The Commish is not just one single person, it is a real and true thought experiment of many different entities. That's also why the Commish has no preferred pronouns and you
can call the Commish anything and anyway you want. Makes no difference to the Commish. The Commish lives in the minds of all tennis professionals, tennis players, tennis organizers, everyone with a clear and logical thought pocess.
THIS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR​
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By The Commish
The match of the century has to be the 1973 classic contest between Bobby Riggs versus Billy Jean King. Well, it looks like the USTA has finally come around to realize that great matchups like that one, can attract a very large audience and can really help grow the sport. The USTA even put aside the best possible venue in the country. They will be hosting these matches on center court at Flushing Meadows. This is what we have been waiting for. Although still in the developing stages, we can expect to see some phenomenal singles and doubles matchups, including for the first time, a highlighted mixed doubles being called “What’s Data Bout?”
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As mentioned, the agenda for the one-night event is yet to be announced, but based on rumors, there is talk of having John McEnroe play a pro-set again Serena Williams (neither wants to play two out of three sets). It’s amazing how mixed the responses have been to this match. Bets are already coming in as to who might win this match…you have to think it will be youth over age, much like the King vs Riggs match, but you never know. The bigger question is, will the USTA push John to revive the Sugar Daddy sponsorship to increase revenue on the back side, and will Serena be asked to volunteer several commercial spots throughout play pushing USTA enrollment. Say what you want, at the end of the night, these are smart promotional steps to help fund the many causes that the USTA will determine both needs money and is affiliated in some way with the organization.
The other highlight discussed is having Nick Kyrgios play a doubles match against Novak Djokovic. This obvious grudge match will have a clever twist. Despite being a doubles match that is usually broadcasted in the wee hours of the night, this event will be scheduled to take place at prime time. Of course, that prime time will only be available if there are no Americans playing at that time…which will feature short interviews of these Americans thanking the USTA for helping them reach their best playing level by financing their family needs, providing transportation for the coaches, as well as anyone involved in the USTA programs, to basically travel anywhere in the world.
Mixed will be real interesting match-up and will be called “What’s Data Bout?” For the first time, the organizers, very proud of their new touted tech skills, will keep track of every piece of data possible in the match. Everything from where the ball lands to how much compression took place on that landing…even how many people in the audience saw the landing of the ball. All four players can call time out at any time and review that data. In turn, the organizers will keep track of how many times that data was reviewed and who best kept track of that data.
At the end of each game, viewers from home will be able to access an App, to see that data and respond to the significance of the data. Data will be kept in order to track how many hits that App took and what data seemed most popular. Of course, there will also be a kiosk located right outside the stadium to download all that data, but with so much high-tech involved, the USTA will have to charge users of that kiosk, depending of course on how much data they downloaded and purchased. That too will be additional data for the USTA to keep for future records. I mean really, “What’s Data Bout?”
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The last match-up will be created from a new format we have recently been hearing about…Tag Team Play. Simply put, at any time a player can go to the side of the court and be substituted by someone in the audience. I’d like to believe that this would be spontaneous and true to form, but we all know that the USTA will follow their age-old pattern of placing people they can trust in those positions. This is not the time and place for any true uncontrolled fun to take place.
Which brings us to the last bit of intrigue, every few years the USTA finds another new President to represent the organization and basically the sport itself. This event will gather those who are running for that position and have them be the ball people for a key match. The position of president will go to the ball person that, as is the tradition of former elections, goes most unnoticed and least likely to disrupt any of the matches. It’s an interesting new approach to what has proven to be a thankless job (not sure if this is in reference to a ball person or the President of the USTA), one that seldom can actually influence the outcome of the match, but more importantly, comes across as a democratic and fair process.
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Wait a minute, hold the press, this just in…it seems that my information via the normally reliable internet has been slightly corrupted. As it turns out, although being held at Flushing Meadows, it appears that the evening is being hosted by the AEW, or also known as All Elite Wrestling on September 22. They have a staggering line-up of great entertainers and great athletes that will wrestle their way into the evening. And although they will most likely put on a great show, it would have been one heck of a tennis night that unfortunately, we will not be able to enjoy. But, you never know, maybe they can still find a way to combine the two events. Both entities have a lot in common, they provide great entertainment for New Yorkers or visitors, great athletes, and are both trying to convince the paying customer that the extremely high cost of entry was worth it.
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