Do you remember John McEnroe, the professional tennis player?
Well, only those who are in their fifties or older remember him?
He was known as the "bad boy" of tennis.
He would yell at the umpire whether the ball was on the line or not, and would complain about it with his violent actions.
When a decision was made that he didn't agree with, he would slam his racket down on the court.
This was an action that had never been seen in tennis players before, and it must have seemed new to the viewers of the match.
He may have been a skilled tennis player, but that is what drew the world's attention to him.
I don't know much about tennis, so there may have been other weirdos, but from John McEnroe onward, there were people in the professional sports world who were willing to expose their own hysteria.
I dislike sportsmen who shamelessly expose their emotional outbursts to the public, no matter how strong or good they are.
First of all, can you call that being a sportsman?
Did all the spectators enjoy the meaningless time passing by while they were complaining about the decision and flipping on the court?
I don't like it when ping-pong player Harimoto shouts triumphantly, "Chorey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" when his smash is successful, as if he is proud of his victory.
It's rude to the other player.
You don't have to imitate John McEnroe now.
Why do professional golfers, no matter how good they are and how low their scores are, put on such a long, grim face before making a shot or a putt?
Whether you are in good shape or not, you should smile at the gallery the whole time.
I understand that money and livelihood are at stake in each and every shot, but it is still poor to keep baring desperation.
Tennis has always been an elegant sport for the aristocracy and the rich.
The Emperor of Japan and Michiko of the Heisei era were also brought together by tennis.
The world may have applauded the fact that a bad boy pulled down that image of elegance and privilege.
But I prefer people who handle everything with elegance, whether they are rich or poor.
I prefer a person who can make a great smash and still look as if nothing happened.
I prefer a person who stifles his or her frustration even after a great smash.
When a match is over, don't just shake hands with someone who has no choice,
I prefer a sportsman who smiles and sincerely praises each other for a good fight.
A fighting look or action is not beautiful.
In the end, it is probably a calculated attempt by the fighters to sell themselves.
It is the same thing as when two people try to perform a fistfight at a press conference for a boxing or wrestling match. It is a farce.
You are free to find it amusing, but I am tired of it. I don't want to watch it.
I hope that sports will regain more elegance and smarts from now on.
I hope that many people will see the value in it again.
And I hope that elegant and smart athletes will become popular.