Australian (Open) Tennis and COVID-19

[Pushka]

The AO is Tennis Australia's event. If they did not proceed, their situation would have been dire. Their income from the AO underpins them for the whole year, and so for TA it is not just the few weeks of the AO but it is their whole year and future on the line. And TA operate and runs programs throughtout Australia, and so this is not just a "Melbourne" benefit. Would the Federal Government hand them a few hundred million to bail them out?

The Vic Gov would survive. But they do want the economic benefits of a continual and regular stream of major and minor events. This helps to fill the hotels and all the other businesses like restaurants and the various tour operators and the like. That then feeds the businesses that in turn feed them.

The growth of Tourism in Vic has as a solid foundation on people coming to do and experience things, as opposed to say more sightseeing or being on beaches. They come for things like the AO, Melbourne Cup (Which is not just a day but a whole race carnival of over a week), Shopping, Theatre, Fashion, Restaurants and the like.

Many industries have had to bite the bullet this year but weren't allowed to risk importing high needs people to fix the issue.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Many industries have had to bite the bullet this year but weren't allowed to risk importing high needs people to fix the issue.

And I see that as an argument to do more.

And many industries were supported too. So should they all have not been? What was it $2 Billion to support the House Construction Sector.
Film Industry allowed to import people.

With the AO it is more about facilitating things so could get it done. The Mining Industry too had special rules in WA so that they could still FIFO despite the intrastate travel zones. Appropriate measures were put in place.

I think personally there were good reasons to do all of the above.

Personally I would like even more such cases where things are facilitated to get more people back to work . Assistance which in some cases in more about allowing the freedom to take appropriate steps in a safe manner, rather throw cash at it. cash at it.

And as I have stated many times, more appropriate interstate travel restrictions is part of that too. Or at least it should be.


So like in Oliver Twist I want more for all: "Please, sir, I want some more".

 

[lovetravellingoz]

From Paula Badosa

https://mobile.twitter.com/paulabadosa

 

[RooFlyer]

The AO is Tennis Australia's event. If they did not proceed, their situation would have been dire. Their income from the AO underpins them for the whole year, and so for TA it is not just the few weeks of the AO but it is their whole year and future on the line.

Do we need a fact check on that? Report a couple of days ago, referred by me above, was that Tennis Australia was going to exhaust its $80 million cash reserve AND borrow many millions more, to fund this event and its associated costs, as well as the funding it gets from the Victorian government. Doesn't seem from that, that there will be much largesse to spread around.

Anyone who's followed the saga of Tennis Australia over the past decade will not be surprised.

Edit: is Badosa "shedding" ?

 

[Pushka]

Do we need a fact check on that? Report a couple of days ago, referred by me above, was that Tennis Australia was going to exhaust its $80 million cash reserve AND borrow many millions more, to fund this event and its associated costs, as well as the funding it gets from the Victorian government. Doesn't seem from that, that there will be much largesse to spread around.

Anyone who's followed the saga of Tennis Australia over the past decade will not be surprised.

Edit: is Badosa "shedding" ?

She is apparently unwell so it's a proper one. She was a complainer that the whole plane had to be isolated. 7 days later she is positive. Their plan to isolate the plane was a good one and if she is very uncomfortable might actually shut the rest of them up. Well, we can hope.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Do we need a fact check on that? Report a couple of days ago, referred by me above, was that Tennis Australia was going to exhaust its $80 million cash reserve AND borrow many millions more, to fund this event and its associated costs, as well as the funding it gets from the Victorian government. Doesn't seem from that, that there will be much largesse to spread around.

Anyone who's followed the saga of Tennis Australia over the past decade will not be surprised.

So a fact check by you to a post by you with no source. Interesting way to fact check.

So I will have to presume you are referring to:

Tennis Australia CEO, Craig Tiley, told The Australian Financial Review the organisation would exhaust savings, which it holds over $80 million, but was taking a concessionary loan from the government, supplemented by the private sector, to help cover the $60 million shortfall.

Income from TV Rights, tickets sales etc from running the AO would be something over $300 million. Maybe over $400 million.

TA made $428,877,096 from operations and events in 2019-20

https://www.tennis.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/MI-20-115-Tennis-Australia-Annual-Report-2019-2020_SML.pdf

The 2020

So the vast majority of that annual revenue is generated by the AO.

Australian Open targets $ 500 mn revenue, $ 100 mn prize money - Inside Sport India

The Australian Open prize money has grown by more than 50% in the past five years to reach a purse of A$ 62.5 million for the upcoming

www.insidesport.co

So if they do not get that income by conducting the 2021 AO while they save on expenses, they lose out massively on lost income.

"Their income from the AO underpins them for the whole year, and so for TA it is not just the few weeks of the AO but it is their whole year and future on the line."

Then it would seem to be that Tennis Australia would be in dire straits and that my comment above was an accurate one.

Edit: is Badosa "shedding" ?

Reported by the player at 11.45PM last night as a new case and she states that she has symptoms.

 

[dajop]

Would this be a correct summary:

1)Costs a shedload to run it and they need to chip into reserves and take loan funding to hold the event (both of you saying this)
2) Television rights will recoup this investment and some?

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Would this be a correct summary:

1)Costs a shedload to run it and they need to chip into reserves and take loan funding to hold the event (both of you saying this)
2) Television rights will recoup this investment and some?

The charter flights, quarantine arrangements etc all were extra costs this time around and had to be funded. So costs in advance of the event would be unusually high.

 

[jakeseven7]

She is apparently unwell so it's a proper one. She was a complainer that the whole plane had to be isolated. 7 days later she is positive. Their plan to isolate the plane was a good one and if she is very uncomfortable might actually shut the rest of them up. Well, we can hope.

