You've probably heard it hundreds of times: "game, set, match _______________" (< your favorite players name here). Then there are the handshakes, a quick exit for the loser, a quick appearance back on the court by the winner applauding herself for the victory with her racket, waving to the crowd, dumping the racket at her seat, perhaps a last bite on the already partly peeled banana, and then back onto the court for the on-court interview. The player comes over for the interview, ebullient after her victory, dripping in sweat, armed with the usual on-court interview cliches, ready to go. A typical interview might go:
Interviewer (I): Congratulations - a hard fought victory today.
Player (P): Thank you. She was playing unbelievable. I'm glad I got the win.
I: The fans really got behind you in that third-set tie break.
P: The fans were amazing. Thank you guys, you were amazing. (applause)
I: What were you thinking when you were match point down in the second set?
P: I tried to stay positive. Play my game. Go for my chances. (more applause). Thank you guys, you are amazing.
I: This is your first victory over a top ten opponent.
P: It's unbelievable. She's a phenomenal player. Amazing I won today.
I: What was going through your mind when you were serving at match point in the tie break?
P: She was returning second serves unbelievable. I really concentrated on getting my first serve in. Amazing I ended it with an ace.
I: So you've made it through to the semi finals. Any thoughts on that?
P: It's amazing. I have a phenomenal team behind me. I'm very happy right now.
I: Give it up for _________________(<player of your choice here), everybody. She's through to the semis. (applause)
OK, so every interview doesn't go like that but, and I've watched a lot of matches and heard a lot of interviews, many of them have that flavor. I don't believe I have exaggerated here. I think that's pretty typical of many on-court interviews. Let's take a closer look and put the spotlight on the player's part in the dialogue. The player used the word "amazing" 6 times, the word "phenomenal" twice, and the word "unbelievable" twice. Now, please, I don't want any player to think I'm criticizing her here. Consider what I'm about to present as an absolutely benevolent nudge toward canning the cliches in your interviews.
Let's consider the word "amazing." Examples of what I think are amazing:
What about the use of phenomenal and unbelievable? OK, in their sense of extraordinary, I'll give the players that one, but, like amazing, they are overused. I know what you're thinking, "lighten up guy." Yea, OK, but some of us who love to watch tennis and who are on the other end of those cameras and microphones during the on-court interviews start to glaze up when those words come rolling out. It's got to the point where they don't mean anything. (I'm moving in the direction of lightening up. Perhaps you've heard this one: "A snail is mugged by two turtles. When the authorities asked the snail what happened, the snail said, 'I don't know, it all happened so fast.')" No?
The on-court interview is over. The player goes back to her bench to pack up her stuff, signs a few autographs, the camera lens, and then heads for the showers to get ready for her press conference. She sits down at the mic and gets her first question:
Press Person: How would you describe your match today?
Player: I felt strong when I came on court today, but I also felt a nice quietness inside. The support from the crowd was quite moving. I was surprised actually since I haven't played here for two years. Yea, she played well, hitting her shots, especially in that second set. I tried some different tactics in the third set, got her out of her rhythm, was able to raise my level and seal it with an ace. That felt good. It was a good win for me today.
You know, I like that - simple words, clean. Some interviews are like that, but some are not, and to the extent that they are not, my post has relevance.
Anyway, that's how I see it. (Amazing Post, eh?)
Interviewer (I): Congratulations - a hard fought victory today.
Player (P): Thank you. She was playing unbelievable. I'm glad I got the win.
I: The fans really got behind you in that third-set tie break.
P: The fans were amazing. Thank you guys, you were amazing. (applause)
I: What were you thinking when you were match point down in the second set?
P: I tried to stay positive. Play my game. Go for my chances. (more applause). Thank you guys, you are amazing.
I: This is your first victory over a top ten opponent.
P: It's unbelievable. She's a phenomenal player. Amazing I won today.
I: What was going through your mind when you were serving at match point in the tie break?
P: She was returning second serves unbelievable. I really concentrated on getting my first serve in. Amazing I ended it with an ace.
I: So you've made it through to the semi finals. Any thoughts on that?
P: It's amazing. I have a phenomenal team behind me. I'm very happy right now.
