The "sport of tennis -- more specifically the business
of tennis -- is taking on water rapidly," according to John
Feinstein in USA TODAY's op-ed page. Feinstein: "What's
more, the captains of the sport ... are standing around
claiming there's no need to break out the lifeboats because
their sport is unsinkable." Feinstein: "Today TV ratings
continue to sink while golf skyrockets; advertising in
tennis publications is dropping like a stone; equipment
sales are down; and with no young American stars, male or
female (except, perhaps, Venus Williams) anywhere in sight,
interest in the game may drop back close to pre-open tennis
levels by the millennium. Compared to tennis, baseball is
Microsoft." While Pete Sampras should be a "perfect poster
boy for a game losing fans almost by the minute," he isn't
because "no one running the game has ever convinced him --
or any of the game's other stars -- that they need to be
more accessible to the media" (USA TODAY, 8/29).
POWER SERVE: The U.S. Open was examined by CNBC's Allan
Chernoff on "Business Tonight," who said, "It's much more
than a tennis tournament. This is an event -- a place to
see and be seen, a place to do deals, and thus, there is a
distinctly corporate atmosphere here." Chernoff reported
that sponsors "are paying more than ever to have their names
tied to the Open," with Chase Manhattan Bank "spending
nearly" $4M. Last year, the U.S. Open generated about $98M
in revenue and nearly $70M in profit, and Chernoff said that
"with a larger facility the numbers are certain to be higher
this year" ("Business Tonight," CNBC, 8/27).
