That Jimmy Connors, he was somethin’ else, huh? I remember him back in the day, playin’ tennis on that there TV. Now, I ain’t no expert, but that boy sure could whack a ball. Jimmy Connors now, he’s older, like me. But you know, he’s still kickin’. Still around that tennis, just like he always was. He’s a big shot, they say.
Heard he was helpin’ some other fella play tennis, some young whippersnapper. Andy Roddick, I think his name was? Yeah, that’s it. Jimmy Connors, coachin’ him up. Taught him all he knows, I bet. That was a few years back though. Time sure does fly, don’t it? Seems like just yesterday he was that young fella, jumpin’ around, full of beans. Now, he’s doin’ all that talkin’ on the TV, ’bout other folks playin’ tennis. He ain’t playin’ like he used to, not on the real big games, like that U.S. Open thing. That was back in, oh, ’91 I reckon. Before some of you young’uns were even born!
But Jimmy, he’s still around. That Tennis Channel, he’s on there sometimes. Talkin’ ’bout the game. Guess once it’s in your blood, it’s in your blood. Just like me and my garden. Can’t stay away, even when my back is achin’ and my knees are creakin’.
- He was a big deal, that Jimmy Connors.
- Won all sorts of prizes, I reckon.
- Now he’s coachin’, talkin’ on TV.
- Still around that tennis.
I heard some rumblin’ just the other day, somethin’ ’bout Jimmy Connors maybe helpin’ out another one of them tennis players. Some fella named Novak somethin’. Djokovic, is that it? Big name, they say. Supposed to be real good. Maybe he needs some of that old-time wisdom that Jimmy’s got. Lord knows these young folks could use a little bit of that. Runnin’ around, chasin’ that little ball. They need someone to show ’em the ropes.
This Novak fella, they say he might not even get a new coach. What’s that all about? If you ask me, everyone needs a little help now and then. Even the best of ’em. And Jimmy, he’s been there, done that. He knows the game inside and out. He could probably teach that Novak a thing or two. Or maybe that Novak is too big for his britches, thinkin’ he knows it all already. Well, let me tell ya, you never stop learnin’. Not ’til the good Lord calls you home.
Jimmy Connors, a Grand Slam winner. That’s what they call it, a Grand Slam. Sounds fancy, don’t it? Like some kinda big party. But it’s just tennis, really. Hittin’ that ball back and forth. But Jimmy, he was good at it. Real good. He’s like one of those old tractors. Might be a little rusty, might not run as fast as it used to, but it’s still got plenty of power under the hood. And it’ll still get the job done.
So, what’s Jimmy Connors now doin’? Well, like I said, he’s talkin’ on the TV, he’s maybe thinkin’ ’bout coachin’ that Djokovic fella. He’s keepin’ busy. That’s what you gotta do, keep busy. Keeps you young. Or at least, it keeps you from feelin’ too old.
- Jimmy was good, really good.
- Grand Slam, they called it.
- He still got it, I reckon.
- Just like an old tractor.
He was on the BBC, I heard. That’s some fancy TV channel, all the way over in England. They speak funny over there, but I guess tennis is tennis, no matter where you go. Jimmy went over there, talked about the Wimbledon. That’s a big one, Wimbledon. Like the county fair of tennis, I suppose. All the best folks go there to show off their skills. And Jimmy, he was right there in the middle of it.
That other fella, Lloyd, he was good too. Back in ’78, he was number 21 in the whole world, I heard someone say. That’s a lot of folks playin’ tennis. And he was right up there with the best of ’em. But Jimmy, he was somethin’ special. He had that fire in his belly. You could see it in his eyes. He wanted to win, and he usually did.
So, yeah, Jimmy Connors now is older, but he’s still got that spark. Still got that love for the game. And that’s somethin’ you can’t teach. That’s somethin’ you’re born with. Just like me and my green thumb. It’s just in ya. And you can’t never really get rid of it. Not even when you’re old and gray like me and Jimmy. It just stays with ya.
He’s a legend, that’s what they call him. Jimmy Connors, a tennis legend. And that’s somethin’, ain’t it? To be a legend. To be remembered for somethin’ you did. Somethin’ you were good at. Somethin’ you loved. That’s all any of us can really hope for, I reckon. To do somethin’ we love, and to be remembered for it. And Jimmy, he did just that.
