How Andy Roddick carries his balls
Reader Craig Keirstead writes to clue us into a simmering international controversy that’s been roiling the sports and fashion worlds in the last month — since tennis star Andy Roddick used his blog to issue some unprovoked criticism of man bags and the men who wear them.
“I have seen some guys walking around with man purses here in London,” Roddick writes in a pre-Wimbledon entry dated June 9th:
…. anything bigger than a money clip or a wallet is to be left to your girlfriend / wife…and just so we are clear you should not be able to throw your “wallet” over a shoulder…if you have a man purse, the wall is waiting.
Roddick’s “wall” reference is a bit obscure: it’s not an invitation to man-purse wearers to throw their handbags over a wall, but rather a suggestion that they be forced to “self chuck” themselves into one.
If this isn’t clear, we’ve found an AP photo at Yahoo! News that shows Roddick demonstrating the results of his own self-chucking technique . . . against a net.
Well, what of it? Roddick’s comments have provoked a series of articles in the British and American press, many of which have used his words as a starting point to . . . issue fashion advice for men who want to carry handbags:
Daily Telegraph fashion editor Hilary Alexander concurs.
“As long as it’s not small and pink, and dangling from your wrist, it’s perfectly OK,” she said. “Rugged, chunky leather man bags are sensible, as putting too much into your pockets spoils the cut of your trousers.”
She predicts that next season we may well see more businessmen in Times Square squeezing their laptops into a rich, dark-chocolate grained cowhide leather bag from Dunhill, or even a Mulberry multipurpose man bag.
We’ve come a long way: It wasn’t too long ago when a male sports figure might make news by wearing a man purse. Today, it’s international news when someone is outspoken enough to criticize them.
Read on for more photos of Roddick’s Wimbledon technique, plus one photo he surely doesn’t want you to see . . . (yes, he’s packing!)
Clearly, this “self chuck” is a tennis move Roddick is well acquainted with. Here’s Roddick after chucking himself against a wall named Andy Murray . . .
And here he his gracefully demonstrating how to recover from a chuck against Janko Tipsarevic earlier in the tournament:
But what is that long white thing laying by Roddick’s feet? It says “Lacoste” on the side. Could it be Roddick’s own ball sack?
And . . . what’s this? Here he is, in the photo you’ve been waiting for. Yes, that’s Andy Roddick, sporting not one, but two bags, each of which is clearly bigger than a money clip!
Brazenly, in broad daylight. Oh, the hypocrisy!
Photos: AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus, Kevin Lamarque/Reuters, AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus, Luke MacGregor/Reuters
- My Blog: June 9, 2006 [AndyRoddick.com]
- Roddick Serves Up Tirade Against ‘Man Bags’ [ABC News]
July 6th, 2006 at 12:30 am
Woohoo, my first manbag tip gets published!
I love this crazy world
July 7th, 2006 at 3:41 pm
Here’s part of his entry in his 6/21/06 blog:
“Fine of the Week- ME!!! I walked down to the court to play my quarterfinal match against Fernando Gonzalez last week and realized I had carried my brother’s bag to the court…I had to run back up to the locker room to switch the bags while everyone was waiting…not my proudest moment haha”
hmmm…I’m surprised he didn’t have his girlfriend bring his bag down to him since he doesn’t like to carry anything.
May 14th, 2007 at 10:26 am
you idiots! haven’t you ever attended a tennis match or even played on a team? if you had you would have know its extreamly common for a player to have more than one racket and other equipment with them … those aren’t man bags and you are being rediculous about them being lacoste… he is paid to wear/use their stuff … endorsments
July 4th, 2007 at 12:24 pm
Does no-one know anything anymore. Every idiot knows that Andy’s bags aren’t manbags they’re for his tennis rackets & balls etc. And of course they’re Lacoste because he’s sponsered by them! End of!
July 6th, 2007 at 6:51 pm
wow..some people take themselves way to seriously. clearly, u have no sense of humor. as a tennis player, tho not a pro, i’ve carried more than one tennis bag on court with me, and have seen lots of men carrying more than one. u do know that tennis players have to carry a lot of stuff onto the court, right? it’s not just one tennis racket and that is it. they have to have water or gatorade, plus towels, other rackets and other items. not all of it fits in one bag. and ur only ragging on roddick cuz u have nothing better to do. roger federer carries 2 bags also. or did u just forget about that? people who take themselves too seriously then go and write stupid articles like this should be forced to walk into a wall themselves.
December 19th, 2007 at 4:10 am
It’s his opinion and he’s free to give it. The media is likewise free to criticize it. But come on… who cares?! As long as he keeps doing his best on the court.