Wow! That was my initial reaction which I am sure was the same as everyone else when they heard or read about Andre Agassi admitting in a new book called "Open" that he used Crystal Meth on a regular basis back in 1997. Agassi also says he failed a drug test on the ATP but lied about how it came about and since he was considered such a start on tour, tennis offciails threw it out and he waas never given a punishment.
Agassi was my favorite, and still is tennis player ever. I was a young kid when he came on the scene with his wild now just learned toupee, and image is everything look. He was style over substance but was just what the game of tennis needed when he became the most popular player ever.
Still, why is Agassi even coming out with a book? He doesn't need money. He certainly doesn't need this kind of publicity. I understand people are human and that nobody is perfect. However why is it even neccessary for anyone to know that he did Meth? How about all the kids and people who look up to Agassi and are disheartned to learn of this news? Sometimes things are better to be left alone. I understand how Agassi regrets what he did and he's not endorsing what he did, but he is endorsing the fact that even if you do drugs you can still get away with it if you have enough star power, money and talent to play a sport, or work in a business. And if you don't believe that you're smoking something yourself.
There's obviously a perception out there of people who do drugs are homeless, stupid, live at home, have no job and are throwing their life away. We see it in reality TV shows or what people tell us that drugs ruin lives. That's all true, however what's even more unfortunate are the people who live their lives among the rest of us, are extremely successful and do use drugs. You would never know they do and they make great money, take trips and live their life at a cost even though they are able to function like everyone else in the real world.
Andre Agassi was cleary one of those people. Now all he's done, is not only hurt people around him, the game of tennis and his fans. But most of all himself, and people like me who wants upon a time idolized his every tennis move.
