Very often we tend to compare players from other times with players that we see playing actually. In the book about Marcelino's biography there is an interesting thought exposed by some one who saw playing different generations that I would like to share with you all. The former jai-alai star answers the following question.
Usually, we disagree when we compare players from the past and the actual players, what's your opinion about it?
I disagree with the theory of modern athletes being better than the ones from the past because all kind of records are broken, and because of this we have to think that actual jai-alai players are better than past ones.
Erdoza, Joe Luis, Zamora, Atano III, Abrego... (all of them great old-times athletes) they would have been great stars in any epoch. The level of play was excellent before my time, during, and nowadays as well. The different elaboration of jai-alai balls has influenced a lot the development of jai-alai. Nowadays, back-courters are less agressive, they play more with the reverse, their position on the court is near the back wall avoiding to play the rebote. The front-courters are the ones that play the rebote now, and they use the costadillo, especially in the rest, they do it better than players from the past. Mine is a general judgement. On the other hand, they serve worse, they do it quiniela style. I can assure you one thing. Past players when serving would not allow nowadays front-courters waiting for the rest the way they do it now. Positioning themselves in the 5 line with their butts attached to the left wall. Today you don't see anymore serving from near the left wall, that`s gone.
In the past, front-courters, when they served, besides having a repertoire, the initial shot was often executed de lado cortada type, same thing from near the left wall or near the contracancha, this way the opposite player waiting the serve had to separate from the left wall.
Nowadays, when you see actual players playing they seem to belong to the same school. They are complete, they do everything almost perfectly, but I agree with players from my time when they observe that there is not an emotional transmision to the audience, who remains impasible the same way as if watching just a good movie"...
Hello Zulaica,
ReplyDeleteOne thing I would like to add to your observations is that the "Players from Past" like Salsamendi, Piston, Guara etc, played "el juego limpio" which means they did not hold the ball as much, just catch & throw, they did not take extra steps when throwing or looked deliberately at where the opponent was first, then throw the ball, etc.
My father, which was one of those players from that era said to me... "Son, I can easily play the way you play, I bet'ya you can't play the way we played"
By the way, great blog!
Carlos Pita