The question, as always, is this: why do you care about Bernard Tomic?
Of course many people genuinely don’t, and I applaud them. But there are many others – media commentators, former tennis stars, and fans – who care deeply about the man who was considered the shining hope of Australian tennis back in days of old, when the world was young and hope still dwelt among us.
They care passionately, and are furious at the man. Their rage cannot be contained at Tomic’s disrespectful attitude, laziness, lack of commitment and general failure to have a go.
Why is this so?
The fact is that Tomic, like more than one local prodigy before him, has fallen foul of the great Law of Sporting Self-Analysis, the law that states one must never publicly state the obvious truth that a young man who happens to be very good at something which he’s not all that interested in, but which can provide a comfortable living for him if he ekes out the bare minimum of effort, would be foolish not to make that bare minimum and gather the harvest while he may.
Whether Tomic is truly bored by the game and unwilling to do what it takes to succeed, or is just going through a moody phase, I don’t know. But if it’s the former, I don’t blame him at all.
If I could travel the world raking in a fortune for playing a game I didn’t like much, without having to try all that hard, I would. I think most of us would. You’d be a sucker not to – deliberately choosing to avoid an easy path to riches isn’t really that intelligent.
Of course, that also means I’m never going to be all that fussed about what happens in Tomic’s career. I wish him all the best, but I’m not going to cheer him on, because cheering a sportsman who doesn’t care whether he wins or loses is a mug’s game. If he won’t care, I won’t either, and as far as I can see everyone’s happy.
(AP Photo/John Minchillo)
So why are so many of us unhappy? Why does his lack of passion exercise us so? Why does it seem so important to some people that Bernard Tomic put in the hard yards, and why is it so offensive when he doesn’t?
The reason is, in a nutshell, that he is Australian. If he wasn’t Australian we would care about him as much as we care about all the other non-Australians who never win tournaments: not at all. But because he is Australian we feel a sense of ownership over the man. We believe he owes us.
This is not an attitude rooted in any kind of logic. Outside those rare tournaments like the Davis and Federation Cups, or the Olympics, tennis players don’t actually represent their countries, and even when they do, it’s at best in the way that our national cricket or football teams “represent” us: that is, they come from the same landmass that we do and wear colours denoting the fact, and that’s it.
But obviously sporting fandom is not a logical exercise: if it was I wouldn’t still be planning to watch the Bledisloe Cup even though I know it will make me suicidal.
The sporting community is an irrational assemblage, and when one among us sees through the fog enough to shine a light of reason on the absurdity, it should be done with the humility that comes with knowing we’re still just as absurd as all the rest.
But still. Bernard Tomic hasn’t let you down. He hasn’t let me down. He hasn’t let anyone down except himself, and he seems pretty happy with his current arrangement, so not much to worry about there.
His fellow players should, if anything, be grateful for his approach to the game, as it makes their jobs that little bit easier.
And as for us, we have plenty of great tennis players to cheer for, true professionals who can always be relied upon to gratify our thirst for entertainment by treating the game they play with an obsessive earnestness wildly out of proportion to the objective significance it holds in the wider scheme of things.
And for that we should be grateful, and leave young Bernard alone to live his life in whatever maddeningly sensible way he sees fit.
Rabbits
Guest
Michael, I came on this forum aiming to give my 5 cents worth on Bernard Tomic and how his attitude to tennis was a major annoyance to me as a fan. I thought BT was the biggest tool in Australian sport and his arrogance and impetuous nature was fast losing whatever credibility and respect he may have had. But after reading your thoughts on the BT issue, I'm starting have second thoughts, even feeling sorry for the man and thinking that maybe he is a product of his upbringing and of having fame, fortune and expectation thrust upon him at a young age. The thing I can't get my head around is that there are people on this forum turning Tomic's latest episode into a question of whether we work for the money or for the satisfaction the career gives us. So there are people willing to give Bernard the benefit of the doubt for what he said and all of a sudden he's become an unwitting martyr of some existential cause for job satisfaction? Gee whiz, why don't we just call Bernard a rich idiot who can play tennis on occasion. He is just an embarrassment and it's a safe bet he'll be forgotten very quickly after he's done with the sport.
While we're at it
Guest
That's true, but he is in control of what happens to my employment. He and I have an agreement in place, my expected work output for his payment. If I am not honouring that, he has the right to terminate my contract, thus I have an incentive to do what is asked. In this instance B Tomic is saying, I will do what I want, but there is no downside as he has a known worst case scenario, the losers pay cheque, deserved or otherwise. The people paying to come watch have no control over scheduling, thus they are exposed to the whim of how he is feeling in any particular day. Hypothetically, what would the general reaction be if he won 6 matches at a grand slam (very hypothetical I know), and on the Sunday decided he was bored, turned up his toes in 30 minutes and took home the runners up prize money?
RBBAnonymous
Guest
Plenty of people are frauds at work, would they be as open and honest about it as Tomic, somehow I don't think they would be. I am sure if you told your boss that only some days you give 100%, other days perhaps 75% and other days zero (due to a sickie) he might consider finding someone else. I am not saying what Tomic is doing is right, he is in effect self employed but there is a certain amount of hypocrisy going around that a lot of posters aren't really aware of.
Geoff Schaefer
Guest
Very true.
