European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 28, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday june 28,1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 19 commentary save Tennis Flag waving for Davis cup a. M a at tit a Vii a or i by Diane Holloway Cox news service Are viewers More Likely to watch a grand slam Tennis match if an amen can is playing Abc obviously thinks so. With the notable exception of National rivalries in Davis cup Competition Tennis is an International sport with one player slapping a Ball across the net at another player. Unlike soccer or the olympics Tennis is not a sport that requires patriotic Fervour. But every year no cd a Tennis Crew headed by Dick Enberg Waves old glory at people who tune in to watch the French open which concluded 2vi weeks ago and Wimbledon which began monday. No cd a coverage some of which May be aired Over an begins this weekend. Local television throughout Europe will have daily coverage based on past Wimbledon and the recent French open Abc will concentrate heavily on matches featuring american players and give Short shrift to players from other countries. Its an incredibly annoying practice in principle but More importantly such jingoistic coverage Demes viewers the Best matches. At the French open for example the broadcasts invariably began with a Recap of the american players still in the running As a superimposed american Flag rustled in the background. The tournament was played in France. What was the american Flag doing flying Over Roland Garros stadium it Wasny to of course except in the Abc graphics control room. A True Tennis fan does no to tune in to Root for the Home country. The True Tennis fan watches Tennis tournaments to see the Best players perform in a championship setting. Wimbledon is an especially impressive tournament to watch because of its longstanding tradition and dignity. Players Wear White Bow to the Royal Box and Are forced to display Good manners and sportsmanlike conduct. American sportscasters would do Well to follow the same rules. A a it san All american Day a Enberg crowed the first bunday of the French open. Actually there were several other matches played that Day in Paris but Abc bored in on a the Young americans a Michael Chang Jennifer Capriati and Andre Agassi. Almost every time Agassi a name was mentioned it was affixed to his nationality presumably because Agassi a name sounds a Tad Well foreign. No cd a misplaced patriotism became downright ridiculous during one telecast when a Good chunk of the program was devoted to an interview with John Mcenroe an american who Wasny to playing in the French open. Surely viewers would rather watch a match than listen to the bad boy of Tennis talk about How misunderstood he a been by the press. The women a final at the French open was the Best women a match in be seen since Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova ended their longstanding professional rivalry. Monica Seles squeaked and squealed her Way to Victory Over the dominant player of the past three years Steffi Graf. It was a terrific match but Enberg kept mourning the departure of Capriati who had been beaten in the semifinals by Seles. No americans no match. The menus final of course did feature an american and the coverage began with Agassi a face floating Over you guessed it old glory. His opponent and the eventual Winner Andres Gomez is from Ecuador and therefore became the underdog in no cd a coverage. As an indication of things to come Enberg wrapped up no cd a coverage of the French open by tailing a next the americans will venture to Wimbledon a anyone who wants to watch the finals of grand slam events has to Deal with network television but Early round play generally airs on Cable which docs a much better Job of reporting the Tennis and of conveying the International feel of the event. In the United states the Early Wimbledon matches can be seen on Home Box office with an excellent team that features Host Jim i amply commentators Arthur Ashe Billie Jean King and Barry Mckay and feature reporters Larry merchant and Cris Collinsworth. Many of the Hob matches Are called by a rotation of bbl announcers who have covered Wimbledon for decades. They Are knowledgeable insightful and respectful of both the players and the audience. They do not Cluck like chickens and they never have the bad form to talk during play. Tennis is one of the few sports that is perfectly suited for television. The court activity fits snugly into camera Range and a do scup of one player shows half of what a going on rather than the Small portion revealed in a closeup of such team sports As football baseball or basketball. Talented interesting and colourful players from All Over the world will be playing Wimbledon Over the next two weeks. Some will be americans and some will not be americans. Abc however will be there waving the Flag and hollering about the americans under the questionable theory that ratings Are driven by nationality. The Nielsen do not Bear this out. Past Wimbledon finals featuring one or More americans have done no better or worse than finals pitting a non american against a non american. Maybe Abc just likes to wave the Flag. Fine but jingoism has no place in an International Tennis Competition such As Wimbledon. Save it for the Davis cup. F Calendar june 28-july 4 unless otherwise dated the v corps title will be decided saturday when defending Champion Hanau takes on Darmstadt at 1 . On Frankenstein Cavern. Winner of the game advances to army european championships july 12-15 at Nimberg. The 21st Talcom championships run through sunday at Mannheim a Taylor Barracks. The single round Robin tournament which opened wednesday continues at 10 . Thursday with Pir Masens playing Kaiserslautern. Nor deutschland then takes on we Brucken at noon. Fridays schedule has a town playing Mannheim at 10 . And Pir Masens against we