Please some Spanish can be serial complainers - look at the Spanish Tennis Association lobbying the Australian government to release their other players early .... Ahem no old mate so sorry.

 

[Lynda2475]

Aprently Ash Barty caught shopping indoors in Melbourne without a mask.

Now she didnt have to HQ being an Aussie (although who knows if she had been in Greater Brisbane being a Queenslander), but still shows a sense of entitlement, from one who is usually known for not beign a brat.

 

[RooFlyer]

So a fact check by you to a post by you with no source. Interesting way to fact check.

Ah, that's why you take umbrage with my posts so often. You appear to mis-read or mis-understand them. I didn't say or imply my post or quote was a fact-check, but I simply asked the question

Do we need a fact check on that?

Maybe I should have bolded it to make it really clear.

Oh, and your presumption re the Financial Review isn't correct either - but was the same quote in the Oz. I don't bother always linking or referring to the Oz these days, as its paywalled and therefore not available to most here to read, or 'check'. And if I'm on my phone, using the Oz app, its very difficult to directly copy & paste from. But I know if you have any doubt you'll look it up yourself, which is good.

 

[jakeseven7]

Aprently Ash Barty caught shopping indoors in Melbourne without a mask.

Now she didnt have to HQ being an Aussie (although who knows if she had been in Greater Brisbane being a Queenslander), but still shows a sense of entitlement, from one who is usually known for not beign a brat.

What kind of store? Only certain shops require you to wear a mask in VIC now.

 

[Lynda2475]

What kind of store?

Supermarket which is I believe a venue where you have to be masked.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Ah, that's why you take umbrage with my posts so often. You appear to mis-read or mis-understand them. I didn't say or imply my post or quote was a fact-check, but I simply asked the question


Maybe I should have bolded it to make it really clear.

Oh, and your presumption re the Financial Review isn't correct either - but was the same quote in the Oz. I don't bother always linking or referring to the Oz these days, as its paywalled and therefore not available to most here to read, or 'check'. And if I'm on my phone, using the Oz app, its very difficult to directly copy & paste from. But I know if you have any doubt you'll look it up yourself, which is good.

LOL I had no presumption that it was the Fin Review, but rather the details contained. And you confirmed that it was those details, but yet you wish to focus on just which media published it?

As to umbrage. Thank you for the clue as evidently if someone posts additional, or correcting, information you find that to be annoying rather than just sharing information. Thank you for the insight, but I don't share that philosophy, but it does explain your posts now and as to also why say fact checking is somehow meant to be offensive.

 

[RooFlyer]

As to umbrage. Thank you for the clue as evidently if someone posts additional, or correcting, information you find that to be annoying rather than just sharing information

It’s only annoying when you attempt to correct something which isn’t wrong because you’ve misunderstood or mis-read the post Such as the example I just gave.

And do it time after time.

LOL

 

[RooFlyer]

LOL I had no presumption that it was the Fin Review,

Fact check:

So I will have to presume you are referring to:

Tennis Australia CEO, Craig Tiley, told The Australian Financial Review t

 

[lovetravellingoz]

It’s only annoying when you attempt to correct something which isn’t wrong because you’ve misunderstood or mis-read the post Such as the example I just gave.

And do it time after time.

LOL

Yes your example is a perfect one I do agree, and perfectly sums up your intent.

I posted on what I thought the information was that you wanted to discuss, which it you confirmed it was, but instead want to try and make an issue of which media had exactly the same info in it.

So I will have to presume you are referring to:​

​

Tennis Australia CEO, Craig Tiley, told The Australian Financial Review the organisation would exhaust savings, which it holds over $80 million, but was taking a concessionary loan from the government, supplemented by the private sector, to help cover the $60 million shortfall.​

​

​

But lol no you instead want to go the point scoring path by trying to argue the toss of the irrelevant part of what I wrote queried. All the more comedic as So I will have to presume you are referring to: is actually an invitation to you correct anything that I may have incorrectly presumed.

 

[Anna]

I saw Djokovic on his balcony today, revving up a small group of kids on the other side of the road who were getting over-excited at seeing him and risking being run over. Luckily there was a security guard to keep them back. He seems to have some very ardent fans but I guess the more often he appears on the balcony (at least once a day, apparently) the more people are going to turn up in the hope of seeing him. A girl was there on Wednesday with a giant portrait of him. Not sure if she'd painted it herself or bought it but it looked like it was done in oil paint.

The support for Serena, Rafa etc is not so apparent but then AFAIK they have not come out on their balconies, maybe because of the 1-2 paparazzi with giant lens cameras who loiter around there.

 

[VPS]

I saw Djokovic on his balcony today, revving up a small group of kids on the other side of the road who were getting over-excited at seeing him and risking being run over. Luckily there was a security guard to keep them back. He seems to have some very ardent fans but I guess the more often he appears on the balcony (at least once a day, apparently) the more people are going to turn up in the hope of seeing him. A girl was there on Wednesday with a giant portrait of him. Not sure if she'd painted it herself or bought it but it looked like it was done in oil paint.

The support for Serena, Rafa etc is not so apparent but then AFAIK they have not come out on their balconies, maybe because of the 1-2 paparazzi with giant lens cameras who loiter around there.

It was really interesting that originally they wouldn't release where the players were staying. As if that was going to remain a secret in Adelaide for long

 

[Pushka]

It was really interesting that originally they wouldn't release where the players were staying. As if that was going to remain a secret in Adelaide for long

I heard where they were staying that night. On arrival night a pizza delivery guy rang up 5AA and said he’d just delivered 3 pizzas to a Mr N Djokovic.