Re: Bill Tilden article in today's NY Times

On Sun, 30 Aug 2009 18:17:07 -0700 (PDT), number_six <cyberiade@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

I recall an excellent piece from SI in the 70s re Tilden. It was
called "Hero with a Tragic Flaw." Probably by Frank DeFord.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1089424/index.htm
and
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1089439/index.htm

Also the below might be of interest, especially the last letter.

-- Larry

===========================================

February 03, 1975
19th Hole: The Readers Take Over


PORTRAIT OF BILL
Sir:
Frank Deford's story of Big Bill Tilden (Hero with a Tragic Flaw, Jan. 13 and
20) is one of the most affecting, poignant, splendid pieces of writing and
reporting I have seen. Please convey my congratulations to him for his
accomplishment. Please accept my congratulations for printing it.
GEORGE V. HIGGINS
Boston

Sir:
In my opinion Frank Deford's story was the finest piece of writing ever to
appear in the pages of SI, a magazine with a long history of well-written
articles. Deford presented to me an athlete about whom I knew very little, and
brought him to life. It is hard to believe that he never knew Big Bill
personally, so sensitive was his approach to the man. At the end of his article
Deford states that Bill Tilden's gravestone "is the only monument of any kind
anywhere in the world...that pays tribute to the greatest tennis player who ever
lived." Wrong. Hero with a Tragic Flaw serves as a far greater and more
meaningful monument to the man's lifetime than a gravestone ever could.
CHRISTOPHER MAYER
South Ryegate, Vt.

Sir:
If anything, these two articles, besides telling of Tilden's tragic flaw, show
an even greater flaw in man: his callousness and insincerity toward his fellow
man when one falls on hard times or is going through a crisis.
RONALD J. ROGACKI
Lackawanna, N.Y.

Sir:
In my 33 years I have never before written a letter to an editor, and probably
never will again. However, I can't resist thanking Frank Deford for his moving
articles on Bill Tilden. It strikes me that Big Bill experienced "the thrill of
victory and the agony of defeat" in his effort to discover what it means to be
alive. Thanks, Frank, for giving Big Bill a fair shake.
BILL MCADAMS
Jacksonville

Sir:
As Bill Tilden's great-nephew, I was most interested in your articles on him.
Unfortunately, I only met Uncle Bill once, and have no memory of the experience.
But I'll always regret that I never had the chance to know him as a person. Your
articles confirmed my belief that he was a fascinating individual. Tilden may
have been childlike, but he was never small. His triumphs, mistakes and
shortcomings were all larger than life.

Lord knows, Tilden had unique family and personal problems that plagued him his
entire life. However, he faced a more general problem, one that every dedicated
athlete must face during his lifetime. Anyone who spends his formative years
developing a purely physical talent to the exclusion of all others must realize
that at an early age his ability will deteriorate for the greater portion of his
adult life. The deterioration of one's major talent, the talent by which one
defines one's self, prior to middle age, must require a tremendous psychological
adjustment. As Deford implies, Tilden's homosexuality and personal problems
increasingly manifested themselves as his physical talents declined. Uncle
Bill's failure to adjust to his physical deterioration created pressures that he
could only release through socially unacceptable activities.

Perhaps Uncle Bill's greatest tragedy was that he possessed talents which, if
cultivated, might have sustained him throughout his life. As Deford correctly
indicates, Tilden was an abominable novelist. However, he was an intelligent and
analytical writer who wrote several books on tennis, Match Play and the Spin of
the Ball for one, that are still considered classics. People have told me that
Tilden clarified the game for them as no one else ever had. But Uncle Bill's
concentration on tennis, which consumed all his time and energy, forced him to
neglect this talent which, as a result, remained essentially dormant. Had he
found time to develop his journalistic abilities, he might have discovered a
release for his growing frustrations. Tilden's singleminded pursuit of
excellence in one field forced him to waste his other talents. This is the
Catch-22 situation every dedicated athlete faces.
WILLIAM T. TILDEN IV
Tucson
.

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