Brucken at noon. On saturday Pir Masens plays nor deutschland at 10 . And we Brucken meets Mannheim at noon. On sunday its a town is. We Brucken at 10 . And Mannheim is. Nor deutschland at noon. The Winner of the tourney which will have no ties advances to the army european championships. L Ball. The Mannheim Klee Amigos carry their Prague International tournament experience to the Tele 5 Ger Man american league this weekend. The Amigos who went 2-3 in Prague visit Schwabish Hall at 4 . Saturday then Host the Mustangs in a double header at Benjamin Franklin Village at noon sunday. The Amigos games in Prague went like this lost to the University of Maryland 8-4, beat Williams College mass 7-6, beat the czechoslovakian 6-0, lost to Haver Ford a College 7-1 and lost to athletes in action 5-4. Also saturday Mainz visits Frankfurt on Edwards Field at 4 . In other noon sunday double headers Frankfurt goes to Mainz and Nimberg visits Stuttgart. Of vim open fights Are scheduled for saturday at wild Flecken. Weigh ins run from 10 . Until noon. First bout is 6 .Kenning the Vogel Weh Rod and gun club is hosting a 10-Kilometer fun run wednesday the fourth of july. There is a $5 fee payable at registration from Yiu by . For the race which begins at 11 . Nurnberg a a soldiers Field has a 10-Kilometer race starting at 10 15 . Wednesday. Registration fun from 9 . To race time. Entry fee is $7.softball a Safe a Continental sports conference shifts into the playoffs this weekend. The menus tournament is at Rhein main starting at 9 . Saturday with the we Brucken Sembach game. Ramstein plays Hahn at 10 30 . Regular season Champion Spang Dahlem draws a Bye. The final of this double Elimina Tion meet is at 1 . Sunday followed by an if Nec Essary game. The women likewise Advance the top five regular season teams. Their Toumey at Sembach opens with Hahn playing Span Dahlem at 9 . Saturday. Then comes Ramstein is. Sembach at 10 30 . Enjoying the Bye is we Brucken. The title game is at 1 30 . Sunday with an if necessary game to follow. A pre fourth of july menus slow pitch tournament is scheduled Friday through sunday at shape belgium.,. Nor deutschland plays Host to a slow pitch Toumey Friday through sunday at Karl Schurz Cavern. The Toumey is looking for 16 teams at $75 per team in the double elimination event. Call ets 342-8626. Aufu racing the annual �?o200 Miles of the Noris ring will be held sunday on the stadium grounds within the City of Nimberg. The top event on sundays six race program is the eighth round in the German touring car championship with the first 44-Lap heat set for 2.30 . And the second heat set for 3 30 . The seventh round in the German formula 3 championship series will be held saturday with the Start set for 3-30 . Practice for All car categories is scheduled from noon to 6 . Friday with additional practice from 8 30 . To 3 30 . Saturday. The feature program sunday starts at 10 . And ends about 5 30 . Tickets Good for All three Days Range from 50 to 80 Marks. Sunday tickets Range from 20 to 60 Marks. On Germany a curb urging there is Long distance racing for touring cars saturday with races for various classes sunday. Racing goes from 8 . To 5 . Both Days to reach the curb urging take the Koblenz Toner autobahn a48 and exit at Ulmen curb urging. Demonstration runs will also be featured sunday with Harlan Thompson of Ford n.j., in his top full Dodge Daytona funny car and German racer Rico Anthes in his 5,000-horsepower Jet dragster. Admission on saturday is 10 Marks while sundays tickets Cost 15 Marks. Tickets Are also Good for the pit area. The Gie Belstadt army Airfield South of the town of Gie Belstadt is located off National route b19. Gie Belstadt is located about 10 Miles South of Wurzburg West Germany autobahn exit Heidingsfeld Wiir Burg. Motorcycle i Ltd tit p1> Hli Glt a drag racing the dutch grand prix eighth round in the world Road racing championship will be staged saturday on the Assen circuit with races for 125, 250 and 500cc bikes plus cycles with sidecars. American riders Wayne Rainey and John Kocinski both Yamaha Lead for the 500 and 250cc titles respectively going into the dutch round. Practice is scheduled for thursday and Friday. Assen is located South of Groningen in Eastern Holland. In Austria the eighth round in the super Bike world championship will be held at ocl Twig on sunday with supporting races also on the program. Practice and qualifying is scheduled for saturday. Zel Twig is located in Central Austria Between Judyn Borg and Knittelfelde on National route b336. In Germany the Hocke Nchim circuit will Host the 10th annual Bie Bertal races saturday for bikes in the 250, 350 and 500cc classes with super sport cup and a Battle of twins races also on the program. A Cycle rally is scheduled for sunday. Hocke Nchim is located Southwest of Heidelberg off autobahn a5 and a6. Motocross the Swiss grand prix for 250cc cycles ninth round in the world championship will be held sunday in Rothe Thurm with supporting Motos also on the program. Practice and qualifying races will take place turd a and sunday morning. Rothe Thurm is located North of Schwiz on National route 8. In Germany the first annual adar Wartt urm Motocross for 125 and 500cc bikes will be held sunday at Schaaf Heim. Both races Are rounds in the German trophy series. Practice and qualifying will take place saturday. Schaaf Heim is about 20 Miles East of Darmstadt. The Hanau Auto racing association Hara will stage its annual a  drag racing Crocram saturday and sunday at the Gie Belstadt army Airfield the Gates open at 9 . Both Days time nals Start at noon both Days and final eliminations begin at 1 . Sunday. More than 150 cars Are  racing Friday races Are slated for Hamburg and Munich. Saturdays schedule includes Hamburg and Gelsenkirchen. The sunday events take place at the Hamburg and Karlsruhe tracks with wednesday racing in Dusseldorf. The events open around 2