Season #24 Episode#:34 Shaun and Bobby talk to tennis media expert and publisher of ALTA's Net News Magazine, John Hanna

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Shaun Boyce USPTA: shaun@tennisforchildren.com

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Bobby Schindler USPTA: schindlerb@comcast.net

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Geovanna Boyce: geovy@regeovinate.com

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(upbeat music)

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Today, we get into our recent conversation

with John Hannah.

Most of us know John as publisher of Alta's Net News magazine.

And he might be one of the most influential

and well-connected insiders in the tennis world.

Check it out and let us know what you think.

(upbeat music)

Who is John Hannah and why do we care?

- Now that's a good question.

So I am a, I describe myself as a tennis media guy.

So that's kind of my thing.

So been doing, I don't wanna admit the years

that I've been doing Net News for Alta,

but it's north of 30.

And then, and it just, in my career,

just evolved over time to where I took over

as the ad director for Racket Tech,

which became tennis industry,

then Racket Sports Industry back to,

tennis industry back to Racket Sports Industry

as it is currently.

And then that morphed into a digital business

called baseline network and we aggregate

the advertising part of that for six different websites,

but the largest one in the network

is tennisrecruiting.net.

So I handle all the sponsorship,

which is the holy grail of junior tennis in the US.

And then from there, it became Jeff Williams

who owned tennis magazine in tennis.com at the time

asked me to get involved in handle the endemics,

which is the tennis companies, the vertical tennis companies

within the tennis industry for tennis magazine,

which I did for seven or eight years and tennis.com

until tennis channel bought it.

And now I've worked with tennis channel as well

and as a consultant.

So I have, I still handle the endemics

for tennischanneltennis.com

and oddly enough, they actually own RSI too.

And been doing that now since Sinclair bought

tennis channel four years ago,

but been with tennis channel now about eight years all in.

And interestingly enough,

I'm the only guy that survived

and still there from the original regime

from Jeff Williams speak.

And it's just, and again, it's not because of me

other than doing as long as I have been in the industry

and knowing the industry partners as well as I do.

I tell Bobby all the time, I've got to be Switzerland,

you can't betray confidence is that sort of thing

to survive as long as I have.

And I'm a tennis person.

So I mean, I play tennis,

my nickname's Johnny Pro Am in the city.

That's what everybody calls me.

So, and I still play, I've played four already this year

and I'm playing the Dunwoody Junior Pro Am next Friday,

it afternoon at four o'clock.

So, you know, and it keeps me immersed

in the Atlanta tennis community,

you know, is this my first priority number one,

but also in the industry as a whole.

So that's kind of who I am, what I do.

And I'm sitting in my office,

I have a publishing company called New South Publishing.

We do other publications, but in the city,

and I'm known as the tennis guy.

- And so that's why I want to hand you to Bobby.

You mentioned specifically, you say to Bobby all the time,

and I know you guys have spoken at length a few times

and have known each other for thousands of years.

So, I want to let you guys talk

because I would just interrupt in this case.

And Bobby, I'm gonna do my best not to

because I just want you guys to talk

'cause John is well connected.

Bobby, you know how well connected he is.

And I'd love to kind of draw some of that out,

maybe hear a couple of stories,

just to make it interesting.

- Well, just stay up awake, John,

because John will tell you one of my big liabilities

is staying focused.

And I can go off on a tangent.

And you know, that's the fun part.

'Cause as I said, we've known each other a long time.

I think we actually met playing against each other.

Though I was not high enough on the ladder

to actually play against John, but we hear our keys.

- That's probably true in the prizes.

- They saw us.

- Early 90s probably.

- Yeah, a long time ago, a long time ago.

And we were a lot better looking.

The hair wasn't as great.

- Yeah, but at least I don't mind it turning gray.

I just don't want it turning loose.

- That's right.

I'm still shocked that I still have fun.

So I'm getting to play it, exactly.

All bets are all there.

And as John said, as you said,

one of the things that I try to share with people

that John always tells me is,

"Hey, Bobby, we get paid to play tennis."

Never give up that part of it to stay in the business.

And it's been advice that I use.

I think I've passed it out to you, Sean.

It's a great place to meet people.

It's a great place to find out about people,

find out what motivates them.

And of course, I've recruited John as the Godfather.

And I'm glad he does do some consulting

where he actually gets paid.

Because I know he does a lot of consulting

and spends a lot of time with people on the phone

where he does another goodness with his heart.

And we're fortunate enough to have him here.

I don't even know what's the guy I wanted to ask you about.

And this is again a tangent, but I forgot about it.

Did they still play the Christmas tournament at Georgia Tech?

- You know, I don't know if Kenny still,

I don't think he does that anymore.

Kenny Thorne kind of ran that for years.

