June 22, 1981 – There are legendary moments in sports history captured on video and then there are iconic ones that are played so much that they are forever embedded into the human brain. It happened this day at the Wimbledon where American tennis star John McEnroe set the prim and proper English tourney on its ear when he had his infamous tirade of ‘You cannot be serious’ rant in 1st round win over Tom Gullikson.
McEnroe was perturbed with a Wimbledon umpire’s line call during the match, with which he obviously disagreed with. McEnroe went on with a few more lines directed at the Ump, but with the politeness of the British umpire Edward James, eventually responded by politely announcing: “I’m going to award a point against you, Mr. McEnroe.”
The line, “You Cannot be serious,” was made famous that day and ended up being the title of a book the tennis great would write years later.
To find more great daily sports history make sure to check out the Sports Jersey Dispatch and Pigskin Dispatch.
More From Sports History Network
3 Legendary Dirt Bike Events Shaping Riding Culture
The smell of castor oil, the thwap of two-strokes ricocheting off canyon walls, and
The Match Starts at Tea Time: Football Fever and the Numbers Behind Bets
Football fandom here is rarely quiet. It’s the sport that sneaks into daily life:
Football Learning Academy: An Online Resource Of Gridiron History
In this episode, I talk to Ken Crippen about his new company, the Football
Tales From Pro Football Hall of Fame Players (My Personal Accounts)
Roughly twenty years ago, while browsing the Pro Football Hall of Fame website, I
7 Of The Biggest Draws In Boxing History
In this, I am going to discuss famous draws that have occurred in the
Super Bowl XXVIII (Bills vs. Cowboys): An Ultimate Recount of the Game
Today we have Super Bowl XXVIII, which was held on January 30, 1994, at
A Brief History of the New York Yankees of the Early 60s (1960-1964)
In a span of ten years, from 1949 to 1958, the New York Yankees
Go West Young Man: The Chicago Cardinals First Extended Road Trip
In the early days of the National Football League, it was not uncommon for