Discussing the Davis Cup

Every year during this time, when I prepare the nightly TV sportscasts, I ponder how to fit all the sports news of the day into the 3 minutes given to us by the news producers.  We have the Red Sox, Yankees, Celtics, Bruins, the PGA Masters, the NFL draft and the list goes on; needless to say, the Davis Cup results don't make the show, and very rarely do tennis fans bother complaining.  As a tennis player and fan, sometimes it's sad to see this.  So now the 2008 Davis Cup has arrived, and unfortunately it’s not making major headlines in the world of sports- however, this is a problem that can be fixed. 

The major issues facing the Davis Cup are that it happens sporadically throughout each year, and there is too much time separating each tie/match; ultimately dulling the build up to the finals.  It’s one of the most prestigious events in tennis, and country bragging rights are on the line, yet tennis fans aren’t marking their calendars for the Davis Cup as they would for Wimbledon or the US Open.  Here’s what we can do to give the Davis Cup some hype throughout the world of sports:

1)      Schedule the tournament to take place every other year, not every year.  This would not only build anticipation, but will also give the players some extra breathing room during the “off-year,” considering the ATP schedule is jam packed as it is, with virtually no off-season (Soccer's World Cup is every four years, and ultimately one of the most successful sports events).

2)       Make it a two week bracketed tournament, from beginning to end, similar to a grand slam event.  This will give countries a better chance to field their best team, and will show which country truly has “the best” program.  As of now, countries have to "pull teeth" to try to field players every few months, ultimately setting forth mixed teams.  A two week event will prevent any scheduling confusion, and less conflicts….two weeks and the whole Davis Cup is complete; then wait 24 months for the next one.  This will also give the media more bang for their buck while covering the tournament; two exciting weeks of Davis Cup coverage, opposed to matches spread throughout the season. 

3)       Give ranking points to players based on their wins in the Davis Cup, and add some prize money.  It’s not that the players need any more inspiration to represent their countries, but it wouldn’t hurt to give a few extra incentives.

Andy Roddick has already withdrawn from the 2008 Summer Olympics in order to focus on the US Open, yet he's among the most patriotic Davis Cup players, just one example of how special this event is to the players.  It's unfortunate to not see the Davis Cup getting the publicity it deserves throughout the world of sports.