One of the best era s in tennis, Borg, Connors, McEnroe Lendel and more. Federer is awesome, but he would not have this much success if the talent pool was as deep as it was with the 1980's.
@blueguitarblue In no way was John scared of Jimmy, John pushed Jimmy away and stood his ground and carried on talking shit in his face...Jimmy was just as much as a prick as John was....
@amck72 Goodness. I was a teen when these giants were playing and it's loving and thrilling that the "tenniscollector" posted these moments. I think they are harmelss and hilarious and passionate about the game. I don't believe that either of these men were pricks. Self-inflated, but basically good guys.
Not sure what was going on here, but Jimmy was one of the few who could stand up to him. I was hitting some balls with Jeff Borowiak down in Mexico years ago, and asked him about his matches with Borg, Connors, Mac, etc. He had Mac on the ropes in Cincinnati (1984), up a set & a break.Mac went nuts (out of nowhere) for about 15 minutes, completely "icing" Jeff. I asked him why he didn't say anything when Mac went on his tangent. "Well, it was John McEnroe. What was I going to say?".Good point:-)
@theatlantean3 Great Post. As someone who watched him since 1979 I think for the most part his "tangent" as you put it was genuine but after 1986 (when he come back at the US Open after a 7 month lay-off) they become more calculating aimed at disrupting his opponent's momentum. They worked most of the time except against Lendl
@ThePuppi3000 i'm sure you knew the guy. i'm sure he saved your local kids hopsital with a blank check signed j. connors. i'm sure he rushed up 30 stories by himself to save people in a fire fist pumping while carrying them on his back. hero my ass! has he done anything to help american tennis from a junior level? has he ever played davis cup? the answer is no. ask if mcenroe has done both, the answer is, YES! connors to the tennis fan sheeples was a hero but was douche in real life.
@nysdgiants I don't care about their private lives. I'm talking about the way they behaved on court. McEnroe was the douche. Connors was an entertainer. Nuff said.
@ThePuppi3000 like i said tennis sheeple. he fed off your claps and hoorahs and i'm glad you found the fist pumping entertaining. sheeples don't know the difference between entertainment and talent. people will clap and stand up when ozzie or britney steps off the stage but you know what they do the same when clapton and cobain steps off too. keep watching x-factor and american idol like all the sheeples.
@bobomber LOL Yes just "entertainment". They usually were when Jimmy took on John. Great personalities they were. I have a motto on my videos "Old Times They Are Not Forgotten"...
@brentisverycool Probably not in 1982. Also i remember seeing Navratilova crossing over to Chris Evert side of the court in their 1985 French Open final and nothing was said or done. It was a different story when Hingis did the same thing in the 1999 Final.
@tenniscollector it actually was illegal at that time. the only reason they weren't dq'd is because they were the top players at that time. and i don't remember that ever happening to Hingis in 1999
First of all, Connors was way out of bounds for crossing to McEnroe's side of the net to get in his face. Now a days, he would of never gotten away with it, immediate disqualification. Then to put his finger in McEnroe's face, pure arrogance and bully move. I really commend McEnroe for restraining himself and not lowering to Connor's level even though I'm sure he wanted to put his racket through Connor's skull. For all the people saying they loved what Connors did, you admire antics of a buffoon
they broke the mould with these two guys.i gotta admit it was jimmy connors that made me first pick up a raquet.connors really was the only person not intimidated by mcenroes antics.both greats of the game ,but always jimbo for me , no one tried as hard as he did on the court.the bloke never admitted defeat.win or lose he was still on the tour beating guys half his age at us open 1991.no one else will ever match that feat.
@MrWilliestrokes Many thanks for your comments, my friend. I have a two -part Connors vs Patrick McEnroe USO '91 edit i am going to put on YT sometime next week. It's 20th anniversary of Connors extraordinary run.
Connors would have slaughtered McEnroe in a fight! Notice how Mac acts all defiant when he has the officials between them! Still, loved them both! Tennis has nobody like them now and never will again.
Two ugly Americans. Both are sort of guys whom you would never advise your children to emulate.
Good that current generations have players like Nadal and Federer who have tremendous respect to each other and conduct themselves to the spirit of the game.
"Two ugly Americans. Both are sort of guys whom you would never advise your children to emulate."
Yea okay, "two ugly Americans." Seems like you're a proper type 'Brit'.
Let's suppose you didn't have the "ugly Americans" around in the 20th century. And if you didn't, let's check into the reality of what you'd be doing today.
@gikkee88 Apparently you aren't aware of Roger's nasty temper in his younger days. Also, back when McEnroe and Connors played they didn't have the technology they have today and the umpires were pitiful. Everyone who knows anything at all about tennis knows that the umps in the 70's-80's were horrid. McEnroe summed it up best when he said, "Yes, I get upset when people aren't doing their best at what I do professionally."
the United States of America is lacking great male tennis players with attitude such as Jimmy Connors.this video shows how important attitude is no matter the century.attitude is timeless.Bravo Jimbo!
@igalflint So is Australia my friend. Yes you are so right about the Connors "Never Say Die" attitude. Got another one (in two parts) coming up soon on Connors v Pat McEnroe at the 1991 USO. But first i got some more music stuff to edit and upload.
