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Andre Agassi Speaks Out

November 6, 2009 4:27 AM

In an interview to air on 60 Minutes, tennis great Andre Agassi talks candidly with Katie Couric about his life, career, and drug use while playing professional tennis.

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by Tsanamy November 21, 2009 8:09 AM EST
He just wanted to put some closure on his experience. People just need to stop being too quick to judge others. Great for him. I actually have more respect for him after the interview.
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by ikarussucks November 9, 2009 7:11 PM EST
Self-righteous aholes like ikarusrules make me puke. There seems to be a lot of anger bottled up in your comments. You just sound like a pathetic loser!

Personally, I didn't care that much for Andre in his younger years but learned to respect him as an athlete and a person later on. He seems like a good guy who has had an interesting life and is now telling his story. Nothing wrong with that. Does anybody really think he needs the money and that is why he wrote the book? Come on?
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by Sherryba November 9, 2009 9:21 AM EST
I wish there had been more important questions like how has this experience changed him in his life now? How does he treat his children? What is important to him today? What if anything would he have changed? There are a lot more I can think of. I was disappointed in pushing him to tell us how many times he used meth. It was trying to sensationalize it and I expected more from 60 minutes. That question belonged in Access Hollywood.
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by just4mary November 8, 2009 8:40 PM EST
Being a recovering addict myself, I can understand the depths Andre had fallen to, and his fear of being uncovered. Recreational drugs are different from performance-enhancing drugs, but both are becoming a serious epidemic in North America. He deserves understanding and compassion. Those of you who cannot comprehend of anyone geting themselves in this situation are only those fortunate enough to have never been there or have never lost a loved one to this terrible disease. Addiction IS a disease and it can happen to anyone. Way to go Andre for owning up to it now!!
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by shegotgame November 8, 2009 8:35 PM EST
p.s. andre, please give your children the education, range of extracurricular activities (music, art, etc.) that children deserve to have in order to discover their own natural, innate talents and passions. my four year-old daughter just tried piano and now runs to play a dozen times a day. each child is a surprise waiting to open. a parents' job is to love them, protect them, give them safety and security, and expose them to varied aspects of life to help them discover their own sense of passion and purpose. please do not give it to pressures to 'produce another andre' or 'produce another steffi'. give your children what you didn't have... the freedom of choice. wishing you the best and applauding your transparency.
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by bkny69 November 8, 2009 8:35 PM EST
Seems like Martina strikes again as to not knowing what to say when she becomes aware of the personal struggles of others.... or maybe its just those whose names have that Andr-- in it as this is an excerpt from an interview by Andrea Jaeger..."Martina was staying in the flat next door and I went there to try to order a cab. Martina's trainer got the phone book out for me, but Martina turned and looked at me then turned away again. She didn't get out of her chair.
"It hurt me that a match the next day was much more important than seeing if a kid was going to be OK.
"But it suddenly dawned on me: 'Oh my gosh, she's in her killer-instinct-focus-on-the-match mode and I've just broken her concentration.'
"I felt so bad that I'd interrupted her preparation that I felt I couldn't even go out and try. I even didn't arrange a warm-up so I wouldn't start well.
"Martina's been asked about it in interviews, and she says she saw no reason why I didn't try.
But she's in an awkward position because if she says she knows I didn't try, they'll ask why and where does she go from there?
"Does she say, 'Well, she was afraid her father was going to hurt her that night."

Andre... as you have learned, the tennis last but for a minute, but the rest of life continues. What is truly sad is Martina's inability to move on,... You have done well despite your personal demons... Hopefully you and Steffi will enjoy the rest of your lives. And to those who criticize, tell them to go grab a coke and smile and shut the hell up!!
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by DorothyBins November 8, 2009 8:35 PM EST
I admire Andre Agassi as a tennis player, a husband, father, and a person. I've watched his career the up, the down, and the up again. When our son demonstrated tennis ability, I wanted to 'push', our son didn't want a tennis career, he wanted an education. He's a sophomore in college. Tennis is a lonely sport, it's hard, and for those who turn pro at an early age it's especially difficult...there is no childhood and many are under tremendous pressure because they are the breadwinners for the family. He owned up to his drug usage and what he's done since the end of his career I believe defines his legacy. Andre's drug usage was wrong, it was an escape. Clements allegedly did it to improve his performance. When Andre recognized he had a second chance, he worked his way back to number one in the world without drugs. When Federer, Nadal, and Martina build a school, graduating students who go to college, and fund raise for education, I'll take their remarks more seriously. On second thought, I won't.
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by just4mary November 8, 2009 8:32 PM EST
Being a recovering addict myself, I can understand the depths Andre had fallen to, and his fear of being uncovered. Recreational drugs are different from performance-enhancing drugs, but both are becoming a serious epidemic in North America. He deserves understanding and compassion. Those of you who cannot comprehend of anyone geting themselves in this situation are only those fortunate enough to have never been there or have never lost a loved one to this terrible disease. Addiction IS a disease and it can happen to anyone. Way to go Andre for owning up to it now!!
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by shegotgame November 8, 2009 8:28 PM EST
stop criticizing andre, people. he did not come from privilege, but did not have THE most important thing a child needs... a loving parent who encourages their child to follow their own heart. stop judging him, lest you be judged. i'm sure that not one of you who have made critical comments below can say you never lied or done something that you regret. you are lucky you never grew up in the public eye. it is not something to envy. i did a feature documentary on the women's pro tennis tour and i can tell you that it is a brutal world full of stories like andre... full of kids whose parents force their children to sacrifice education, friends, socialization, for the insane dream of a parent. it is psycho and i applaud andre for breaking the silence about this sad world of lost childhoods. the public is just as guilty for expecting heros to be perfect. do any of you REALIZE what is required to be #1 in the world of tennis. it requires your soul, nothing more. nothing less. may andre give his children the education and opportunities that come from their own hearts...
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by Phillygirl37 November 8, 2009 8:16 PM EST
I am so sick of poor, little, privileged, rich boys saying how much they hated their lives. Try working 50 hours a week for a salary just above the poverty level and then tell me how miserable your life is. Agassi should be happy he is not in jail for his drug use but I guess the rich are exempt from consequences.
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by arminka26 November 8, 2009 7:07 PM EST
Famous surgeon of the 20th century Varazdat Kazanchian,who was a Harvard graduate oral surgeon and cardiologist,said" The most brilliant people can be the most hopeless patients at times,because they are just humans."
Andre Agassi is a person of high integrity,character and grace. Massachusets loves yo
Andre!Behold, and Enjoy Life with your beautiful wife and gourgeous children.We want to see them in the tennis court one day.
People like you with high sense of responsibility and compassion will always be loved throught the world ,centures to come.
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by Dobie76 November 8, 2009 5:57 PM EST
i tired of celebs gettin away with anything they want. I was a meth addict for a little more than 7 years and on sept 7 2002 i had a terrifying motorcycle wreck i had a drunk driver hit me head on and never touched the stuff again you dont see me gettin on tv being interviewed are anything so just saying that if he was a normal person not a celeb no one would care cause look at me the only people in the country who cares bout what i went through is my family who is left alive.........
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by ikarusrules November 8, 2009 5:11 PM EST
Not only is this man a complete disgrace but he is a con artist putting on an emmy worthy performance to sucker people into buying his book.

