darnyelb
05-31-2004, 04:45 PM
Mack lashes out at ATP boss
McIngvale calles Miles ‘worthless’ as dispute brews
Dale Robertson
Houston Chronicle
An announcement from Paris is imminent: The ATP’s Masters Cup will be moving to Shanghai in 2005 after two years in Houston.
Two stormy years, it must be said – and we still have six months to go before the ATP’s boss, Mark Miles, and Westside Tennis Club owner Jim McIngvale finalize what’s certain to become an increasingly acrimonious divorce.
Oil and water, these two.
“I don’t mind telling the truth about the guy – he’s worthless,” McIngvale said. “Mark Miles has done nothing for tennis. All he wants to do is propagate his $700,000 a year salary and keep flying first-class tickets all over the world. I don’t think he’s good for the game at all.”
To date, Miles has offered no publicly spoken rebuttals. Asked how tense things might be between the ATP’s chief executive and the plain-spoken Westside Tennis Club host come November, Mattress Mac chortled.
“We had no relations last year so it couldn’t be any worse,” McIngvale said. “The guy never called me, not one time all year until he showed up. Then all he wanted to do was whine about how we hadn’t spent enough money to entertain their clients.”
“Sure, Mercedes spends a lot of money, but it all goes to the ATP. Maybe our hospitality wasn’t up to the level it was the year before (in Shanghai), but I don’t have quite as much money as the Chinese government does.”
McIngvale calls the ATP “a terrible partner, absolutely terrible,” saying it offered him no help in rounding up sponsors for the eight-man tournament, the rights for which cost Mack roughly $7 million to land. That’s in addition to the $10 million he spent on the Gallery Furtniture Stadium that one prominent player, Roger Federer, didn’t deem worthy of hosting the year-end championship event.
Mack got in Federer’s face, then antagonized the current world No. 1 further by orchestrating overt partisan support for Andre Agassi in their ensuing match. But they later spoke and, according to McIngvale, settled their differences.
Although ticket sales generated sufficient income, the sponsorship shortfall was about $1.5 million. McIngvale expects “to do a little better” this year.
Mack is angry at men’s tennis but not disillusioned about his commitment to it. He’ll continue to host the U.S. Clay Court Championships, owned by the United States Tennis Association, and try “to grow the game” – his way.
“As down as I am on the ATP,” he said, “I like the USTA, and I think they’re doing the right things, good things for tennis. We’re just going on a handshake on that deal. We’re very close to the USTA. And the people who work for the ATP, the worker bees, are good people. The players are good kids, too. It’s a great product. But tennis has been left in the hinterlands by golf. We’ve got to do a better job, like golf does, like the NBA does.
“Tennis just has to get more fan friendly. The people running the ATP right now don’t have any idea how to do that. Taking (the Masters Cup) to China is a mistake, as far as the U.S. tennis market goes. How many people are going to be watching at 3 o’clock in the morning?”
Contending “it’s more fun to own racehorses than to own a racetrack,” McIngvale intends to build a significant stable of touring pros who represent Westside on the tour.
“Hopefully 10 years from now, the French won’t be kicking red dirt in our faces anymore like they did this week,” McIngvale said, referring to the poor performances at Roland Garros by the American men.
Official word that Shanghai’s new indoor sports area will host the Cup for three years after it leaves Houston is expected at the French Open this week. The Chinese are said to be paying $20 million for the privilege.
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My assessment: Jimmy still doesn't understand that tennis is a GLOBAL sport.
McIngvale calles Miles ‘worthless’ as dispute brews
Dale Robertson
Houston Chronicle
An announcement from Paris is imminent: The ATP’s Masters Cup will be moving to Shanghai in 2005 after two years in Houston.
Two stormy years, it must be said – and we still have six months to go before the ATP’s boss, Mark Miles, and Westside Tennis Club owner Jim McIngvale finalize what’s certain to become an increasingly acrimonious divorce.
Oil and water, these two.
“I don’t mind telling the truth about the guy – he’s worthless,” McIngvale said. “Mark Miles has done nothing for tennis. All he wants to do is propagate his $700,000 a year salary and keep flying first-class tickets all over the world. I don’t think he’s good for the game at all.”
To date, Miles has offered no publicly spoken rebuttals. Asked how tense things might be between the ATP’s chief executive and the plain-spoken Westside Tennis Club host come November, Mattress Mac chortled.
“We had no relations last year so it couldn’t be any worse,” McIngvale said. “The guy never called me, not one time all year until he showed up. Then all he wanted to do was whine about how we hadn’t spent enough money to entertain their clients.”
“Sure, Mercedes spends a lot of money, but it all goes to the ATP. Maybe our hospitality wasn’t up to the level it was the year before (in Shanghai), but I don’t have quite as much money as the Chinese government does.”
McIngvale calls the ATP “a terrible partner, absolutely terrible,” saying it offered him no help in rounding up sponsors for the eight-man tournament, the rights for which cost Mack roughly $7 million to land. That’s in addition to the $10 million he spent on the Gallery Furtniture Stadium that one prominent player, Roger Federer, didn’t deem worthy of hosting the year-end championship event.
Mack got in Federer’s face, then antagonized the current world No. 1 further by orchestrating overt partisan support for Andre Agassi in their ensuing match. But they later spoke and, according to McIngvale, settled their differences.
Although ticket sales generated sufficient income, the sponsorship shortfall was about $1.5 million. McIngvale expects “to do a little better” this year.
Mack is angry at men’s tennis but not disillusioned about his commitment to it. He’ll continue to host the U.S. Clay Court Championships, owned by the United States Tennis Association, and try “to grow the game” – his way.
“As down as I am on the ATP,” he said, “I like the USTA, and I think they’re doing the right things, good things for tennis. We’re just going on a handshake on that deal. We’re very close to the USTA. And the people who work for the ATP, the worker bees, are good people. The players are good kids, too. It’s a great product. But tennis has been left in the hinterlands by golf. We’ve got to do a better job, like golf does, like the NBA does.
“Tennis just has to get more fan friendly. The people running the ATP right now don’t have any idea how to do that. Taking (the Masters Cup) to China is a mistake, as far as the U.S. tennis market goes. How many people are going to be watching at 3 o’clock in the morning?”
Contending “it’s more fun to own racehorses than to own a racetrack,” McIngvale intends to build a significant stable of touring pros who represent Westside on the tour.
“Hopefully 10 years from now, the French won’t be kicking red dirt in our faces anymore like they did this week,” McIngvale said, referring to the poor performances at Roland Garros by the American men.
Official word that Shanghai’s new indoor sports area will host the Cup for three years after it leaves Houston is expected at the French Open this week. The Chinese are said to be paying $20 million for the privilege.
---
My assessment: Jimmy still doesn't understand that tennis is a GLOBAL sport.