@igalflint Sorry but you're wrong. It has a lot more to do with TALENT than attitude. Connors and Mac just happened to be extremely talented tennis players with attitude. Roddick has lots of attitude but what has it done for him other than make him look like an asshole every time he's losing. If it was all about attitude, there would be tons of players like Goran, Connors and Nastase. :-) I really miss Goran though!
the atitude i'm talking about is not screaming ,arguing with the empire,or destroying racquets.is to play with the spirit of a winner .i'm not seeing today any american male players with such atitude or spirit.even in the female american circuit besides the williams sisters who else do we have right now?
the best male tennis players of ourdays have been europeans for quite a long time
pure winner, take no prisoners and no shit from nobody. Crossed the line a few times but that was just his nature. He thrived on being that way and just ultra competitive. Wish I was younger and had the opportunity to have seen this guy up close and in his tennis prime. I missed out big-time.
@Bloufo Thanks, check out my latest Connors upload - 1978 U.S. Open final (last game). Got some more vintage Connors in the works over the next few weeks.
@blockhead891 Connors in 5 sets. I'd love to find out if this match was shown on U.S. television in it's complete form. I know that there was an edit broadcast shown on cable t.v. Of course it would be great to find a copy of the WHOLE MATCH !
@DexterHaven49 actually he was great at attracting audiences who either loved or loathed. Jimbo's US Open matches was in the main shown at night by the USTA/ CBS television cause they resulted in big ratings. (It was the same with Agassi matches too). We may never see their like again. Can you believe it is 20th anniversary of Connors extraordinary run defeating P. McEnroe, Aaron Krickstein, Paul Haarhuis.
@tenniscollector Yeah, that was a good run by the old dog. Mac had a decent run in the 1990 USO before losing to Sampras and in the '92 Wimbledon. I also liked how Jimmy worked the crowds, with his hand gestures. Agassi conceded the fans liked Jimmy, but the other players on tour thought he was a prick.
@DexterHaven49 McEnroe also had a good run t the Australian in '92. It doesn't matter what the other players thought of Connors. The point is that no other player before or since was able to arouse the public the way Jimmy had (McEnroe and Agassi were close) . You just had a sense that whenever he played the US Open, God was on the court (do you recall the crowd reaction on that one point Connors stole from Haarhuis in the '91 Quarterfinal , never saw a reaction quite like it since).
@tenniscollector Yeah, Connors looked like a conductor at a symphony the way he pumped his arms. That was such a good match, they replayed the tape a few years later during a rain delay at the US Open. My favorite moments of Jimmy, personally, though, are when he gets beat by a teenaged Agassi and by a young McEnroe. They both figured out how to beat him, and he was like a one-trick pony, failing to adjust until he was toast.
@DexterHaven49 I think connors was right, mc enroe is a genius at tennis, but was a real asshole in terms of tennis rules!!Always complaining please get back to good sense
@darrin1701 OK, granted Mac could get irritated and throw a fit, but I liked him more, and how he dethroned Borg and Connors, so I take his side in a fight. Also, interesting that Agassi said after his five minute ovation, when he retired at the US Open in 2006, he went into the locker room and got cheered by everyone, except one guy with folded arms in the corner. Connors.
@DexterHaven49 Interesting. Perhaps Agassi should have walked over to Connors ala Elvis Presley to Mickey Shaughnesy in a scene from the film Jailhouse Rock, and say "I didn't see you applauding, you didn't like me?"....
I read in Mac,s book that connors phoned mac up one nite, i guess it was the early nineties,telling mac that he could arrange a lucrative doubles challenge match against sampras and agassi, mac laughed it off saying at that time he could just about beat the local pro. connors self belief is amazing, god bless jimbo.
Nope... McEnroe said that in one of his matches at 1981 Wimbledon.
Except for the final vs Borg, His behaviour throughout the tournament was deplorable, particularly the semifinal vs Rod Frawley. The "incompetent fool" remark was directed at the umpire.
haha tennis is pretty cool but i dont even get how 2 ppl can get mad at eachother...thats like golfers getting mad at eachother...where can a confrontation happen? funny
It really would be nice is to find out if anyone in chicago taped this and if the match was shown in it's entirity - 4 hours, 40 minutes - and if hey are willing to sell copies of it. Same thing with the 1980 U.S. Open semifinal (McEnroe d. Connors 6-3,5-7,0-6,6-3,7-6).
well McEnroe always shouts and stuff but when a guy confronts him he just becomes a girl maaan. I thought he would do something else rather than just taking Connors hand out of his face and start looking at his racket!
Wow, I think they were really about to get into it. I can hear a couple of Enenroe's words "Don't say that to me..." right as Connors is climbining over the net. After that its hard to hear, Connors goes off Mike and the commentators ar blabbing. But when Jim is pointing his finger and MacEnroe swats it away it looks like they're going to end up rolling on the ground.
John could really be a sore loser dick at times, but Conners had no reason to climb over the net, go into McEnroe's side of the court and start pointing his finger at him like a school teacher. John should have given him a backhander with the racket to Jimmy's head.
@tenniscollector agassi didn't model his game upon Jimmy's, Connors went up to the net way more, and the power baseline game was introduced not by Connors. Agassi was just the peak of the new wave of power baseliners. Connor's game is nothing close to agassi's.
Man, that was really fun to watch . . . especially since the two seem to be getting along now, based on their joint appearance at the US Open. Any way you look at it . . these guys added color that MADE tennis the fun sport to play and watch in the late 70s and throughout the 80s, along with the Joe-coolness of Bjorn Borg. Aside from a very few, where is the color today? Federer is obviously the Joe-cool of today. But who's today's Mac, JC or even robotic Lendl? Ahhh, the good ol' days!