And it seems to me, I don't know this,

but it seems to me COVID kind of put a stop to that.

And they may have done it once or twice,

but I don't think they do that anymore.

I'd like to see it come back, 'cause it was kind of cool.

You get some of the guys that off the tour that train here

that would play in that in between, you know,

even though there's really not a season in tennis,

it's pretty much 11 1/2 months of the year.

- And we will talk about that because we spoke about that yesterday,

but like you said on that turn,

I remember we have a couple of mutual friends who were actually playing

in that tournament again years and years of adults.

And I went down to watch them.

And within a couple of minutes, I noticed a young teenage boy playing next to him,

I was like, forget about the two clowns I know, who is that kid?

And it was a 15 year old Robbie Geneppery was playing in that tournament.

And I was like, whoa, so we got to see Geneppery.

So it was a great event.

And like we saw a lot of the college players,

a lot of guys who were home for the holidays were playing the event.

So yeah, it would be great to kind of rekindle that.

Especially if it would be it would be it would be it would be it would be it would open might,

leaving might open.

- Yeah, and that might, that might inspire.

I was texting with Kenny Thorne yesterday out of the enough and didn't bring that up.

But that's something that would be, you know,

worth bringing up because you know, when the Atlanta open rotated,

you know, allowing to give in the wild card to a Georgia player

and a Georgia Tech player every year, they'd rotate it.

And now that the, you know, after this year,

the Atlanta open's done sadly, you know, selfishly.

It really bothers me because being a tennis person, being from Atlanta,

and being in the biggest tennis market in the world potentially in a city,

and not to have a pro level tournament is pretty sad to me.

And it's, as I travel and talk to people in the industry,

it's embarrassing to them.

We don't have one.

So it'd be nice to see Kenny bring it back.

It still wouldn't be the same level as obviously an ATP,

but it would be something that people could go enjoy.

Because people, people do like watching tennis here.

So.

Well, there's no question.

You know, you're exactly right.

People like to go watch.

They like to participate in that.

It's a tough market because there's something always going on.

You know, we're here one market.

It's, you know, you're not, it's not the only event going on,

but that doesn't mean we don't have six million people.

We should be able to do more than one thing at the same time.

Right.

Right.

And there's enough, there's enough tennis people here.

But they're, you know, and I don't mean this negatively.

And I'll probably get slapped around since this is going to be out there.

But Atlanta's kind of an arrogant tennis market.

They want to see the best.

And they, I hear that a lot from people that they, you know, why doesn't an adult come?

Why doesn't, you know, back in the day, Federer come or why doesn't Joe Kovic come?

And, you know, that's just, it's tough thing when the schedule and the week that Atlanta had, you know,

being a 250, there was other tournaments going on in other parts of the world.

And the European guys won't come here.

Is that simple, you know?

And you're right.

I mean, history says we got lucky back in the day when it was the ATT.

Stanford's needed points one year came, one the tournament.

I think RodExpert win was back when it was still at the Atlanta Athletics Club.

The first and last wins were here.

Really? Wow.

That's, there you go.

I mean, it says, I mean, what we did get lucky.

And to your point, I think the exhibition, right before COVID a few years ago,

went into the out game.

And we packed one at shows that, you know, Atlanta will show up.

Good year one.

You're right.

It's a hard thing to go sit in the sun when you're watching two people.

You might not necessarily know even though obviously the tennis is amazing.

For sure Atlanta will show up for a tier one event.

Yeah.

And they, yeah.

So, you know, we'll see.

We'll see if that comes back.

But, you know, time will tell, time will tell.

I'm hoping we get a 250 back.

You know, I'm in talking with Peter Lebedevs.

And, you know, he's the tournament director now for Atlanta and Dallas.

And Dallas became a 500 level event, which already happened February.

It wasn't a 500 this year.

It'll be a 500 next year.

And, you know, so they're trying.

But, you know, they got a cool thing in, you know, this year for the,

the champions finale.

So it's going to be the Brian Brothers against John and John Isner and Andy Roddick,

which will be kind of cool to bring those guys back and that connection to the past.

They're supposed to be an exo on Sunday night too.

I can't say who the, who the players are.

But it's one of them.

I mean, they're, they're, you know, marquee names that will people want to see.

And I apologize.

I'm going to do it to you right away.

But I know you don't like talking about yourself.

But I, you know, when I talked to people about Atlanta and you talk to really about the cultural phenomenon,

which is how to, you know, when we got, when I got here, I mean, I know you grew up here.

But what I got here in the early 90s, how culturally sub divisions were being built purposely with two tennis courts lighted and bathrooms to accommodate the fact that these neighborhoods were run upon a play out.

But, you know, you've been, you've seen it the whole time.

What, what, what do you see from the beginning?

Could you have ever anticipated that it would get to the frenzy of, let's say, the early 2000s when it was just completely dominated the city?

