Come On!
I am a casual tennis fan. By that I mean I watch the four Grand Slam majors when they're on TV and I don't have anything else to do. I used to play as a pre-teen (took lessons and everything), and not keeping it up is one of my minor regrets.
Anyway, I just mention it to preface a discussion about a recent trend among tennis players that has been bothering me. That of shouting "COME ON!" after a big play.
I believe that Lleyton Hewitt was the first to start doing it, but I've also heard it from the likes of Andy Roddick, Maria Sharipova, and (just this morning) Serena Williams.
Now, I too have yelled "Come On!" during competitive events (such as a round of Soul Calibur). But when I do so, I mean it in the sense of "Come on, give me a break!" when I feel that I've done something right but wasn't properly rewarded for it. Like when I land a successful combination of moves but my opponent has a sliver of life remaining ("Come on! You should be dead!") or when my sword appears to pass through my opponents head, but it doesn't register as a hit ("Come on! That hit you!"). I'm sure that John McEnroe has at some point in his tennis career yelled something to the effect of "Come On! That ball was in!" when he felt wronged by a line call.
Another possible use for the phrase might be as a synonym for "Bring It!" or "Hit me with your best shot!" But in that case, it should be uttered after returning an "ace" serve for a winner, or chasing down a sharp passing shot from all the way across court. "Come on! Is that all you got?"
But when modern tennis stars yell "Come on!" they do it after a big play of their own. An ace, or a slam at net. "Come on! Did you see what I just did?" To me, that just seems like self-congratulation, which I think is just bad form. And if you're going to trash talk, at least be a little more creative. I mean, come on!
Anyway, I just mention it to preface a discussion about a recent trend among tennis players that has been bothering me. That of shouting "COME ON!" after a big play.
I believe that Lleyton Hewitt was the first to start doing it, but I've also heard it from the likes of Andy Roddick, Maria Sharipova, and (just this morning) Serena Williams.
Now, I too have yelled "Come On!" during competitive events (such as a round of Soul Calibur). But when I do so, I mean it in the sense of "Come on, give me a break!" when I feel that I've done something right but wasn't properly rewarded for it. Like when I land a successful combination of moves but my opponent has a sliver of life remaining ("Come on! You should be dead!") or when my sword appears to pass through my opponents head, but it doesn't register as a hit ("Come on! That hit you!"). I'm sure that John McEnroe has at some point in his tennis career yelled something to the effect of "Come On! That ball was in!" when he felt wronged by a line call.
Another possible use for the phrase might be as a synonym for "Bring It!" or "Hit me with your best shot!" But in that case, it should be uttered after returning an "ace" serve for a winner, or chasing down a sharp passing shot from all the way across court. "Come on! Is that all you got?"
But when modern tennis stars yell "Come on!" they do it after a big play of their own. An ace, or a slam at net. "Come on! Did you see what I just did?" To me, that just seems like self-congratulation, which I think is just bad form. And if you're going to trash talk, at least be a little more creative. I mean, come on!
posted by Unknown at 6/27/2007 03:24:00 PM
2 Comments:
Yeah, I think it was in fact Hewitt who popularized this phenomenon. I already didn't like the guy, and when he started doing that, well, he pretty much became my least favorite tennis player of our time.
ok whatever that crazy how dat come on
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