I would've thought Jimmy acted more as a showman, especially in New York who seemed to love his brashesness and tennis style and who always drew in capacity crowds (and television ratings).
no dude, Mac's attitude to Jimmy Connors started changing about 1986. Dude are you sure you don't mean either Ivan lendl or Bill Scanlon ? Scanlon defeated McEnroe 7-6,7-6,4-6,6-3 in the fourth round of the 1983 U.S. Open tournament and there was no love lost between them. Mac even tried to hit Bill with a backhand at close range first point in the fourth set.
Pure theater with these 2 all-time greats. Wow was this a great era for tennis. Everyone played tennis back then, you could barely get on a public court.
And Connors WASN'T a poor loser? lol I love Jimmy for what he gave to tennis but he was as big a prick in every way as Mac. Maybe bigger. Do some research before posting next time.
You would never see that in todays game. If this happened today both players would be suspended, everything is about more control now then it was back in the days. More rules and regulation bullshit now.
How annoying it must have been for Conners to have to sit through McEnroe's endless rants and delays. McEnroe was clearly an all time great but a total pain in the ass.
Connors was just as much a tennis bad boy until he became a father. That was when he tried to lecture McEnroe here and other places. He once said to McEnroe during the 80 Wimbledon semis, "My son behaves better than you!" Connors also tried to calm Nastase down at the 82 US Open when Ilie yelled at an official, "You look at me like that again I kill you!" Connors started laughing when trying to serve then told Ilie to calm down. Jimmy went on to win the US Open in 82.
I was a ball boy in a Connors match in a satellite tournament in 1971, when he was 19. He was a really nice guy. Would talk to me at every change over. Of course, he was killing his opponent, so was in a really good mood...
Must correct you on this one, mate. They never became friends. Borg and Mac did but never Mac and Jimbo or Borg and Jimbo. Read the excellent books of Tim Adams and Malcolm Folley. Great vid though. Thanks!
Connors WAS #1 for 5 years straight in the 70's, then retained the #1 again in 82/83. I guess "bias" won him 5 US Opens on 3 different surfaces....I'd watch these 2 any day, any time, any place over the boring tennis of today. Only Nadal vs. Federer will get me to turn on the channel. Jimbo, Mac, Borg, even Lendl, made me want to watch.
The best comment I ever heard about Connors was by the late Arthur Ashe. When Ashe was asked if Connors was an asshole, he paused, then said, "Yeah, but he was my favorite asshole."
Actually, McEnroe was responding verbally and coolly all of the time up until when Connors came up to him, and carried on listening to him.... when Connors got in his personal space and beyond, McEnroe rightly took action by pushing him away, proving that he was pretty streetwise.... then, when Connors continued to talk, Mac continued to respond verbally, raising his voice the further away Connors got. The security men had very little to do with it. 12 seconds ago
connors avait bien raison de donner une lecon a ce petit gamin qu etait a l epoque mac enroe, un sale mome ,morveux, qui ne meritait qu un bon coup de pied au cul !!! bravo monsieur connors pour l avoir fait !!! sebastien de provins france
Gabe228 - are you kidding Connors hated ! he had a huge following both in the US and here in the UK. People enjoyed the fact he wasn't a machine like todays players and the fact he fought hard every time he went out - look at his 70's and early 80's record - speaks for itself
he was the most hated player of his time, and he wasn't even the "best" for how cocky he was...
and i am glad roddick fired connors as a coach.. when he coached for roddick, roddick's ranks dropped, playstyle worsened... now he's back on the road to success
I think the only one John Mcenroe ever respected was Bjorn Borg.
altfratuben 5 days ago
One of the best era s in tennis, Borg, Connors, McEnroe Lendel and more. Federer is awesome, but he would not have this much success if the talent pool was as deep as it was with the 1980's.
time7152005 1 week ago
Connors liked to intimidate his opponenets, which was part of his success. But as you can see, McEnroe wasn't having any part of it.
theriokid 1 month ago
jimmy connors > john mcenroe
domirules28 1 month ago
It's only an exhibition and they're acting like this?
kljMN2 1 month ago
I think Johhny was scared if Jimmy. He didn't fight back until there were people/buffers between them. :) This is Legend!
blueguitarblue 3 months ago
@blueguitarblue NO i don't believe he was. He just stood his ground and wanted to play tennis.
tenniscollector 3 months ago 3
@tenniscollector What happened to cause the "flare up?" Thank you for these Legend videos. Must have taken a long time...:)
blueguitarblue 3 months ago
@blueguitarblue In no way was John scared of Jimmy, John pushed Jimmy away and stood his ground and carried on talking shit in his face...Jimmy was just as much as a prick as John was....
amck72 3 months ago
@amck72 Goodness. I was a teen when these giants were playing and it's loving and thrilling that the "tenniscollector" posted these moments. I think they are harmelss and hilarious and passionate about the game. I don't believe that either of these men were pricks. Self-inflated, but basically good guys.
blueguitarblue 3 months ago
Not sure what was going on here, but Jimmy was one of the few who could stand up to him. I was hitting some balls with Jeff Borowiak down in Mexico years ago, and asked him about his matches with Borg, Connors, Mac, etc. He had Mac on the ropes in Cincinnati (1984), up a set & a break.Mac went nuts (out of nowhere) for about 15 minutes, completely "icing" Jeff. I asked him why he didn't say anything when Mac went on his tangent. "Well, it was John McEnroe. What was I going to say?".Good point:-)
theatlantean3 3 months ago
@theatlantean3 Great Post. As someone who watched him since 1979 I think for the most part his "tangent" as you put it was genuine but after 1986 (when he come back at the US Open after a 7 month lay-off) they become more calculating aimed at disrupting his opponent's momentum. They worked most of the time except against Lendl
tenniscollector 3 months ago
@tenniscollector Lendl is scariful: he's like an anorexic terminator with terrible teeth.