Yeah, that's, that's a really good question.

Yeah, because I grew up here.

I mean, I, I was playing in the 12s.

I was 12 years old, rather, maybe 13 playing under 18s.

You know, just the club we played at, you know, just they didn't have enough juniors.

It was both Pinecrest and East Cobb and Jerry Baskin ended up buying it and made an academy out of it.

It's now gone.

It's leveled. It's condos now.

But, and I just remember those days, Alta going, you know, the pro there going, yeah, there's 10,000 people playing Alta in Atlanta.

And that's a big number.

I mean, that is a really big number when you think about it.

And watching it grow didn't anticipate it getting like it is, but it just kept growing.

And, you know, the magic of Alta, and I say this often is, and it's kind of like the Zebra.

Zebra black with white stripes or white with black stripes.

So tennis grew here.

Did it grow because the demand was there or because the builders decided to build two courts and a pool with the lights and the functioning bathroom like you talk about.

And then people started playing Alta.

What, what came first?

And I have a lot of debates with people in the industry that have spent time in Atlanta.

What really caused it. But really the, the, the crux to the, the reasoning is not not many people are from here.

I'm one of the few that's actually from Atlanta.

And tennis and Alta became the conduit to bring neighbors together.

And, you know, talk about a story, Sean.

You know, some, some stories.

The second house we moved in, and he's called, Pedro, Pedro 5.

And, you know, you get to welcome wagon.

You know, you hear all these stories about that.

Get the knock on the door. My wife and I answer the door. Don't know who this person is. And they got a basket of breads and fruits and stuff.

Welcome to neighborhood.

Our first question was, do you play tennis?

And I kind of tap my wife's leg. I'm like, okay, I know where this is going because I've heard this story many times.

But I've never experienced it myself.

And, and I didn't say anything.

She's going to go, no, no, you know, I don't play, you know, and she goes, well, you do now.

We've got an Alta team for you.

And I went, that's awesome.

And I go, then she said, do you plan? I said, yeah, I'm on an out team.

She goes, we don't care about you now. And that was, that was, that was, and we're still friends with a lot of those people.

And that's what really, you know, is the magic of it.

Then, and the other part of it is, and what other city can you play an, an Alta match where I can be in a neighborhood like I was in head row and go play it Cherokee or TPC Sugar Loaf.

You know, I mean, Chalm was there at one time.

And they welcome you to play an Alta match against them.

Most cities you have to be a member. They won't let you in.

And, you know, again, years and years ago, again, I'm probably 92 or three.

Rick Seabirt was the, was the office manager of Alta at the time.

And he told me this story. He got a letter from the folks at Cherokee saying that you need to send a letter out to the entire membership.

That they have to wear a collared shirt on our courts.

And it has to be predominantly white. And he said, no problem.

We just want schedule out to matches down there. They go, no, no, don't do that.

We'll issue shirts to let them borrow to, you know, adhere to our rules at the club.

Now they sense, you know, eased up on that.

But that's the kind of power that Alta had.

And it's because it's the sense of community.

And that's really what it is. It's a, it's a tennis match.

It's a social event where a tennis match breaks out. That's what it is.

I mean, look at the food. Alta gives a city final championship plate to the best food at the city finals.

So, I mean, that's, that's what makes it really unique and different. And, you know, there's 28 levels.

It's a team thing, not an individual thing.

There's just a lot of nuances to it that make it different.

But to your point, the court situation, I mean, look at legacy, not legacy park, bridge mill up in, in Ken.

24 tennis courts in a neighborhood.

Where else in the country you're going to find a neighborhood's got that many courts?

It's crazy. Town like Hills has got a bunch.

You know, there's just, there's a lot of neighborhoods that have got a lot of courts.

Oh my God. You bring up rich vibranum when they were being built. What Derek and Neil open that place?

What's that?

Yeah.

Yeah.

That's God. That's a lot of time.

I mean, yeah. Yeah. In, in, in, I mean, there's more teaching professionals in this city than anywhere else in the country too.

And it's a byproduct of just the league tennis here. Alta, USDA, you got the Flex Leagues.

You know, I'm a fan of the Flex Leagues because it keeps people engaged in tennis.

And, you know, I'll hear him say, I'm playing with my partner to get ready for Alta season or, you know, their USDA season, whatever it might be.

Alta just happened to be the first at the league play.

And, you know, it's, it's embrace.

They've, I don't know if you guys know this, but they've expanded the boundary areas.

They've reached out and now they've included all of Forsyth, all of Cherokee, part of Hall County and some on the South as well.

The majority of the Alta growth is North, you know, say 7585, that corridor is where it is and straight up 400.

But, and that'll take, that'll take time for the, the word to get out. But, you know, the, the cool thing is I know this is tennis, but Alta launched the pickleball league.

