The Strange Saga of Monique and the Donald: Part 2

[johnyandell]

Let's get your thoughts on Rick Macci's, "The Strange Saga of Monique and the Donald: Part 2"

[klacr]

Thats the brutality of cancer. It doesn't care who you are or who yur family is. Doesn't care if you are talented or have plans for your family members that are.

I remember Monique. Never lived up to the hype, but kinda impossible to do so anyways. She was the next cash cow for many coaches and companies alike. Agents and madison avenue were salivating over her. But then...life happens. Life isn't always fair and sometimes it can be downright cruel. Sad for the family and the passing of her father. Her mental toughness was the only thing she was not world class on. Just didn't have it. Death of a loved one is hard, but we manage to carry on and use it as inspiration or as closure. Either way, life must go on.

Tough times don't last. Tough people do.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[jeffreycounts]

We'll never know how things would have turned out if her Dad hadn't died. She was very young, and she could have developed mental toughness over time.

In the end a real mess and a tragedy on multiple levels. But a great story for Macci to tell. I'm loving these stories on Tennisplayer like Monique's and Barry's that show us just how much damage we (parents, coaches, the marketing machine) can do to our kids. And of course the wisdom and thoughtfulness of Jim Loher which stands in stark relief to these sad, misguided approaches.

[worldsbesttenniscoach]

Macci's part 2 was a lot shorter than his part 1 -- & in part 2, Macci made a much smaller % of grammatical mistakes for a formally written paper. Part 1 was embarrassing. I would have thought Macci had written enough so he wouldn't make so many mistakes. Probably the editor here should have communicated some with Macci, before the article was published here. It would have been so easy to help Macci some.

[GeoffWilliams]

Tough people don't last. Tough times do. No one lasts in this game. I've seen Hoad, Laver, Rosewall, Rafter, Borg, Mac, Connors, Becker, Edberg, Sampras, Navrat, all fall by the wayside. Soon it will be: Kimiko date crumby, Dead Fed, Nadal Ped gone. And if Serena gains any more weight, she will start to resemble my profile. (I have skinnier legs and smaller rear.) Ha, ha, ha.

Thank god my forehand doesn't look like Date crumbys.

[klacr]

Tough people don't last. Tough times do. No one lasts in this game. I've seen Hoad, Laver, Rosewall, Rafter, Borg, Mac, Connors, Becker, Edberg, Sampras, Navrat, all fall by the wayside. Soon it will be: Kimiko date crumby, Dead Fed, Nadal Ped gone. And if Serena gains any more weight, she will start to resemble my profile. (I have skinnier legs and smaller rear.) Ha, ha, ha.

Thank god my forehand doesn't look like Date crumbys.

Many of those players you mentioned retired because it was time, or at least they thought it was their time. Not sure if any of them had the dramatic and sudden death of their father from a vicious SOB named cancer to weigh on them at such a young and fundamentally important age. Those are indeed tough times. All the players you mentioned besides Hoad are still alive. Monique Viele's father isn't. Tough times to go through. But, if there are just three words that I have learned that describe the world, people, tragedy, triumph and what I've been through, it is this..."Life Goes On"

But yes Geoff, I know what you mean.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[don_budge]

We'll never know...but it wasn't going to end well anyways.

We'll never know how things would have turned out if her Dad hadn't died. She was very young, and she could have developed mental toughness over time.

In the end a real mess and a tragedy on multiple levels. But a great story for Macci to tell. I'm loving these stories on Tennisplayer like Monique's and Barry's that show us just how much damage we (parents, coaches, the marketing machine) can do to our kids. And of course the wisdom and thoughtfulness of Jim Loher which stands in stark relief to these sad, misguided approaches.

Multiple levels...yes...that's it jeffreycounts. Multiple levels. From what I read into this mess you have summed it up perfectly. What a mess and what damage can be inflicted upon young people when the pressure of money and expectations land on you just because you happen to be talented in hitting a tennis ball and doubly blessed with good looks. She was a sitting duck...caught in the cross hairs of some very ambitious people. She had the dire misfortune to land in the lair of a couple of real ego maniacs.

What's with all of this betting going on at the behest of "The Trumpster"? How could a sensitive and caring "Tennis Professional" allow such activity to go on around one of his alleged "protege's"? Deals on napkins...sounds like a scene out of "Scarface". I wouldn't be so boastful about such behavior.

Monique's stock went up in the eyes of Trump. That kind of talk sucks. We are talking about a young human being...a young woman no less. This was no piece of collateral...it was flesh and blood. Of course she collapsed under the pressure. Surrounded by guys used to playing for high stakes...and in this case they were playing for her ass...and her soul. Trying to cash in. Making a buck. Real sleaze.

It's unclear what part her father had in this mess. It seems that he was the conductor. Pimping her talent to the highest bidder. When he should have been monitoring her comings and goings...as only a loving father would. Strange saga my ass...this is sad business. Don't get me started. Poor thing. Poor kid. Too bad there wasn't somebody around that cared for her soul and didn't look at her as a cash cow...a cash veal calf.

More signs of the times. It's bad news folks. We've only time to say our prayers. Hammer to fall...soon. Tough times...tough people? No one here gets out alive.

[GeoffWilliams]

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