blueguitarblue 1 month ago
This is great. Some emotions in the game. Better than watching fucking mindless drones hitting the ball back and forth like we have to nowadays.
johnnyjayramone 3 months ago 2
@johnnyjayramone Yeah I know what you mean. I believe another era will come along and we'll see players -Men and Women -getting to the net more.
tenniscollector 3 months ago
connors was a douchebag. every tennis book i've read and most recently the agassi book have said connors was the biggest asshole on the tour.
i'm surprised mac didn't pop him one when connors stuck his finger in his face cause that's how we do it in Queens, NY...
nysdgiants 3 months ago
@nysdgiants Sounds like you're the douchebag. McEnroe was the asshole, Connors was a hero. Now shut it.
ThePuppi3000 3 months ago
@ThePuppi3000 i'm sure you knew the guy. i'm sure he saved your local kids hopsital with a blank check signed j. connors. i'm sure he rushed up 30 stories by himself to save people in a fire fist pumping while carrying them on his back. hero my ass! has he done anything to help american tennis from a junior level? has he ever played davis cup? the answer is no. ask if mcenroe has done both, the answer is, YES! connors to the tennis fan sheeples was a hero but was douche in real life.
nysdgiants 3 months ago
@nysdgiants I don't care about their private lives. I'm talking about the way they behaved on court. McEnroe was the douche. Connors was an entertainer. Nuff said.
ThePuppi3000 3 months ago
@ThePuppi3000 like i said tennis sheeple. he fed off your claps and hoorahs and i'm glad you found the fist pumping entertaining. sheeples don't know the difference between entertainment and talent. people will clap and stand up when ozzie or britney steps off the stage but you know what they do the same when clapton and cobain steps off too. keep watching x-factor and american idol like all the sheeples.
nysdgiants 3 months ago
Connors should have been disqualified
bobomber 4 months ago
@bobomber nah it was just an exhibition.
tenniscollector 4 months ago
@tenniscollector oh...so is it just a joke then? just "entertainment?"
bobomber 4 months ago
@bobomber LOL Yes just "entertainment". They usually were when Jimmy took on John. Great personalities they were. I have a motto on my videos "Old Times They Are Not Forgotten"...
tenniscollector 4 months ago
Can't imagine Federer ever doing something like this.
manco82 5 months ago
A. isn't crossing over to the opponents side an automatic DQ?
B. When McEnroe pushes Connor's away he looks remarkable similar to Napoleon Dynamite
brentisverycool 5 months ago
@brentisverycool Probably not in 1982. Also i remember seeing Navratilova crossing over to Chris Evert side of the court in their 1985 French Open final and nothing was said or done. It was a different story when Hingis did the same thing in the 1999 Final.
tenniscollector 5 months ago
@tenniscollector it actually was illegal at that time. the only reason they weren't dq'd is because they were the top players at that time. and i don't remember that ever happening to Hingis in 1999
cain2335 4 months ago
Jimmy is the greatest tennis player ever. I sure miss his game. He has more titles than any other player.
TakeDetour 5 months ago
Anything the great Connors did to that punk CrapEnroe was wonderful. Go Jimmy!!!!
MrLive2win 5 months ago 2
4h40 for an exhibition? God dammit, those guys were totally crazy.
HornyGates 5 months ago 2
They have got to meet in MMA. The Octogon for 3 big rounds.
nowbellhere 5 months ago
First of all, Connors was way out of bounds for crossing to McEnroe's side of the net to get in his face. Now a days, he would of never gotten away with it, immediate disqualification. Then to put his finger in McEnroe's face, pure arrogance and bully move. I really commend McEnroe for restraining himself and not lowering to Connor's level even though I'm sure he wanted to put his racket through Connor's skull. For all the people saying they loved what Connors did, you admire antics of a buffoon
allez68 6 months ago
The official at 0:30: "Gentleman, (and I use the term loosely)....."
GeorgiaKev 6 months ago
I like how Johnny Mac seems all nonchalant here - while he is clearly getting under Connors' skin. Fuck Connors.
braducsb2 6 months ago
they broke the mould with these two guys.i gotta admit it was jimmy connors that made me first pick up a raquet.connors really was the only person not intimidated by mcenroes antics.both greats of the game ,but always jimbo for me , no one tried as hard as he did on the court.the bloke never admitted defeat.win or lose he was still on the tour beating guys half his age at us open 1991.no one else will ever match that feat.
MrWilliestrokes 7 months ago
@MrWilliestrokes Many thanks for your comments, my friend. I have a two -part Connors vs Patrick McEnroe USO '91 edit i am going to put on YT sometime next week. It's 20th anniversary of Connors extraordinary run.
tenniscollector 7 months ago
Connors would have slaughtered McEnroe in a fight! Notice how Mac acts all defiant when he has the officials between them! Still, loved them both! Tennis has nobody like them now and never will again.
jegspillerpiano 7 months ago
Connors had a very distinctive walk when he was young. Like he had no neck and tall shoulders!!
GeneralKenobiSIYE 7 months ago
love connors
roter13 7 months ago
duing an exhibition?
preciousjey 7 months ago
Two ugly Americans. Both are sort of guys whom you would never advise your children to emulate.
