In 1981, John McEnroe walked into Wimbledon, the cathedral of tennis etiquette, and went on a rant for the ages that culiminated in a four word soundbite that echoed across the ages: “You cannot be serious!” 

This episode dives into McEnroe’s rise from Queens kid to tennis rebel, how his infamous Wimbledon rant went against the very nature of the sport itself, and why it may have saved tennis from sliding into irrelevance in the United States. 

Follow us on IG, TikTok, and X at @Sports_MP3 to never miss an episode or update. Subscribe to our YouTube channel (@SportsMP3) if you’re a real one.

 

In 1981, John McEnroe walked into Wimbledon, the cathedral of tennis etiquette, and went on a rant for the ages that culiminated in a four word soundbite that echoed across the ages: &ldquo;You cannot be serious!&rdquo; This episode dives into McEnroe&rsquo;s rise from Queens kid to tennis rebel, how his infamous Wimbledon rant went against the very nature of the sport itself, and why it may have saved tennis from sliding into irrelevance in the United States. Follow us on IG, TikTok, and X at @Sports_MP3 to never miss an episode or update. Subscribe to our YouTube channel (@SportsMP3) if you&rsquo;re a real one.
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A podcast about iconic sounds from sports. Host Will Gatchel explores the story behind a famous quote, play call, or soundbite each episode, and shares what gets missed along the way. After all, sounds are stories too.

A podcast about iconic sounds from sports. Host Will Gatchel explores the story behind a famous quote, play call, or soundbite each episode, and shares what gets missed along the way. After all, sounds are stories too.

Sports.MP3

John McEnroe’s “You Cannot Be Serious!” at Wimbledon

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/690c9e7a-1dff-44bd-9416-b35501328a18/transcript