And one of the unintended consequences is a lot of the facilities that have kind of become dormant because the neighborhood changed or transitioned.

And there's not the Alta teams that it once had.

And they blocked those facilities if they're inactive for three years.

Well, with the pickleball situation, suddenly people are picking that up and now these facilities are being unblocked for pickleball and tennis now, which is kind of cool.

And they're suddenly going, hey, we can play out out of here now, you know, meaning tennis.

So there is, you know, just some cool unintended consequences. But the growth in Alta's growing, COVID was the best thing that could have happened out as far as, you know, people engaging in tennis, not, not for the world that mind you, but certainly for tennis.

You brought something right away. It's pretty funny. I grew up in, I'm long I own 35 miles from New York City. And where I live now in Forsyth County is about 35 miles from Atlanta. And I tell everybody I go to Atlanta far more than ever went to New York City.

But I was talking to a friend from Florida who does the season. Oh, she goes up and down and she asked me where I lived. I said, well, it's considered Metro Atlanta because out, you know, I judge Metro Atlanta by how far Alta goes.

Right. With the announcement, then it's Metro Atlanta. Well, in the old Alta boundaries were Cobb Fulton, Gwyneth, DeKaben, Clay, nose fives, core counties. And to be a facility that was approved for league play, you had to be within 10 miles, a limited access highway, a county bordering one of them five main counties.

And you had they had higher standard criteria. You had to have functioning lights, a functioning bathroom and the bathroom's got to be like within 100 feet or 100 yards of the courts. And because there are some grandfather facilities that don't have lights here, which is really a problem with all the leagues that play in the evenings.

So.

We won't even go there because I know there's with all the everything's going on. That's my only bright with pickle balls with the younger crowd is coming in and they're doing a little damage.

So I know there are a few facilities are contemplating turning the lights off earlier because they want to get to be home earlier, but yeah, yeah.

So we've been remiss your heck of a player. What got you to be two hands on both sides?

I jokingly say because I'm not strong enough to hit it with one hand on both sides. But that's how I started I went out the first lessons I took I was hitting a forehand right handed and I was hitting a forehand left handed I had no backhand.

And the pros like that's not going to work. And so the pro oddly enough was from New York and he grew up with Jean and Sandy mayor. And I'm sure most people don't even know who those guys are, but Jean got to top four in the world.

Good plan. He was a two handed player. So that's who I tried to emulate and I morphed it. He really had a, you know, basically a left handed baseball bat grip for hitting his right on the right side.

So it was cross handed on the forehand, but literally, you know, his hands next each other I overlap my right. And sadly, somebody should have changed that when I was 15, 16 years old, but it never happened.

You know, now we know that I'm older and it really is hard when you play guys that are, you know, even my age and they, and I'm playing the ad court and they hit the ball down the tee they had a bomb down the tee.

I got to let go and hit a one handed return, which I can do. I can hit one. But that's gotta be good. So I mean, it's just it's hard because I'm 510 and you're giving up a lot of reach on either side hitting two hands up both sides.

Needless to say, my single career is done. That is old. And so I just mainly I play doubles. And it's fun. I can trash talk, which I'm quite good at. So I'm probably a better trash talker and then his player. So.

Yeah, I have that trait. That's not a big deal. That makes a fun. But the pro ames are, but the programs are fun. But you know, in that. And I do what's interesting is I have a lot of people a lot of pros reach out to me and ask me because they've got a kid that's playing two handed, you know, as well.

And they want, you know, to me to show them what I do. And I'm like, I wouldn't advise this, but this is how I do it. I show him and I show him how I was taught originally. And then they kind of figure out their own as well. But the pro am thing has been because it's all doubles. You're getting you're playing with numbers of the clubs and stuff. And it's, I mean, they're a blast. So it keeps me playing and it's active. And I'm getting a burn calories and get some exercise and meet people.

Yeah, I was in shock. Like you said, I grew up the mayors were had a big presence in New York. And I grew up my coach was King Van Oskar and whose daughter Molly was a quarter final quarter finals for Wimbledon. We're the same age. And Molly was two handed on both sides.

Yeah, I just, I hated it when I was in college because people are like, oh, did you, did you get this from Monica, Celas? I'm like, you know, I'm going to the Monica, Celas is in our.

It was, but it was, it was, it was, but there's a lot of there's been, you know, Froome Macmillan, it was two handed on both sides. I mean, there's a bunch of guys that were, I mean, the best I played in that, you remember when the Brian's, uh,

Wayne came to town and it was a whole save doubles event. They did it at lifetime. It was a rock club in the South at the time. And Brian Parrot, I think, was the one kind of orchestrating it because the double specialist were going to be a thing of the past.

