says
Spin and more spin.
says
Spin and more spin.
Well-Known Member
Super Moderator
Different point: When you look at things stroke by stroke, there are a lot of guys who have better technique than Waldner. When you look at the intangibles like how he handled pressure situations, how he did in the big tournaments, it is hard to compare them. Waldner's career is complete. He won all the major tournaments of his time. Ma Long may end up winning all the big events. He is certainly good enough. But losing to Koki in the trials does not look great in terms of whether things have changed about him handling pressure because that has been something he has been criticized from: that he chokes in the big tournaments. Like what happened in the 2011 World Championships when he was up 2-1 on Wang Hao and lost.
Until Ma Long has won an Olympic Gold or 2 and a couple of World Championships, it is not worth comparing them. I hope he does win the majors. I hope he is able to have a long career and keep a good level into his late thirties. He is a fun player to watch. But you cannot compare him to a guy who won 2 World Singles Championships, a Singles Gold at the Olympics, countless team wins, who was central in the Swedes' success in taking down the, until then, unbeatable Chinese team and, for a period of time ending the Chinese dominance in the sport. Waldner and the Swedes were underdogs and won. Ma Long and China are the favorites. In a sense, they should win.
I will be happy to root for Ma Long breaking all records. But until he does, it is not worth talking about it.
Mike Tyson was on his way to being considered the greatest boxer ever. And look what happened to him. By the end he was part of the bum of the month club, or at best, a circus sideshow biting ears because he could not win. I am not suggesting anything by this, I am just showing that you cannot tell what will happen in sports. I will root for Ma Long to break all records. But first he has to win a few of those major titles.
Until Ma Long has won an Olympic Gold or 2 and a couple of World Championships, it is not worth comparing them. I hope he does win the majors. I hope he is able to have a long career and keep a good level into his late thirties. He is a fun player to watch. But you cannot compare him to a guy who won 2 World Singles Championships, a Singles Gold at the Olympics, countless team wins, who was central in the Swedes' success in taking down the, until then, unbeatable Chinese team and, for a period of time ending the Chinese dominance in the sport. Waldner and the Swedes were underdogs and won. Ma Long and China are the favorites. In a sense, they should win.
I will be happy to root for Ma Long breaking all records. But until he does, it is not worth talking about it.
Mike Tyson was on his way to being considered the greatest boxer ever. And look what happened to him. By the end he was part of the bum of the month club, or at best, a circus sideshow biting ears because he could not win. I am not suggesting anything by this, I am just showing that you cannot tell what will happen in sports. I will root for Ma Long to break all records. But first he has to win a few of those major titles.
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