Yes, the game is a lot more physical and today's players are probably more well-rounded athletes than their 1980's counterparts. But the statement that there's more parity atop the men's game than even the 1980's would be a lot more believable and credible if it weren't just Federer and Nadal winning all the Slams.

Like it or not, the Slams are where it really counts in the record books. Other than the minor blip of Djokovic in the 2008 Australian (and right now, Djokovic is NOT playing like one of the top guys, at least not for the last 3 months) and Safin in the 2005 Australian (and he's basically a supremely talented head case, who wasted all that talent, and is retiring at year's end), who's been winning the Slams for the past 5 years now??

In the 1980's, you regularly saw the top guys trading places at No. 1, and each of them winning multiple Slams (McEnroe, Connors, Lendl, Wilander, Edberg, Becker, all of them #1's and multiple Slam winners during the era of early/mid-80's to early 90's).

Where is that kind of parity now? Doesn't exist (...yet, of course).

Where's the boobs?

Here's another link about the quality of men's tennis right now:
http://jonwbecker.wordpress.com/2009/06/27/why-mens-pro-tennis-is-better-t han-womens-right-now/

Could it just be that the newer technology enables pros to hit the ball with lots of pace, giving everyone a punchers chance? Not so much equal talent as technology covering up the "lack" of talent?

QUOTE(#1):

Originally posted 02:37 PM ET  08.17 by po_ali

Yes, the game is a lot more physical and today's players are probably more well-rounded athletes than their 1980's counterparts. But the statement that there's more parity atop the men's game than even the 1980's would be a lot more believable and credible if it weren't just Federer and Nadal winning all the Slams.Like it or not, the Slams are where it really counts in the record books. Other than the minor blip of Djokovic in the 2008 Australian (and right now, Djokovic is NOT playing like one of the top guys, at least not for the last 3 months) and Safin in the 2005 Australian (and he's basically a supremely talented head case, who wasted all that talent, and is retiring at year's end), who's been winning the Slams for the past 5 years now??In the 1980's, you regularly saw the top guys trading places at No. 1, and each of them winning multiple Slams (McEnroe, Connors, Lendl, Wilander, Edberg, Becker, all of them #1's and multiple Slam winners during the era of early/mid-80's to early 90's).Where is that kind of parity now? Doesn't exist (...yet, of course).

Zzzzz....

Babbling fool.