Good that current generations have players like Nadal and Federer who have tremendous respect to each other and conduct themselves to the spirit of the game.
gikkee88 8 months ago
@gikkee88 You said...
"Two ugly Americans. Both are sort of guys whom you would never advise your children to emulate."
Yea okay, "two ugly Americans." Seems like you're a proper type 'Brit'.
Let's suppose you didn't have the "ugly Americans" around in the 20th century. And if you didn't, let's check into the reality of what you'd be doing today.
What would you be doing?
Hailing your Furor...
markisb62 7 months ago 2
@gikkee88 Apparently you aren't aware of Roger's nasty temper in his younger days. Also, back when McEnroe and Connors played they didn't have the technology they have today and the umpires were pitiful. Everyone who knows anything at all about tennis knows that the umps in the 70's-80's were horrid. McEnroe summed it up best when he said, "Yes, I get upset when people aren't doing their best at what I do professionally."
Sums it up pretty darn well, I think.
DrDeath26 7 months ago
the United States of America is lacking great male tennis players with attitude such as Jimmy Connors.this video shows how important attitude is no matter the century.attitude is timeless.Bravo Jimbo!
igalflint 8 months ago
@igalflint So is Australia my friend. Yes you are so right about the Connors "Never Say Die" attitude. Got another one (in two parts) coming up soon on Connors v Pat McEnroe at the 1991 USO. But first i got some more music stuff to edit and upload.
JIMMY CONNORS LEGEND
tenniscollector 8 months ago
@igalflint wellsaid cowboy!
vpmitchell 7 months ago
@igalflint Sorry but you're wrong. It has a lot more to do with TALENT than attitude. Connors and Mac just happened to be extremely talented tennis players with attitude. Roddick has lots of attitude but what has it done for him other than make him look like an asshole every time he's losing. If it was all about attitude, there would be tons of players like Goran, Connors and Nastase. :-) I really miss Goran though!
Nigelxman1 7 months ago
@Nigelxman1
the atitude i'm talking about is not screaming ,arguing with the empire,or destroying racquets.is to play with the spirit of a winner .i'm not seeing today any american male players with such atitude or spirit.even in the female american circuit besides the williams sisters who else do we have right now?
the best male tennis players of ourdays have been europeans for quite a long time
igalflint 7 months ago
gotta love Connors!
pure winner, take no prisoners and no shit from nobody. Crossed the line a few times but that was just his nature. He thrived on being that way and just ultra competitive. Wish I was younger and had the opportunity to have seen this guy up close and in his tennis prime. I missed out big-time.
Bloufo 9 months ago
@Bloufo Thanks, check out my latest Connors upload - 1978 U.S. Open final (last game). Got some more vintage Connors in the works over the next few weeks.
tenniscollector 9 months ago
They were titans.
essertpitay 9 months ago
CONNORS IN 5!
hattrickster33 10 months ago
who won?
blockhead891 10 months ago
@blockhead891 Connors in 5 sets. I'd love to find out if this match was shown on U.S. television in it's complete form. I know that there was an edit broadcast shown on cable t.v. Of course it would be great to find a copy of the WHOLE MATCH !
tenniscollector 10 months ago
Jimmy Connors is an asshole. I wish the linesman decked him . He assaulted Mac. A crime.
DexterHaven49 10 months ago
@DexterHaven49 actually he was great at attracting audiences who either loved or loathed. Jimbo's US Open matches was in the main shown at night by the USTA/ CBS television cause they resulted in big ratings. (It was the same with Agassi matches too). We may never see their like again. Can you believe it is 20th anniversary of Connors extraordinary run defeating P. McEnroe, Aaron Krickstein, Paul Haarhuis.
tenniscollector 10 months ago
@tenniscollector Yeah, that was a good run by the old dog. Mac had a decent run in the 1990 USO before losing to Sampras and in the '92 Wimbledon. I also liked how Jimmy worked the crowds, with his hand gestures. Agassi conceded the fans liked Jimmy, but the other players on tour thought he was a prick.
DexterHaven49 10 months ago
@DexterHaven49 McEnroe also had a good run t the Australian in '92. It doesn't matter what the other players thought of Connors. The point is that no other player before or since was able to arouse the public the way Jimmy had (McEnroe and Agassi were close) . You just had a sense that whenever he played the US Open, God was on the court (do you recall the crowd reaction on that one point Connors stole from Haarhuis in the '91 Quarterfinal , never saw a reaction quite like it since).
tenniscollector 10 months ago
@tenniscollector Yeah, Connors looked like a conductor at a symphony the way he pumped his arms. That was such a good match, they replayed the tape a few years later during a rain delay at the US Open. My favorite moments of Jimmy, personally, though, are when he gets beat by a teenaged Agassi and by a young McEnroe. They both figured out how to beat him, and he was like a one-trick pony, failing to adjust until he was toast.
DexterHaven49 10 months ago
@DexterHaven49 I think connors was right, mc enroe is a genius at tennis, but was a real asshole in terms of tennis rules!!Always complaining please get back to good sense
darrin1701 10 months ago
@darrin1701 OK, granted Mac could get irritated and throw a fit, but I liked him more, and how he dethroned Borg and Connors, so I take his side in a fight. Also, interesting that Agassi said after his five minute ovation, when he retired at the US Open in 2006, he went into the locker room and got cheered by everyone, except one guy with folded arms in the corner. Connors.