While we're at it
Guest
Is my work life broadcast so publicly? Have I assumed a "payout" for less than my best effort, drawn from a pool derived in part by asking strangers to contribute via a ticket purchase, purchased on the assumption that the participants will work to their maximum effort in order to entertain them? Should those that sat and watched this match be entitled to a partial refund of their ticket price as the goods presented were defective, and acknowledged as such? Who will make those monies available? It is not about criticising this individual the same applies to anyone who in effect, fraudulently takes money, be that in the sporting arena, or any other workplace. If my boss felt that my work output was below par, and no valid reason could be presented, he would have recourse to removing me from his payroll. No one can put caveats on their ticket purchase at Wimbledon such as "but I don't want to see a a Tomic match", thus he has an obligation to either A) try his hardest or B) not participate. Anything less is fraud, that is what riles people so much, it is blatant fraud.
RBBAnonymous
Guest
A great article Ben. I think most people have hard time with Bernie being so honest and forthright. They can't believe that in his privileged position he isn't grateful for the opportunity he has and that he should use this opportunity to his full potential. The irony to those criticizing Bernie is that many would display the same attitudes as Bernie to their own working lives. The article if anything caused me to self reflect and ask myself the questions. Have I always given 100% effort at work? Have I extracted my full potential? Should I be doing more meaningful work? Should I continue learning and training? Am I passionate about my job/career?
Michaelj
Guest
"Define disloyal" Not giving 100%. Unless you are sick or injured you give 100% of yourself, whether it is sport or painting a house. Who is the loser if you don't? Ultimately you, because you will die wondering if you wasted your chance at life.
Michaelj
Guest
Or... Ten years of watching replays of Bernard Tomic matches.
Big Daddy
Guest
I wonder if channel 7 will continue to promote him as one of Australia' s stars. Every time you watch this guy play you can see he has no interest by his body language. His father will probably say he's misunderstood. Then you have to ask yourself every time he has played Davis cup has he been putting in. So many people have put so much time, energy and money into this guy and he still doesn't give a s**t. Time for him do something else.
northerner
Guest
WTF? Sammy, I don't think it's me who's in danger of taking myself too seriously.
Bring Back...?
Guest
Mitch, my comment is not one based on policy, political correctness or social agenda. It's a matter for you if you want to go down that path - this is a sports forum. As I understand the article, part of it is telling us to shut up because Tomic represents himself, not Australia. Technically, that has to be correct. But the only reason Aussies would bother taking note of him is because he is an Aussie. When Adam Scott sunk his putt on the 18th at Augusta a few years ago, he was belting out "Aussie" in fired up celebration. He plays no more for Australia than Tomic does, but he knew what it meant.
Michaelj
Guest
In retrospect, maybe hanging is too harsh. Ten years hard labour should be sufficient.
Mitcher
Guest
Look, yes I had a few last evening and I'm probably commenting excessively on this one, but I'd suggest the derision should be far more focused on any individual who flew to London, spending 1000s to watch a known loafer play a tennis tournament. Much more heavily than on Tomic himself. I actually don't think one single person did that to be honest anyway.
Mitcher
Guest
If the other player having a crack isn't good enough to unseat Tomic, 'not having a crack', from the draw based on the agreed results based criteria then maybe they should consider their own future in the sport. I guess you could petition the ATP to do away with their cold, calculated results-based ranking and tournament entry criteria in place of a 'good blokery, get up and go' focused system. Short of that, I see disappointment in your future.
Mitcher
Guest
Mr Michael Clare... where do I start?!? I was taught from birth ne'er to trust a man with two first names. Let alone he bearing one of the masculine and one of the feminine variety, acting in unholy unity. But, sir, this comment of yours is the most beautiful and agreeable (to me of course) interjection I have yet to read on this fine forum. You've elucidated my own thoughts as if you probed the depths of my own addled brain and arranged those confused thoughts into an opus of Tomic-related symphony. Long story short. Wonderfully put. I agree thoroughly.
Mitcher
Guest
I both respect and decry your apparent slavish devotion to the 'Aussie hope'. Nationalism is an odd beast. I thoroughly agree I'd like the Ch7 Aussie Aussie Aussie flag icon removed from next to Bernie's name. But that's not a personal thing. The tagging of all Australian players with the flag and no other nationality flags flown is horribly nauseating. Get rid of em all.
Mitcher
Guest
I'm inclined to think the vitriolic hate expressed by some of 'us' (not suggesting this is you at all Geoff) about the likes of Bernie and Nick reflects more poorly on us than their own actions. If worse comes to worst, don't we just take the Dawn Fraser route and claim they're foreigners (Canberra is pretty exotic after all).
vrx
Guest
Define disloyal
vrx
Guest
The 'other player' is prevented from having a crack because they are not good enough. Aside from wild cards, entry into the main draw at Wimbledon is on merit.
Dasilva
Guest
I agree. The idea that he should give up the game because he doesn't love it is silly. How many people love their job? (Job that you love is really a luxury) How many people aim to be the best in the world of their profession or to be the boss of their profession. There are ambitious people who aim to be he best and their are less ambitious people who Want to focus on other things in their life other than their careers and have a more appropriate work:life balance. Tomic who doesn't care about winning Wimbledon is like an employee in a company not caring about progressing and being a CEO of the company The idea that Tomic should be 100% passionate about tennis is like saying that a worker should be 100% about their jobs and that your career should have greater priority to other aspects of your personal life. If you value your hobbies over your career - that's consider work:life balance. However that same attitude in a sporting arena apparently is considered a disgrace for some reason. I guess it's the illusion that sporting actually matters