Was Mickey Rooney Hollywood's Tennis GOAT?

Last post 11-03-2009, 1:35 PM by redhead. 7 replies.
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  •  11-02-2009, 3:10 PM 511889

    Was Mickey Rooney Hollywood's Tennis GOAT?

    A dear friend of that era recently told me that Mickey Rooney was an incredible player, he totally dominated everyone on the court in Hollywood. Though he was short of stature he was supposedly a terror to play, very quick and steady, just beat everyone. And he liked to boast about it too. From what I can tell Mickey Rooney was very respected as a tennis player. Will have to ask Pancho Segura about Mickey Rooney, he probably knows.

     Also, remember reading Kareem Abdul Jabbar was a tennis player and one of his partners he played with was Marcus Allen who he called "Blackenroe."







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  •  11-02-2009, 6:46 PM 511931 in reply to 511889

    Re: Was Mickey Rooney Hollywood's Tennis GOAT?

    Charleton Heston was said to be a superb tennis player. His autobiography has a photo of Charleton in tennis garb with vintage 1970s style tight shorts and shirt and at least he looks like he could play a decent match. He played alot of athletic type roles when he was young so he probably was pretty good.
  •  11-02-2009, 8:04 PM 511942 in reply to 511931

    Re: Was Mickey Rooney Hollywood's Tennis GOAT?

    Charlton Heston indeed loved tennis and even once said he liked tennis better than sex. But from reports I've gotten Mickey Rooney was the best and would have dominated Heston. Don't underestimate Mickey Rooney. Will try to get confirmation.





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  •  11-02-2009, 9:28 PM 511960 in reply to 511942

    Re: Was Mickey Rooney Hollywood's Tennis GOAT?

    Scoop, did you ever see Mickey Rooney? Maybe I'm just thinking of the older MR, but he was like five feet tall and looked to have a pretty nice paunch. I don't think he had the build of a good tennis player, but maybe he was an aberration. I also think I remember that he had a drinking problem too.
  •  11-02-2009, 9:55 PM 511963 in reply to 511960

    Re: Was Mickey Rooney Hollywood's Tennis GOAT?

    Pancho Segura taught tennis to the Hollywood crowd for many years. Will ask him about Mickey Rooney. Asked him who stood out he said this (link here):

    Tennis Week: I’ve read and been told Errol Flynn was one of the best tennis-playing Hollywood stars. You taught tennis for so long out there, who was the best celebrity player?

    Pancho Segura: I used to play with Flynn he was pretty good. Dino Martin, Dean Martin’s son, was good and so was Vince Van Patten. They were probably the best celebrity players. Chuck Heston was good. He once said he’d rather play tennis than make love. I don’t know if I could go that far (laughs).

    I knew someone who hit with the young Katherine Hepburn and was told she was a very good athlete, and a solid, but not great, tennis player. Also, Joel Drucker wrote a good piece about Hollywood tennis players, if I can find it somewhere will try to post it. From what I remember, Groucho Marx and Charlie Chaplin were both avid players, according to that Joel Drucker piece. Can't remember their level of play. Dustin Hoffman is an avid player, but I have never seen him play so have no idea his level. From what I remember from his story, Jack Nicholson, while not a technically trainer player, was so competitive and such a hustler he was competitive. In the Pancho Gonzalez documentary they interview Robert Redford, who was apparently a fine junior in California (he went to college on a baseball scholarship and told ESPN he hit a ball out filming The Natural so he must have been good).  Never saw Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich play but have been told he was really good too (Torben Ulrich's son). People have told me Gavin Rossdale is very good.

    I knew a guy who coached at Harlem Tennis Center for years and he told me Earl Monroe played up there for years (prior to his last knee surgeries) and he described him as a quick serve and volleyer. I know Joe Morgan did play tournaments at one time and was apparently pretty good - he was such a good hitter have to think he would be very good tennis player.

    Obviously John Lucas played college and was very good (again never saw him play). My friend is a teaching pro and he saw both Brady Anderson and Paul O'Neill play and said both were good players, especially Brady Anderson. I've read that Jim Palmer (hall of fame pitcher) taught himself to play lefty so he would not risk injury to his arm. He looks like he'd be good.  Anna Wintour, who is frequently in Federer's support box, apparently plays 2 or 3 days a week early mornings in NYC, but have no idea her level. I was told Chris Mad Dog Russo is a good solid player too. Carlos Santana, Robert Plant, Elton John, Boyd Tinsley all play pretty regularly from what I am told, but no idea about their level.

     

  •  11-03-2009, 4:47 AM 511989 in reply to 511963

    Re: Was Mickey Rooney Hollywood's Tennis GOAT?

    Anyone know about Bill Cosby and tennis? He was in a tennis scene in the 1978 movie California Suite. He was a track guy at Temple University in the early 1960s so he has an athletic background.
  •  11-03-2009, 7:13 AM 512003 in reply to 511942

    Re: Was Mickey Rooney Hollywood's Tennis GOAT?

    Rooney was a hacker. At best a 4.0. Not a Hollywood GOAT!
  •  11-03-2009, 1:35 PM 512021 in reply to 512003

    Re: Was Mickey Rooney Hollywood's Tennis GOAT?

    I know this old pro who now in his 90's, I saw him recently at Central Park still playing, who went on an Australian tour with Cosby and said he was ok, a pretty good player. It's hard to become a real good player, no matter how much good coaching you get, if you didn't start playing as a kid.

    I saw Will Ferrell play last week with Wilander and McEnroe, and although he holds a forehand grip for a serve and doesn't move well, he hits a pretty nice ball.

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