Dear Pete. Grow A Set. Love AA

1988 just called and wants its relevance back.

 

I *still* don't get why Sampras was such a bitch. He decided to make fun of Agassi. Agassi got him back. And better, apparently.

 

Because he's mad about the book still. I assume he figured that his making fun of Agassi was his revenge, and that it should have been all even at that point and move on from there.

 

And here I thought it was universally understood that if you bust on somebody, they're pretty much obligated to get you back.

 

Right, but Sampas thought that's what he was doing. Agassi busted on him in the book. He busted at him here, his public forum. So I think he thought the proper protocol was for Agassi to say, "Touche" and move on.

 

Because it's more hurtful to call someone cheap than it is to make fun of how somebody walks or rolls in their shirt. One is a physical tic. Another is a character flaw.

Good for Agassi to apologize.

 

Well, I must have missed all the book drama. Didn't the book come out months ago? MODO, though, is that if Pete was pissed about the book, he should have handled it then.

I just can't imagine, while on microphone in a public setting, making fun of the way somebody walks and/or looks and not expecting them to smack me back.

 

Pete seems to have lived too long in the Hollywood enclave, where the only people he talks to are the ones who are paid to kiss his ass.

 

Sampras was attempting to tease in a good-natured way - it's hardly novel for one tennis player to make fun of another's mannerisms (see Djokovic). Agassi was, quite obviously, not - he's quite aware the stuff in his book had bothered Sampras. Further, I don't think it's speculating too much to think that Agassi knows he's more quick-witted than Sampras and that Sampras knows it too, and that Agassi knew he could push some buttons. The whole thing made both of them look small.

And for what it's worth, Sampras's side of the tipping story, according to Pete Bodo's blog on espn.com, is that he was young and immature and didn't know what he was doing when it came to valets, etc. That is plausible.

 

Dick move by Sampras. He could've gotten away with making fun of many aspects of Andre's game, but picking on something that is related to a birth defect was pretty damn low.

The worst part about it was when Pete said "I'm a bad tipper. Sorry Barack Obama." Like what the hell does that mean?

 

I doubt Agassi would have highlighted it had it been something isolated in Sampras' youth.