Did anyone watch "The Evert Era" last night? It was a brief but interesting report on the the Evert family and their various levels of success and contributions to the game. Such classy, elegant parents who passed down strong values to all their kids. The best part was watching Jimmy Evert tear up, 30 years later, as he told the story of how Chris called him after winning her first Wimbledon....which wasn't televised!

It makes recent criticisms of Chris seem even more ludicrous.

I have this DVR'd (is that even a word?), but was flipping through and caught just that part you described. I thougth it was great, but I was quick to turn it so I could watch the whole thing in context.

I loved Chris growing up and she's why I got into tennis in the mid-80's. It's interesting to look back at things with the perspective of 20 years and several other favorites to compare her to. I like the history lesson on something I've already lived through.

I missed the first broadcast(s) but I can't wait to see this show! What's Jeanne like now?

Chrissie's parents are still active. I run into them (one time almost literally) all the time at the local club here in Fort Lauderdale.

I haven't seen it, but always thought the Everts were (are) great tennis parents. Sure there might be a lot of Richard Williams, Damir Dokic, Yuri Sharapov, Djokovic type parents out there... but there are plenty of those like Jim and Collette Evert, Marisa Vicario, and Oracene Price, and countless other non-bonehead tennis parents.

I watched this last night and thought it was great. I did not know too much of the Evert family story, and that everyone in the family played.

I got most excited seeing the Jimmy Evert courts at Holiday Park in Ft. Lauderdale. I played the GLTA tournhament there a few years ago, so I got excited. They were great courts and a very fitting tribute to name the courts after Mr. Evert after he taught seemingly everyone and their brothers and sisters there.

I play at the courts named for Jimmy Evert in Holiday Park, where he taught Chris to play. The Everts still hit on many Fridays evenings, just before the gay tennis league starts its weekly doubles round robin clinic. I'd say they're both in their 80's, they look amazing, and they hit back and forth to each other with pinpoint accuracy and precision. Neither of them has to move more than a step, and rarely is a ball out or into the net. They then walk off the court holding hands like two teenagers; it really is wonderful to see.

My Jimmy Evert story: about six years ago a friend and I were going to hit at Holiday Park. I got there a bit early, got our court assignment and waited for the bell to ring. When it rang, I walked out to the assigned court, and there were two old guys hitting. Since the bell had rung I strode right on to the court. One of the men turned to me, said "oh, are you on here now?" and started gathering his things. As the two men walked off the court, my friend arrived, ran up to me, and said "oh my God, you pushed Mr. Evert off his court!" At that point, I didn't know who he was. Just as I was about to protest that I only did it because the bell had rung, yet another bell rang, and I realized the bell I thought was the hour bell was the five-minute warning bell letting players know to wind it up. I was horrified - not only did I shoo Mr. Evert off his court, but I did it early, and he was too polite and too classy to point out my faux pas.

Not a huge fan of Chris but her parents ought to give a workshop to every tennis parent out there. Of course, maybe they ought to have given Chris a marriage workshop.

Munson Man, thank you so much for your story about Jimmy Evert - eek! you must have been so horrified!! Wow, what a class act that man is. That anecdote demonstrates the world of difference between tennis parents who continue to work and have their own lives (Ann Davenport, Jimmy Evert, the Samprases, etc.) as opposed to the nightmares who live off their children, both financially and emotionally (the list is way too long - need I name names?). Of course there are exceptions - the Seleses and Oracene Price the most notable ones that come to mind - but by and large, get a job and get a life. The scariest thing I've ever heard from a tennis parent was Denise Capriati's admission (don't believe that either she or Stefano worked, even before Jennifer debuted on the WTA tour) that they don't see it as Jennifer's money, it's the family's money. Yeah, make your 13-year-old the family's sole breadwinner, brilliant idea. To borrow from Dr. Phil, how'd that work out for ya? So, anybody here think Richard Williams would have given up the court so graciously?

