Andre Agassi: Brashness Resurrected

What started as an early '90s gimmick,  soon turned into the epitome of tennis professionalism.  Andre Agassi's tennis career was filled with equally as many admiring, and soon-to-be-forgotten moments.

The rockstar days of hanging out with the Red Hot Chili Peppers were soon replaced with two kids and tireless charitable work.  Agassi not only put tennis on the map in terms of new age pop culture, but he now also seems to have outdone himself by shaking the very foundation of what was once thought a credible sport.

When taking into account all of the peaks and valleys which encompassed Agassi's career, it seems now more than ever that a disgruntled tennis phenom was itching to tell a story.

Earlier this week it was revealed by Agassi that he had dabbled with crystal meth during the 1997 season.  The use of any drug, albeit recreational or performance-enhancing has always been forbidden on the professional circuit.  Regardless of the circumstance, if a player tests positive for drug use of any kind, immediate suspension takes place, with a tribunal hearing shortly thereafter.

But, it appears, that if your name is Andre Agassi, a loophole or two may be present in brushing away any misdoing.

With Agassi being a historic drawcard during his illustrious and lucrative career, can the ATP really be at fault for dismissing the drug charges of their most prolific and enigmatic star?

Well, it needs to be said: It pays to pay the bills.

It's important to remember here that in his day, Agassi was arguably more appealing and sought after than Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are in their current generation.

The Las Vegas native was not only the premiere player on tour, but his absence from any event was suicidal for tournament directors.  If Agassi didn't play, revenue, fan appeal, and network ratings would simply plummet.

You've all read by now the details which underline Agassi's infamous letter to the ATP in the fall of '97.

"My name, my career, everything is now on the line.  Whatever I've achieved, whatever I've worked for, might soon mean nothing.  Days later I sit in a hard-backed chair, a legal pad in my lap, and write a letter to the ATP.  It's filled with lies interwoven with bits of truth," Agassi said.

This one final jab by Agassi towards a career that he really never wanted insists that the tennis legend was forced, and not volunteered into greatness.

Agassi suggests in his upcoming autobiography titled "Open," that he hates tennis.  He describes his detest for the game "with a dark and secret passion".

Before we continue, it's important to consider whether or not Agassi's recent remarks are merely a publicity stunt or truly words from the heart?

One take on the Agassi's introspection can spell a bruised a bitter champion.  The years of his father's abusive behavior, highlighted by breaking second-place trophies and pointing guns at nearby drivers, can only lend to a desensitized and confused upbringing.

Whether or not we sympathize with the Agassi's decision to abuse the legal process which was overlooked by the ATP, the more vital concern of the moment becomes the ramifications which the current crop of tour players will address on a day-to-day basis.

The current heads of the men's ladder, Federer and Nadal, were left in initial disbelief when addressing the startling news.

"It was a shock when I heard the news," Federer said at a sponsors meeting at Kilchberg near Zurich. "I am disappointed, and I hope there are no more such cases in future... Our sport must stay clean."

But is staying clean an option at this point? With the likes of Federer and Nadal being tested upwards of 17 times a season, will the top players be subjected to even more scrutiny in the coming years?

"To me it seems terrible," Nadal said at an awards ceremony in Madrid on Thursday. "Why is he saying this now that he has retired? It's a way of damaging the sport that makes no sense.

"I believe our sport is clean, and I am the first one that wants that.  Cheaters must be punished, and if Agassi was a cheater during his career he should have been punished," Nadal said.

While having the top two players in the world distraught with his actions, Agassi, who will appear on 60 Minutes on November 8th, the day before his books drops across the nation, appears to have the backing of his countrymen, as well as his former coaching staff.

I had a chance to speak with Andy Roddick this week, and while the American didn't condone his compatriot's actions, he didn't shy away from sharing his admiration for the multiple Slam champ.

"Andre is and always will be my idol.  I will judge him on how he has treated me and how he has changed the world for [the] better."

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