Customer Reviews

On Being John McEnroe

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I don't follow sports really, but I like tennis, and I borrowed this thinking i'd just kind of skim it over lunch. Jesus. I became totally engrossed in this slim but potent mix of cultural analysis, pop psy, sports writing,and biography. I came to think of mcenroe not as a famous jerk, but as a famous jerk who is utterly fascinating, and yes-- a little admirable. You have to admit, that kind of sustained indignation, total disbelief when things don't go as planned, suggests powerful, delusional optimism. And it's not just about mcenroe-- there is great stuff in here about Borg and others too. Fantastic writing, and I laughed out loud.

I would categorize this book as nice writing that takes a former star and tries to analyze him, while acknowledging his icon or idol status.

Too late. McEnroe's glory is gone, and there is no need for a whitewash, since nobody cares anymore. Yesterday's star is today's has-been.

Having read two David Evans books about John McEnroe and also "You Can't Be Serious", and being a reformed tennis addict, I
desired something that dared to be more critical. "On being John McEnroe" was not the book I was looking for.

This book is a very quick read. Even though I am a slow reader, I read the entire 173 pages in about 3 hours. There is little of substance here, just many beautifully worded anecdotes that paint a murky picture but leave no real impression.

Shamefully abusive on the tennis court (even now while playing on the seniors tour), McEnroe gave tennis a bad name and helped end the "tennis boom" of the 70s.

Had McEnroe played during the era when Wimbledon and the other grand slam tournaments were amateur events, he probably would have been banned from competition had he acted the way he did.

I'm hoping that the book "Bad News for McEnroe" will give me more grit, sustenance, and truth.