could play and have a bad day and there would be hundreds of comments about how he is the worst baseball player in history.

There is something about being anonymous that makes people think they are good to act like complete jerks with no consequences. Even if they suspended these instagram accounts they'd probably just create new ones.

But as long as there is money to be made ... :(
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Re: The 'Mental Health' of Athletes...

#3

Post by Deuce »

Yes... it makes me wonder why players have 'social media' accounts. It's easy to say that they should just ignore the comments - but many of the comments are so vile and personal that they're difficult to simply ignore - especially for the younger players. To read such comments after a loss - which is when these comments come - can obviously be distressing, and affect one's mental health.
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Re: The 'Mental Health' of Athletes...

#4

Post by ti-amie »

These types of comments, from strangers, are like physical blows. I don't understand why the big PR firms don't have people assigned to do nothing but monitor social media of athletes and report the posts so that the "fans" who post them get banned from a social media platform, or to set up filters of some kind so that the comments don't get through. I know I'm being naïve but I don't think athletes should be subjected to such abuse.
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Re: The 'Mental Health' of Athletes...

#5

Post by Deuce »

I agree with what Hantuchova says in this article below about 'social media'...
Another consideration in the comparison between players of the past and today's players is that, while today's players have the added element of 'social media' to deal with - which is often negative (see original post in this thread for vile examples thereof), the player's involvement in 'social media' is 100% voluntary. It is not part of the equation unless the players make it part of the equation.

Also, the players of today typically have 'teams' made up of several people - psychologists, fitness trainers, financial advisors, friends who travel with them... This obviously helps to lessen the pressure on the player, as various elements - like pressures - are spread out among numerous people within the 'team'. Players of the past didn't have these 'teams'. Some players had a coach who travelled with them sometimes - that's about it.
And so, maybe the playing field is more even than it first appears between players of the past and today's players in terms of psychological pressures and mental health.

While I agree with what Hantuchova states in this article regarding 'social media', I disagree with her view that press conferences should absolutely be mandatory for all players.
I maintain that the job of the players is to play tennis - period. Anything else - be it press conferences, media interviews, tournament promotions, marketing for sponsors, etc., should be entirely voluntary. Players have no obligation or responsibility to help the media do their job - no more than the media have a responsibility to help the players do their job. If a player wants to do those things - fine. If not, that should be fine, as well. They should not go out of their way to hinder the media - but they have no obligation to help them, either (or to help sponsors, etc.) It should be done only on an entirely voluntary basis. The only obligation of players should be to play the game to the best of their ability - that's all.

Hantuchova Says Tennis Players Must Speak to the Media, or Not Play At All

.
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Re: The 'Mental Health' of Athletes...

#6

Post by ti-amie »

Did Hantuchova ever admit to having an eating disorder? How would she handle some journalist asking "Are you anorexic? Bulimic? Why are you so thin?"

I think it's easy for a player like her to say what top players of today should do when they haven't lived in the space they occupy. The media is global. Today's top player sneezes in Chicago and it's top news in Tokyo. She also never had the global reach of Osaka, or Serena, Venus. She was a big fish in a small pond, and was never the face of women's tennis. Being a top player today means more than some local person trying to use you as a source for the local tabloid.

Sports are going after the younger fan not those who are already fans or older than 45 or so. The young people are on social media and if an attractive man or woman catches their eye who happens to be a tennis player they may end up checking up on what said person does and hopefully becoming a fan. Is it a problem? Yes. Is it a necessary evil? I think so. Ask your self how Graf would be marketed today? I think she'd have the same problems facing Barty - good (great) player but not marketable.

This is the problem in the entertainment business as a whole though.
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Re: The 'Mental Health' of Athletes...

#7

Post by ponchi101 »

Sorry, Ti. Steffi could have been marketed in any manner she had wanted to be marketed:
steffi_graf_1123.jpeg
This photo of hers was one of the very first ones that came out after her 1988 year(If I recall correctly). It caused a lot of talk, and she later admitted she did not like the labels: sexy, pretty, etc. She was, remember, super difficult when it came to public dealings; she didn't like the spotlight. On the occasion in which she ascended to #1, she was presented with a huge cake (I think it was the Stuttgart tournament) and people were going to serenade her. Her reply to a question of how did she feel? "I think this people came here to watch some tennis".
She was always solely about the tennis. If she had wanted to be famous outside of tennis she had the looks and, specially, the body.

Kafelnikov was also a good example. Remember, he reached #1 and was a solid member of the top five. Yet, he was even more difficult than Steffi. He would never give interviews, when he gave them came back as surly, and he really wanted nothing with the press. As was his right. But, the other side of the coin was that he must have been (surely was) the sole tennis player ever to reach #1 without a clothing endorsement.

You want fame and money? It is not a coincidence that the richest and most popular tennis player ever is the guy that stays at the press conference and answers questions in English, German and French. And makes commercials in which he goes and plays tennis on the roof with little Italian girls.
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Re: The 'Mental Health' of Athletes...

#8

Post by JazzNU »

I'm not quite sure what that photo of Steffi is supposed to be an example of in the context of a rebuttal to @Ti's comment.
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Re: The 'Mental Health' of Athletes...

#9

Post by ponchi101 »

She could have been marketed as the "Pretty German Girl" that also played tennis, as opposed to the "Teutonic Robot" designed to play tennis.
An example.
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Re: The 'Mental Health' of Athletes...

#10

Post by JazzNU »

ponchi101 wrote: Mon Aug 23, 2021 8:36 pm She could have been marketed as the "Pretty German Girl" that also played tennis, as opposed to the "Teutonic Robot" designed to play tennis.
An example.
I think you should find another photo if you want me to think that would've been a successful marketing campaign...
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Re: The 'Mental Health' of Athletes...