DexterHaven49 10 months ago
@DexterHaven49 Interesting. Perhaps Agassi should have walked over to Connors ala Elvis Presley to Mickey Shaughnesy in a scene from the film Jailhouse Rock, and say "I didn't see you applauding, you didn't like me?"....
tenniscollector 10 months ago
@tenniscollector Or maybe like Chris Crocker, from YouTube fame, walk over to Connors and say, "If envy is a disease, I hope you get better."
DexterHaven49 10 months ago
at least he didn't rub out a ball mark.
tomloft2000 10 months ago
When confronted, McEnroe backs down.
abc1000001 11 months ago
I read in Mac,s book that connors phoned mac up one nite, i guess it was the early nineties,telling mac that he could arrange a lucrative doubles challenge match against sampras and agassi, mac laughed it off saying at that time he could just about beat the local pro. connors self belief is amazing, god bless jimbo.
n0rt0nj4zZ 1 year ago
Connors is a spoiled one.
Yaqidh 1 year ago 2
Mcenroe always acted like a spoilt brat......FUCKING ARSEHOLE!!!
hearts76100 1 year ago
no one likes mc enroe
was he adopted?
casketofdog 1 year ago
Nope... McEnroe said that in one of his matches at 1981 Wimbledon.
Except for the final vs Borg, His behaviour throughout the tournament was deplorable, particularly the semifinal vs Rod Frawley. The "incompetent fool" remark was directed at the umpire.
tenniscollector 1 year ago
i'm not following. isn't this the same match where mcnroe refers to connors as "incompetent fool" ?
dimpoochie 1 year ago
Lovers' quarrel.
gorillabelly1 1 year ago
Connors was totally disrespectful and stupid doing this....
alucoq 1 year ago
I can honestly say if I had someone walk over the net and start pointing their fingers in my face I would kick their ass... Connors is a jerk
rjnrf 1 year ago
hello i'm a theater director
and i wrote a play about jmcenroe
could you please help me !
i'm looking for videos
and maybe you can send me some !
it would be a great help
i can send you first a USB flashcard
and you could send me back!
tell me if it's possible and thank you so much
grouplil@yahoo.fr
solarveillesurtoi 1 year ago
haha tennis is pretty cool but i dont even get how 2 ppl can get mad at eachother...thats like golfers getting mad at eachother...where can a confrontation happen? funny
jjjhs08 1 year ago
wow! i never saw this before
mccluskey 1 year ago
Fnny though when McEnroe is confronted he is the one who is backing off.
abc1000001 1 year ago
This all looks false and put on to me, like all that wrestling baloney for children.
FORTBAXTER 1 year ago
It really would be nice is to find out if anyone in chicago taped this and if the match was shown in it's entirity - 4 hours, 40 minutes - and if hey are willing to sell copies of it. Same thing with the 1980 U.S. Open semifinal (McEnroe d. Connors 6-3,5-7,0-6,6-3,7-6).
tenniscollector 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
hello i'm a theater director
and i wrote a play about jmcenroe
could you please help me !
i'm looking for videos
and maybe you can send me some !
it would be a great help
i can send you first a USB flashcard
and you could send me back!
tell me if it's possible and thank you so much
grouplil@yahoo.fr
solarveillesurtoi 1 year ago
well McEnroe always shouts and stuff but when a guy confronts him he just becomes a girl maaan. I thought he would do something else rather than just taking Connors hand out of his face and start looking at his racket!
WillKenzo 1 year ago 3
McEnroe shat himself there. 15-0 Connors.
Zorg2006 1 year ago
@Zorg2006 Connors was acting like a baby, Mac just wanted to play. Looked like Connors wanted to fight him, jesus...what a child
myunclesnephew 1 year ago
Wow, I think they were really about to get into it. I can hear a couple of Enenroe's words "Don't say that to me..." right as Connors is climbining over the net. After that its hard to hear, Connors goes off Mike and the commentators ar blabbing. But when Jim is pointing his finger and MacEnroe swats it away it looks like they're going to end up rolling on the ground.
lusitanic777 1 year ago
gabe228 I have a video recording of the 1994 Miami final where Agassi states that Connors was "his biggest influence" followed by Bjorn Borg.
tenniscollector 1 year ago
Comment removed
FF18Cloud 1 year ago
@tenniscollector post it
conndogg79 11 months ago
@tenniscollector Both Agassi and Connors have an ego.
Yaqidh 11 months ago
John could really be a sore loser dick at times, but Conners had no reason to climb over the net, go into McEnroe's side of the court and start pointing his finger at him like a school teacher. John should have given him a backhander with the racket to Jimmy's head.
Audioquest56 1 year ago
HAHA like children in school.
ublazzz 1 year ago
McEnroe is a great played, but a pussy. Jimmy Connors is a boss. Straight up.
nln6494 1 year ago
and what did Agassi say about Jimmy who he clearly modelled his game upon?
tenniscollector 1 year ago
@tenniscollector agassi didn't model his game upon Jimmy's, Connors went up to the net way more, and the power baseline game was introduced not by Connors. Agassi was just the peak of the new wave of power baseliners. Connor's game is nothing close to agassi's.
gabe228 1 year ago
If what Agassi said about Connors in his book is true then Connors is a colossal jerk, the Ty Cobb of tennis.
jtatsiue 1 year ago
@jtatsiue Agassi talks shit about everybody in his book
DestroyerAlexandros 1 year ago
man, connors was harder than mac.
federerpremiumclass 1 year ago
if u hit the other player your tennis carrier is over.