I: Give it up for _________________(<player of your choice here), everybody. She's through to the semis. (applause)
OK, so every interview doesn't go like that but, and I've watched a lot of matches and heard a lot of interviews, many of them have that flavor. I don't believe I have exaggerated here. I think that's pretty typical of many on-court interviews. Let's take a closer look and put the spotlight on the player's part in the dialogue. The player used the word "amazing" 6 times, the word "phenomenal" twice, and the word "unbelievable" twice. Now, please, I don't want any player to think I'm criticizing her here. Consider what I'm about to present as an absolutely benevolent nudge toward canning the cliches in your interviews.
Let's consider the word "amazing." Examples of what I think are amazing:
- You are sitting with a good friend at an outside cafe table, talking easily, sipping your latte or herbal tea. Sunlight drops around you off the table umbrella, the sky is bright blue, the leaves in the few trees around flutter softly in a light breeze. Little bits of conversation are heard now and then as people walk by and waiters attend to their tables. You look around and experience the perfection of the stillness of the moment. This stillness is taking place within immense movement. As you share, perhaps, some intimate thoughts with your friend in this stillness, the Earth is spinning at the rate of 1,040 mph. At the same time, it is orbiting the sun at the rate of 67,000 mph and orbiting with the rest of our solar system around our Milky Way Galaxy at 483,000 mph. And while it is doing all that it is moving through space with the rest of our galaxy at 1.3 million mph in the direction of the constellation Hydra. Yet, we experience this sublime stillness. To me, that is amazing. It reminds me of some lines from the Neil Young song, Comes a Time:
"Oh, this old world keeps spinning round.
It's a wonder tall trees ain't layin' down."
- Once the pre-frontal cortex of the human brain has reached full maturity at the age of 25, our human brain and the human nervous system have the capacity, when sufficiently refined, to enable us to experience the infinity of the Universe, to know the structuring dynamics of the Universe, and to live our lives in full accord with the impulses arising from these structuring dynamics that manage and guide the entire, ever-expanding galactic Universe. Now that is amazing. In fact, the word amazing doesn't fully capture the immensity of the experience.
- Now I think most tennis fans would agree with me on my next example of "amazing." The legend, Roger Federer, age 35, 17-time grand slam champion, having not won a grand slam since 2012, 1-3 down in the 5th set of the final with Rafa Nadal, elevates his game into the magic of the zone to take the next 5 games, wins The Australian Open, 2017, and his 18th Grand Slam. Then for an encore, Federer flying high, swoops in and takes the "Sunshine Double," winning Indian Wells and Miami back to back for the third time, taking out in the finals, respectively, Stan Wawrinka and Rafa Nadal again 6-4, 6-3. Now that is amazing.
However, I don't see that some fans in the stands of a tennis tournament cheering and supporting a player is amazing. Some would argue that at a Fed Cup game, it would be amazing if the home crowd suddenly started cheering for an opposing player, banging their drums and blowing their horns and conches in support of her when she stepped to the serving line. I might have to budge on that one, although mutinous might be a better word, but otherwise, uh, uh.
What about the use of phenomenal and unbelievable? OK, in their sense of extraordinary, I'll give the players that one, but, like amazing, they are overused. I know what you're thinking, "lighten up guy." Yea, OK, but some of us who love to watch tennis and who are on the other end of those cameras and microphones during the on-court interviews start to glaze up when those words come rolling out. It's got to the point where they don't mean anything. (I'm moving in the direction of lightening up. Perhaps you've heard this one: "A snail is mugged by two turtles. When the authorities asked the snail what happened, the snail said, 'I don't know, it all happened so fast.')" No?
The on-court interview is over. The player goes back to her bench to pack up her stuff, signs a few autographs, the camera lens, and then heads for the showers to get ready for her press conference. She sits down at the mic and gets her first question:
Press Person: How would you describe your match today?
Player: I felt strong when I came on court today, but I also felt a nice quietness inside. The support from the crowd was quite moving. I was surprised actually since I haven't played here for two years. Yea, she played well, hitting her shots, especially in that second set. I tried some different tactics in the third set, got her out of her rhythm, was able to raise my level and seal it with an ace. That felt good. It was a good win for me today.
You know, I like that - simple words, clean. Some interviews are like that, but some are not, and to the extent that they are not, my post has relevance.
Anyway, that's how I see it. (Amazing Post, eh?)
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