#11

Post by ponchi101 »

I chose that one because it was very early in her career and I do remember a lot of talk about the photo. Graf herself addressed it and said she was surprised of how many commented on it, in lots of positive ways that caught her by surprise.
Graf on a few occasions talked how she did not like her body that much; she felt she was too muscular, and that was part of her shyness. In what I find to be hard to believe, she did not like her legs, again, because of how muscular they were. I remember a photo posted by Miles, of her in a white bikini, which he labeled as "perfection". While perhaps too much of a label (but I would not disagree totally), my point is that Steffi, had she chosen to, could have been a much more marketable player. Sort of like Sampras, who simply wanted the racquet doing the talking. He did not want to go into the space where Agassi was, with campaigns as the infamous "image is everything".
Some players love the limelight. Others don't. Those that don't do not post their lives in FB, IG or TWT minute by minute. Those that do, may reap considerable financial rewards but, as is the case with Naomi, may find themselves in uncomfortable positions they may not like totally. Which, of course, is part of the subject discussed here.
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Re: The 'Mental Health' of Athletes...

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Post by ti-amie »

In a way Sampras was always an afterthought for tennis media wasn't he?

Do you remember when he, Laver and a few other legends ( I think Borg was there) were invited to Wimbledon for some reason or another and he spent the entire match talking to his wife and barely watched a minute of the match? I respected that he let everyone know he'd rather be someplace elxe.
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Re: The 'Mental Health' of Athletes...

#13

Post by ponchi101 »

Laver, Borg and Pete were invited for the 2009 W final, when Roger would eclipse them. Roger did. To Sampras defense, he had just landed hours before, straight from LA, and the jet lag was killing him. But he knew that he had to be there, for the good of the game. Some picture, at the time.
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Re: The 'Mental Health' of Athletes...

#14

Post by JazzNU »

I always thought it was strange that they did that.
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Re: The 'Mental Health' of Athletes...

#15

Post by Deuce »

ti-amie wrote: Mon Aug 23, 2021 5:26 pm Did Hantuchova ever admit to having an eating disorder? How would she handle some journalist asking "Are you anorexic? Bulimic? Why are you so thin?"

I think it's easy for a player like her to say what top players of today should do when they haven't lived in the space they occupy. The media is global. Today's top player sneezes in Chicago and it's top news in Tokyo. She also never had the global reach of Osaka, or Serena, Venus. She was a big fish in a small pond, and was never the face of women's tennis. Being a top player today means more than some local person trying to use you as a source for the local tabloid.

Sports are going after the younger fan not those who are already fans or older than 45 or so. The young people are on social media and if an attractive man or woman catches their eye who happens to be a tennis player they may end up checking up on what said person does and hopefully becoming a fan. Is it a problem? Yes. Is it a necessary evil? I think so. Ask your self how Graf would be marketed today? I think she'd have the same problems facing Barty - good (great) player but not marketable.

This is the problem in the entertainment business as a whole though.
Addressing your last sentence first, I'll simply say that I find it very, very unfortunate that sports, politics, and every other activity known to man has crossed over into the 'entertainment' field today. When U.S. presidents are appearing on 'The Tonight Show', there is something gravely wrong.
People's insatiable appetite for 'entertainment' at any cost - and their addiction to 'celebrity' - is a sad indication of where priorities lie today.

As for Hantuchova, I'm not sure you're remembering her time accurately. She was definitely one of the most popular players who never reached, say, the top 3 level. She might well have been THE most popular non top 3 player of her era (Ok, maybe Kournikova was THE most popular, but only because she never won a singles tournament, and never threatened to be in the top 10 - that was definitely part of the reason that Kournikova received the attention she did - and her looks, of course).
Hantuchova got a lot of attention for that time because she was physically beautiful in the eyes of the majority. More people went to watch her matches than went to watch the matches of those near her in the rankings. And all of that focus on her physical appearance is likely the foundation of her eating disorder.

Times were different back then, of course - and media attention was different, as well. But for that time, Hantuchova did get a lot of attention relative to other players of the time.

And, yes, there is more media attention today... and it's transmitted more rapidly and to more people. But, as I mentioned in my previous post, the players today also have the benefit of psychologists, agents who do much more than they used to, financial advisors, ever-present coaches, etc., etc. - these are things that the players of the past did not have. And so, while players of today have a stronger spotlight on them, they also have a lot more help to deal with the spotlight than players of the past did. Maybe the differences in pressure between today's players and players of the past kind of evens out when all that is considered.

'Social media' does allow for more marketing/sponsorship opportunities... but, as Osaka is learning the hard way, it's not all roses. If you voluntarily enter the spotlight, you have to accept the bad with the good. There is no alternative once you're in the spotlight. It is certainly possible to be in a high profile profession as a pro athlete, and not have anything to do with 'social media'. Unfortunately, it's rare - largely because agents today - vultures that they are - very much encourage their clients to have a large 'social media presence' - because the more money the player (client) makes, the more money the agent will make.
Sebastian Vettel (Formula 1) has zero 'social media' presence, and has no desire to embark on that path. But he still makes far more than a healthy amount of money. And so athletes could still make an obscene amount of money even without being on 'social media' at all... which makes me think that they're not doing it for the money so much as they are for the 'status' and the attention it delivers to them.
Every time I see a player who shies away from the spotlight, it gives me some hope for humankind.

As for Steffi... it's interesting that a player as shy and as avoiding of the spotlight as her ended up marrying her polar opposite in Mr. 'Image is everything'.

The media left Sampras alone (which he wanted) mainly because Agassi was there giving the media people more than what they asked for. Had Agassi (or someone like him) not been around at the time, I'm quite sure that the media would have given Sampras a much harder time.
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