I've mentioned lisen and her Pro Tennis Fan blog before and I thank her for directing me to this piece, which explains why golf is more popular than tennis. And I'll preface my remarks by saying that I'm a golfer myself, and come from a long line of them. I believe that it's a great game, and I do not begrudge its surge in popularity the past decade. There are a whole host of reasons for its ascendancy, but I'll reduce it to three:
1. Tiger Woods 2. It Can Be Played While Drinking Beer 3. Very Little Physical Exertion Is Required By Its Recreational Players
Tennis does not feature any of the above. And if it is, as Field Maloney says (why does that name cry pseudonym?) a sport that's suffering because it's now more inclusive than it used to be, that its aura of exclusivity is gone, well, that's just fine with me.