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Andre Agassi Part 1

November 8, 2009 5:00 PM

Andre Agassi talks candidly to Katie Couric about his life, his strong dislike of tennis at a young age, and the depression that led him to use meth.

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by robinspp November 19, 2009 9:34 PM EST
Agassi should be proud of his father; if he wouldn?t have forced him to practice Tennis, Agassi wouldn?t have been a great tennis player.
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by runninggirlintx November 18, 2009 1:49 AM EST
Performance enhancer or prohibitor, it dosent matter. The point is the pressure elite athletes are under from whatever the source or collective sources may be, and how that can possibly effect them.

Athletes are just human, even though they do seemingly super human feats, just like the rest of us. Many of them find themselves in situations that lead to poor choices. Some get caught, some are protected, some die, some learn and so on.

Agassi has not provided excuses he has merely provided context. Good on ya Agassi your a great guy.

Only a small percentage of athletes as successful as him give back to the degree that he has/is.

Martina the steroids have turned your brain to mush, such condemnation from a Gay woman, please!
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by girlfromaustin November 14, 2009 1:38 PM EST
Unless Navratilova, Federer and Nadal have suffered from depression, they have no right to comment on Agassi's use of crystal meth. It is clear that he did not use it as a performance enhancing drug. Having suffered from depression myself, I find it absolutely amazing that he was able to accomplish all that he did!! I remember Agassi when he was the golden boy of tennis. I did not like him and thought he was arrogant. With this interview, it now makes sense that he was overcompensating for the way he felt inside. It is fortunate that he was strong enough to find his way out because his story could have easily had a tragic ending.

Again, as for the drug use - I had a friend that became addicted to meth until some of us intervened. As it turns out, she was clinically depressed and was unknowingly self-medicating. Once on medication, she had no desire for the meth. After that, I started looking at some cases of drug use and drug addiction differently.
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by pchoney November 13, 2009 12:12 PM EST
What a refreshing change to hear a well known figure admit to mistakes in life. Mistakes that most of us make but few of us forgive in others. It took great courage for Andre to come out with his story and my respect for him has only grown. Those who have been critical should be grateful they were born with the wisdom to avoid such errors rather than nipping at a man who has done so much for so many people in his life.
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by ruffledfeather November 11, 2009 10:34 PM EST
Where's the story that isn't as old as the hills? Overzealous parents with tunnel vision selfishly marring childhood development exist in a million neighborhoods. A star athlete succumbs to a weakness, in other words human frailty is exposed. I'm to read a book about this? I'll read it in bed to help me fall asleep. Separately, I commend Mr. Agassi's college prepatory academy in Las Vegas which is dedicated to the educational and character development of primarily young african american students in the las vegas, nv area.
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by deanfabian November 11, 2009 2:54 PM EST
I think Andre's story is one of hope, forgiveness, healing, grace and restoration. Truely motivational. It is encouraging to see how one person can tackle his adversity and come out on top. No one is perfect so we should not be quick to judge but be there to support and uplift them!!! Compassion people, Compassion!! Cant wait for his book to arrive in the mail. Would love to meet Andre personally and just to be there to listen and share in his personal experience of pain and the restoration that he has found. I find encouragement in his story. It shows that the human spirit can overcome any obsticle or adversity!!! Keep up the good work Andre!! You are changing lives.
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by yesigan1 November 11, 2009 12:05 PM EST
How many children are there in Agassi's school? 800+? I'd say he's made up for his error in judgment about 800 times over. He is not the first tennis player who has done drugs while on the tour. He is, however, one of the few to recover from it, become a better person and help those truly less fortunate than himself.
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by fordracer351 November 10, 2009 10:51 PM EST
I cannot feel sorry in the least for Andre. Here is certainly a gifted athlete who worked hard to be on the world's stage. But, it was also Andre that made the choice to do the drug(s) that he did. Now for a handsome sum of money, he's asking us for compassion. Give me a break.

While he was becoming famous, all I did was work myself through college every summer, spring and winter break; - countless hours with my nose stuck in a book, and even more trying to make a career out of almost 30 years of efforts. I managed to make a decent, (although not rich), living. So where is my book deal?
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by josephna November 10, 2009 5:32 PM EST
You have got to be kidding me. "Wah wah, I had to make hundreds-of-millions of dollars, got to stay in shape, wound up marrying a supermodel and now I play tennis with my wife in the middle of the day in Las Vegas." Which interviewee of Ms. Couric's is more out of touch with reality, Sarah Palin or Agassi?

How many nights did Agassi have to see his children go hungry or go without medical care or sleep in a cold house because he had no money? Oh, right.

I do not condone violence, but Ms. Couric should have picked up his book and smacked him in the head with it.

Next, we'll see Bill Gates writing a book about he actually hates software and had to give up his youth building wealth to create the world's most significant foundation to help cure disease. Umm, on the other hand, maybe not.

Go swallow a tennis ball, Agassi.
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by sgaraman November 10, 2009 10:36 AM EST
I admire Andre Agassi for his courage and grace in admitting to past mistakes and for the life of philanthropy he is now living. As for Federer, Nadal, and the self-righteous Navratilova, judge the man for what he has become, rather than the lost soul he once was...
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by alottadiana November 8, 2009 11:28 PM EST
In telling his story, I don't think Andre is looking to be dubbed a hero by anyone. I also don't think the issue is whether he was a liar, a fraud, or akin to the likes of Roger Clemens, as some have said. This is just one man's story, albeit an extraordinary man and an incredible story that many will say either didn't have to be told, or maybe shouldn't have been told at this time. Again, I don't care what people think, and that includes Roger Federer, Raphael Nadal, Martina Navratilova or the ATP. None of us should look back at anyone else's life with an entitlement to judge, but we do just that. Take the story for what it is...a public persona being honest about the private man he really was. Don't ask why he did any of it--crystal meth, the hairpiece, the failed marriage, or even why he's talking about all of this now. Just listen to the story and try to put it in perspective, and move on. After all, it's history. The two things Andre said that resonate with me: (1) the second chance he received wasn't lost on him, and (2) every day since he recommitted himself to tennis has been an effort to atone for what went before that day. He didn't have to tell this story, he chose to. The reactions will be everything from unfortunately hasty to unnecessarily exalting to revealing of who his true friends are, but for the rest of us, throwing stones is such a futile way to live life. Put the story in perspective and move on. I'll bet to his kids, Andre's still a hero...and that's as it should be.
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by afoley13 November 8, 2009 10:55 PM EST
i think that andre's story is amazing but at the same time the part about his meth addiction sort of disturbed me i just think that katie couric made it out liek he had such a huge drug problem im sure that he had a great deal to live with but ive lived a real drug addiction i was born an addict and i struggled with a meth addiction for 4 years and change im not saying that his story is crap er anything i think that he had lots of hardships to overcome as does everyone else in this world im just saying that there are people there that have alot harder lives that he had and maybe this show should look at some of the people who are not famous


ashley
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by msachance November 8, 2009 9:22 PM EST
I applaud your segment about Andre Agassi. I had a father like his who wanted me to be a doctor. I never became one, but I became a combat medic in Vietnam, and did enough to give my father some pride of accomplishment I guess. I did become a good insurance man though, just as Andre has become a good father and fine example of a good man for others to follow as an top athlete.
Steven C. Johnson/ Rockport, TX
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