Some of these, you know, tour guys, you know, Peter, um, lungquists. I can't remember his name. But anyway, there's just a lot of, you know, guys that were double specialists on the tour came in your John is there was at Georgia at the time and he came and played.

Mani Diaz came over here and played and I was playing with the guys and I'm hitting the two handed returns and they're like, you're like Fabrice Ventoral. I'm like, that is the awesome best compliment you can ever give me, you know, because we play nothing alike, but I dig that, you know, that was the comparison.

So, you know, that that's, I've had fun with it over the years, but you know, it's funny. I don't even think of that when I go play until somebody, oh, you're two animals. I guess I am.

Well, and it's a great part about being in the business, well, you just brought up a great name, Brian Parrot, the opportunity to meet various people through the years and you know, Brian had kids and I love Brian.

You know, he's referred to it's by the what they did. Oh, that's the tennis player. That's the golfer. That's the artist. Yeah.

Yeah, they didn't have names. It was, you know, and his wife was wonderful, you know, it should have free space. And you know, his father's history with the Brooklyn Dodgers during the time that Dr. Robinson was breaking in and his time with Nike, you know, the controversy of the Mac and Road honors era.

And then all originated out of Davis Cup match in Portland where he was stationed. So it's been a lot of fun to be in the environment. He said, I always, I should be Billy Pate was my first stepping stone, but then getting to know you and being able just to be around and just to be a part of it has been such.

It's a great. Well, you're involved in the original land of pro league, you know, I mean that you know Bob Morlan started it sadly, you know, passes away and then you guys, you know, when your net court took it over and then, you know, then Tim Nune and David drew those guys took, you know, did it and it's actually come back.

There's a pro league that's starting this summer. So we hope we hope to be involved. Yeah, Sean's right Elijah's doing one, too, but then when I'm not as Marcus is because it's more of a

bar and storming entertainment thing. It's not Elijah's is the big boys. I mean, that's that those are the ones trying to get points and to make it, you know, in the satellites of the challenges, which that ship sailed a long time ago for me. So.

But he said there was a great event back in the day because we go to the clubs where one of the pros was still playing and you know, more or less, it was a club outing. It was, you know, you had a few die hearts who would travel week to week.

Most of the time it was, you know, you're going to go out one time for the Friday night, see your pro and read on your pro and get to see some good.

And as you said, we had dark black was playing PJ Middleton was playing.

There was a play Michael.

Played. We had a lot of players that played in that, you know, yeah.

Yeah. So this one's now, but I mean, if you remember Bobby, I mean, I like Howard, Hurd reached out to me. He's been texting me because he didn't town playing the Atlanta senior

and the national team. He was playing a senior in the national, which before you got on, I told Sean's, you know, taking place Cherokee and the clubs in town this week.

And he's even, you know, moved back to South Africa, but I played on his pro league team for six or seven years out of, and he was out of the falls of our

nationals and played in that program, but Howard being there, you play with Paranel sense, so you had a giant in a short.

And they were very successful. And I've never played in front of that many people in my life. They counted one night.

They had 1200 people out there. And that's a neighborhood.

Yeah.

So it was to your point. It was a, it was a cool thing for a lot of guys that didn't play, you know, big time college tennis.

And as you said, I mean, just to see the quality, Howard Hurd would do the qualify, you know, qualified when the old Atlanta,

18th, the event he qualified Andre Janisac and Mancini, Paul Mancini qualified for the doubles and gave Todd Martin in his part.

You know, a few games. And you know, there was some really some great talent walking around the city that you could go.

I think that the number of year that Doug Flak played, I think he had a losing record in the pro league, but he beat Andre Aguizia Wimbledon that year.

So that was the joke is like you had to beat Andre, but he got a lose record.

And a lot of wise, we'd get off the tour and they'd come and play, you know, Alta with us and get thumped the first couple of matches just because it's a different animal.

And I get amped up playing guys like that too, you know, and I get it and a lot of them won't play out to now because it's just kind of funny.

I mean, look, it's to me, it's exercise and fun and I get to hang out. I mean, my team's playing in the city finals on Saturday.

I'm not in the lineup, but I'm going and I'm going to hang out with the boys and it'll be fun.

And they made it social, you know, and that's one of the things that is like that's one part I will see at my clubs is people have got their lives has gotten more complicated.

They don't hang out as much and that's a little disappointing that that because it was the tie.

It was the community part of it. And now it just seems like it's part of it. I want to get my match and we get my exercise because that's my health.

But I don't have four hours anymore.

I see that more with the men. The women still hang out. And now the challenge they're like for the Thursday ladies, you know, as you know, Alta's like 63 65% women.

Yeah, they're going to stay league in a Sunday league. So there's, you know, double the opportunity for them.

And except the Thursdays, they hang except for whoever's playing line five and if they've got kids to get off, you know, meet at the bus, you know, so I do that.

