The 125th Wimbledon is well under way in London, and outside of its “undeniable charms,” the tournament stands out from other sporting events because “so much of Wimbledon’s appeal stems not from what you see, but from what you don’t see” according to L. Jon Wertheim of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED. There are “no corporate logos splayed on the playing surface,” and there are “zero courtside billboards or rotating signs.” Only four companies have an on-court presence at Wimbledon. Centre Court “features an understated Rolex insignia on the scoreboard,” while an IBM logo “adorns the service-speed board.” Slazenger, the tournament’s ball provider, has a “small sign” and a decal for U.K.-based barley water brand Robinson’s appears on the umpire’s chair. Wimbledon has a “reputation for patrician elegance, even snobbishness,” but it actually is the “most populist and least mercenary sporting event going.” Most seats are distributed “to members of the All England Club,” but 6,000 ground passes and 500 Centre Court tickets during the first 10 days of the tournament are “available at face value” to fans who line up every morning. Wertheim writes a management consultant “would spit-take his Pimms pondering how much money the tournament leaves on the table each year.” The U.S. Open last year “set a record for sponsorship revenue” with $60M. An estimate “puts the potential sponsorship for Wimbledon at more than $100 million.” The tournament in ’10 reported a “surplus” of $50M, and Wertheim writes, “Who knows how much of that comes from the equity of tradition, from being singularly resistant to easy money?” (SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, 6/27 issue).
NOISE ORDINANCE: Thursday’s edition of ABC’s “GMA” devoted a segment to player grunting at Wimbledon, and ABC’s George Stephanopoulos said, “It wouldn’t be Wimbledon without a little controversy.” After footage of female players grunting on-court aired, ABC’s John Berman noted, “Yes, this is a tennis tournament, even if it sounds like ‘Braveheart.’” Tennis player Victoria Azarenka “hit 95 decibels” during her first-round match, and Maria Sharapova in the past has reached 105 decibels. Azarenka said that it “helps her put more power in her shots.” But former tennis player Martina Navratilova said, “They’re making noises as if they’re lifting 200 kilos or 300 pounds, and that’s not the case. The ball is not that heavy.” Berman noted All England Club CEO Ian Ritchie “has said he would prefer to see less grunting.” Berman: “Some have even suggested an all-out grunting ban. … Who are the British to complain about bad sounds when they’re responsible for Spandau Ballet and Wang Chung” (“GMA”, ABC, 6/23). ESPN's Tony Reali noted that Azarenka, the No. 4 seed, “was pushed to Court 15 for her last match." Columnist Kevin Blackistone said, “The only noise I don’t want to hear anymore is those people at Wimbledon talking about the noise coming from the women’s group. Why are they so masochistic up there?" ESPN.com’s J.A. Adande: “Just focus on the action that you’re watching instead of what you’re hearing” (“Around The Horn,” ESPN, 6/23).