copavida 1 year ago
What is Connors doing going over on McEnroe's side of the court?
kljMN2 1 year ago 17
@kljMN2 Connors should have smacked him in the mouth
ThePuppi3000 3 months ago
two of the hottest heads in tennis, what else do you expect?
spacecowboy95 2 years ago
too bad there wasnt a racket fight! it d be awesome!
gardenofarcane 2 years ago
@gardenofarcane lol imagine soderling and nadal having a racket fight.....
hattrickster33 1 year ago
@hattrickster33
Soderling would kill Nadal without any doubt.
angelwebeza 1 year ago
Man, that was really fun to watch . . . especially since the two seem to be getting along now, based on their joint appearance at the US Open. Any way you look at it . . these guys added color that MADE tennis the fun sport to play and watch in the late 70s and throughout the 80s, along with the Joe-coolness of Bjorn Borg. Aside from a very few, where is the color today? Federer is obviously the Joe-cool of today. But who's today's Mac, JC or even robotic Lendl? Ahhh, the good ol' days!
tonydaysog 2 years ago 2
Roddick and S. Williams dispute line calls somewhat like they did.
zzzbrianxxx 2 years ago
haha u dont see this nowadays! imagine Federer with Nadal! Or Del Potro and Soderling! just wont happen again...
artikelmusic 2 years ago
I can actually imagine Soderling climbing over the net to tell Nadal he's taking to long on his serve.
AnimeIntroStyles4 1 year ago 19
@AnimeIntroStyles4 And the very next point when Soderling takes a second too long for Nadals taste, Nadal will cry like a little bitch lol
JMSadmirer 1 year ago
Really ?!!!!!
I would've thought Jimmy acted more as a showman, especially in New York who seemed to love his brashesness and tennis style and who always drew in capacity crowds (and television ratings).
tenniscollector 2 years ago
Connors acted always as a kid..
Yaqidh 2 years ago
you guys should read Mac bio he hates jimmy conners and describes that most of the players hated him on the circuit.
xwingclass 2 years ago
no dude, Mac's attitude to Jimmy Connors started changing about 1986. Dude are you sure you don't mean either Ivan lendl or Bill Scanlon ? Scanlon defeated McEnroe 7-6,7-6,4-6,6-3 in the fourth round of the 1983 U.S. Open tournament and there was no love lost between them. Mac even tried to hit Bill with a backhand at close range first point in the fourth set.
tenniscollector 2 years ago
connors is an ass
becoo1 2 years ago
Wow, the head of Jimmy Connors is really small.I thinnk that´s why he had that haircut
bragunovskoie 2 years ago
The head of the racquet he used at that time is also small, LOL! :P
UngratefulSwine 1 year ago
HAHA, indeed xD
bragunovskoie 1 year ago
Pure theater with these 2 all-time greats. Wow was this a great era for tennis. Everyone played tennis back then, you could barely get on a public court.
Schrittwieser 2 years ago
And Connors WASN'T a poor loser? lol I love Jimmy for what he gave to tennis but he was as big a prick in every way as Mac. Maybe bigger. Do some research before posting next time.
Nigelxman 2 years ago
what happened exactly??? why did connors react badly???
pablotjob 2 years ago
burl ives in the baby blue turtle neck and navy blue blazer was just trying cut in and get a dance from connors. connors would have none of it.
teflonmagnet 2 years ago 2
lol connors was the only player who saw through mcenroes cowardness
utkarsh12 2 years ago 3
Wow, they must've been playing for a Michelob Light!
berkeleylawyer 2 years ago 2
It's just an exhibition match - what a bunch of morons wasting all this energy on a useless match.
rcschumann 2 years ago
makes it twice as entertaining.
teflonmagnet 2 years ago
DOES ANYONE HAVE THIS ENTIRE MATCH?
mrpizzawings 2 years ago
Can anyone post the transcripts of what Connors said to McEnroe ?
sunilsenigma 2 years ago
this made tennis entertaining... if it was more like this today i would be into it
RCdeeds10 2 years ago
You would never see that in todays game. If this happened today both players would be suspended, everything is about more control now then it was back in the days. More rules and regulation bullshit now.
quest8899 2 years ago
Almost as annoying as the fact that you can't spell "connors".
Nigelxman 2 years ago
How annoying it must have been for Conners to have to sit through McEnroe's endless rants and delays. McEnroe was clearly an all time great but a total pain in the ass.
bertinotti 2 years ago
darn i really wanted to see these skinny guys go at it
UncoolNegated 2 years ago
TENNIS IS A GANTELMAN SROPT
thewaterman122 2 years ago
Wow, that was insane.
raisethe3 2 years ago
Connors was not a true gentleman, he always has an ego thing.
Yaqidh 2 years ago
Its very rare that both players like these play angry and not let their anger control them.
redmustang03 2 years ago
Conners was as bad as McEnroe, no doubt.
danolson68 2 years ago 2
What a couple of punks. Talented, but punks none the same.
Wiley84 2 years ago
amen!
kleinkats09 2 years ago
all the same
CourtyardPigeon 2 years ago
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msane4XX 2 years ago
from the moment mcenroe pushed jimbo's hand i thought someone's mug is gonna get whacked.
kakashi1300 2 years ago
Jimmy is hot! <3 :)
wouldntyoulike2know 2 years ago
Connors was just as much a tennis bad boy until he became a father. That was when he tried to lecture McEnroe here and other places. He once said to McEnroe during the 80 Wimbledon semis, "My son behaves better than you!" Connors also tried to calm Nastase down at the 82 US Open when Ilie yelled at an official, "You look at me like that again I kill you!" Connors started laughing when trying to serve then told Ilie to calm down. Jimmy went on to win the US Open in 82.
vccstudents 2 years ago
McBrat and Jimmy the Jerk. lol.
rmrooster01 2 years ago
This must have been great for tennis, two big assholes. No doubt that they were talented assholes.
