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Former tennis player Jimmy Connors believes that action from authorities in response to gambling is a regressive move.
In light of the betting saga involving Mardy Fish and Bob Bryan, Connors shared his views on gambling and betting activities in sports in general and how things are different in tennis.
In a conversation with his son Brett Connors on the Advantage Connors podcast, the former World No. 1 expressed his disappointment with the International Tennis Integrity Agency's (ITIA) decision to impose a suspension on Mardy Fish and Bob Bryan. In fact, he believes that betting gets more people involved in sports.
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"So what's the bad thing? Do they wanna go back to the dark ages?" Connors said of the ITIA.
"That (betting) just brings people more involved and get them more interested you know, what is going on with the players, who is the best, how they compete and so forth," he added.
Jimmy Connors opined that sports like basketball, baseball, and football were more exciting than tennis because fans could get more involved in regard to betting.
"Tennis has been my life, but the excitement of being a basketball fan or baseball fan or football fan, the excitement of bringing that (betting) and being able to get more involved. I wanna watch tennis anyway but what's gonna make me more involved and to be more part of it?" he asserted.
"I don't understand the fight they are putting in there" - Jimmy Connors on the ITIA
Jimmy Connors criticized the ITIA for its authoritarianism when it comes to betting activities and feels that their relentless ambush against gambling is pointless.
"Tennis has become live betting too. I can bet a match just all the way through or I can get the computer and I can watch the match and bet on points, games, everything. Why fight that? I don't understand the fight they are putting in there," he said on the Advantage Connors podcast.
The eight-time Grand Slam champion even admitted to betting on himself back in his playing days.
"I was always a 'on me' guy. I mean, everytime I went to Wimbledon, I bet on me no matter what. And yeah, if you wanna get me now, get me. I don't care," Connors jokingly asserted.
