A while back, I wrote about Bjorn Borg's plans to auction his Wimbledon trophies. Aparently the $500,000 his trophies were expected to fetch was incentive enough to put his Wimbledon hardward on the block.This is until several other Wimbledon alumni urged him to reconsider. Says 1992 winner Andre Agassi, "The only way you should have one is if you win it. The thought of a Wimbledon trophy being in the hands of someone who didn't win it is upsetting to me." Agassi went on to suggest that sports history would be better served if the silver-gilt trophies would be better served with the trophies in tennis' Hall of Fame and not in a private collection, a sentiment echoed by two time winner Jimmy Connors.
But it was tennis' original superbrat John McEnroe who convinced Borg to reconsider. Says Borg, "When John McEnroe called me several times and wondered what I was doing, I guess I woke up: 'Borg, what has gotten in to you? Have you gone completely nuts?'"
Borg said this month he would sell the trophies to secure "financial security" for people close to him. That set off speculation--including here on this blog-- that Borg, who has had several failed financial ventures, was broke.
"Wrong. I am not poor at all," he said. "Business is going great and I have nothing to complain about.
"I guess I was tired of seeing the old stuff lying about here in the house," he added. "Maybe I thought they could bring joy to other tennis enthusiasts. I didn't think it through. Today I regret it."
Which all makes me wonder how much the Agassi-McEnroe-Connors cabal paid ol' Bjorn to not sell out.
2 comments:
I agree he shouldn't sell. I mean such an amazing accomplishment, how could he do that with a clear conscience?
We´ve got some of his trophys from Båstad - but really - made of plastic - who wants them ?
Osko Pope, Dk
Post a Comment