But they still they they hang more and they do more, but then they do stuff social the other thing that I find fascinating. We talked about this yesterday is how many of these pros get groups and travel with them and go to resorts and do, you know, they call it spring training for Alta, the Alta leagues and stuff.

You know, a lot of guys do that. So, but that camaraderie was built because of the relationships they've made with their Alta teams.

They wouldn't travel again. They didn't like each other. You know, you know, and you know, had something common in their neighborhoods.

So that's that's, you know, a pretty cool thing. But the.

People too as a pro, you know, that's there's more than this. The tennis. Like you said, if you're if you're.

Desires to be on the, and then you're talking to your test. It's not a cheap sport. You're probably speaking with somebody that's got an interesting background.

You know, and people like to share a little bit about themselves because it takes the pressure off of hitting the ball. And that's always a great introduction. I mean, we almost scored the.

The tennis sponsor to the senior tour through somebody that you know, we were coaching at the time because he turned out to be a big.

Not absent in corporation and they were very interested in. And yeah, so it's been it. It kind of just opened so many doors down here. And it's like you said, just it's been a sabre of it that I can't explain. And as you said.

Coming from the earth, I was getting the arguments with my friends and family about the previous position of what they think about this about. And I'm like, you don't even know.

I can't speak to the majority of the rest of Georgia. I can tell you in Atlanta, the most diversified place I ever lived. Right. And you know, we and we get along.

Well, and because of, you know, I mean, I'm like I said, I'm unique. I mean, I don't know if I'm probably the only one from Georgia on the call on this call right now.

Yeah, it's been gone from your to OK. So there's two. That's a very unusual thing. Most of the time it's most of the meetings I go to it's nobody's from Atlanta except for me. And that again, I know we said that earlier, but that's that's what that's what Alta's done.

And you know, sadly, I hate to compare to us. Yeah, I wish they would embrace the social element of it. You know, I play USDA stuff. You know, I represent Georgia in this in this senior cup. And then I did this intersectional thing a national team event in the 55s.

And it's fun. And you and it's but it's about winning. You know, you want to win. And you know, there's a place for that. But you know, you talk to the manufacturers, the social the health benefits. I mean, Brian Halen who is, you know, the president of the USDA right now.

It you know, the two year presidency or whatever and he's a doctor and he is the pied piper and I've only met him a few times. So I don't know him that well. But he talks about the biggest health benefit out there from a sports standpoint is tennis. And he's got the data and stats to back it up.

So he is the pied piper promoting the game. So if you can add the social element to a health benefit. It's a double win. And that's what we've done here. And that's that to me is what makes the city go. And that's again, I'll circle all the way back.

And that's why it kind of chaps me that we don't have we're losing a pro tournament. So and we're not losing it because Atlanta didn't support it. You know, we're losing it because of the calendar being squeezed because of the master series, you know, the 1000 levels are now expanding a couple of days.

And so some week in that late July in August month was going to get squeezed. So Atlanta goes away and sadly new port goes away. So here you got the hall of fame. The hall of fame is going to exist.

You the induction. They just won't have a grass court tournament there anymore. It's kind of sad. That's an old event.

And I know we talked about yesterday. I've been cheering away from it a little bit because I know that ties into your how we wrap things up. So I've been like, okay, we're going to get to that.

I knew what we talked about yesterday. I don't like keep this out of the conversation to when Sean drops the bomb. Sean, you want to ask the question now because there's going to be more to it.

Yeah, okay, but yeah, if it needs to go somewhere, I can jump right in because if it needs to expand, we often John do this at the end because we want to have that.

And it's your final thing that you get to share with with the audience. And in this case, you know it's common. Hopefully everybody knew it was coming because it's something you really want to prepare for.

So when I'm going to ask and I'm going to say, if you were king of tennis, John Hannah, you know, which there are plenty of people out there that want to know what this answer is.

I want to say highly anticipated, but maybe highly anticipated. If you're king of tennis, what is there anything you would do or change?

Well, there's several things and some of them are controversial. The guys at tennis channel if they see this probably shoot me if I said something.

But one of them is there's got to be a season. There's got to be a schedule. There's no other sport that goes on as long as we do. So selfishly, that hurts me professionally because tennis channel, we want live tennis all the time.

Right. So if it going on year round, but I think there's ways around that. But you got to shorten it up because the players are just they're getting beat up and they're getting hurt.

I mean, I just read something. The Mateo Baratini just, you know, why he bailed out of the Italian open. So he's not playing.

You know, so he's not rum. Yonic Sinner's not playing. And these are these are big names and those guys have been to both be Italian. So that's that's a problem. You know, Rafa's issues. Now, grand, he's older.

But guys are getting hurt. And so having a season is I think paramount. I'm a big fan of having bigger pressure points.

