Has a bigger jerk come along more than John McInroe of a few years back?

Question

remember watching him throw tantrums on tv when I used to watch tennis. He recently made a commericial that made no sense and could anyone enlightened me on that one. thanks.

njyogibe: learn english dude, this is not a political section. Sounds like I struck a nerve on you dude.

terminat: you ever here of the UGLY AMERICAN and it described mcInroe perfectly, a conceited spoiled brat. Incidently seeing his commerical recently he has not aged well.

booboo: they are definitely a black mark against the game of tennis.

captain: You are only encouraging this attitude which runs over into the real world. Do you want your children, if you have any, to go through life with a personality like McInroe and when life give you the wrong bounce you go ballistic?

Answer 1

i always love a political debate in the tennis section of an answers blog. Thank you "njyogibe," you really have made my day.

actually Marcelo Rios was known to be quite the jerk on and off the court.

here is a list of controversies which he has been involved with:

* He was fined US$10,000 for speeding during the 1998 Stuttgart tournament.

* At the 2000 Summer Olympics, he had been selected as Chile's standard-bearer for the opening ceremony, but refused to parade at the last minute, arguing that the Chilean Olympic Committee (Coch) had left his parents without promised tickets for the ceremony. Nicolás Massú took his place.

* In a confusing incident, he ran over his physical trainer, Manuel Astorga, with his jeep, leaving him gravely injured at the foot. Astorga was later fired as trainer.

* After a magazine published some photos of him dancing seductively with a woman at a Paris disco, his girlfriend Giuliana Sotela broke up with him. Later, during a Davis Cup press conference, he read a letter, asking Sotela for forgiveness. He ended the press conference in tears.

* He was accused by his second wife, María Eugenia Larraín, of throwing her off of his car while visiting his daughter in Costa Rica. Larraín arrived to Santiago's airport in dramatic fashion, on a wheelchair and showing multiple bruises on her legs (he said those bruises were caused by falling while skiing).

* He was arrested in Rome in 2001 after he punched a taxi driver in the nose and then had a fight with the policemen arresting him.

* In 2003, he urinated on a man in a La Serena bar's bathroom. He was later expelled from his hotel after being accused of swimming in the nude.

* In 2003 he and a friend were expelled from a Santiago bar after insulting other clients and being involved in a brawl with some waiters. Both were arrested and later released.

* His second wife, Eugenia Larraín, has said that he has undergone treatment for alcoholism.

* He reportedly told Monica Seles to move her "fat ***" while on a lunch queue, but he has denied this.

* During the Wimbledon tournament he commented that grass was for "cows and soccer" and not suitable for tennis play.

* He was disqualified from the 2000 Mercedes-Benz Cup tennis tournament in Los Angeles, California during a first round match with Gouichi Motomura of Japan and fined US$5,000 for saying "F**k you" to the chair umpire.

* He insulted a journalist under his breath during a post-match interview after she asked him whether he had Native American ancestry.


Other jerks include Hillary Clinton, Osama Bin Laden, Mother Theresa of Calcutta, Saddam Hussein, Leona Helmsley, Rosie O'Donnell, Bea Arthur and Judge Judy Sheindlin

Answer 2

On the men's side:

Lleyton Hewitt has been considered the biggest jerk on the tour for several years now (even though he's not nearly as bad as he was a few years ago). The announcers are constantly saying that he is the least liked player in the locker room.

Andy Roddick can be kind of a jerk sometimes but he can also be a really nice guy other times. His personality kind of balances itself out, but there are times when he's really obnoxious.

Marat Safin has the biggest temper out there and is known for breaking his rackets and cursing out the umpires.

On the women's side:

Matina Hingis has said some rather nasty things about other players when she was at the top of her game. Justine Henin has been known to be rather unsportsmanlike in matches on several occasions. Maria Sharapova has been known to be rather obnoxious out on the court with her looks and screams and Serena Williams who tends to be very respectful to everyone while she is on the court, has a rather ungreatful and arrogant personality when she is doing press conferences.

But all of these players combined have nothing on John McEnroe. There is no question that McEnroe was one of a kind in the temper tantrum attitude department. But that was also the thing that made him very entertaining to watch and a great sports personality. Every sport has to have it's "bad guy". It gives players personalities and creates drama and rivalries on the court. It's good for sports and it's too bad that we don't really have anyone like that currently in the sport.

Answer 3

Rios is a great example, but his stint at number one was so short-lived that a lot of the public doesn't remember him.

A lot of people think that Hewitt is a jerk.

I find Roddick to be very cocky and overly sarcastic, but I don't know if that makes him a jerk or not.

Lots of people will argue that Henin is a jerk.

I always thought that Mary Pierce was a jerk, but that could just be me.

Answer 4

Since the era of John McEnroe, Illie Nastase and Jimmy Connors, there hasn't been anyone that comes close to these three in obnoxiousness.

French Open begins in the middle of January ---- go Roger Federer!!!

Answer 5

Several people have come along in recent years who are bigger jerks than John McEnroe:
Bill O'Reilly
George W. Bush
Dick Cheney
Donald Rumsfeld
Condolezza Rice
Mitt Romney
Mike Huckleberry
Lou Dobbs
Mel Gibson
Any "minister" with his or her own TV show
I won't argue that McEnroe was a jerk, but I feel firmly that all of the above are even bigger jerks. Thanks for asking.

Answer 6

Tennis needs another jerk like McEnroe to get it the exposure it needs for people to notice it as a sport. John was not only a hot head but a talented tennis player, patriotic American, and one hell of a guitar player. Rock on Johnny Mc.

Answer 7

Martina Hingis is such a brat. got successful too young and her head grew too big. also Fabrice Santoro needs to learn some manners. Roger Federer is so stuck-up!!!!!!

Answer 8

mikhael youzhny & marat safin have BAD tempers

the commercial is funny, because he is so used to arguing to get his way, that when the american express people say it is resolved right away, he is shocked that he doesnt have to argue. so then he goes abnd makes up with a ump he once blew up at! lol

Answer 9

keeping it tennis I would have to say the williams sisters have to be the biggest jerks to ever play the game////

Answer 10

We should be so lucky has to have another McEnroe around. He was always a joy to watch.