To his jaded fans still praisig this loser get a clue. This man first lied when he tested positive then proceeded to continue doing drugs knowing he could get away with it and only now does he come fwd knowing they can't do a damn thing to him. WAKE UP! The man is an admitted liar so who is to say the drug use didn't go beyond just a year?

And ask youself why is he telling all this now? To help someone out? OH PLEASE. Yeah, to help sell his book and be one step ahead of some one who was planning on telling the truth about him so he decided to jump first and make a few bucks off of it.

Agassi is no hero. Thank God for the atheletes who have had the guts to come out in non support of his attempt to sell his sordid private life for a few bucks now that it's safe. If he were a man of any type of character he would have admitted years ago he was a loser druggy when he first tested positive for it. Hiding behind rules years later that cannot go after him so he can now capitalize on his stupid behavior is disgusting. The ATP needs to do the right thing and denounce this loser and point out what a con artist he is. Fans need to stay away from any and all exhibitions this guy is in to send a loud message that they won't be his sucker.

Do we have a right to judge? You bet we do. These athletes make millions to play in a sport and when you see some con artist like this play on peoples emotions challenging them to think he's such a swell guy for finally admitting to something illegal years later knowing he can't and won't pay a price for it but will in fact capitalize on it, it is nothing but vomit worthy. He truly is an embarrassment to the sport and athletes in general.
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by Forgivenessisdivine November 8, 2009 3:41 PM EST
For someone to say another person is a disgrace shows lack of compassion. If you have ever read the 12 step program that many addicts use as a help to beat their addiction, it would be evident that the first step is to seek forgiveness from those you have harmed. Andre is a public figure so of course his apology needed to be public. We all need compassion at some point in our lives... not only from addictions, but for many other reasons, like wrongly judging our fellow man.
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by U-No November 8, 2009 3:29 PM EST
And while I do not condemn the man, I also do not condone drug use. It is a cowards way out of embracing the greatest gift given to us, LIFE. Life comes with challenges to help us grow - but a coward turns elsewhere, rather than to use is mind, heart, and soul to conquer the and grow from the challenges.

I was always more of a Sampras fan, but he, too, is human. "To err is human, to forgive is divine." Thus, we will be judged by the way we ourselves judge others; forgiven by the way we ourselves forgive others.

Take that to the bank, it's good as gold.
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by lanadanatidyll November 8, 2009 3:19 PM EST
That was then this is now. It must be pretty tough to grow up in the public eye and have to compete in such a difficult sport at the same time. Why not look at what he has done in his sport and for humanity? We are all humans and humans are not perfect. I have spent years being delighted by Andre and am grateful he made it.
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by scott-ay69 November 8, 2009 3:16 PM EST
scubbasteve01 - pulease.

This guy wrote an open and honest book, he was/is a great champion. Does anyone really agree that meth helped his tennis? Give me a break. This guy is and was a class act. He isn't acting for forgiveness, he is just responding to the stupid comments by others. For those of you who don't know, he is one of 4 men to win the grand slam (all 4 majors) and developed into one of the most poised and amazing competitors in the history of the game. Yes, i totally respect his game, that he was able to overcome his problem with drugs, and i certainly don't condemn him because he used drugs. You holier than thou people are hilarious, you just want to push people down to make yourselves feel better, yes, he is rich, talented but he is a human being like anyone else.

Thank you Andre for not writing some BS book and keeping it real, **** everyone else if they can't deal with the truth.
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by svdds November 8, 2009 3:15 PM EST
Andre is
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by U-No November 8, 2009 3:14 PM EST
I have lived long enough to know that those who criticize harshly seek to cover up their own issues and shortcomings. We ALL know Martina is far from being whole or pure in its purest form. She needs to get over HERSELF.

As for Andre, he is growing, learning, and seeks to renew. Kudos to him.
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by hemlock4 November 8, 2009 2:34 PM EST
This new revelation about the drug use is Agassi's hamartia. Once a hero, he has revealed his tragic flaw.
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