I won't comment on Chris's marriages, but I heard that she parted with something like $22 million in the divorce settlement to Andy Mill. OMG, Chris, two words for ya: PRE and NUP!!!

Chris is the player I most emulated when I picked up a racket at 4 or 5. I had a book that charted all the tournaments of 1974, one of her sweetest on the tour. I loved Connors' backhand, and thought he was cute, but Chris always had the best form.

That form extended beyond her strokes to the way she handled victory and defeat.

It's funny how things change. I always used to root against Martina, but now like her just as much as Chris. I could care less about marriages (though TC your post made me ) or appearance or any of that. The only thing I wish Chris hadn't done was play tennis with George Bush Sr. But it was for charity. And I've always liked the paradoxes of Chris -- though she might be a conservative on the surface, she's also a wild woman and a joker. Likewise Martina may be liberal or loopy on the surface but she's rather stern in other ways.

Munson Man, thanks for telling us those stories about the Everts and Jimmy in particular. Besides being great firsthand accounts, they show why tennis is such a great sport for life. I have an uncle around Jimmy's age who is still playing. It's inspiring.

I wish the Tennis Channel would show 'Evert Era' more often. I missed the first broadcast(s) and now it appears it isn't showing for a few weeks. But I'll be patient. I hope the show spotlights Jeanne too since she and Chris were one of the sport's first sister acts. The first of the pro era probably?

This is one of the things I hate about TTC. I set a reminder because according to my profarm schedule, The Evert Era was supposed to reair today at 2pm. So I turn it on and see that it is the 4385th airing of Chis Myers interview with Mary Joe Fernandez. The listings on my cable system rarely macth up with what is actually airing.

Not sure about Stefano, but Denise Capriati did work when Jennifer was an up and comer. One of my tennis buddies was a flight attendent and he and Denise used to work together on flights.

Did your friend mention specifically how long Denise Capriati worked? Based on her constant presence at Jennifer's tournaments in the summer of 1992 (I heard that "it's the family's money" remark during Wimbledon 1992), I'm guessing it wasn't long, although she might have gone back to work during Jennifer's MIA years or after the divorce. In any case, I'm pretty sure that after Stefano signed a couple of fat endorsement contracts for Jennifer as a 12-year-old, Stefano stopped working to "manage" Jennifer's career. Look, I get that a 15-year-old (and certainly a 13-year-old) is way too young to be on her own. Ideally, one parent should continue working while the other takes care of their pro-tour teen (like Ana Ivanovic's parents did), but that's not always feasible. But if a family chooses to make a teenager the sole family breadwinner, don't be surprised if it blows up in your face. And nobody is surprised when tyrannical moochers fathers who quit working to "manage" their daughters' careers turn out to be absolute boors.

I don't know about Denise Capriati's time card, but I hope The Evert Era has lots of footage of '70s Chris with the ponytail and Ted Tinling dresses.

And also the Ellesse Chris with that disco/glam hairdo that made her look like a 5th member of the Runaways. During those eras Chris not only was one of the best players, she looked awesome. Those looks still hold up today.

Whatever Denise Capriati's work schedule was, she wasn't supporting a family of 4 on a flight attendant salary.

My favorite Chris Evert story is one that happened when Martina started dating Judy Nelson, and I guess Judy convinced Martina that she and Chris could no longer be friends. So, at Wimbledon, Chris was practicing and Martina was in the stands and Chris starts firing the ball at her on purpose! ha ha ha. The image of an angry Evert pelting Martina with the tennis ball cracks me up.

There may be more to the story or details that I screwed up, but that's the basic version. I heard Martina tell it during an interview once. Hilarious.

I thought it was Nancy Lieberman who had Martina hit balls at Chris. Maybe one incident provoked the other.

See, I told you details would be off. Thanks, George!

Chris hitting balls at Martina = funny. Vice versa, also funny. I knew less that I thought.

That's the version I've read, as well.