Speak English goddamit

I watched a four and a half hour tennis game the other night. I don't normally spend so much time watching tennis but I have been injured myself so I am confined to the home a bit.

The game I watched was the mens final of the US open between Roger Federer and Juan Martin Del Potro who is from Argentina. Del Potro is not even 20 years old. Del Potro was almost beaten by the world's number one but came back to win the match.

At the presentation, Dick Enberg, a long-time media announcer, spoke of the great contribution Federer has made to tennis but then congratulated the champion, Del Potro.

Enberg boasted about he $1.6 million that Del Potro earned for his four hour effort and how that should make him happy. But, Del Potro is a newcomer, and despite the obscene salary he earned from the game was overcome by the fact that he had beaten such a great player an taken the US open crown.

He asked Enberg if he could say something in Spanish and Enberg basically shut him down telling him that there was not enough time left.

Enberg then went on to applaud the corporations that fund the event and continued with all the pomp but Del Potro asked again if he could say something in Spanish.

This time, Enberg aquiesced and Del Potro spoke to the world in his native language.

I was at first very angry at Enberg for not allowing Del Potro to speak. But then I realized that Enberg is as much a victim as Del Potro. His actions are directed by the corporations that control the media and the sport of tennis. Any normal human being would understand that someone can only express themselves, their inner feelings, in their own language, but Enberg was probably getting the message through the earphones that time was short.

The sad thing is that after a few more four hour games that earn him $1.6 million a pop, people like Del Potro will fall in to line.