So no ad scoring would be, you know, I'd be interested in that. It would shorten the matches, which again, I think Americans have a short time span to watch, you know, three three out of five makes sense for the majors. I mean, it needs that you don't want any weird fluky things happening.

But some of the other tournaments, I mean, it worked in doubles. Bob and Mike Brian were adamant against the no ad scoring. And then somebody presented in the data and realized that it really does work out the right team does win most of the time.

Like it should. They're always are upsets like they are in regular scoring. So I would like to see that. And but the season is the thing it's got to happen and everybody talks about it, but it's a business. So therefore it is really tough.

Who's going to be the one that says, OK, I'll give up my business and my tournament and, you know, say the players, but something's got to happen. And, you know, it's you compare it to baseball. They they they wanted to speed up the game and shorten it.

They have a season, but you know, they're complaining that pictures are getting injured. You're going to have unintended consequences of these these things, but you've got a short and down to help help the player. That's that's just, you know, they're going to get injured.

And I always try to push back in real time. So in that case, who do we and by we, I mean you, John, who do you talk to to get this done? So King of tennis is always, OK, here's the greatest thing we could possibly do.

Is this just a pipe dream or do we know who to talk to like how do we get this done? I think it's real. I think it's going to happen. And there's there's some things underlying currents. And I can't speak authoritatively about what I'm about to tell you, but there's a movement out there from Piff, which is the the public investment fund.

I guess it's the the Saudi money that does live golf and they want to I try to take over the ATP and the WTA and I know that's a big issue right now. And the majors, the the tournament directors of the four majors met in Indian Wells this year.

And I don't have all the details on it and are concerned about that. And so I think it I think it's going to happen because the you got player councils pushing back on it.

So one of those two, I think that will be part of the one of the byproducts of the compromise. At least I think that's kind of the scuttle, but we'll see if it does happen in reality. And like you said, is it a pipe dream.

But something's got to give because if you don't have the product and the players of the product, then then you got a problem. And so in the game has become so physical. I mean, I'm you know walk around the players lounge at the US open and the humans are huge.

I mean, there I look like a munchkin in there. And you they play every week that you got the equipment changes, you know, playing with poly strings. I mean these it is it is hard on the body.

So the physicality it's something's got to give. So I know I'm being vague on the the the piff and the the majors because one of those two is the is the cream is going to rise and it's going to basically take over.

And I think they will be the kings that are going to dictate how this goes. And you know, in a perfect world. If you could do it, you have the US open kind of ends it.

And then you have events like the labor cup and other things that the tour championship at the end of the year to give the players a break. Now you and I both know they're probably going to do exos. But that's more of a show that's not a six or five round or seven round event that beats up your body.

And it's more of an entertainment thing. But that's that to me's got to happen in tennis channel be there the whole way to you know, air all of it.

And so one more pushback before I let Bobby play with it. Yeah, I love the fact that these guys are superheroes. I mean I walk around. I'm a normal size six foot tall guy.

And you just feel small at these places. You realize the baritonees these they're all six six now and they're all huge and phenomenally fit.

But at some point why now why do we need to change the season to make sure these guys can all last 20 years like Roger that used to be the outlier.

No, you're right. You're playing that long. You're why do we have to make sure they can all last that long when back in the day we knew the clay quarter wasn't going to be never one in the world for more than a couple of years.

That's right. That's right. That's what I mean if you think about it Sean people didn't think roughly me being one of them was going to last as long as he did we thought he was going to wear his body out for sure.

But I think the difference is you remember when Andres Gomez played Andre in the finals of the French any it was a 90.

And he was 30 years old and he was ancient and tennis age you know thinking at that time. And now that's kind of your kind of your peak but the training change you know Mac and Rose days you know that guys didn't train like they do not they didn't have a physio they didn't use the weights they didn't have a dietician all that stuff.

That's changed to make these guys last longer all I fed Nadal look at the joke where he gets in a hyperbaric chamber all the time. I mean the guy is he is so meticulous and precise with everything in his life.

And so that's created the longevity.

So that is the opportunity but at the same time it's not because of that but with the humans getting bigger the equipment changing if the physicality is far more physical.

And if you don't believe me go watch a match from the 70s or the 80s or even watch advocacy and becker play and he was boom boom back in the day it's not even close to the way the balls are being hit now.

So the physicalities changed so you've got two things going on you got so much physical stuff I mean with with their bodies you know weight weight training all the all the physio stuff they do.