Samprasisthebest 2 years ago
I was a ball boy in a Connors match in a satellite tournament in 1971, when he was 19. He was a really nice guy. Would talk to me at every change over. Of course, he was killing his opponent, so was in a really good mood...
bailinnumberguy 2 years ago
Bloddy great.
Pity they had to become friends later, lol.
Their tennis was exciting earlier on maybe until
1984 or 1985 was when they became friends.
Hey anyone out there got some film of Jimmy Connors vs Pannata at the 1977 U.S. Open?
Connors vs Kevin Curren at Wimbledon 1983?
Please upload it for us!!!
tenniscollector 2 years ago
Must correct you on this one, mate. They never became friends. Borg and Mac did but never Mac and Jimbo or Borg and Jimbo. Read the excellent books of Tim Adams and Malcolm Folley. Great vid though. Thanks!
Pata1 2 years ago
Connors is friends with both, not best buddies by any means but there is a mutual respect having battled and given so much to tennis over the years.
conndogg79 2 years ago
Great Rivalry.
Nickelodeon2002 2 years ago
why can't nadal and fed behave like this?? tennis is so dull these days!!
Kallytom 2 years ago
When Giants walked the earth !...Jimbo was the man...the tennis court was his turf !!!
essertpitay 2 years ago
And, Roddick did pretty well under Connors for the time they were together....
jlr0926 2 years ago
Connors WAS #1 for 5 years straight in the 70's, then retained the #1 again in 82/83. I guess "bias" won him 5 US Opens on 3 different surfaces....I'd watch these 2 any day, any time, any place over the boring tennis of today. Only Nadal vs. Federer will get me to turn on the channel. Jimbo, Mac, Borg, even Lendl, made me want to watch.
jlr0926 2 years ago
The best comment I ever heard about Connors was by the late Arthur Ashe. When Ashe was asked if Connors was an asshole, he paused, then said, "Yeah, but he was my favorite asshole."
FastEddie95 2 years ago 5
connors was the man
deirdrenifhaolain 2 years ago 3
McEnroe was a fickle twat, always complaining, using psychology.
Go Jimmy !
sweetypie000 2 years ago
connors was a legend. feared no one
deirdrenifhaolain 2 years ago
I'm not a McEnroe fan; but, I'm with him on this one. Conners was way out of line. He was at times a disgrace to pro tennis (Conners was).
rwalden2007 2 years ago
connors 108 atp titles unbelievable.
themios72 2 years ago
Connors has an athletic walking style.
notthelastword 2 years ago
A 5 set exhibition match that lasted nearly 5 hrs?! You sure?
notthelastword 2 years ago
sounds like they're saying
Jimmy: don't say that to me.
John: That's exactly what you are.....You gonna beat me up?
I couldn't make out the rest.
IcouldBNE1 2 years ago
Wow!!!
I've had 11,000 views of the video i put up but so far, no one has PM me with a copy of the whole match as i only have basically sets 1/2/ and 5.
Come on there must be somebody out there that taped it? In January 1982 , was it screened only in Chicago or nationally?
Anybody remember watching it on t.v.
tenniscollector 2 years ago
mcenroe shit himself, only got cocky when the bodyguards stepped in
makadeni 2 years ago
Are you blind? He pushed skinny Conners away before the security even got invovled.
Brandojack1369 2 years ago 2
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texluh 1 year ago
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texluh 1 year ago
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texluh 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Actually, McEnroe was responding verbally and coolly all of the time up until when Connors came up to him, and carried on listening to him.... when Connors got in his personal space and beyond, McEnroe rightly took action by pushing him away, proving that he was pretty streetwise.... then, when Connors continued to talk, Mac continued to respond verbally, raising his voice the further away Connors got. The security men had very little to do with it. 12 seconds ago
texluh 1 year ago
Conners Quit AR, Not the other way around.
gil166 2 years ago
connors avait bien raison de donner une lecon a ce petit gamin qu etait a l epoque mac enroe, un sale mome ,morveux, qui ne meritait qu un bon coup de pied au cul !!! bravo monsieur connors pour l avoir fait !!! sebastien de provins france
totaleob 2 years ago
Gabe228 - are you kidding Connors hated ! he had a huge following both in the US and here in the UK. People enjoyed the fact he wasn't a machine like todays players and the fact he fought hard every time he went out - look at his 70's and early 80's record - speaks for itself
lostthe80s 2 years ago
Man I miss Conners, he was amazing.
gil166 2 years ago
he was the most hated player of his time, and he wasn't even the "best" for how cocky he was...
and i am glad roddick fired connors as a coach.. when he coached for roddick, roddick's ranks dropped, playstyle worsened... now he's back on the road to success
gabe228 2 years ago
Hey gabe228 your are stupid or what!!!!
You dont know anything about Tennis!!!!!!
First: Roddick today is nothing!!!!!, The only thing he won and just one time is the US Open...... Now the guy is Death!!!!!
and JIMBO CONNORS is, by the numbers, THE BEST ALL TIMES TENNIS PLAYER!!!!!!!
j3642222 2 years ago