American hardcourt Challengers 2017

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Re: American hardcourt Challengers 2017

Post by Sin Hombre »

prasen9 wrote: Sat Nov 04, 2017 5:43 am It seems finally Lee is done!
Surely not when it comes to being a drama queen :p
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Re: American hardcourt Challengers 2017

Post by prasen9 »

Well, I am disappointed on that score too these days :D .
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Re: American hardcourt Challengers 2017

Post by rajitghosh »

Why doesn't he retire in a dignified way like the way Nehraji did the other day and end this drama?
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Re: American hardcourt Challengers 2017

Post by jayakris »

rajitghosh wrote: Sun Nov 05, 2017 2:32 amWhy doesn't he retire in a dignified way like the way Nehraji did the other day and end this drama?
Because he never believed that he was generating any drama. His mind has always worked in a uniquely complex way. He has certain arguments in his mind on why he is right in how he goes about things, and he is stubborn about it. That leads to drama, but "so be it" is how he is. I don't know what his argument is, for continuing on. Maybe a hope that he can do one final comeback, get one final DC game to get that Davis Cup record, and retire. He thinks he is capable of it, and to some extent he is. We never allowed him to get that record. But that won't stop him. I don't think even he thinks he has another Olympics medal in him. Maybe he thinks there is an Asiad medal still - and maybe he is even capable of that, still. If he thinks that, he will continue on, whatever we think. Not that he doesn't care for glory and praise from others (he really does), but his thinking of what will get him that, is what has always been complex. That is how he is. I really don't know when was the dignified time for him to retire, but it was quite a while ago. On the other hand, I don't think there is anything undignified in a player wanting to continue when he is still among the best few doubles players from a country of 1.2 billion people. Let him go on till he feels he has had it.
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Re: American hardcourt Challengers 2017

Post by jai_in_canada »

May be Lee is continuing simply because he loves tennis competition - regardless of the level. May be he doesn't have anything else he'd rather do still. May be he figures that as long as his body enables him to play, albeit with diminished capabilities, he'll continue. Only Lee knows. As Jay says, let him go on - because it's not causing anyone else any problems. I personally find it a bit melancholic that he's continuing despite diminishing success in terms of results, but if that's what he really wants and needs then good for him.
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Re: American hardcourt Challengers 2017

Post by prasen9 »

I don't know why people cannot just accept some things in life are quite simple. He likes playing and so he plays. That is it. It is his life. He is free to do what he wants. There is nothing undignified in playing a game one loves. Maybe he does not care for records, he does not care for wins. He just likes playing!

I like my work and I don't want to ever retire. I hope to die while working. And, I hope my mind and body at least function at an acceptable level until then. If LP's rank slips and he keeps playing futures in hopes of coming back, I will respect him more than I already do. He will be unique --- the epitome of never giving up, which is his legacy that I will always cherish. I will not fault him for not going through the futures grind and losing money out of his pocket though. Thanks for giving us a legendary sporting career.

Losses don't tarnish your image. Not trying your best and giving it your all does.

Sorry, I was a moron to make the comment above and to have started this round of comments which are the same expected broken record we play each time his retirement issue comes up. Mea culpa.

update: I had posted this about the same time as JIC and did not see his post before posting.
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Re: American hardcourt Challengers 2017

Post by Sin Hombre »

I don't think anyone here is saying LP should retire, prasen's op notwithstanding. It is his career in an individual sport, he can do whatever he want. Most of the posts are honest-to-good ribbing and he definitely deserves that.
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Re: American hardcourt Challengers 2017

Post by prasen9 »

I think Rajit was saying that he should have retired long ago.
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Re: American hardcourt Challengers 2017

Post by SaniaFan »

I don't think it matters if it is an individual sport or team sport. Nobody should retire before they want to.
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Re: American hardcourt Challengers 2017

Post by rajitghosh »

He should have retired after the Rio Olympics. Team or Iindividual sport retire when people ask why rather than why not? He had achieved great heights at one time. By doing what he is doing now he is diluting that aura he had built.
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Re: American hardcourt Challengers 2017

Post by Sin Hombre »

In team sports, continuing too long is a selfish act that adversely impacts the rest of the team especially in India where we tend to deify individuals. Individual sports, well it is up to the individual.
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Re: American hardcourt Challengers 2017

Post by SaniaFan »

It is not a selfish act to continue even in team sports. Those who play sports as profession have every right to maximize their career duration. It is the duty of the selectors to boot out those who are not performing considering everything (form, age, schedule etc). Problem is there only when selectors are not doing their job properly.
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Re: American hardcourt Challengers 2017

Post by arjun2761 »

Exactly. Couldn't have said it better.

In fact, in professional sports in the US, the older players have to be significantly better than the younger players to keep their place as the upside of playing the younger player is so much more. Some of it is financially driven but I think it is also a development philosophy. I am not sure that the Indian national teams follow this philosophy with many marginally performing veterans seemingly holding onto their positions in the team.

As far as tennis is concerned, LP should not be in the Davis Cup team as we have plenty of younger talent coming through.
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Re: American hardcourt Challengers 2017

Post by prasen9 »

I follow basketball and baseball in the NBA. If it is not for financial reasons, rarely are seniors chucked out if the team is a contending one. In fact, because a large sum of money is sunk in, the players are allowed to stay on the roster. Younger players do not get a chance at the major leagues sometimes because of this. Consider the San Francisco Giants, Denard Span, Hunter Pence, Matt Cain last year got a lot of rope before Cain was shelved for part of the season. Typically, the coaches use whoever they think give them a chance to win in baseball because the margin is so small. After the season, 1 game often decides whether you made the playoff or not. On the other hand in basketball, sometimes younger players are played because too many teams make the playoffs and regular season games do not matter that much for some of the more established teams. I would argue that in baseball marginally useful players are held on to by some teams who don't want to rely on the younger players in the playoffs.

On the other hand, for teams that are not contending, they see no reason to play the seniors. They will play the juniors to develop them so that they can have a team in the future that wins it all. See the Houston Astros.

LP should be in the Davis Cup in those cases where we believe that without him the chances of winning go down significantly.
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Re: American hardcourt Challengers 2017

Post by jaydeep »

This week also, they r top-seed in Knoxville Challenger.

At $75K Knoxville Challenger 2017, USA

[R1] (1) Leander Paes (IND)/ Purav Raja (IND) vs Kevin King (USA)/ Bradley Klahn (USA)
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