So you got that going on and then you've got the guys being able to do it longer but with the equipment stuff burning them out faster because the equipment was different everybody was playing with gut back in those days too you know or hybrid of gut in some synthetic now they're playing with polys the ball the spin of it you know that you can

you can apart on a ball is phenomenal now so the control is off the charts points last longer you remember you remember in the probably late 90s early 2000s Edberg and becker were playing Wimbledon finals and somebody to the stat on how much time the ball was actually in play there and it was a five set match and it was like two

minutes and 30 seconds actually ball in play so what did Wimbledon do they slow the courts down so now you got baselineers winning Wimbledon you know so the physicalities change so you've got some variables that changed in the game that were different so you and that's why it's very difficult to compare ears and I get all that but something is got to give because right now the players are given and it's not good for the sport.

Well you can see right is not good for the sport because that's where we take our cues the recreational player will always dictated by what's going on at the next level and we want to see the best players goes back to bring in Ross or to Atlanta hey we we came out to see rock we want to see that we want to have the opportunity and you know it goes back the old remember the vision quest movie when you pay lay in his bicycle kick is not what happens is what you know what happens during that six minutes it's not the outcome it's if you watch in Bobby if you watch that

that Nadal that X so that Nadal did would agree or to meet trough here in a lot because you know everybody was excited because Rafa had never been to Atlanta before he he had no idea that tennis was as big as it was here no no and it what was interesting is that that match Rafa played like he doesn't normally play he was flattening out balls he was hitting missile shots and I was there with my buddy Steven in it you know and he's looking to me going did you know he could do this and I'm like well I kind of suspected but I'd never seen it before because you know

used to see in him with I margins you know heavy top working points kind of taking your legs and making it physical but he was he was having a ball hitting I mean missiles and I'm like going boy he

actually could play like that but that wouldn't be successful for him his I he was going to he was going to impose his will and his

physicality on you and that's how that's how he's won the French 14 times you know I mean that's think about that he's got 14

French opens most of the people on the tour haven't won 14 tournaments I mean you got that perspective on the

top of surface know what yeah I mean and that's why I mean look I hope he makes I hope he plays the

French you know but to go best of five seven rounds is a tall or I just I mean he you know I know

he won yesterday but he won against the guy that was like one 10 in the world and he lost the first set

and you know he got it together and he was up three three one or three oh the first set and lost

five games in a row I think he's up thank you's up three one last five games in a row so yeah that's

I mean that's my biggest it helps the game you know it to be able to see the guys it's keep on healthy

nobody wants to not see these guys again two Italians not playing the Italian open two Italians who

now have the potential to win it not playing the Italian open that's yeah and what I don't want to

see happen is those are huge historical legacy tournaments and I and what I'm afraid of is what

they're doing is they going you know what I'm gonna skip the Italian open to rest my body to get ready

for orange yeah absolutely and that's not good for the sport either because it we're so concentrated

on the majors and that's the other thing that Piff and the majors are trying to do is to

make a hierarchy if you will of the tournaments because the average tennis player doesn't know the

difference between a 250 a 500 thousand or they know the majors but they don't know the others

and that and that's probably not a bad thing so it's but Sean to your point and I give I agree with

your pushback these are age old questions man and it and it everybody talks big about it but who's

got the you know what to do something about it you know because the inmates to a certain degree

run the asylum you know the players it's their deal there's no commissioner you know can you

imagine if John McIner was a commissioner he'd lay the law down you know what exactly and so

you know that that's but I think this is it's a mate because I know for a fact that the Piff's gonna

have a master's level like a 1000 tournament I think in 25 or six that's gonna be right for Australia

which is gonna shake things up because it's not never happened before because Australia usually

kicks off the year there's a few tournaments that lead up to Australia but the tennis world pays

attention is with Australia kind of kicking off the tennis here yeah absolutely well I

tried to keep it friendly this time around John so we get your back yeah no I mean I look I I mean

I can talk this stuff and you know hopefully there's not going to be somebody fat check amig going

oh you're wrong about that year and which I'll just put this disclaimer out there the older I get

the better I was and my memory's not as good as it was either so well you're you're always and

you still aren't out but you still playing competitive so that's not still trying still trying

to have 56 I'm happy to be still playing double a one I don't play much but I do play and I

did win once this season so that was good I am gonna ride a match on I have grilled chicken you say

he had a cheeseburger and he made me watch him eat it I had I had comfort food and it was because I

ate a chicken I ate a Caesar salad with grilled chicken pretty much every day and then when I go out

and have a chance I have a burger and fries and I do not and I will not apologize I appreciate that

decision making John let's say it was like that last time we had a real brookwood grill think about

how much food we had that day we had a lot of good stuff so well thank you sir I appreciate

thank you thanks for having me and I appreciate and I'll give you a plug Marcus Rich he's a big fan

he he he likes this he he's he called me about it when he was putting together the pro league that he's

a big fan of this go tennis podcast so congratulations to you guys well there you have it we want to

thank reGeovinate.com for use of the studio and be sure to hit that follow button for more tennis

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